ACCCBUZZ BLOG

To obtain an on-the-ground perspective of how cancer programs’ screening and outreach education efforts are reacting to pandemic pressures, ACCCBuzz spoke to four cancer programs across the country that will be featured in four separate blog posts in January 2022. For the first blog in the series, we spoke to Renea Duffin, MPA, vice president of cancer support and outreach at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, an ACCC member organization located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Genetic counselors can help individuals understand their risk of cancer, make medical decisions based on relevant genetic findings, take steps to lower their cancer risk, and make informed decisions about the most effective course of treatment after a cancer diagnosis. But despite the importance of the services they provide, genetic counselors are not considered to be providers, and their services are not billable under Medicare.

Given the difficulty of managing patients with a high disease burden who are often undergoing toxic treatment regimens, maintaining high-quality ovarian cancer care can be a challenge.

As we approach the end of 2021, ACCCBuzz is recognizing the individuals who have been featured in our Financial Advocate Spotlights and the incredible stories they have shared with us.

While precision medicine in cancer care is becoming more widespread, its rapid evolution in oncology requires ongoing discussion. ACCC’s podcast, CANCER BUZZ, features lively expert discussions about emergent issues in cancer care. Here we highlight some of those podcasts.

Because transportation disruptions can result in missed appointments, treatment delays, and potentially adverse health outcomes, we must help ensure that our patients have access to safe and reliable means of transportation.

The evolution of immunotherapy treatment for patients with cancer has given rise to a new class of cancer survivors.

The vulnerability of patients with multiple myeloma has received special attention lately due to the recent passing of former Secretary of State General Colin Powell related to complications from COVID-19.

The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) aims to deliver something a recent poll shows the overwhelming majority of Americans (88 percent) want: lower drug costs.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second-most common cancer detected in both men and women in the U.S. Lung cancer accounts for nearly 25% of all cancer deaths in this country. According to estimates by the American Cancer Society, 235,760 patients will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and 131,880 patients will die of the disease in 2021.

Discussions about staffing shortages, burnout, and heavy workloads have taken center stage during recent meetings with ACCC members. Learn what financial advocates and others are experiencing in their cancer program or practice and leadership are doing or plan to do to rebuild morale and team connections.

ACCC has launched Transforming Complex to Clear—a precision medicine campaign that has developed a range of tools and resources to help bring clarity to complex patient care decisions. Designed for multidisciplinary cancer teams, learn more about how these resources can enable clinicians to make educated and confident decisions.

In launching its new campaign, Transforming Complex To Clear, ACCC brought together expert panelists to discuss effective practices and offer tips to address current barriers to biomarker testing in the community setting.

ACCC is offering two new virtual CE initiatives that leverage small-group learning among clinicians who treat patients with early-stage NSCLC and patients with advanced HER2+ breast cancer.

While we talk to patients about insurance coverage and answer their related questions throughout the year, the health insurance Marketplace and Medicare open enrollment seasons provide the best opportunity to educate patients about their insurance options.

Due in no small part to global awareness efforts and transformative technological advances in breast cancer treatment, there has been a 40% decline in breast cancer deaths in the past 30 years. Nevertheless, current statistics remain sobering. An estimated 284,200 individuals in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2021, and approximately 44,130 people will die from the disease, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in women.

The key to successful policy and advocacy is twofold: avoid approaching new policies with a preferred conclusion and leverage the strengths of your colleagues.

Liquid biopsy, a genetic test that can eliminate some of the most serious potential drawbacks of traditional tissue biopsy, is gaining more traction in cancer care. But there remain significant barriers to its widespread use.

As we struggle to respond to fluctuating COVID-19 infection and vaccination rates, it is important to consider whether some of the initiatives developed in response to the pandemic are worth keeping. One such initiative is Moffitt Cancer Center's Oncology Curbside Clinic.

In 2021, ACCC launched the ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute (ACORI), which builds on ACCC’s mission to achieve equitable cancer care for all patients by forming key community partnerships. As part of this mission, ACCC hosted the ACORI Call to Action Summit, a two-day virtual event held September 13-14, 2021, to garner participant feedback and guide the future of the institute.

Although clinical trials have been used for decades to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and medical devices, the lack of a diverse population in such studies has failed to represent the population suffering the burden of the diseases being studied.

To help cancer programs and practices establish and maintain robust financial navigation programs, ACCC's Financial Advocacy Network recently developed the “Ready, Set, Go! Financial Advocacy Playbook” for all members of the cancer care team—particularly those who provide any level of financial advocacy services.

With projects that address acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), B-Cell ALL, and hematology disease education, ACCC is developing new resources for cancer programs and practices that focus on multidisciplinary approaches to caring for patients with blood cancer.

ACCC has long highlighted the racial and ethnic disparities that exist in oncology and hematology care delivery to advocate for true health equity for all patients with cancer. Through various programs, ACCC helps teach members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team how they can help patients overcome barriers and disparities in various treatment settings.

With total spending on U.S. cancer care projected to rise 34 percent from 2015-2030 to $245 billion, biosimilars can play a role in helping reduce those costs. Learn how Biden’s executive order on promoting competition in the American economy will require the FDA's biosimilars approval framework to be clearer and easier to follow.

Amanda Henson writes a regular blog series for ACCCBuzz about how she created and helps manage a streamlined oncology service line within the Baptist Health System in Kentucky. In this post, Henson talks about Baptist Health's oncology leaders and how they united to problem-solve in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If passed, the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act could expand Medicare Part B to cover medical nutrition therapy services for patients with cancer, who need to maintain their strength and keep a health body weight during treatment. ACCCBuzz shares more about this legislation and why its benefits are essential for oncology.

In a recent summit addressing the role of advanced practitioners (APs) in eliminating health disparities, participants felt strongly that APs have an important part to play in ensuring patient access to quality cancer care.

Because supportive cancer care services are not reimbursed by payers, cancer programs and practices fund most of these patient-centered services from the bottom line of their budget. But COVID-19 has made that practice increasingly challenging, and many organizations are scrambling to identify other funding sources. In this blog post, we offer practical tips and strategies for writing a successful grant.