Oncology Newsfeed

ASCO & ACCC Join in Effort to Increase Diversity in Cancer Clinical Trials

ASCO-ACCC Request for Ideas (RFI)

The ASCO-ACCC Request for Ideas (RFI) seeks novel strategies and practical solutions to increase participation of under-represented racial and ethnic populations in cancer treatment trials. The ASCO-ACCC Steering Group will review and select ideas that may be modified, combined, implemented, and evaluated by ASCO and ACCC. The ideas submitted may be implemented and evaluated through the ASCO Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR^TM) Study, for example.

Criteria used to review and prioritize proposed ideas will include the potential to address racial and ethnic disparities in cancer treatment trials, replicability of the strategy, and indications that the submitter has demonstrated a commitment to equitable cancer care, among others. Individuals who submit ideas will be given an opportunity to work on the idea implementation, if interested.

The RFI is open for participation now through August 24, 2020. Learn more.

Posted 7/24/2020

HHS Secretary Azar Extends Public Health Emergency

HHS Partners with ECHO Institute for Virtual Telemedicine Learning Community

What: HHS Telemedicine Hack is a 10-week virtual, peer-to-peer learning community to accelerate telemedicine implementation for ambulatory providers. Components include: five teleECHO sessions; five virtual “office hour” discussion panels; and inter-session peer-to-peer learning facilitated via virtual discussion boards. CME/CEU credits are available at no cost to participants. 

When: Telemedicine Hack sessions will take place on Wednesdays, from July 22–September 23, 2020, Noon–1 PM ET

How to sign up: Click here to register.

See the HHS Telemedicine Hack Flyer for more information.

Posted 7/21/20

USPSTF Draft Recommendation Expands Those Eligible for LDCT Lung Cancer Screening

• adults ages 50 to 80 years


• who have a 20 pack-year smoking history, and


• currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

When finalized, this recommendation will replace the 2014 USPSTF recommendation on annual screening for lung cancer with LDCT in adults ages 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

FDA Approves Decitabine + Cedazuridine Oral Combo for Adult MDS

On July 7, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an oral combination of decitabine and cedazuridine (Inqovi, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) for adult patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) including the following:

• previously treated and untreated, de novo and secondary MDS with the following French-American-British subtypes (refractory anemia, refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts, refractory anemia with excess blasts, and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia [CMML]) and
• intermediate-1, intermediate-2, and high-risk International Prognostic Scoring System groups.

FDA Approves Avelumab for Maintenance Treatment in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved avelumab (Bavencio, EMD Serono, Inc.) for maintenance treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) that has not progressed with first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy.

Read FDA announcement.

Posted 7/1/2020

FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for First-line Treatment of Metastatic MSI-H or dMMR CRC

On June 29, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck & Co.) for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer.

Read FDA announcement.

Posted 6/30/2020

FDA Approves New Fixed-Dose Combination for HER2+ Breast Cancer

On June 29, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new fixed-dose combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and hyaluronidase–zzxf (Phesgo, Genentech, Inc.) for subcutaneous injection for the following indications: 

• Use in combination with chemotherapy as: 
  • neoadjuvant treatment of patients with HER2-positive, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early stage breast cancer (either greater than 2 cm in diameter or node positive) as part of a complete treatment regimen for early breast cancer;
  • adjuvant treatment of patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence.
• Use in combination with docetaxel for treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease.
  

CMS Releases Preliminary Data on Impact of COVID-19 on Medicare Population

On June 23, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a preliminary snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the Medicare population, based on Medicare claims data.

The data released today includes the total number of reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries between January 1 and May 16, 2020. The snapshot breaks down COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for Medicare beneficiaries by state, race/ethnicity, age, gender, dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid, and urban/rural locations.

CMS data shows that more than 325,000 Medicare beneficiaries received a diagnosis of COVID-19 between January 1 and May 16, 2020. During this same time period, nearly 110,000 Medicare beneficiaries were hospitalized for COVID-19-related treatment. According to the CMS snapshot released today, Black Medicare beneficiaries were hospitalized with COVID-19 at a rate nearly four times higher than whites.

CMS data shows that:

• End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients had the highest rate of hospitalization among all Medicare beneficiaries, with 1,341 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries.
• The second highest rate was among beneficiaries enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid (also known as “dual eligible”), with 473 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries.
• Among racial/ethnic groups, Blacks had the highest hospitalization rate, with 465 per 100,000. Hispanics had 258 hospitalizations per 100,000. Asians had 187 per 100,000 and whites had 123 per 100,000.
• Beneficiaries living in rural areas have fewer cases and lower rates of hospitalization than Medicare beneficiaries living in urban/suburban areas (57 versus 205 hospitalizations per 100,000).

CMS Announces New Office of Burden Reduction and Health Informatics