CANCER BUZZ

While telehealth has expanded the delivery of healthcare services, many populations--including older adults with cancer--lack the know-how to use technology to their advantage during their cancer journey. Lower levels of digital literacy impede patients from accessing timely information, feeling empowered to ask questions, and seeking the best treatment for their diagnosis. To support patients to...

The demand for medical cannabis education from both providers and patients is increasing dramatically as the stigma on its use decreases. The Cannabis and Cancer Research and Education Clinic (CanCaRE) was developed to meet this growing need--providing education on safe and effective cannabis use, dosing recommendations, and symptom management strategies. Hear how using novel agents like medical c...

Allen Beck and Rivka Shakow Beck were newlyweds when Allen was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Allen and Rivka were thrust into a stressful, unfamiliar situation while trying to figure out how to manage mounting medical bills and prepare for Allen's bone marrow transplant.   Enter financial advocate, Angie Santiago. Angie discovered grants to help pay for the premiums, tapped into hospita...

The Federal Trade Commission unanimously launched a formal inquiry into the business practices of the prescription drug middleman industry—known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—in early June 2022 due to the overwhelming response of more than 24,000 public comments during their request for information. Listen to ACCC's Matt Devino and Dr. Rahul Seth discuss why every voice is critical in grassr...

Clinical trials are the best instrument to advance treatment for blood cancers, but numerous challenges exist around trial identification, enrollment, and participation. We'll hear perspectives from a community provider and patient advocacy organization on immediate--and forward-thinking--solutions to help this population better access clinical trials, including a tool from the Leukemia and Lympho...

Hear how Vanderbilt University Medical Center created a model for integrating advanced practitioners into a radiation oncology satellite clinic to provide long-term follow-up care and survivorship services. This pilot program exceeded expectations—not only in patient satisfaction and quality of care—but generated revenue for their institution by allowing physicians more time for patient consults a...

Dr. Stephen Quake, President of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network, spoke to CANCER BUZZ about the application of liquid biopsies across multiple cancer stages and their potential to improve patient outcomes, minimize financial toxicity, and create health equity through greater testing access and lower cost. He identified trends that are shaping the future of cancer research, including the amazing...

Meeting the needs of cancer program staff to ultimately improve patient outcomes is at the heart of the presidential themes of ACCC's current and immediate past presidents. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Krista Nelson, who advocated for the professional well-being of cancer program staff and Dr. David Penberthy, who aims to leverage technology to transform cancer care delivery and the patient experience. He...

While not yet mainstream in the community setting, measurable residual disease (MRD) testing has the potential to become more fully integrated into clinical practice as one of the reliable markers of treatment response for patients with multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Our guests—Drs. Rafael Fonseca and Tara Graff—discuss the benefits of MRD testing for these specific patient pop...

Because cancer treatment is rapidly evolving and complex, state-level advocacy is critical to help legislators understand the nuances of oncology. From issues like pharmacy benefit managers to white bagging and copay accumulators, the cancer care team knows firsthand the impact of policy decisions on the lived experiences of patients, including access to care, financial toxicity, and quality of li...

At times, being a caregiver can be an isolating experience—and especially for men who may struggle to ask for help. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Mike McGarry—who following his wife's cancer diagnosis—was introduced to Jack's Caregiver Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to supporting men throughout the caregiver journey.   This supportive community meets monthly to engage in unique activities like ice sculp...

When the pandemic brought in-person patient services to a halt, the Pluta Integrative Oncology & Wellness Center developed a virtual platform to provide patients more widespread access to integrative oncology modalities. Hear how a virtual integrative format can enable cancer programs to adapt touch modalities to self-interventions, leverage opportunities for research, and overcome social and econ...

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit The Advisory Board Company

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit Livestrong Cancer Institute at the University of Texas at Austin

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit ACCC position on the Cancer Moonshot Relaunch ACCCBuzz Blog: Cancer Moonshot Reignites

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit   AccessHope™️

In January 2022, ACCC launched a digital version of its Patient Assistance & Reimbursement Guide, which allows oncology staff to quickly search for manufacturer-based financial assistance programs for specific medications as well as reimbursement resources to support coding and billing. Hear directly from a pharmacist and an oncology operations manager who were involved in the design and implement...

Precision medicine is increasingly critical to selecting the right treatment for patients with cancer, but pathology reporting can be lengthy, complex, and confusing—especially in this fast-paced molecular era. According to Dr. Timothy C. Allen, one key to moving precision medicine forward lies in simplifying and standardizing pathology reports so patients can be better informed, understand their...

Cellular immunotherapy researchers have long been focused on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). These naturally occurring anti-cancer cells fight—from inside the tumor—against malignant cells. TIL Cell Therapy is currently being evaluated in clinical trials and encouraging study results have been presented and published. In this episode, hear from two experts in cancer immunotherapy on the exc...

Oncology social workers are integral members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team, but their services are largely unreimbursed by payers, so cancer programs and practices must fund these positions from their bottom line. This, in turn, makes it challenging to hire additional oncology social work staff. Hear about two new resources coming from ACCC to help demonstrate the value that oncology s...

Biomarker testing is an important part of precision medicine; however, many commercial health plans and state Medicaid programs lack adequate coverage, which can have life-threatening consequences for patients with cancer who could benefit from biomarker testing.  Some good news: health insurance coverage advocates have seen "wins" in three states in 2021: California, Illinois, and Louisiana. In t...

Advances in the application of precision oncology have resulted in an increased demand for genetic counseling services. While the genetic counselor workforce is on the rise, disparities in access are widespread. Certain barriers to genetic counseling—from geography to business challenges— are impacting who can access, and benefit from, genetic counseling services.  In this episode, Dr. Colleen Cam...

In this special podcast episode, we talk with oncology social worker and ACCC President Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW, about finding opportunities to practice gratitude each day for colleagues and patients.  Hear how taking the time to pause and connect during your workday can support your psychological health by reconnecting to the passion behind your job, helping you provide care with i...

To support the optimization of care for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), six ACCC Cancer Program Members applied to participate in a process improvement initiative. Hear from Wendi Waugh, Director of Cancer Services, Southern Ohio Medical Center, as she walks us through the design and implementation of their plan, which focused on the need to better understand the causes...

A New Deal for Cancer: Lessons from a 50 Year War , was published on November 16, 2021 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the landmark National Cancer Act. Dr. Randall A. Oyer, ACCC Immediate Past President and co-author of Chapter Two, A View from the Ground: The Changing Landscape of Cancer, addresses the complexity and lack of coordination and cooperation among four major care delivery...