CANCER BUZZ

Enterprise intelligence software analyzes imaging results of all patients treated at UCHealth to identify and stratify those with high-risk findings. When a concerning abnormality is found, patients and providers are alerted to the finding, and patients are referred for additional follow-up. After this system-wide approach led to a 2,514% increase in actively managed patients, a centralized care m...

New opportunities are emerging for dedicated biomarker testing navigators facilitated by laboratory professionals to better streamline sample collection and optimize test ordering and results for patients with cancer. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ TV speaks with Lynnette Pineault, MBA, SCT (ASCP), chair of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Biomarker Testing Navigation Feasibility S...

This accelerated delivery platform improves clinic workflow and speeds up breast cancer diagnosis and treatment planning. From screening mammogram, a clinical pathway flags patients who meet One-Stop Breast Clinic criteria, eliminating the traditional "first come, first served" scheduling model. To date, more than 300 patients have benefited from this rapid diagnostic approach, receiving their dia...

Anemia presents a significant challenge in the management of patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). As clinicians focus on maintaining quality of life, it is necessary to understand the care sequencing of anemia treatment in patients with low-risk MDS. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Steven Gilmore, PharmD, BCOP, Senior Manager of Clinical Content in Pharmacy and Clinical...

This AI-driven incidental findings program identifies and then monitors pancreatic abnormalities to improve the quality of care to patients who are at increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. To do so, the patient management software integrates with the electronic health record and facilitates patient identification, risk assessment, care plan tracking, patient and provider communication,...

This machine learning algorithm runs nightly and is linked to a smart texting application that goes out to patients every morning for 7 days following chemotherapy, asking about symptoms like diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain. Patients reporting severe or worsening symptoms have the smart text escalated to the oncology clinic where they received chemotherapy. Initial analysis broken down...

While molecularly targeted therapies based on actionable biomarkers are improving outcomes for patients with lung cancer, access to biomarker testing continues to hinder equitable and comprehensive care for underserved patients. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ TV speaks with Tom Lycan, DO, MHS, assistant professor of Hematology & Oncology at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, about a practical tool...

Development of this comprehensive bispecific antibody program included policy development; toxicity management; creation of patient and staff education documents; creation of clinician tools like a toxicity scoring and charting tool and an electronic order set that segregates treatment options; and a monitoring system to safely transition patients from inpatient to outpatient care. Guest: Courtney...

This rule-based informatics solution pulls from the electronic health record to automate the election of an appropriate biosimilar therapy based on the patient's insurance and hospital formulary preferences, streamlining prior authorization and approval processes. This e-tool decreased administrative burden to providers, pharmacists, and prior authorization specialists and increased biosimilar uti...

As the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy continues to expand as an effective treatment for hematologic malignancies, understanding how to identify eligible patients early and implementation of an effective framework for identification can improve care coordination and better prepare community cancer programs for widespread use of CAR T-cell therapy. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ...

Social determinants of health have been proven to impact access to care, but further delineation is necessary to describe their effect on treatment selection itself. To mitigate this knowledge gap, the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) sought to identify the impact that social determinants of health may have on guideline-concordant treatment selection in hormone receptor positive, HER2 neg...

Immunotherapy is redefining survivorship to include an increasing population of patients who live with cancer and navigate toxicities that differ from those that accompany traditional treatments. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Brittney Baer, BSN, RN, patient care coordinator for the Immune Effector Cell program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, ab...

Germline and somatic testing for   in prostate cancer can improve outcomes and promote early detection and prevention, yet many patients are not aware of testing and the impact it can have on treatment options. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with David Gill, MD, medical oncologist at Intermountain Healthcare's Intermountain Cancer Center and Lindsey Byrne, MS, LCGC, licensed certified genetic...

Anemia can negatively affect quality of life and treatment outcomes for patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Amy DeZern, MD, MHS, director, Bone Marrow Failure and MDS Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, Donald Moore, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, DPLA, FCCP, clinical oncology phar...

Prior to 2020, patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's Comprehensive Cancer Center experienced high variability in the number of days it took to see a breast cancer provider. Scheduling was decentralized across the departments and rarely could multiple visits be coordinated to occur on the same day, within the same location. Addressing this issue required...

Improving timely identification and referral of patients who may be eligible for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is critical for improving outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies. On February 7, 2024, ACCC hosted a virtual Working Summit: Advancing CAR T-Cell Therapy Care Continuity and Collaborative Patient Education to explore topics including patient and caregiver nee...

The 4R Oncology® Model facilitates enhanced patient engagement and timely care provision by streamlining delivery of complex interdependent care. Implementation of the 4R Oncology® model in breast and lung cancer clinics has improved patients' involvement in organizing their care, enabled the development of high-functioning multidisciplinary care teams, and helped to optimize the timing and coordi...

While advancements in oral medicine are improving the treatment landscape for head and neck cancer, routine dental care and preventative oral cancer screenings can help identify head and neck cancers early. In this episode, Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD, MPH, chief of Oral Medicine, Oral Oncology, and Dentistry at Baptist Health South Florida's Miami Cancer Institute, emphasizes the proactive role de...

Advancements in clinical data and research have shown the immunotherapeutic potential of bispecific antibodies as treatment for hematologic cancers and solid tumors. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Aaron Cumpston, PharmD, pharmacy clinical specialist for bone marrow transplant and Christine Barrett, PharmD, BCOP, medical oncology clinical pharmacy specialist who discuss the challenges of...

As the need for access to guideline-concordant biomarker testing for underserved populations continues to grow, hear what care teams need to know about coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries and the legislative outlook for 2024. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Hilary Gee Goeckner, MSW, director of State and Local Campaigns for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ASC CAN), who...

The ACCC Oncology Reimbursement Meetings (ORMs) help all members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team navigate the annual changes in oncology reimbursement and regulations— while improving their knowledge on effective strategies for success in an everchanging oncology landscape. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Jordan Karwedsky, financial counselor, Green Bay Oncology, about her sessi...

While social determinants of health can impact access to care and treatment options for many patients with cancer, when combined with the complexities of acute myeloid leukemia, these factors become critical to treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients . In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Linda Hayward, patient financial advocate at the University of Maryland, Kaufman Cancer Center...

Maintenance therapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia, particularly those who are ineligible for transplant, can be critical to treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Thomas LeBlanc, MD, hematologic oncologist, associate professor of Medicine, and associate professor in Population Health Sciences at Duke Cancer Institute, about the impo...

On March 1, 2024, ACCC elected a new president and board of trustees for the 2024 -2025 term. CANCER BUZZ interviews outgoing President, Lekan Ajayi, and incoming President, Nadine Barrett, about their respective ACCC President's Themes, the programs and resources ACCC developed in the past year, the state of the oncology workforce, ACCC's role in improving health equity, the Association's 50 th A...

Live this week from the ACCC 50th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS), CANCER BUZZ features an update from the White House on the Biden Cancer Moonshot program.  Speaker: Dr. Catharine Young Assistant Director of Cancer Moonshot Engagement Policy and International Engagement White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Resources:  Cancer Moonshot  ACCC Post: Moonshot H...