Cancer Treatments: A Peek Into the Future
The 2007 ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) meeting lacked a "blockbuster" headline. Perhaps the most notable clinical advance was the report for use of sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular (primary liver ) cancer. Hepatocellular cancer is more common in East Asia, and is related to the endemic spread of hepatitis B virus. Historically, there have been few if any effective treatment options for this type of tumor. In a randomized trial of the multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, sorafenib, against a placebo for advanced hepatocellular cancer, the use of sorafenib led to improved period of tumor control (2.8 months versus 5.5 months, on average) and improved survival among these cancer patients. Because there are no drugs with substantial activity in this tumor type, it is expected that sorafenib will garner FDA approval in this setting based upon these data.
While there were many other important advances at ASCO, there were relatively few that would prompt clinicians to change radically their treatment practices in the coming weeks.
There was a subject frequently on the minds of meeting attendees, it seemed. The subject was cost. The increasing price of cancer therapy, and the increasing concern over regulation of those prices and practices, was a common note sounded by many oncologists with whom I had conversations. This concern was less in response to specific clinical reports or new data and more seemingly from an growing sense that there are going to be many new, reasonably effective drugs in cancer medicine, which are enormously expensive. How to pay for this progress? Who will foot the bill?
I'll write more about the business side of oncology practice in future blog entries.
Related Topics:
While there were many other important advances at ASCO, there were relatively few that would prompt clinicians to change radically their treatment practices in the coming weeks.
There was a subject frequently on the minds of meeting attendees, it seemed. The subject was cost. The increasing price of cancer therapy, and the increasing concern over regulation of those prices and practices, was a common note sounded by many oncologists with whom I had conversations. This concern was less in response to specific clinical reports or new data and more seemingly from an growing sense that there are going to be many new, reasonably effective drugs in cancer medicine, which are enormously expensive. How to pay for this progress? Who will foot the bill?
I'll write more about the business side of oncology practice in future blog entries.
Related Topics:
- WebMD Video: Hope Lodge - Where Travelers Get Cancer Treatment
- WebMD Video: Special Report - Cancer Treatment Timing
