 |
|
1 in 10 advanced colon cancer patients worry about prescription drug costs
June 01, 2009ORLANDO, Fla.--The vast majority of advanced colon cancer patients in a clinical trial were not concerned about the cost of prescription drugs for managing chemotherapy side effects, such as infection, pain and nausea and few adopted strategies to reduce drug cost burdens after joining the clinical trial, according to a study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Although few patients reported substantial worry about drug costs, still fewer reported discussing drug cost issues with their physicians, suggesting there are opportunities for improving how physicians integrate discussions about drug costs into clinical practice.
The study's findings (abstract 9503) will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. on Friday, May 29, 5:30 pm ET, Level 4, W414A.
"We were reassured to learn that few patients enrolled in the clinical trial engaged in coping strategies to minimize the impact of prescription drug costs, but we also recognize that these findings may not generalize to patients treated outside the clinical trial context," said the study's lead author, Deborah Schrag, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber.
Schrag added that given the current state of the economy, with a growing number of people losing their jobs and possibly some or all of their insurance coverage, "we could witness growing anxiety among cancer patients about their ability to pay for medications that may help them adhere to their therapy."
The researchers surveyed 409 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were enrolled in a Cancer Leukemia Group B (CALGB) Phase III clinical trial that compared outcomes of patients who received combination chemotherapy in conjunction with bevacizumab and cetuximab together or with cetuximab alone. The participants also received prescriptions for "supportive" drugs, such as anti-nausea medications, antibiotics and painkillers.
They explored whether financial concerns prompted the patients to take money-saving steps that could negatively impact their care. They found that 10 percent of the patients were very worried about paying for their supportive medications, less than 15 percent adopted a money-saving strategy -- such as not filling a prescription, taking less than the recommended dose -- and 12 percent of the patients reported speaking with their physicians about drug costs.
"The cost of cancer care today does force patients to make some hard financial decisions," said Schrag. "As oncologists, we need to be mindful that this issue may be a concern for some patients and that communication about this topic both may help alleviate anxiety and identify strategies to minimize the cost burden."
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Schrag added that given the current state of the economy, with a growing number of people losing their jobs and possibly some or all of their insurance coverage, "we could witness growing anxiety among cancer patients about their ability to pay for medications that may help them adhere to their therapy."
The researchers surveyed 409 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were enrolled in a Cancer Leukemia Group B (CALGB) Phase III clinical trial that compared outcomes of patients who received combination chemotherapy in conjunction with bevacizumab and cetuximab together or with cetuximab alone. The participants also received prescriptions for "supportive" drugs, such as anti-nausea medications, antibiotics and painkillers.
They explored whether financial concerns prompted the patients to take money-saving steps that could negatively impact their care. They found that 10 percent of the patients were very worried about paying for their supportive medications, less than 15 percent adopted a money-saving strategy -- such as not filling a prescription, taking less than the recommended dose -- and 12 percent of the patients reported speaking with their physicians about drug costs.
"The cost of cancer care today does force patients to make some hard financial decisions," said Schrag. "As oncologists, we need to be mindful that this issue may be a concern for some patients and that communication about this topic both may help alleviate anxiety and identify strategies to minimize the cost burden."
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Clinical Trial Current Events and Clinical Trial News RSSFirst use of antibody and stem cell transplantation to successfully treat advanced leukemia
For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have reported the use of a radiolabeled antibody to deliver targeted doses of radiation, followed by a stem cell transplant, to successfully treat a group of leukemia and pre-leukemia patients for whom there previously had been no other curative treatment options.
Chemo-radiation before prostate removal may prevent cancer recurrence
Researchers in the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center have found a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy given before prostate removal is safe and may have the potential to reduce cancer recurrence and improve patient survival.
Does green tea prevent cancer? Evidence continues to brew, but questions remain
Although scientists are reluctant to officially endorse green tea as a cancer prevention method, evidence continues to grow about its protective effects, including results of a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which suggests some reduction in oral cancer.
Common Pain Relievers May Dilute Power of Flu Shots
With flu vaccination season in full swing, research from the University of Rochester Medical Center cautions that use of many common pain killers - Advil, Tylenol, aspirin - at the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a negative effect on the immune system.
Aiming to avoid damage to neurocognitive areas of the brain during cranial radiation
Radiation oncologists at Rush University Medical Center are intent on finding ways to avoid damage to the critically important hippocampus and limbic circuit of the brain when cranial radiation is required to treat existing or potential metastatic cancers.
Stereotactic radiotherapy offers noninvasive, effective treatment for frail patients with early-stage lung cancer
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) should be considered a new standard of care for early-stage lung cancer treatment in patients with co-existing medical problems, according to results from a national clinical trial led by UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians.
PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative shares strategy for developing 'next-generation' malaria vaccines
Marking its tenth anniversary year, the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) today unveiled a new strategy that sets the stage for an aggressive push targeting the long-term goal of eliminating and eradicating malaria. Malaria is one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, killing nearly 900,000 people a year, most of them children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Clinical tests begin on medication to correct Fragile X defect
NIH-supported scientists at Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability.
Early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer patients at increased risk of recurrence
Early-stage breast cancer patients with HER2 positive tumors one centimeter or smaller are at significant risk of recurrence of their disease, compared to those with early-stage disease who do not express the aggressive protein, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Initial Results Show Pregnant Women Mount Strong Immune Response To One Dose of 2009 H1N1 Flu Vaccine
Healthy pregnant women mount a robust immune response following just one dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, according to initial results from an ongoing clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health.
More Clinical Trial Current Events and Clinical Trial News Articles
 |
Clinical Trials - A Practical Guide to Design, Analysis, and Reporting by Duolao Wang (Author), Ameet Bakhai (Author) Clinical trials form the backbone of evidence-based medicine, and appreciating clinical trial methods allows readers to critique, design and report clinical trials. This book is a friendly 'jargon buster' which aims to demystify the subject. It is divided into five sections: fundamentals of trial design, alternative trial designs, basics of statistical analysis, special trial issues in data analysis, and reporting of trials. Using simple language, the book explains - with illustrations of numerous trial examples - the conceptual and methodological issues that occur at all stages of clinical trial covering trial design, conduct, analysis and reporting. The book is an educational and approachable reference in a difficult area of medicine where clinicians often... |
 |
Fundamentals of Clinical Trials by Lawrence M. Friedman (Author), Curt D. Furberg (Author), David L. DeMets (Author) This text is intended for the clinical researcher who is interested in designing a clinical trial and developing a protocol. It is also of value to researchers and practitioners who must critically evaluate the literature of published clinical trials and assess the merits of each trial and the implications for the care and treatment of patients. The text uses numerous examples of published clinical trials from a variety of medical disciplines to meaningfully illustrate the fundamentals. Technical design issues such as sample size are considered, but the technical details have been suppressed as much as possible through the use of graphs and tables. While the technical material has been kept to a minimum, the statistician may still find the principles and fundamentals presented in this... |
 |
Clinical Trials: A Methodologic Perspective Second Edition(Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics) by Steven Piantadosi (Author) Learn rigorous statistical methods to ensure valid clinical trials This Second Edition of the critically hailed Clinical Trials builds on the text's reputation as a straightforward and authoritative presentation of statistical methods for clinical trials. Readers are introduced to the fundamentals of design for various types of clinical trials and then skillfully guided through the complete process of planning the experiment, assembling a study cohort, assessing data, and reporting results. Throughout the process, the author alerts readers to problems that may arise during the course of the trial and provides commonsense solutions. The author bases the revisions and updates on his own classroom experience, as well as feedback from students, instructors, and... |
 |
A Manager's Guide to the Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials (Manager's Guide Series) by Phillip I. Good (Author) This newly updated edition of the benchmark guide to computer-assisted clinical trials provides a comprehensive primer for prospective managers. It covers every critical issue of the design and conduct of clinical trials, including study design, organization, regulatory agency liaison, data collection and analysis, as well as recruitment, software, monitoring, and reporting. Keeping the same user-friendly format as the original, this Second Edition features new examples and the latest developments in regulatory guidelines, such as e-submission procedures and computerized direct data acquisition. The new edition also reflects the increasing globalization of clinical trial activities, and includes new information about international standards and procedures, including the... |
 |
Conducting Clinical Research: A Practical Guide for Physicians, Nurses, Study Coordinators, and Investigators by Judy Stone (Author) In Conducting Clinical Research: A Practical Guide for Physicians, Nurses, Study Coordinators, and Investigators, you will discover how to Attract drug companies to your site Land a study on good terms Recruit patient volunteers --- and keep them happy! Implement easy strategies for coordinating studies Organize your clinical trial activities Demystify regulatory requirements
|
 |
Principles and Practice of Clinical Trial Medicine by Richard Chin (Author), Bruce Y Lee (Author) Clinical trials are an important part of medicine and healthcare today, deciding which treatments we use to treat patients. Anyone involved in healthcare today must know the basics of running and interpreting clinical trial data. Written in an easy-to-understand style by authors who have considerable expertise and experience in both academia and industry, this book covers all of the basics of clinical trials, from legal and ethical issues to statistics, to patient recruitment and reporting results. *Jargon-free writing style enables those with less experience to run their own clinical trials and interpret data. *Book contains an ideal mix of theory and practice so researchers will understand both the rationale and logistics to... |
 |
Textbook of Clinical Trials by David Machin (Editor), Simon Day (Editor), Sylvan Green (Editor) Now published in its Second Edition, the Textbook of Clinical Trials offers detailed coverage of trial methodology in diverse areas of medicine in a single comprehensive volume. Praise for the First Edition: "... very useful as an introduction to clinical research, or for those planning specific studies within therapeutic or disease areas." BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Vol. 92, No. 2, February 2005 The book’s main concept is to describe the impact of clinical trials on the practice of medicine. It separates the information by therapeutic area because the impact of clinical trials, the problems encountered, and the numbers of trials in existence vary tremendously from specialty to specialty. The sections provide a background to the disease area and... |
 |
A Concise Guide to Clinical Trials by Allan Hackshaw (Author) Clinical trials have revolutionized the way disease is prevented, detected and treated, and early death avoided, and they continue to be an expanding area of research. They are central to the work of pharmaceutical companies, and there are many academic and public sector organizations that conduct trials on a wide variety of interventions, including drugs, devices, surgical techniques, and changes in behaviour and lifestyle. A Concise Guide to Clinical Trials provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-read overview of the design, conduct and analysis of trials. It requires no prior knowledge on the subject as the important concepts are introduced throughout. There are chapters that distinguish between the different types of trials, and an introduction to systematic reviews,... |
 |
Clinical Trials: A Practical Approach by Stuart J. Pocock (Author) This comprehensive, unified text on the principles and practice of clinical trials presents a detailed account of how to conduct the trials. It describes the design, analysis, and interpretation of clinical trials in a non-technical manner and provides a general perspective on their historical development, current status, and future strategy. Features examples derived from the author's personal experience. |
 |
A Step-By-Step Guide to Clinical Trials by Marilyn Mulay (Author) Provides a practical approach to understanding the components of a clinical research trial as well as the tools to conduct a well- organized study. Designed for those interested in developing or enhancing skills to coordinate all aspects of clinical trials such as regulatory requirements, budgeting, contracts, patient recruitments and participation, and gathering and recording clear, invaluable data. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |