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Kahn JM, Mauz-Korholz C, Hernandez T, Milgrom SA, Castellino SM. Pediatric and Adolescent Hodgkin Lymphoma: Paving the Way for Standards of Care and Shared Decision Making. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2024; 44:e432420. [PMID: 38788179 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_432420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a treatable cancer with an incidence peak in adolescent and young adult years. Treatment strategies have been developed to balance the intensity of therapy needed to maintain disease-free survival while simultaneously preserving overall survival. Risk-based, response-adapted frontline therapy has long used a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT). Successive clinical trials over the past three decades have safely reduced cumulative alkylator, anthracycline, and RT exposures for many patients. The advent of checkpoint inhibitors and the CD30-targeted antibody drug conjugate, brentuximab vedotin, has provided new options for de-escalation of conventional therapies associated with late effects in survivors treated at a young age. The ability to evaluate novel agents has been accelerated in collaborative trials inclusive of children and adolescents within the US National Clinical Trials Network and between the Children's Oncology Group and the EuroNet Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma Consortium. With numerous treatment options, patients with HL and their clinicians have an opportunity for shared decision making from diagnosis, through cancer treatment, and into survivorship. Given excellent survival outcomes, decisions about treatment in classic HL should be collaborative and attention to long-term survivorship needs should remain a high priority. Patient-reported outcomes remain an important tool to aid clinicians working with survivors to optimize health status and related quality of life for decades after HL therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine M Kahn
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Christine Mauz-Korholz
- Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, and Medical Faculty of the Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Tricia Hernandez
- Department of Education & Services, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Rye Brook, NY
| | - Sarah A Milgrom
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO
| | - Sharon M Castellino
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
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Sabik LM, Kwon Y, Drake C, Yabes J, Bhattacharya M, Sun Z, Bradley CJ, Jacobs BL. Impact of the Affordable Care Act on access to accredited facilities for cancer treatment. Health Serv Res 2024. [PMID: 38698670 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine differential changes in receipt of surgery at National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers (NCI-CCC) and Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredited hospitals for patients with cancer more likely to be newly eligible for coverage under Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance expansions, relative to those less likely to have been impacted by the ACA. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING Pennsylvania Cancer Registry (PCR) for 2010-2019 linked with discharge records from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4). STUDY DESIGN Outcomes include whether cancer surgery was performed at an NCI-CCC or a CoC-accredited hospital. We conducted a difference-in-differences analysis, estimating linear probability models for each outcome that control for residence in a county with above median county-level pre-ACA uninsurance and the interaction between county-level baseline uninsurance and cancer treatment post-ACA to capture differential changes in access between those more and less likely to become newly eligible for insurance coverage (based on area-level proxy). All models control for age, sex, race and ethnicity, cancer site and stage, census-tract level urban/rural residence, Area Deprivation Index, and year- and county-fixed effects. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS We identified adults aged 26-64 in PCR with prostate, lung, or colorectal cancer who received cancer-directed surgery and had a corresponding surgery discharge record in PHC4. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We observe a differential increase in receiving care at an NCI-CCC of 6.2 percentage points (95% CI: 2.6-9.8; baseline mean = 9.8%) among patients in high baseline uninsurance areas (p = 0.001). Our estimate of the differential change in care at the larger set of CoC hospitals is positive (3.9 percentage points [95% CI: -0.5-8.2; baseline mean = 73.7%]) but not statistically significant (p = 0.079). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that insurance expansions under the ACA were associated with increased access to NCI-CCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Sabik
- University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Youngmin Kwon
- University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Coleman Drake
- University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan Yabes
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Zhaojun Sun
- University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cathy J Bradley
- Colorado School of Public Health and University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Bruce L Jacobs
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Abstract
SUMMARY As value-based care gains traction in response to towering health care expenditures and issues of health care inequity, hospital capacity, and labor shortages, it is important to consider how a value-based approach can be achieved in plastic surgery. Value is defined as outcomes divided by costs across entire cycles of care. Drawing on previous studies and policies, this article identifies key opportunities in plastic surgery to move the levers of costs and outcomes to deliver higher value care. Specifically, outcomes in plastic surgery should include conventional measures of complication rates and patient-reported outcome measures to drive quality improvement and benchmark payments. Meanwhile, cost reduction in plastic surgery can be achieved through value-based payment reform, efficient workflows, evidence-based and cost-conscious selection of medical devices, and greater use of outpatient surgical facilities. Lastly, the authors discuss how the diminished presence of third-party payers in aesthetic surgery exemplifies the cost-conscious and patient-centered nature of value-based plastic surgery. To lead in future health policy and care delivery reform, plastic surgeons should strive for high-value care, remain open to new ways of care delivery, and understand how plastic surgery fits into overall health care delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas C Tsai
- Boston, MA
- From the Harvard Medical School
- Divisions of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery
- Plastic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
| | - Justin M Broyles
- From the Harvard Medical School
- Plastic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital
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Olateju OA, Shen C, Thornton JD. The Affordable Care Act and income-based disparities in health care coverage and spending among nonelderly adults with cancer. HEALTH AFFAIRS SCHOLAR 2024; 2:qxae050. [PMID: 38812986 PMCID: PMC11135644 DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxae050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) significantly reduced uninsured individuals and improved financial protection; however, escalating costs of cancer treatment has led to substantial out-of-pocket expenses, causing severe financial and mental health distress for individuals with cancer. Mixed evidence on the ACA's ongoing impact highlights the necessity of assessing health-spending changes across income groups for informed policy interventions. In our nationally representative survey evaluating the early- and long-term effects of the ACA on nonelderly adult patients with cancer, we categorized individuals-based income subgroups defined by the ACA for eligibility. We found that ACA implementation increased insurance coverage, which was particularly evident after 2 years of implementation. Early post-ACA (within two years of implementation), there were declines in out-of-pocket spending for the lowest and low-income groups by 26.52% and 38.31%, respectively, persisting long-term only for the lowest-income group. High-income groups experienced continuously increased out-of-pocket and premium spending by 25.39% and 34.28%, respectively, with a notable 122% increase in the risk of high-burden spending. This study provides robust evidence of income-based disparities in financial burden for cancer care, emphasizing the need for health care policies promoting equitable care and addressing spending disparities across income brackets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olajumoke A Olateju
- Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX 77204-5000, United States
| | - Chan Shen
- Departments of Surgery and Public Health Sciences, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - James Douglas Thornton
- Department of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX 77204-5000, United States
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Zhao J, Yabroff KR. High out‑of‑pocket spending and financial hardship at the end of life among cancer survivors and their families. Isr J Health Policy Res 2023; 12:24. [PMID: 37415261 DOI: 10.1186/s13584-023-00572-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat worldwide, affecting national and local spending, as well as household budgets for patients and their families. In this commentary about a recent paper from Tur‑Sinai et al., we discuss the high out-of-pocket spending and medical and non-medical financial hardship faced by cancer patients and their families at the end-of-life in Israel. We provide recent information about the costs of health care in Israel and other high-income countries with (i.e., Canada, Australia, Japan, and Italy) and without universal health insurance coverage (i.e., United States, a country with high healthcare costs and uninsurance rate), and highlight the role of improving health insurance coverage and benefit design in reducing financial hardship among cancer patients and their families. Recognizing that financial hardship at the end of life affects both patients and their families, developing comprehensive programs and policies in Israel as well as in other countries is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxuan Zhao
- Surveillance and Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society, 3380 Chastain Meadows Pkwy NW Suite 200, Kennesaw, GA, 30144, USA.
| | - K Robin Yabroff
- Surveillance and Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society, 3380 Chastain Meadows Pkwy NW Suite 200, Kennesaw, GA, 30144, USA
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Barnes JM, Graboyes EM, Adjei Boakye E, Schootman M, Chino JP, Moss HA, Mowery YM, Osazuwa-Peters N. Insurance Coverage and Forgoing Medical Appointments Because of Cost Among Cancer Survivors After 2016. JCO Oncol Pract 2023; 19:e589-e599. [PMID: 36649493 PMCID: PMC10530391 DOI: 10.1200/op.22.00587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The uninsured rate began rising after 2016, which some have attributed to health policies undermining aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Our primary objectives were to assess the changes in insurance coverage and forgoing medical care because of cost in cancer survivors from pre-enactment (2016) through postenactment of those policies (2019) and determine whether there were subgroups that were disproportionately affected. METHODS The 2016-2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys were queried for 18- to 64-year-old cancer survivors. Survey-weighted logistic regression was used to assess temporal changes in (1) insurance coverage and (2) forgoing medical appointments because of cost in the preceding 12 months. RESULTS A total of 62,669 cancer survivors were identified. The percentage of insured cancer survivors decreased from 92.4% in 2016 to 90.4% in 2019 (odds ratio for change in insurance coverage or affordability per one-year increase [ORyear], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86 to 0.98; P = .01), translating to 161,000 fewer cancer survivors in the United States with insurance coverage. There were decreases in employer-sponsored insurance coverage (ORyear, 0.89) but increases in Medicaid coverage (ORyear, 1.17) from 2016 to 2019. Forgoing medical appointments because of cost increased from 17.9% in 2016 to 20.0% in 2019 (ORyear, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.1; P = .025), affecting an estimated 169,000 cancer survivors. The greatest changes were observed among individuals with low income, particularly those residing in nonexpansion states. CONCLUSION Between 2016 and 2019, there were 161,000 fewer cancer survivors in the United States with insurance coverage, and 169,000 forwent medical care because of cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. Barnes
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | - Evan M. Graboyes
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Eric Adjei Boakye
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI
| | - Mario Schootman
- Department of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
| | - Junzo P. Chino
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
| | - Haley A. Moss
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Yvonne M. Mowery
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
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Su CT, Shankaran V. Defining the Role of the Modern Oncology Provider in Mitigating Financial Toxicity. J Am Coll Radiol 2023; 20:51-56. [PMID: 36513257 PMCID: PMC9898149 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Financial toxicity, the cumulative financial hardships resulting from cancer diagnosis and treatment, is a growing problem in the United States. With the proliferation of costly novel therapeutics and improved cancer survival, financial toxicity will remain a major issue in cancer care delivery. Frontline oncology providers serve as gatekeepers in the medical system and, as such, could play essential roles in recognizing and addressing financial toxicity. Providers and health systems could help mitigate financial toxicity through routine financial toxicity screening, financial navigation, and advocacy. Specific strategies include developing and implementing financial screening instruments that can be integrated in electronic medical records and establishing team-based financial navigation programs to help patients with out-of-pocket medical costs, nonmedical spending, and insurance optimization. Finally, providers should continue to advocate for policies and legislation that decrease cost and promote value-based care. In this review, we examine opportunities for provider engagement in these areas and highlight gaps for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Su
- Division of Hematology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcome Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington.
| | - Veena Shankaran
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and Codirector, Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcome Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
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Su CT. Financial Toxicity Interventions in Hematologic Malignancies Are Timely and Necessary. JCO Oncol Pract 2022; 18:607-609. [PMID: 35802841 PMCID: PMC9509202 DOI: 10.1200/op.22.00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T. Su
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI
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Su CT, Veenstra CM, Patel MR. Divergent Patterns in Care Utilization and Financial Distress between Patients with Blood Cancers and Solid Tumors: A National Health Interview Survey Study, 2014-2020. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071605. [PMID: 35406377 PMCID: PMC8996850 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Important differences exist between the presentation, treatment, and survivorship of patients and survivors with blood cancers. Furthermore, existing research in financial toxicity has not fully addressed the relationship between medical care utilization and patient-reported outcomes of financial barriers and distress. We answered these questions by using a nationally representative survey. Methods: Respondents with blood cancers and solid tumors from the National Health Interview Survey were identified (2014−2020). We identified 23 survey questions as study outcomes and grouped them into three domains of medical care utilization, financial barriers to care, and financial distress. Associations between the three domains and associations of study outcomes between cancer types were examined using weighted univariate analyses and multivariable linear and logistic regressions. Results: The final study group consisted of 6248 respondents with solid tumors and 398 with blood cancers (diagnosed ≤ 5 years). Across all respondents with cancer, higher medical care utilization is generally associated with increased financial barriers to care. Compared to respondents with solid tumors, respondents with blood cancers had a higher level of medical care utilization (β = 0.36, p = 0.02), a lower level of financial barriers to care (β = −0.19, p < 0.0001), and a higher level of financial distress in affording care (β = 0.64, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Patients and survivors with blood cancers and solid tumors demonstrate divergent patterns in care utilization, financial barriers, and financial distress. Future research and interventions on financial toxicity should be tailored for individual cancer groups, recognizing the differences in medical care utilization, which affect the experienced financial barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T. Su
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (C.M.V.); (M.R.P.)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-734-615-1623
| | - Christine M. Veenstra
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (C.M.V.); (M.R.P.)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Minal R. Patel
- Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (C.M.V.); (M.R.P.)
- Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Health Behavior & Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Giap F, Chino F. What Oncologists Must Account for: The Financial Burden of Cancer-Associated Symptom Relief. JCO Oncol Pract 2022; 18:106-108. [PMID: 34846913 PMCID: PMC9213193 DOI: 10.1200/op.21.00727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fantine Giap
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL
| | - Fumiko Chino
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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