Tony Berberabe, MPH

San Diego-based Ambit Biosciences is staking its success on the kinome, a set of protein kinases in the genome and an important source for targeted therapies in oncology.

Provider-based research networks (PBRNs) make clinical trials available to community-based practices.

Patients who undergo androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to manage advanced prostate cancer will often face the prospect of a potentially dangerous testosterone surge before the downregulation of leuteinizing hormone (LH) secretion occurs and, within about 3 weeks, testosterone drops to castration-like levels.

Although the changeover to using ICD-10 billing codes won't be mandatory until October 1, 2014, there are many coding changes to consider starting on January 1. Specifically, the reimbursement rate for some genetic testing and imaging involving breast cancer will see significant changes.

As new cancer therapies have prolonged life, an interesting question has arisen among community oncologists: "Is it better to transfer long-term cancer survivors to general practitioners or develop clinics for long-term survivors within cancer centers?"

The first oncology-specific accountable care organization (ACO) reported more than a 2% savings in its first year of existence.

The tiny "raise" touted in the latest temporary fix to Medicare's Sustainable Growth Rate, which was wrapped inside the bipartisan budget deal headed to President Obama's desk, is anything but good news for oncologists.

The current American health care payment system that is tied to high-cost procedures, including cancer care, demonstrates the system's shortfalls and inefficiencies.

The use of accountable care organizations (ACOs) among the Medicare population is growing in use. How well beneficiaries with high-risk, high cost conditions such as cancer, will fare under an ACO have not been determined, but a new study from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice suggests the possibility of significant reduction in Medicare spending.

Oncologists and other specialists who prescribe specialty medications are highly satisfied with their specialty pharmacy, but that satisfaction doesn't translate to some traditional drugstores.

Some radiation oncologists may breathe a little easier for now because the CMS has decided not to cap certain freestanding radiation oncology reimbursements in its Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.

Medical practices are getting squeezed from all sides and are finding it difficult to stay financially solvent.

To respond to the growing demand in cancer services that the existing cancer center was experiencing, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is expanding its comprehensive cancer center to help patients cope with the daunting challenges of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized physician payment rates and policies for 2014.

After a period of relative stability from 1991 to 2004, oncology practices can expect a continued drop in drug revenue in 2014, according to findings of the National Practice Benchmark (NBP) issued by Oncology Metrics.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has issued new and updated evidence-based guidelines to assist oncologists when ordering exams and ensure that patients get the correct scan or therapy for the right indication.

The hematology-oncology division of an academic health center participated in a pilot physician compensation exercise using variable compensation incentives with group-specific targets based on prior below-average performance.

Many patients being treated with mTOR inhibitors experience dermatologic-related adverse events.

A new consortium of payers, clinicians, patients, and pharmaceutical companies are developing recommendations to help generate evidence-based guidelines to define coverage and develop payment decisions for treating cancer.

Two large cohort studies, suggest that the costly scan is being overused in women who won't benefit from it and underused in women who could gain benefit from it.

In this age of sequestration and health reform, 340B is getting a closer look by lawmakers-causing critics and advocates to line up to debate its merits.

Head and neck cancer patients who participated in a swallow preservation protocol were less likely to suffer from the detrimental effects associated with dysphagia, a common complication associated with radiation therapy and chemoradiation therapy.

Eroding reimbursement rates and a shift from intravenous (IV) to oral chemotherapy are combining to threaten the viability of many community oncology practices.

Two studies presented at this year's ASCO meeting suggest that a significant proportion of patients with cancer want to include the cost of therapy in their discussion of treatment options with their physician, regardless of insurance coverage.

Where Medicare patients receive their chemotherapy treatment makes a difference in the number of chemotherapy sessions that they receive on average.

Delivering high-quality cancer care continues to be a daunting problem for the US healthcare system because of a combination of factors, including an aging population, a shrinking work force, the rising cost of therapies, and a complex disease state and treatment regimen.

Urologists who treat men with prostate cancer are 2.5 times more likely to refer patients to intensity-modulated radiation therapy centers, especially if they have a financial stake in the IMRT center.

The highest expense reported by community oncology practices continues to be attributable to drugs and biologics, according to "2013 Trends in Community Cancer Centers," a survey sponsored by the Association of Community Cancer Centers.

One oncology practice in Florida seems to have been able to adapt its practice model, taking advantage of economies of scale, and identifying new revenue streams, while still providing quality care and keeping its oncologists satisfied professionally.