Journal of Cancer Policy最新文献

{"title":"The Characteristics of Immunoncology Drugs Appraised by NICE and SMC: A Retrospective Analysis 2012-2023.","authors":"Giannis Agorastos, Elpida Pavi, Athanassios Vozikis, Kostas Athanasakis","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100599","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100599","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Immunoncology has revolutionized cancer treatment by offering improved survival and quality of life. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of NICE and SMC's decisions for the reimbursement of immunoncology drugs, within the healthcare systems of the UK & Wales and Scotland respectively.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The classification of the Cancer Research Institute was used, to identify immunoncology drugs. A systematic search of publicly available HTA decisions on immunoncology drugs was performed, taking into account technology appraisals conducted from 2012 to 2023. Data on drug-indication pairs, recommendation status and ICER for both NICE and SMC appraisals, were extracted in standardized tables. A retrospective analysis of the reviewed decisions was conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 58 NICE and 57 SMC appraisals were analyzed, revealing that most decisions were positive or optimised/restricted (91.4% and 87.7%, respectively). Lung cancer and melanoma were the most frequently appraised indications. More than half of the appraisals (53.4% for NICE and 61.4% for SMC) reported ICERs above £30,000 per QALY. Patient group submissions were included in 89.7% of NICE and all SMC decisions, reflecting the agencies' commitment to incorporating patient perspectives. Policy summary: The number of immunoncology drugs assessed by NICE and SMC has increased significantly in the latest years, reflecting their expanding use across a broad range of cancer indications. This study highlights the high acceptance rates of immunoncology therapies appraised by both agencies, as well as the link between high ESMO-MCBS score (for both curative and non-curative and non-curative settings) and positive or optimised/restricted coverage recommendations. By exploring the characteristics of immunoncology drugs appraisals, the analysis provides insights into the evolving landscape of this therapeutic area.</p>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":" ","pages":"100599"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time to rethink cancer care and research in Africa with new tactics","authors":"Khalid El Bairi,&nbsp;Abigiya Wondimagegnehu,&nbsp;Omar Abdihamid","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100595","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100595"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Marketing cancer care: A content analysis of ethical compliance in television advertising by top-ranked U.S. cancer centers","authors":"Andrew J. Baldassarre ,&nbsp;Amitabha Palmer","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) in cancer care influences patient decisions but often targets vulnerable populations. Despite established ethical guidelines, adherence remains understudied. This study evaluates how well top U.S. cancer centers comply with these standards in television advertisements.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed 31 TV ads from 2019 to 2024 produced by members of the top 20 cancer centers as ranked by U.S. News &amp; World Report, comparing them against ethical guidelines from the American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and others. Two independent reviewers categorized ads as compliant, borderline, or transgressive. Transgressive ads explicitly violated guidelines, while borderline cases contained ambiguous claims with at least one problematic interpretation.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 31 ads from 12 institutions, 16 (52 %) were either transgressive or borderline. Only 4 of 12 (33 %) institutions produced exclusively compliant ads. Common issues included unrealistic expectations (36 %), implying exclusive treatment availability (13 %), and unclear eligibility criteria (13 %). Notably, institutions ranked in the top 10 produced 71 % of the ads and were responsible for 8 of 9 transgressive cases.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The prevalence of transgressive advertising suggests that ethical guidelines alone are insufficient. Potential solutions include increasing awareness among marketing leadership and enforcing compliance, possibly as a hospital accreditation requirement.</div><div>Policy Summary:</div><div>As cancer care continues to advance and treatment options become more complex, ensuring advertising practices adhere to extant ethical guidelines is crucial for supporting informed patient decision-making and maintaining public trust in healthcare institutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100591"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143947714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of treatment protocols based on the ESMO-magnitude of clinical benefit scale for gastrointestinal system cancers and their relationship with reimbursement policies in Turkey","authors":"Orhun Akdogan ,&nbsp;Osman Sutcuoglu ,&nbsp;Kadriye Bir Yucel ,&nbsp;Ozan Yazici ,&nbsp;Ahmet Ozet ,&nbsp;Nuriye Ozdemir","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Gastrointestinal system (GIS) cancers are a major global health challenge, with access to innovative therapies limited in resource-constrained settings. This study evaluates GIS cancer treatments in Turkey using the European Society for Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) and examines their reimbursement status.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Seventy-four treatment protocols were assessed using ESMO-MCBS, focusing on survival and quality-of-life benefits. Cost analyses of non-reimbursed protocols were conducted using the RxMedia Pharma 2024 database for a 70 kg patient.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Only 31 % of the protocols were reimbursed, with nearly all curative regimens covered. In contrast, most metastatic treatments were non-reimbursed, despite significant clinical benefits. Non-reimbursed protocols with ESMO-MCBS scores ≥ 4 had 3-month costs ranging from $1000 to $10,000.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>High-value therapies for GIS cancers remain largely inaccessible due to financial barriers. Incorporating ESMO-MCBS scores into reimbursement policies could improve access to effective treatments and align healthcare spending with clinical outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100590"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143917314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality and treatment costs of patients with colorectal cancer","authors":"Arianna Waye ,&nbsp;Nguyen Xuan Thanh ,&nbsp;Devan Tchir ,&nbsp;Lorraine Shack ,&nbsp;Douglas Stewart ,&nbsp;Anna Pujadas-Botey ,&nbsp;Patty Wickson ,&nbsp;Marc Leduc","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100592","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100592","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted lung cancer patient’s mortality and health services utilization (HSU) costs; however, it is unclear if these impacts are true for other cancers, such as colorectal cancer (CRC).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A population-based retrospective cohort design was used to compare 1-year mortality, survival, HSU and associated costs of patients who were diagnosed with CRC in Alberta, Canada during pre-pandemic (March 17th, 2018 to March 16th, 2019), intra-pandemic (March 17th, 2020 to March 16th, 2021), and post-pandemic (March 17th, 2021 to March 16th, 2022) periods. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regressions were used to estimate survival and hazard ratios. General linear regression models with gamma family and log link were used to estimate differences in HSU costs.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were 2297, 2003 and 2393 patients diagnosed with CRC (incidence of 53, 45, and 54 per 100,000 population) in the pre-, intra-, and post-pandemic periods, respectively. Across the three periods, the proportion of stage III &amp; IV CRC at diagnosis was 39.4 %, 42.4 % and 40.1 %; and survival at 365 days was 81.3 %, 79.2 %, and 81.0 %, respectively. Although the highest 1-year mortality was found intra-pandemic, differences were not statistically significant. The highest HSU costs were found among patients diagnosed with CRC during the intra-pandemic period ($61,800 per patient per year), followed by pre- ($57,140) and post-pandemic ($50,680).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>For patients diagnosed with CRC, there are associations between the COVID-19 pandemic, delay in cancer diagnosis (as shown by the decreased incidence and the increased proportion of later stage cancer at diagnosis), and increased mortality and treatment costs. As these findings are similar to what has been found for lung cancer patients, generalizability to other cancers becomes more likely.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100592"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health Canada reporting on quality of life for oncology drugs","authors":"Joel Lexchin","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Quality of Life (QoL) information regarding oncology drugs is important for patients, especially those who are receiving treatment for symptom control and not for curative purposes. Health Canada guidance documents do not describe how QoL information should be reported. This study examines how Health Canada reports QoL in documents regarding the decision to approve and indications for new oncology drugs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A list of all oncology drugs approved by Health Canada from 2019 to 2023 was created using a Health Canada website. Documents describing why a decision was made to approve a new drug and how QoL influenced indications for the drug were searched for the term “Quality of Life” and relevant passages were recorded verbatim.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Health Canada approved 60 oncology drugs. QoL only influenced approval in 1 case and was only mentioned in a drug’s indication in 3 cases.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Health Canada only reports QoL information very infrequently for oncology drugs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100594"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143904151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How to scale up telemedicine for cancer prevention and care? Recommendations for sustainably implementing telemedicine services within EU health systems","authors":"Victoria Leclercq ,&nbsp;Robbe Saesen ,&nbsp;Tugce Schmitt ,&nbsp;Katharina Habimana ,&nbsp;Claudia Habl ,&nbsp;Anita Gottlob ,&nbsp;Marc Van den Bulcke ,&nbsp;Marie Delnord","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in Europe after cardiovascular diseases. Significant disparities exist across European countries in cancer prevention, diagnostics, treatment, and care, which impact patient outcomes. The Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan aims to improve cancer prevention and care through innovative approaches including telemedicine (TM). TM services, such as teleconsultation and telemonitoring, offer opportunities to enhance patient-centered care, improve access to health services, and empower patients. However, challenges remain, including inadequate IT infrastructure, legal uncertainties, funding issues, and varying levels of digital literacy among the population. The eCAN Joint Action (JA), involving 16 European countries, was launched in September 2022 to strengthen eHealth solutions for cancer prevention and care. This JA focused on improving teleconsultation and remote monitoring, building healthcare capacity, and developing interoperable TM solutions. A key outcome was the eCAN policy dashboard, offering a country-specific overview of cancer-related and eHealth policies in European countries. Additionally, the eCAN roadmap proposed 16 recommendations across six intervention areas, addressing regulatory frameworks, stakeholder engagement, infrastructure development, training requirements, healthcare system integration, and outcomes evaluation. These recommendations aim to facilitate TM adoption across Europe. The upcoming JA eCAN+ initiative, starting in 2025, will further build on eCAN’s work, advancing the sustainable implementation of TM services in cancer prevention and care in Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100593"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailoring information for adults over 50 living with cancer in the age of social media: A systematic review","authors":"Rosa Goncalves ,&nbsp;Wasek Faisal ,&nbsp;Tonya Stebbins ,&nbsp;Irene Blackberry","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cancer often requires patients to make swift, informed, treatment decisions. Despite their engagement with healthcare providers and digital resources, cancer patients over 50 often experience high levels of unmet information needs during these critical times. However, there is a lack of evidence-based information on their supportive-care information needs.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To examine cancer patients’ (aged 50 +) information and health literacy needs and their motivations for using social media (i.e Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram) during decision-making.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic literature review, following the PRISMA guidelines, was conducted using electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed/MEDLINE) and grey literature. All original articles published from January 2002 to October 2023 were extracted and analysed within COVIDENCE and NVIVO14 for themes following narrative and tabular analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment scale.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of 761 articles identified, six were included. Patients’ health literacy was determined to be moderate to low. At decision-making points, cancer patients over 50 needed personalised, supportive and disease-related information. They preferred holistically tailored information and were satisfied with how their doctors met their needs. Complimentary therapies and dietary recommendations were well received by patients of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Australian backgrounds. Patients over 50 accessed social media throughout their cancer. Although useful for obtaining support and information, social media raised patients’ concern around misinformation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings highlight the importance of meeting the information needs of cancer patients over 50 and incorporating a holistic approach to information delivery. Social media sites targeting consumers can be useful tools for healthcare institutions to supply accurate, user-friendly information.</div><div>Trial Registration:</div><div>PROSPERO registration number - CRD42022358710</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100589"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143917313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Minimal residual disease negative: A novel endpoint for accelerated approval; What providers should know.","authors":"Sruthi Ranganathan, Vinay Prasad","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100588","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>On 12 April 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted (12-0) in support of minimal residual disease (MRD) as an accelerated approval endpoint for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. MRD negativity in myeloma, defined by the IWMG, refers to bone marrow flow cytometry at specified time points after treatment which fail to detect malignant cells below some threshold (The ODAC discussed below < 10^-5). The committee's rationale was based on data showing that MRD is prognostic- i.e. patients who achieve MRD negativity do better than those who do not- and that this endpoint is demonstrated months or years before progression free survival- the current criteria for FDA approval. While MRD promises to bring more drugs to patients sooner and earlier in the course of disease, we outline five open questions. Ultimately, providers and patients will have to consider whether they are willing to alter treatments based on MRD negativity or if further safety or efficacy data is desired.</p>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":" ","pages":"100588"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144053217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Press releases of industry-sponsored clinical trials in oncology: Characteristics, timing and financial impact","authors":"Anna Amela Valsecchi ,&nbsp;Cecilia Conte ,&nbsp;Nicola Maria Fiore ,&nbsp;Maria Lucia Iacovino ,&nbsp;Daniele Ierace ,&nbsp;Letizia Galeasso ,&nbsp;Eleonora Paganoni ,&nbsp;Oriana Ciani ,&nbsp;Francesco Perrone ,&nbsp;Massimo Di Maio","doi":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Press releases (PRs) anticipate the results of a clinical trial, possibly without providing detailed data. The purpose of this analysis was to describe the characteristics of PRs in oncology, delays in the availability of results and the impact on the financial market.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>PRs published between 2018 and 2022 about solid tumors, archived on the websites of the top 20 oncology pharmaceutical companies, were screened. Information about PR content, time between PRs and scientific meeting, paper publication and approval by regulatory agencies were collected. Market reactions on the event days of the PRs were examined.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of 159 PRs, 157 were eligible. The most represented tumor was lung cancer (28 %). In most cases (117, 74.5 %), PRs announced that the study met its primary endpoint. Among these, 13 % of PRs included specific results, while the remaining 102 (87 %) contained only generic sentences. 85 % of PRs contained sentences supporting the clinical relevance of the results. Median time from PR to meeting presentation and full paper publication was 3.1 and 8 months, respectively. After a median follow-up of 48 months, 79 % were approved by FDA and 74 % by EMA. Median time from PR to approval by FDA and EMA was 10 and 15.9 months, respectively. Most events analyzed showed no statistically significant market reactions, with abnormal returns generally neutral or slightly positive.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Most PRs announce firstly the positivity of a clinical trial, without detailed results. The market appears to absorb this information with minimal stock price adjustments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38212,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Policy","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100587"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143859209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}