Treatment of localized prostate cancer with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) may provide improved disease control with less morbidity than conformal radiation therapy, according to an analysis published April 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, proton therapy did not appear to provide additional benefits for these patients.

The U.S., as has been well documented, spends more on healthcare than other developed nations, with some arguing that patients arent getting their moneys worth. When it comes to cancer care, however, U.S. cancer patients experience greater survival gains than their European counterparts, even when factoring in higher costs, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs. Some experts, though, have criticized the research as misleading.

Despite conflicting reviews about its clinical benefits, cost-effectiveness and additional costs up to $20,000 more per treatment, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) use increased more than tenfold among Medicare beneficiaries with prostate cancer from 2001 to 2007, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs. The findings may suggest overuse and could foreshadow a similar challenge with the adoption of proton beam therapy. The authors suggested several policies which might help bend the cost curve.

Organizations that perform health technology assessmentpolicy analysis that seeks to bridge medical research with clinical decision-making on a broad scaleare struggling to deal with cancers exceptionalism around the world. Thats according to a paper published April 9 in Health Affairs, Therapies For Advanced Cancers Pose A Special Challenge For Health Technology Assessment Organizations In Many Countries.

An FDA Advisory Panel voted unanimously April 11 to recommended approval of a new breast cancer screening indication for the somov Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS, U-Systems).

In the effort to control healthcare costs in the U.S., policymakers have made reduction of inappropriate imaging a goal in regions of high utilization. However, a cross-sectional study of prostate cancer patients has found that regions of low inappropriate imaging also had low rates of appropriate imaging, a correlation which could indicate that imprudent efforts to decrease unnecessary utilization may inadvertently cut appropriate imaging as well, according to a study published in the April 2012 issue of Health Affairs.

Under the new Medicare Shared Savings Program, 27 accountable care organizations (ACOs) have entered into agreements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), taking responsibility for the quality of care furnished to people with Medicare in return for the opportunity to share in savings realized through improved care.

Source: Siemens HealthcareLung cancer screening as an insurance benefit in high-risk populations could save thousands of lives with costs that compare favorably to other cancer screenings, and commercial insurers should consider the practice to be high-value coverage, according to an actuarial study published in the April issue of Health Affairs.