Hem/Onc Roundup: Financial Toxicity in MM Treatment, Personalizing Cancer Care, and More

This week on DocWire, editors spoke with Dr. Parameswaran Hari, Hematology Chief at the Medical College of Wisconsin, about financial toxicity associated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for multiple myeloma (MM). “I think the most significant challenge in terms of myeloma patients receiving CAR T is going to be access, and access driven by insurance and cost,” Dr. Hari said.

https://www.docwirenews.com/urban-health-today/urban-health-multiple-myeloma-knowledge-hub/urban-health-multiple-myeloma-knowledge-hub-video/financial-challenges-of-car-t-for-multiple-myeloma-with-dr-hari/

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Editors also sat down with Ofer Sharon, CEO of OncoHost, a technology company that works to develop personalized strategies for cancer therapy. “The way we treat our patients in oncology is mostly based on protocols, one size fits all protocol. So a 70 year old lady will receive the same treatment as a 40 year old male,” Mr. Sharon explained. “Now we understand that they are not the same patient, and…that we need to personalize the treatment according to their needs. The fact is that we didn’t have the tools to do that up until now.”

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/dr-ofer-sharon-ceo-of-oncohost-discusses-technology-to-improve-cancer-care/

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In other news, findings from researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles determined factors associated with the development of hearing loss after chemotherapy with cisplatin for pediatric cancer. Cisplatin-induced hearing loss (CIHL) is a common toxicity of cancer treatment, particularly for younger patients. The investigators discovered that higher fractionated doses of cisplatin were associated with increased CIHL risk, even after adjustment for cumulative dose.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/hem-onc-picks/risk-of-hearing-loss-after-chemotherapy-for-childhood-cancers/

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A new urine test may avoid unnecessary prostate cancer biopsies, according to a study appearing in the March issue of Journal of Urology. The MyProstateScore test works by measuring levels of cancer-specific genes in a patient’s urine. To assess its efficacy, researchers conducted a validation study of 1,525 patients treated for prostate cancer and found that if the test had been available to study patients, 387 biopsies could have been avoided.

https://www.docwirenews.com/hematology-oncology/new-prostate-cancer-test-may-avoid-unnecessary-biopsies/