Matthew B. Schabath, PhD, of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, discusses the disparities in cancer care among members of the LGBTQ community and the need to collect more data in order to close that gap.
Cristina Merkhofer, MD, MHS, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses study results showing that for patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer at her institution, enrolling in a therapeutic drug clinical trial was associated with a 47% lower risk of death, compared with not taking part in a trial (Abstract 137).
Grace C. Hillyer, EdD, MPH, of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, discusses the many barriers to enrolling patients in clinical trials, most notably different attitudes toward and perceptions about research studies among clinicians vs patients. Her findings point to the need for better communication between the two groups and more patient input (Abstract 170).
Cary P. Gross, MD, of Yale School of Medicine, discusses the challenges of implementing pathways and guiding patient decision-making on treatment.
Linda D. Bosserman, MD, of City of Hope, discusses guidelines vs pathways, how to personalize pathways, integrated diagnostics, supportive care regimens, and financial guidance for patients with cancer.
Bernardo H. L. Goulart, MD, of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses his findings that high out-of-pocket costs for oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors may lower survival rates, shorten the duration of therapy, and reduce the number of prescriptions for patients with metastatic EGFR- or ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (Abstract 3).
