Department of Health and Human Services Releases Proposed Rules for Affordable Care Act, NCCS to Analyze
On Tuesday, November 20, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services released proposed rules on several key elements of the Affordable Care Act. The proposed rules address: 1) the operation of the health insurance exchanges and the definition of essential health benefits to be included in plans offered through the exchanges, 2) the implementation […]
When Treating Cancer Is Not an Option
When my husband learned he had advanced lung cancer, he didn’t even want to speak to an oncologist about chemotherapy. He saw no point in treatment that could not cure him and might make him feel worse. Not so, though, for a majority of patients diagnosed with cancers of the lung or colon that have spread […]
Some cancers under-represented in survivorship research, study finds
A recent study from the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center found that certain cancer types are disproportionately under-represented when researching survivorship. The study revealed that 40 percent of current research focuses on breast cancer survivors, with breast cancer survivors accounting for 22 percent of the entire survivor population. In contrast, prostate cancer survivors make […]
Breast Cancer Survivor Awarded Top Prize In 2012 Oncology On Canvas ℠ Art Competition
Breast Cancer Survivor Awarded Top Prize In 2012 Oncology On Canvas ℠ Art Competition INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Quilts are made for dozens of reasons – for warmth, decoration and remembrance – but for a college professor from Utah, quilting became a form of healing. It was something Judy Elsley, Ph.D., had enjoyed doing for years, but it […]
NCCS comments on FDA’s draft guidance for in vitro companion diagnostic devices
NCCS filed comments on the Food and Drug Administration’s Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff: In Vitro Companion Diagnostic Devices on October 12, 2011. The Draft sets out a proposed framework for drug and test makers to use in developing targeted treatments and new tests to help identify patients most likely to benefit […]
Journey Forward recognized for extraordinary contribution with Health Impact Award
Journey Forward has received the Wellsphere’s Health Impact Award for its extraordinary contributions to cancer survivors. The award acknowledges that the program has increased progress in areas such as health research, understanding, empathy, inspiration, awareness, accessibility, and networking. Journey Forward is an innovative nationwide program to promote the use of Survivorship Care Plans that will help […]
NCCS adds care planning to Teamwork resource
NCCS has revised and updated Teamwork: the Cancer Patient’s Guide to Talking with Your Doctor booklet to include a sample treatment plan with a map to appropriate questions for each component to ensure the patient remains an active team member and decision maker in their care. A treatment summary template and sample survivorship care plan have also […]
NCCS receives Cardinal Health Foundation grant to improve patient safety
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship was selected by the Cardinal Health Foundation as one of 42 grant recipients to fund organizational programs that help U.S. hospitals, health systems and community health organizations improve the effectiveness, efficiency and excellence of patient care. The grant will help support NCCS’s efforts in using technology and mobile applications […]
NCCS updates two long-standing publications; begins offering Cancer Survival Toolbox End of Life program as a standalone
NCCS has recently updated two of its long-standing publications: one that addresses employment rights as a cancer survivor and the other that helps cancer patients understand and define their health insurance options and rights. The organization has also recognized that during the final stage of survivorship, having important discussions and making deliberate decisions can help patients […]
NCCS sponsors IOM study to demographic issues in quality of cancer care
NCCS, along with 11 other organizations sponsored an Institute of Medicine (IOM) consensus study: Improving the Quality of Cancer Care: Addressing the Challenges of an Aging Population. On May 21, 2012, the committee began to examine issues in the quality of cancer care with a specific focus on the demographic changes that will rapidly accelerate the […]
NCCS participates in roundtable meeting to discuss future of Health IT
NCCS was recently invited to participate in a roundtable discussion on the potential role of Health Information Technology in cancer care and care coordination. Senior Health Policy Advisor Ellen Stovall attended the June 7th meeting organized by the National Cancer Institute at NIH, the eHealth Initiative, and Dr. Farzad Mostashari, the National Coordinator for Health […]
NCCS applauds the Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), a national organization representing survivors of all types of cancer, commends the Supreme Court for affirming the constitutionality of the primary provisions of the Affordable Care Act. “Many cancer survivors struggle to get timely, high-quality care that they can afford, and the Affordable Care Act will help them […]
Band-aids for the health law
White House officials say they are confident the Supreme Court will uphold the health-care law, but they also are preparing for a range of outcomes, including pressing ahead with what remains of the law if the court strikes down only part of it. Republicans, meanwhile, are preparing a two-step approach if the court doesn’t void […]
Surviving cancer: It’s complicated
Cancer is complicated. And being a survivor can be complicated, too — confounding, confronting, and confusing. Even starting with the word itself. It can be confusing to know exactly what is meant by cancer survivor. So for the first time in the 18 years of my own survival, I looked up the definition on the […]
US cancer survivors to rise by a third by 2022, report says
The number of Americans living with cancer will increase by nearly a third to almost 18 million by 2022, according to a report released on Th ursday by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. Researchers found that even though the incidence rates of cancer are decreasing, the number of cancer survivors is […]
ASCO Announces CancerLinQ, an Initiative to Transform Cancer Care
ASCO is embarking on CancerLinQ, a multi-phase initiative that promises to change the way cancer is understood and treated. This “rapid learning system” will harness technological advances to connect oncology practices, measure quality and performance, and provide physicians with decision support in real time. Cancer science and information technology are advancing rapidly, but the way […]
House passes FDA’s $6.4 billion fee plan for drug reviews
The $6.4 billion accord that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. (TEVA), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) (JNJ) and other companies reached with U.S. regulators to fund new medicine and device reviews through 2017 passed the House of Representatives. The House voted late yesterday 387-5 in favor of the legislation, which is similar to a measure approved by […]
Many US cancer survivors still lost in transition
A 2005 US Institute of Medicine report championed care plans for people who survive cancer. But, as Bob Kirsch reports, many survivors are still missing out on the close follow-up that they need. This June, when she chairs the session—Optimizing Efficient and Effective Care of Cancer Survivors—at the annual meeting of the American Society of […]
There’s a medical app for that—or not
Mobile software is part of the most important movement in health care. Will government regulators suffocate it? Even the most ideologically opposed politicians agree: Health care is choking on paperwork, and medicine is prone to errors of handwriting, lost information and guesswork. That’s why the promotion of health information technology is one of the only […]
Primary care doctors don’t know long-term effects of chemo
Many primary care doctors don’t know the long-term side effects of the chemotherapy treatments that cancer survivors under their care may have been given, a new survey found. On the other hand, most oncologists — though not all — are familiar with the side effects of four common treatments used to treat breast and colon […]
Some doctors unaware of long-term side effects of cancer care
Doctors need to be better educated about the significant long-term side effects of chemotherapy that may affect their cancer survivor patients, according to new research published Wednesday in advance of the 47th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Currently there are at least 12 million cancer survivors in the United States. […]
Infection causes 1 in 6 cancers worldwide
One in six cancers worldwide is caused by preventable or treatable infections, a new study finds. Infections cause about 2 million cancer cases a year, and 80 percent of those cases occur in less developed areas of the world, according to the study, which was published online May 8 in The Lancet Oncology. Of the […]
It takes a team to Breakaway from Cancer
What an incredible tour it’s been for us! We’ve had the opportunity to meet some really amazing survivors, caregivers and loved ones, and hear many inspiring stories of survivorship along the way. It truly does take a team to Breakaway from Cancer – and NCCS is privileged to be a part of Amgen’s initiative to connect […]
Comments on Medication Adherence to Office of Surgeon General
Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Surgeon General Room 710-H 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201 Filed via email at medadhere@hhs.gov The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) is dedicated to improving access to quality cancer care. NCCS provides educational tools and materials to assist cancer survivors in the management of […]
Four Californians selected as Breakaway from Cancer Champions to be honored during Amgen Tour of California
Four individuals who have made a difference for others affected by cancer in their communities have been selected as Breakaway from Cancer® Champions. They will be honored at the seventh consecutive edition of the Amgen Tour of California as part of Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative. The Amgen Tour of California is America’s largest and […]
2012 Extraordinary Healer Award for oncology nursing finalists announced
CURE magazine, the nation’s largest magazine for people with cancer, has announced the three finalists for the 2012 Extraordinary Healer Award for Oncology Nursing. The contest, made possible with financial support from Amgen Oncology and Breakaway from Cancer®, invited patients and their families to submit a 700-1,000 word essay describing the compassion, expertise and helpfulness […]
Focus on quality of life may cut health-care costs
A new focus on patient well being and quality-of-life issues could improve health-care outcomes and reduce costs, as WSJ explains in today’s special report on innovation in health care. Well-being and quality of life may seem like fairly vague concepts for doctors, compared to say, blood-pressure readings and cholesterol levels. But researchers are finding links […]
NCCS Pocket Cancer Care Guide mobile app selected as an Official Honoree of the 16th Annual Webby Awards
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) Pocket Cancer Care Guide mobile app has been selected as an Official Honoree of the 16th Annual Webby Awards. The mobile app, designed for cancer survivors and caregivers, allows users to quickly and easily build lists of practical questions to guide conversations with their doctors and nurses. This […]
The challenges facing young people with cancer
Being diagnosed with cancer at any age is a terrifying thing, but for young people, a cancer diagnosis can mean falling into a unique treatment limbo. Young adults are often faced with receiving treatment among children in pediatric wards, or with elderly patients in more traditional oncology wards – and neither option addresses the specific […]
IOM workshop summary on “The Role of Obesity in Cancer Survival and Recurrence” now available
Given the increasing rate of obesity and an aging population more susceptible to cancer, there is mounting concern about obesity’s role in fueling tumor growth. Recent research suggests that excess weight and obesity can influence cancer survival and recurrence. Additionally, there is interest in exploring ways to break the obesity-cancer link, especially in patients already […]
Three days of hearings yield five take-aways
It is notoriously hard to predict how the Supreme Court will rule on a case based on justices’ questioning of attorneys. But with this week’s health-care arguments having wrapped up, here is what we know: The Court Won’t Wait The centerpiece of the case is the health-care law’s requirement that individuals purchase insurance or pay […]
NCCS continues support of the minimum coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court began three days of arguments in the historic case on the constitutionality of the national health reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—often referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Just over two years after being signed into law by President Obama, the next three days—and the […]
Cancer survivor says her life changed completely with the Affordable Care Act
Gail O’Brien, a cancer patient who had been denied health insurance coverage due to her preexisting health condition, is just one of many cancer survivors that have benefited from the changes in health care coverage through the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), introduced two years ago, today. Gail’s story is like so many […]
White House Highlights Affordable Care Act “Champions of Change”
On March 21, the White House honored ten Champions of Change who are dedicated to improving access to health care. These individuals are helping others in their community understand the impact and opportunities from the health care law, the Affordable Care Act. “The President’s health law gives hard working, middle-class families the security they deserve. […]
Virginia Cancer Institute is chosen for patient education effort
Richmond-based Virginia Cancer Institute is the only medical practice in the United States engaged in this phase of this project. Lessons learned here will shape the Toolbox’s national launch. Under this program, the Virginia Cancer Institute is providing the Toolbox free of charge to its patients. This comprehensive kit consists of a resources booklet and […]
What effects the health care law has had and what’s to come
Two years after President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, some provisions have taken effect, while others still have two years to wait. In a recent poll by the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, two in three Americans said they have not been affected by the law yet. Only 14% said they have […]
Under the Affordable Care Act, 105 million Americans no longer face lifetime limits on health benefits
The Affordable Care Act prohibits health plans from imposing a lifetime dollar limit on most benefits received by Americans in any health plan renewing on or after September 23, 2010. While some plans already provided coverage with no limits on lifetime benefits, millions of Americans were previously in health plans that did not. According to […]
CMS offers new guidance to help lower income Americans obtain affordable, comprehensive coverage
On March 16, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule to help states make it easier for millions more Americans to enroll in comprehensive coverage under the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP) programs. This rule will help states implement the significant expansion in the numbers of Americans eligible for […]
HHS reaches important milestone for cancer survivors, consumers and small businesses seeking comprehensive and affordable health insurance coverage
On March 12, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final rule governing the health insurance “exchanges.” As NCCS indicated in its comments on the proposed rule, HHS’ guidance on this topic represents an important milestone in the establishment of a marketplace in which consumers and small businesses will be able to […]
CBO report says healthcare law could cause as many as 20M to lose coverage
As many as 20 million Americans could lose their employer-provided coverage because of President Obama’s healthcare reform law, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in a new report Thursday. The figure represents the worst-case scenario, CBO says, and the law could just as well increase the number of people with employer-based coverage by 3 million […]
NCCS and CLC Comments on PCORI research priorities
Joe Selby, M.D., M.P.H Executive Director Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Re: Draft National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda Dear Dr. Selby: The undersigned organizations, representing cancer patients, physicians, and researchers, are pleased to provide comments on the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Draft National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda (version 1). We commend […]
Beating the odds
I have to admit it. Even today, I find interpreting statistics for patients very difficult; not because I don’t understand the concept of relative and absolute risks, hazard or odds ratios, or survival rates. It’s because in the end, they do not apply at an individual level. Too often in the course of a conversation […]
Survival at a cost: common cancer treatment carries huge risks
While the number of cancer survivors has tripled since the 1970s and continues to grow decades later, the cost of that survival for many of them has been the development of secondary cancers and cardiovascular disease related to radiation treatment, according to an upcoming report by a scientific committee. The committee, convened by the National […]
Chemotherapy can impair cognition more than two decades later
More than 20 years after treatment, breast cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy exhibited cognitive deficits compared with women who were never diagnosed with cancer. The results, which appeared online February 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, suggest that the phenomenon known as chemobrain can persist for decades after cancer treatment ends and may […]
FDA approves new suppliers for hard-to-find cancer drugs
New supplies of two currently hard-to-find cancer drugs are on the way, according to the FDA. As Dow Jones Newswires reports, the FDA said it would allow the temporary importation of Lipodox, made by Sun Pharma Global FZE and distributed by Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, as a substitute for Johnson & Johnson’s Doxil. The drugs have […]
Sebelius says leukemia-drug shortage will be resolved within two weeks
Federal health officials said there will be enough supply of a children’s leukemia drug released in the next couple of weeks to alleviate a shortage. The drug, methotrexate, is used to treat children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Hospitals across the country are running low on the drug and some reported […]
Most women with cancer want a role in making decisions
About two-thirds of women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer want to take part in making decisions about their treatment, according to a new survey of patients from five different countries. Some of these women want complete control over making treatment choices while others want to share the decision with their doctor — yet only […]
Supply of a cancer drug may run out within weeks
A crucial medicine to treat childhood leukemia is in such short supply that hospitals across the country may exhaust their stores within the next two weeks, leaving hundreds and perhaps thousands of children at risk of dying from a largely curable disease, federal officials and cancer doctors say. “This is dire,” said Valerie Jensen, associate […]
Fifth Lilly Oncology on Canvas Art Competition invites all touched by cancer to share their cancer journeys
Competition Expands to Canada Get your canvases, paintbrushes and cameras ready — the subject is cancer and you are the storyteller. Lilly Oncology and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) today announced the launch of the 2012 Lilly Oncology On Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey Art Competition and Exhibition. The biennial competition invites […]
Health reform law saves $2.1 billion for 3.6 million Americans with Medicare
Nearly 3.6 million people with Medicare saved $2.1 billion on their prescription drugs in 2011 thanks to the Affordable Care Act according to data issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Savings for people with Medicare will increase over time. According to a new report issued today from HHS, the average […]
Cancer Leadership Council recommendations on Essential Health Benefits Bulletin
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 Re: Essential Health Benefits Bulletin, issued by Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight on December 16, 2011 Dear Secretary Sebelius: The Cancer Leadership Council (CLC), representing the undersigned cancer patient, provider, and research organizations, submits the comments […]
Essential Health Benefits Bulletin, issued by Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201 Re: Essential Health Benefits Bulletin, issued by Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight on December 16, 2011 Dear Secretary Sebelius: The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of […]
Can patients refuse medical treatment?
A woman named Sheryl (not her real name) contacted me recently with a question that seemed rather simple on its face, and turned out to be far more complex. She is 60 years old and has a terminal disease, for which treatment will be debilitating and possibly painful. She has no family to help her […]
NCCS joins national health and disability groups in support of Affordable Care Act
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship joined 13 other leading national health and disability organizations to submit to the Supreme Court an amicus brief supporting the minimum coverage provision of the Affordable Care Act. In the “friend of the Court” brief, NCCS and its colleagues argued that the minimum coverage provision of the law, or […]
Cancer Support Community launches navigating cancer cost toolkit
Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Coping with the Cost of Cancer – Third edition released In a recent study conducted by the Cancer Support Community (“CSC”), a majority (72.8%) of patients surveyed experienced some degree of emotional distress from managing cancer care costs. Additionally, 64.8% reported that their health care team did not discuss financial aspects […]
The high risk of high-risk pools
When the health reform law’s high-risk insurance pools launched last summer, there was a lot worry that the new coverage option would be swamped by demand from uninsured individual. Then, there was worry about too little demand: The insurance pools saw anemic enrollment, with some states enrolling just a few dozen subscribers. And now, there’s […]
Study: Premiums could rise 25 percent without insurance mandate
Insurance premiums would rise by as much as 25 percent if the healthcare law is implemented without an individual mandate, according to a new analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Supreme Court will decide this summer whether the coverage mandate is constitutional, and how much — if any — of the health law’s […]
Kids and Cancer: Why Pediatric Cancer Cure Rates Have Improved So Much
Four decades ago, President Nixon signed a law that would change the way cancer research was funded in an effort to develop better treatments and cure more patients. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser explores the positive developments pediatric cancer research has realized in the last 40 years. “This is way more complicated than we thought. […]
NCCS applauds establishment of cancer treatment planning and care coordination reimbursement codes
NCCS commends the action of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in establishing two new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for cancer treatment planning and care coordination. The codes, for treatment planning and care coordination for initial treatment and a change of treatment regimen, will go into effect on April 1, […]
ASCO calls for abstracts for 2012 annual meeting
The American Society of Clinical Oncology 2012 Scientific Program Committee has announced that abstracts are now being accepted for the 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting, to be held June 1-5, 2012, at McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. The 2012 Meeting’s theme of “Collaborating to Conquer Cancer” will provide attendees an opportunity to discuss: Real-time electronic health records […]
