Abstracts by key term: Cancer
According to the National Cancer Plan, all cancer patients should receive high-quality care in accordance with evidence-based treatment guidelines in uniformly qualified centers. The WiZen study demonstrated significant survival benefits for all 11 cancer types examined when receiving initial treatment in a center certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG) compared to non-certified hospitals. Nevertheless, a high proportion of cancer patients are treated in non-certified hospitals. The Hospital Care Improvement Act (KHVVG) provides for a concentration of services in the field of oncological surgery; the hospital locations that collectively provide the fewest and 15% of cases with corresponding onco-surgical services for a cancer entity are to be exempt from reimbursement. We used an impact analysis based on data from Section 21 of the KHEntgG (German Hospital Care Improvement Act) for 2022 to examine the extent to which the planned concentration of services will lead to the implementation of the National Cancer Plan and the results of the WiZen study. The entities considered were breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, bronchial cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, gastric cancer, and esophageal cancer. Of the sites that would meet the criteria of the KHVVG, between 17.9% (breast cancer) and 85.5% (gastric cancer) are not certified according to the DKG criteria. Thus, if Section 40 of the KHG (new) is implemented, a significant proportion of patients would continue to be treated outside of certified centers, leaving corresponding quality potential untapped. Furthermore, the proposed new regulation only addresses surgical interventions per (cancer) entity—thus exempting all non-oncosurgical cancer treatments from the quality-based service concentration. Overall, to achieve the goal of hospital reform—namely, to improve the morbidity and mortality of patients with cancer—it appears significantly more effective to limit oncological care, as envisioned in the National Cancer Plan, exclusively to those facilities that meet the certification requirements of the German Cancer Society and thus demonstrably ensure guideline-compliant, evidence-based care for cancer patients. According to an analysis by the government commission, this would not significantly restrict accessibility for the population.
04.08.2024
The aim of the present study was to determine the age of new cancer patients in 2010 and 2022 and to evaluate the changes in the proportion of early-onset cancers in the total number of cancer cases in private practices. This retrospective cross-sectional study included adult patients (≥18 years) with an initial cancer diagnosis in 557 private practices in Germany in 2010 or 2022 from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA).
02.08.2023
The growing global burden of cancer demands a more productive and efficient process for developing new therapies. The relatively low attrition rates of molecularly targeted cancer therapies suggest that efforts to accelerate development must start with a strong foundation of data and consensus methods for identifying biomarkers associated with cancer progression and treatment response. In addition, work is needed to improve the efficiency and consistency of trials in identifying therapies that meaningfully improve outcomes. Delivering on the promise of 21st Century cancer care will require a collaborative effort that engages all stakeholders in the cancer community - researchers, product developers, regulators, and patients.