ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Ten noteworthy studies from the 2021 Quality Care Symposium explore topics such as financial burden of cancer treatment, fertility preservation, hidden disparities in breast cancer, and more. Leading cancer experts are available to comment on the on-demand and scheduled broadcast content from the 2021 Quality Care Symposium.

To schedule an interview with an expert, please email mediateam@asco.org or submit an interview request through ASCO’s Media Headquarters (HQ) portal at http://mediahq.asco.org.

Important reminder: Reporters with approved ASCO media credentials can access the meeting slides, presentations, and posters through the ASCO Meeting Library using their ASCO Media Headquarters login. No additional registration is required to access this information. If you do not currently have approved credentials, please email mediateam@asco.org for instructions on how to apply.

Friday, September 24 Presentations

Abstract 55: Limited benefit and high financial burden of drugs used to manage cancer-associated anorexia/cachexia syndrome (CACS).
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 11:40 a.m. ET on Friday, September 24. A corresponding manuscript will be published in JCO Oncology Practice at 7:00 a.m. ET on Friday, September 24.
“Spending on symptom control medications and supportive care is under-recognized and is a major source of financial toxicity to patients. Many symptom control medications have poor data guiding their use, and clinicians must consider the potential financial harms of every prescription they write.” – Lead study author, Arjun Gupta, MD

Abstract 76: Association of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act and early mortality following lung cancer surgery.
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 1:10 p.m. ET on Friday, September 24
“Patients living in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act experienced greater improvements in survival compared with similar patients living in non-expansion states.” – Lead study author Leticia Nogueira, PhD, MPH

Abstract 77: Abrogation of survival disparity between insured and uninsured individuals after the USPSTF's 2012 prostate-specific antigen-based prostate cancer screening recommendation.
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 1:10 p.m. ET on Friday, September 24
“Prior to the United States Preventive Services Task Force's (USPSTF) 2012 recommendation against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) based screening, uninsured patients with prostate cancer experienced worse prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS) than those who were insured. Following the 2012 recommendation, however, adjusted PCSS differences between insured and uninsured patients disappeared.” – Lead study author Isaac Elijah Kim, Jr., BS

Abstract 75: Survival in the real world: A national analysis of patients treated for early-stage breast cancer.
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 4:20 p.m. ET on Friday, September 24. A corresponding manuscript will be published in JCO Oncology Practice at 7:00 a.m. ET on Friday, September 24.
“These results highlight the need for increasing representation in clinical trials to reflect real-world disease populations and for evaluating outcomes for patients who are not well represented, in order to understand the best treatment options for patients.” – Lead study author Jeffrey Franks, MPH

Saturday, September 25 Presentations

Abstract 237: A trainee-led quality improvement project to improve fertility preservation counseling and access to fertility preservation services for persons with cancer.
Abstract presentation part of poster session beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 25. A corresponding manuscript will be published in JCO Oncology Practice at 7:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 25.
“Access to fertility preservation counseling and services is essential to quality cancer and survivorship care. In this report, oncology fellows identified fertility preservation counseling among young adults initiating chemotherapy as an area in need of improvement, which led to a successful quality improvement project that improved counseling rates from under 40% to 81%.” – Lead study author, Arjun Gupta, MD

Abstract 80: Disaggregating Pacific Islanders and major Asian subpopulations to reveal hidden breast cancer disparities.
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 9:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 25
“Previous studies have suggested that cancer outcomes are better for Asian Americans (AA) and Non-Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (NHPI) compared to non-Hispanic whites, but these studies have tended to group all Asian and Pacific Islanders together into a single demographic. This study separated AA and NHPI into separate, geographically consistent groups and demonstrates that stage of presentation and survival was significantly worse for NHPI, which had been masked by the relatively good outcomes of AA and specifically East Asians which vastly outnumbered NHPI. This study highlights the important differences in outcome that are experienced by subgroups of AA and highlights the need for more granular collection of data.” – ASCO Expert Corey Speers, MD, PhD

Abstract 81: Racial differences in impact of geography on breast cancer treatment delay.
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 9:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 25
“This study suggests that long waits to start breast cancer treatment are a problem for many Black women, and that where they live significantly changes their risk of encountering lengthy delays. The findings suggest that we may need to concentrate efforts at improving breast cancer care disparities in more urban areas with complex health systems and look at the structure of the cancer care system, rather than just individual patient characteristics.” – Lead study author Katherine Elizabeth Reeder-Hayes, MD, MBA, MS

Abstract 78: Association of rurality and race with surgical treatment and outcomes for nonmetastatic colon cancer.
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 9:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 25
“This study shows that many factors play into whether a patient receives the optimal treatment for colon cancer, including rurality and race. The treatment paradigm for curable colon cancer only works if it's actually given to the patients who need it. More attention and research is needed to investigate how to overcome these discrepancies and improve access to cancer care for all citizens.” – ASCO Expert Miriam Knoll, MD, DABR

Abstract 3: Experienced quality of care and emotional functioning of patients with advanced cancer and their relatives: Results of a multicenter observational cohort study (eQuiPe).
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 1:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 25
“Results from the prospective, observational, multicenter eQuiPe study show that the emotional functioning of patients with advanced cancer and their relatives is associated with experienced quality of care. As emotional functioning and care experiences of patients and relatives were also interdependent, a family‐centered care approach may be beneficial to further improve palliative care.” – Lead study author Janneke van Roij, MSc

Abstract 4: Medication nonadherence and patient cost responsibility for rural and urban cancer survivors.
Abstract presentation part of on-demand content available beginning at 1:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 25
“Getting treated for cancer can be expensive, leading to financial toxicity for cancer survivors. In this study of older cancer survivors in the United States, paying more for medical care was associated with not taking one’s regular medicines. Thus, this study suggests that finding ways to ease financial burdens for cancer survivors may improve their health and survival overall.” – ASCO Expert Erica L. Mayer, MD, MPH
 

View the disclosures for the 2021 ASCO Quality Care Symposium News Planning Team: https://www.asco.org/sites/new-www.asco.org/files/content-files/about-asco/pdf/2021-qcs-npt-disclosures.pdf

ATTRIBUTION TO THE 2021 ASCO QUALITY CARE SYMPOSIUM IS REQUESTED IN ALL COVERAGE.

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