Abstract
Liver cancer is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the United States and is associated with a high cancer-related mortality. Seventy-five percent of liver cancers are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resulting from cirrhosis. Patients are typically diagnosed late in the disease, with a relatively small percentage eligible for curative treatments. Despite the addition of several new therapies for advanced HCC, the 5-year survival rate is just 18%. The direct and indirect costs of HCC are substantial, and are expected to increase with the rise in disease incidence as well as a growing number of high-cost therapies entering the market. There are opportunities to improve the quality of care for patients with HCC through implementation of value-based reimbursement principles and pharmacist involvement in care.
Highlights
The American Cancer Society estimates nearly 43,000 patients will be diagnosed with liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers in 2020, with an estimated 30,160 deaths.1 Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been the fastest rising cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, increasing by 2% to 3% annually.1 The majority (71%) of cases of HCC are potentially preventable
The TNM system has been validated for both hepatic resection and transplant, while the BCLC staging system is recommended for nonsurgical patients with advanced HCC, as it offers prognostic information based on assessment of tumor burden, liver function, and patient performance status (PS) (Figure 1)
Patients with advanced HCC are at high risk for adverse effects (AEs) because of baseline hepatic dysfunction, comorbidities associated with chronic liver disease, and potential
Summary
According to the disclosure policy of The American Journal of Managed Care® and Pharmacy Times Continuing EducationTM, all persons who are in a position to control content are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. All educational materials are reviewed for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies reported, and levels of evidence The contents of this activity may include information regarding the use of products that may be inconsistent with or outside the approved labeling for these products in the United States. The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of The American Journal of Managed Care®, Pharmacy Times Continuing EducationTM, or any of the companies that provided commercial support for this CE activity. Signed disclosures are on file at the office of The American Journal of Managed Care®, Cranbury, New Jersey
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