Monday, February 16, 2009

Resources that offer information on cancer drugs might be outdated
By Kelly Winget, DCRI Communications

When oncologists and pharmacists want to prescribe existing cancer medications in ways that differ from the Food and Drug Administration approved uses, they refer to online and print resources for dosage and reimbursement information. But a new study led by the DCRI's Amy Abernathy, MD, found that these critical resources might not be up-to-date or complete.

The study reviewed compendia that oncologists refer to when prescribing medications for cancers other than what the medication has been approved by the FDA to treat. Study results appear in the February 17 online issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

This is a fairly common practice when treating cancer patients. For example, peer-reviewed studies have suggested that Avastin is effective at treating brain tumors; however, the FDA has approved the drug for treating colorectal and lung cancers, not brain tumors, according to Abernathy.

The compendia can provide dosage information, as well as indications if the drug will be covered under Medicare. Many private insurance companies follow what Medicare chooses to cover.

The study found that the compendia were often lacking the most recent study findings, and the various ways that the resources presented and updated information were confusing and inconsistent. Researchers reviewed the six most commonly used compendia, according to a survey of oncologists and pharmacists at Duke and Tufts medical centers.

Researchers found that the “off-label” uses of drugs were different depending on what compendia the drug was listed in. The resources also did not provide a consistent level of detail about medications.

The study team hopes that these findings will help policymakers identify ways to improve the compendia.