CME: Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Therapeutic Updates, Best Practices, and Barriers to Care
ACCREDITATION EXPIRED: February 18, 2015
Activity Description / Statement of Need:
In this online CME self-learning program:
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States with nearly 221,000 new cases diagnosed and 156,390 deaths annually. While surgery in eligible candidates and early detection provide the best chances for cure, there are many patients who must be treated by alternative modalities, including those with advanced disease. Increasingly now, research is uncovering the role of biomarkers and genetic mutations in aiding not only the prognosis of NSCLC, but also its management. They have given rise to targeted therapies that mechanistically alter cellular signaling pathways in a manner that suppresses angiogenesis and oncologic disease progression.
On the practical side, the literature also suggests that: there are or may be emerging or existing patterns of disparities in healthcare, treatment, and outcomes of patients with NSCLC on the basis of race, disability, and insurance coverage. In particular, race- and ethnicity-based discrimination within the healthcare environment are associated with disparities in care; and that such discrimination is associated with both worse chronic health condition control and a higher incidence catastrophic health events.
This program has been designed to bring healthcare professionals’ knowledge of the rationale behind treatment of NSCLC up to date and to enhance their competence in caring for patients with NSCLC. This program also attempts to examine the role of disparities in care of patients with NSCLC and strategies to minimize or alleviate those disparities.
Agenda
Introduction, Disclosures
Epidemiology and pathophysiology of and risk factors for NSCLS
• Who is most affected? – Demographics
• Risk factors: smoking, environmental, medical, and genetic
Symptomology and diagnosis of NSCLC
• Physical symptoms, early screening, and diagnosis
• Emerging role of biomarkers
• Roles of imaging and biopsy
• Clinical practice guidance – from the NCCN on down
• Patient cases
Treatment in patients with NSCLC
• Distinction by biomarkers, performance assessment, stages, and smoking history
• Roles of: performance status assessment, surgery, biological and targeted immunotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy and
radiation therapy
• Metastatic disease
• Palliative care: who, when, and how to broach?
• Barriers to care
• Patient cases
Summary, conclusions, and best practice recap
Target Audience:
Healthcare professionals specializing in: interventional radiology; nuclear medicine; oncology; palliative care; pathology; pulmonology; or those who otherwise commonly care for patients with NSCLC.
Commercial Support Disclosure: This program is supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim
Release Date: February 18, 2013 -- Expiration Date: February 18, 2015
Faculty: Delila Katz, PharmD, BCOP
Agenda
Learning Objectives
By the end of the session the participant will be able to:
- Describe the role and value of biopsy, molecular testing, and biomarkers in determining the natural course of disease and associated therapy, including the selection of targeted treatment modalities and signaling pathway inhibitors against NSCLC.
- Describe the effect of altering signaling pathways on the cell life cycle, prognosis, clinical outcomes, and likelihood of response to different therapies in NSCLC.
- Apply existing research and recommendations to practice in the management of NSCLC.
- Distinguish between the most appropriate treatment approaches to NSCLC based on the following: genetic mutation and biomarker status according to the most up-to-date advances in research and by cancer stage according to the most up-to-date and best practice for NSCLC.
- Taking into account disease stage, mutation status, prior treatment, past medical history, and prognostic indicators, evaluate a treatment plan for a specific patient based on degree of NSCLC to optimize safety, efficacy, tolerability, and barriers to care, suggesting modifications for improvement.
Accreditation
ACCREDITATION FOR THIS COURSE HAS EXPIRED. YOU MAY VIEW THE PROGRAM, BUT CME / CE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND NO CERTIFICATE WILL BE ISSUED.
Faculty Disclosure and Resolution of COI
As a provider of continuing medical education, it is the policy of ScientiaCME to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its educational activities. In accordance with this policy, faculty and educational planners must disclose any significant relationships with commercial interests whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, and any relationships with the commercial supporter of the activity. The intent of this disclosure is to provide the intended audience with information on which they can make their own judgments. Additionally, in the event a conflict of interest (COI) does exist, it is the policy of ScientiaCME to ensure that the COI is resolved in order to ensure the integrity of the CME activity. For this CME activity, any COI has been resolved thru content review ScientiaCME.
Faculty Disclosure: Delila Katz, PharmD has no relevent financial discloses..
Disclosures of Educational Planners: Charles Turck, PharmD is an officer and part owner of ScientiaCME, LLC. ScientiaCME has received grants from Bayer, Edwards Lifesciences, Eisai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi Aventis, Wolf-Torey Medical.
Commercial Support Disclosure: This program is supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim
Instructions
- Read the learning objectives above
- Take the Pre-Test (optional). Completion of the pre-test will help us evaluate the knowledge gained by participating in this CME activity.
- View the online activity. You may view this is in more than one session, and may pause or repeat any portion of the presentation if you need to.
- Minimum participation threshold: Take the post-test. A score of 70% or higher is required to pass and proceed to the activity evaluation.
- Complete the activity evaluation and CME registration. A CE certificate will be emailed to you immediately.
System Requirements
Windows 7 or above
Internet Explorer 8
*Adobe Acrobat Reader
Mac OS 10.2.8
Safari or Chrome or Firefox
*Adobe Acrobat Reader
Internet Explorer is not supported on the Macintosh
*Required to view Printable PDF Version
Please take a few minutes to participate in the optional pre-test. It will help us measure the knowledge gained by participating in this activity.