July 11, 2023
Physicians from The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) and investigators from the Division of Research (DOR)presented new research on topics ranging from care delivery and next generation sequencing to health disparities and survivorship at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference held recently in Chicago.
Raymond Liu, MD
ASCO is one of the largest and most diverse meetings of clinical oncologists held each year. The 2023 annual meeting, driven by the theme “Partnering with Patients: The Cornerstone of Cancer Care and Research” brought together more than 40,000 attendees from throughout the world.
“The research we presented shows that by utilizing oncology inbox management, telehealth, and teams-based care throughout the whole patient journey — from diagnosis and survivorship to palliative care — that Kaiser Permanente Northern California is providing coordinated, technology-enabled, equitable high-quality care,” says Raymond Liu, MD, the director of research Hematology-Oncology Service Line for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, the director of cancer survivorship for Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, and an adjunct investigator with the Division of Research.
Some of the significant studies authored by researchers and physicians with DOR and TPMG included:
- An oral abstract presented by internist Brandon Anderson, MD, and senior-authored by Dr. Liu showed Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s secure messaging through its online patient-physician portal saved more than $4.5 million in potential out-of-pocket costs for patients and more than $4 million for the health system.
- A publication led by DOR investigators Marilyn Kwan, PhD, and Romain Neugebauer, PhD, found adhering to a prescribed statin at least 80% of the time was associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart failure in breast cancer survivors with dyslipidemia and high cholesterol.
- A poster presented by Isabelle Franklin, MD, a medical student at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, and co-authored by DOR’s Theodore R. Levin, MD, highlighted the effects of social determinants of health on colorectal cancer screening. Their work was also featured on OncLive.
- A poster presented by oncologist Michael Lee, MD, with senior author Dr. Liu looked at trends in oncology telehealth use. This work was featured in the ASCO2023 podcast Key Abstracts from Precision Oncology to Cancer Disparities.
- A poster presented by internist Andrew Lynch, MD, and senior-authored by Dr. Liu found enrolling advanced cancer patients in palliative care was associated with a greater likelihood of choosing hospice care and a decreased likelihood of hospitalization in the last 30 days of life – with no racial disparities.
- Posters and presentations by TPMG and DOR research teams focused on the impact of the 4R oncology model — Right Information, Right Care, Right Patient, Right Time — on expediting OncotypeDX testing and bone density screening in breast cancer patients, the timing and sequence of interdependent care in breast and lung cancer patients, and a self-care tool for cancer patients.
- A study led by oncologist Nayha Tahir, MD, and senior-authored by Dr. Liu described the implementation of a breast cancer survivorship needs assessment.
This article originally appeared in Division of Research Spotlight.
