Less than ideal: how oncologists practice with limited drug access.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To evaluate Canadian medical oncologists' perspectives on how barriers to accessing new expensive cancer drugs have affected their practice and their opinions on the drug approval and funding processes.

Methods

Canadian medical oncologists treating colorectal cancer (CRC) were surveyed by means of a self-administered, cross-sectional survey.

Results

Of the 164 eligible oncologists, there were 68 respondents (41.4% response rate). Only 29.4% of physicians felt they had been using the ideal first-line chemotherapy regimen for patients with metastatic CRC. Although all considered bevacizumab to be a component of the ideal first-line regimen, only 18% could use bevacizumab routinely, and less than half (44.8%) always discussed its role with their patients. In term

SUBMITTER: Chan KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3396809 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature