Nabil Elhadi Omar, Oncology and Palliative Care Clinical Pharmacist at Hamad Medical Corporation, shared a post in LinkedIn:
”Financial toxicity (FT) affects patients diagnosed with cancer everywhere, placing a significant burden even in high-income countries and becoming even more severe in low- and middle-income countries, where resources and insurance coverage are limited.
FT impacts not only individuals and families but also entire healthcare systems and payers.
In our recent state-of-the-art review, we examined the financial toxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and highlighted practical, evidence-based strategies to reduce costs and improve access.
When just one recommended approach was applied in practice, “weight-based dosing for one of the ICIs” instead of flat dosing, the projected savings were substantial: nearly 8 million USD per year.
In the paper, we present several evidence-based strategies to reduce costs, expand access, and enhance the patient experience without compromising therapeutic effectiveness.
In certain cases, the proposed solutions were also associated with fewer immune-related adverse events while maintaining comparable efficacy.
In addition to clinical and operational insights, we outline policy-level and system-level recommendations aimed at strengthening sustainability and equity within cancer care.
Please see the attached graphical abstract.
You may access the full article through the following link.
Improving access to life-saving immunotherapy requires both clinical innovation and system-level reform, ensuring no patient is left behind.”
Title: Extent and Mitigation of Financial Toxicity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for the Treatment of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Nabil E Omar, Hazem Elewa, Kareem A El-Fass, Dario Trapani, Said Dermime, Daoud Al-Badriyeh, Dina Abushanab, Anas Hamad
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