Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, Canada

Medical oncology is a rapidly evolving field, with new medications being discovered yearly, contributing to increased survival rates. However, accessing drugs in a timely manner can be challenging. In Quebec, Canada, a physician can prescribe an unlisted anticancer treatment through a regulated path...

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Main Authors: Adam Miller, Francois Panet, Victoria Korsos, Wilson H. Miller, Gerald Batist
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Current Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/31/10/440
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author Adam Miller
Francois Panet
Victoria Korsos
Wilson H. Miller
Gerald Batist
author_facet Adam Miller
Francois Panet
Victoria Korsos
Wilson H. Miller
Gerald Batist
author_sort Adam Miller
collection DOAJ
description Medical oncology is a rapidly evolving field, with new medications being discovered yearly, contributing to increased survival rates. However, accessing drugs in a timely manner can be challenging. In Quebec, Canada, a physician can prescribe an unlisted anticancer treatment through a regulated pathway under exceptional circumstances. We conducted a quality improvement study describing the outcomes of incurable cancer patients receiving unlisted anticancer therapy at the Jewish General Hospital between 2018 and 2019. Though our study did not include a comparator arm, unlisted anticancer therapies were associated with interesting median progression-free survival (11 months) and overall survival (25 months). Moreover, a large proportion of treatments, 44%, were subsequently reimbursed in the province of Quebec. Given the delay in anticancer drug reimbursement, this pathway is essential for timely access to oncology drugs. Such ‘special access’ programs will likely become increasingly important as precision medicine becomes the standard of practice.
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series Current Oncology
spelling doaj-art-9e2b0a11236342128a8ec77e893d37ec2025-08-20T02:11:09ZengMDPI AGCurrent Oncology1198-00521718-77292024-10-0131105908591810.3390/curroncol31100440Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, CanadaAdam Miller0Francois Panet1Victoria Korsos2Wilson H. Miller3Gerald Batist4Department of Medical Oncology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaJewish General Hospital Segal Cancer Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, CanadaDepartment of Hematology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, CanadaJewish General Hospital Segal Cancer Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, CanadaJewish General Hospital Segal Cancer Center, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, CanadaMedical oncology is a rapidly evolving field, with new medications being discovered yearly, contributing to increased survival rates. However, accessing drugs in a timely manner can be challenging. In Quebec, Canada, a physician can prescribe an unlisted anticancer treatment through a regulated pathway under exceptional circumstances. We conducted a quality improvement study describing the outcomes of incurable cancer patients receiving unlisted anticancer therapy at the Jewish General Hospital between 2018 and 2019. Though our study did not include a comparator arm, unlisted anticancer therapies were associated with interesting median progression-free survival (11 months) and overall survival (25 months). Moreover, a large proportion of treatments, 44%, were subsequently reimbursed in the province of Quebec. Given the delay in anticancer drug reimbursement, this pathway is essential for timely access to oncology drugs. Such ‘special access’ programs will likely become increasingly important as precision medicine becomes the standard of practice.https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/31/10/440QuebecCanadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)Institut national d’excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS)incurable cancerunlisted medicationsdrug approval
spellingShingle Adam Miller
Francois Panet
Victoria Korsos
Wilson H. Miller
Gerald Batist
Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, Canada
Current Oncology
Quebec
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
Institut national d’excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS)
incurable cancer
unlisted medications
drug approval
title Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, Canada
title_full Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, Canada
title_fullStr Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, Canada
title_full_unstemmed Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, Canada
title_short Real-World Outcomes of Incurable Cancer Patients Treated with Unlisted Anticancer Treatments in an Academic Center in Quebec, Canada
title_sort real world outcomes of incurable cancer patients treated with unlisted anticancer treatments in an academic center in quebec canada
topic Quebec
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
Institut national d’excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS)
incurable cancer
unlisted medications
drug approval
url https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/31/10/440
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