Posts Tagged ‘oncology’
PET Imaging Advancements For Alzheimer’s Disease With F18
CMS has set January 30, 2013 as the date to discuss and review the evidence on the potential benefits of [...] Read More »
More Proposed Reimbursement Cuts for Radiation Oncology
It seems that every year the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finds additional ways to cut reimbursement for [...] Read More »
A Breath Away from Detecting Cancer
A breath test that can detect more than just drinking? In a recent clinical trial conducted by Metabolomx, a start [...] Read More »
SpyGlass System, Now You See It…
We have seen a lot of interest in the SpyGlass System, a unique technology that allows the physican to inspect [...] Read More »
In Vivo Endomicroscopy, Next Generation Screening
An interesting find recently is in vivo endomicroscopy, which provides 1,000x magnification with an endoscope. This makes it possible for [...] Read More »
Oncology: Proton Beam Therapy Reimbursement Takes a Leap
Proton therapy's benefits lie in its ability to destroy cancerous cells with sub-millimeter accuracy. In a 2009 review, when comparing radiation doses to a retinoblastoma target, IMRT resulted in 96% coverage; proton beam therapy was able to cover 100% of the target. The same study underlined that an advantage of proton beam therapy is that is does not harm healthy tissue. Proton beam therapy resulted in only 10% of the dose going to healthy tissue. In comparison, 25% dose going to healthy tissue using 3D-CRT and of 69% using IMRT. Read More »
Promising Laser Treatment for Brain Cancer
CMS has excellent news for the AutoLITT system: a new technology add-on payment for FY 2011. The AutoLITT system (Monteris Medical) is a recently approved laser designed for the treatment of recurrent grade IV glioblastoma brain tumors. There are three primary endovascular intracranial codes (DRGs 25, 26, and 27) that deal with the procedure. Reimbursement now ranges from $24,500 to $11,000 depending on the complications. The new add-on payment will increase the reimbursement for hospitals by up to $5,300. Read More »