SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Note Therapeutics today announced that new data from a health economic study of anxiety and depression in Medicare patients living with cancer will be shared at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 2022 Annual Conference. The data will be shared during the virtual poster session March 31 to April 2.
The study looked at the incremental healthcare costs of anxiety and depression in cancer versus cancer alone among Medicare beneficiaries. With over 230,000 patients, the study is the largest and most comprehensive assessment of its kind.
"As the cancer treatment landscape continues to evolve, we at Blue Note know that an updated understanding of the prevalence and costs of mental health conditions among patients with cancer have crucial implications for value-based cancer care," said Michael Malecki, head of access and reimbursement, Blue Note Therapeutics. "Our study finds that one in three Medicare beneficiaries newly diagnosed with cancer have subsequent anxiety or depression, and that this is leading to significant increases in healthcare costs. We're looking forward to sharing the findings of our study and potential solutions at the upcoming NCCN Conference."
The e-poster and highlight video will be made available to attendees of the NCCN Annual Conference.
E-Poster: Incremental Healthcare Costs of Anxiety and Depression in Medicare Beneficiaries with Cancer
Virtual Poster Session: Thursday, March 31, through Saturday, April 2
About Cancer-Related Distress
There are about 18 million cancer patients and survivors in the United States today.1 Nearly half of all cancer patients experience psychosocial distress, anxiety, or depression.2 If left untreated, these feelings can lower a cancer survivor's quality of life and may negatively affect survival.3 The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has established guidelines for the delivery of mental health care services in oncology, which include screening patients for signs of distress and implementing a treatment plan to address these needs with a mental health care specialist.4 Unfortunately, fewer than half of patients who experience cancer-related distress, which can be defined as any unpleasant feeling, emotion, or experience that affects a patient's quality of life or ability to cope with cancer diagnosis and treatment, are referred to mental health care specialists.5,6 Prescription digital therapeutics designed to treat cancer-related distress can help close this cancer treatment gap.
About Blue Note Therapeutics
Blue Note Therapeutics is a prescription digital therapeutics company singularly dedicated to serving patients suffering from cancer. We aim to make treatment accessible to any cancer patient, at any time, by merging deep scientific and clinical expertise, neuroscience, and digital innovation. Working closely with cancer research and patient communities, we are developing a pipeline of clinically validated prescription digital therapeutics to help reduce anxiety, depression, and other forms of cancer-related distress. For more information, visit www.bluenotetherapeutics.com.
About Prescription Digital Therapeutics
Prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) are a therapeutic class of medical devices that use U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvable software to treat diseases and conditions, such as anxiety and depression related to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Similar to prescription medicines, PDTs must demonstrate safety and efficacy in randomized clinical trials prior to their approval by the FDA.
Media Contact
Kim King
kimk@bluenotetx.com
+1 (805) 410-0180
References
1 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2020. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2020/cancer-facts-and-figures-2020.pdf.
2 Mehnert A, Hartung TJ, Friedrich M, et al. One in two cancer patients is significantly distressed: Prevalence and indicators of distress. Psychooncology. 2018;27:75-82.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anxiety and Depression Medicine Use Among Cancer Survivors. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/research/articles/anxiety_dep_med_survivors.htm.
4 National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Distress Management, Version 3.2019, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. https://jnccn.org/view/journals/jnccn/17/10/article-p1229.xml.
5 OncoLink. What is Cancer Related Distress? https://www.oncolink.org/support/practical-and-emotional/coping-communication-concerns/what-is-cancer-related-distress.
6 American Cancer Society. Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2019-2021. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures/cancer-treatment-and-survivorship-facts-and-figures-2019-2021.pdf.
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