Disclosures and Important Information

Sponsored by MedCases, LLC

Supported by educational grants from Genentech BioOncology and Sanofi-Aventis.

Release Date: November 16, 2009

Expiration Date: November 15, 2010

Accreditation Statement

MedCases, LLC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

Credit Designation Statement

MedCases designates this educational activity for a maximum of 20.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Statement of Responsibility

MedCases takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity.

Faculty Panel

Target Audience

This activity is intended for medical oncologists, community oncologists, pathologists, and other allied healthcare professionals involved in managing patients with breast cancer.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Statement of Need

The development of effective systemic agents, in addition to advances in research, has introduced several novel approaches and effective treatment options for patients with breast cancer. While these agents have dramatically improved disease-free and overall survival rates, the advent of these new therapies has also been associated with potential toxicity in a subset of patients. As with previous data, reports continue to demonstrate the importance of medical oncologists being aware of potential treatment-related toxicities, as well as the importance of implementing steps for appropriate monitoring, prevention, and management.

In particular, the risk for and management of cardiotoxicity associated with the use of certain systemic agents in the treatment of breast cancer remains an important issue. Considering the widespread use of potentially cardiotoxic agents and the increasingly long-term survival of most patients with early-stage breast cancer, the risk for chemotherapy-induced cardiac dysfunction is a growing concern in the medical oncology community. A greater understanding of the relationship between therapeutic agents and potential adverse cardiac events is therefore needed to effectively treat patients with breast cancer while minimizing treatment-related complications. Such understanding then needs to be applied to improving patient care through effective screening for cardiac risk factors, careful scheduling and selective use of specific agents, appropriate cardiac monitoring, and early intervention when there are signs of heart failure.

Method of Participation

The process you will be following is briefly summarized below. Simple paper- and Internet-based tools have been created to support you in every step of this structured methodology. Members of your staff can assist you with some of the steps.

The entire process should take approximately 6-12 months and will be worth a total of 20 complimentary AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Stage A: Learning from current practice performance assessment

You will complete retrospective patient chart reviews from a "baseline period" of 6 months to abstract data for key performance metrics. You will compare these data with anonymous data from peers and national/state sources, and with recommendations from updated national guidelines and other evidence-based sources, to identify areas for improving the quality of care of your patients.

You will receive 5 complimentary AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Stage B: Learning from application of performance improvement to patient care

You will formulate an improvement plan that could include educational interventions, as well as practice interventions. You will implement and monitor the plan for an "improvement period" of approximately 6 months.

You will receive 5 complimentary AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Educational interventions in which you choose to participate will offer additional credits.

Stage C: Learning from evaluation of the performance improvement

You will review patient charts from the "improvement period" and abstract data on key performance metrics. You will compare the improvement period information against the baseline for your practice recorded earlier in Stage A, as well as with anonymous data provided by peers, and will reflect on improvements achieved in patient care and outcomes.

You will receive 5 complimentary AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. You will receive an additional 5 complimentary AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for completing all 3 stages.

Upon completion of each stage, you will be able to save your certificate to your own computer and print it on your own printer.

Important Note — HIPAA Disclaimer

No patient-identifiable data are to be collected or provided and no patient charts are to be submitted. Anonymous data provided by you will be stored in a secure electronic database and cannot be shared with any institutions, third parties, or commercial interests.

As a provider accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), it is MedCases policy to require the disclosure of the existence of any significant financial interest or any other relationship a faculty member or a provider has with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. The following was reported:

Notice of Off-Label Use Presentations

In accordance with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements regarding the disclosure of off-label, investigational, or unapproved recommendations for the use of drugs or devices, you are advised that content in this activity does not contain reference(s) to uses of drugs or devices that are off-label, investigational, or unapproved in the United States. The following information is provided for educational purposes and not to endorse off-label use.

Disclaimer

The opinions and recommendations expressed by faculty and other experts whose input is included in this program are their own. This enduring material is produced for educational purposes only. Use of MedCases’ name implies review of educational format design and approach. Please review the complete prescribing information of specific drugs or combination of drugs, including indications, contraindications, warnings and adverse effects before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.

All information contained within this activity is intended for educational purposes only. Physicians and other health care professionals are encouraged to consult other sources and confirm the information contained in this site because no single reference or service can take the place of medical training, education and experience. Consumers are cautioned that this site is not intended to provide medical advice about any specific medical condition they may have or treatment they may need and they are encouraged to call or see their physician or other health care provider promptly with any health related questions they may have.

The MedCases Web site does not define a standard of care, nor is it intended to dictate an exclusive course of management. Cases are provided for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. This information should not substitute for a visit or consultation with a health care provider.

Privacy Statement

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Copyright Information

Copyright © 2009 MedCases, LLC. All rights reserved.

For Further Information

MedCases
4365 US Highway 1, Suite 207
Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone (609) 454-0680
Fax (609) 951-0112
cme@medcases.com

Confirmation

By clicking the buttons below, you are confirming that you have reviewed all the above information.

Click the "Begin Stage A" button below to begin stage A.

Please note that you must complete Stage A before beginning Stage B. Once you have completed Stage A, click the "Begin Stage B" button below to begin stage B.

Please note that you must complete Stage A and Stage B before beginning Stage C. If you have not completed Stage A, click the "Begin Stage A" button above to complete Stage A. If you have not completed Stage B, click the "Begin Stage B" button above to complete Stage B. Once you have completed Stage C, click the "Begin Stage C" button below to begin stage C.