Should a new (and cheap) test for chronic lymphocytic leukemia be a component of prior-authorization protocols?
Thomas Morrow, MD Technology, the focus of this column, has virtually exploded in the past several years. Most managed care decision-makers have focused on the cost of the new therapeutic regimes, with particular interest in the latest budget busters, namely the biologic drugs. Seldom do managed care fiscal agents see a new technology that offers the opportunity to reduce the cost of the biologic medications. FC minimal disease testing offers just that opportunity. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the second most common type of leukemia in the United States with about 10,000 cases diagnosed each year. It is very uncommon under age 45, with about 95 percent of all new cases diagnosed in patients over age 50. This type of leukemia is different from the other types of leukemia in that radiation and benzene exposure are not known risk factors. If one word could be used to describe this disease, the word would be “gradual.” Early signs and symptoms are few and well-being is preserved u
