A patient receives radiation therapy for lung cancer .

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Continued From Page 30 2013 corresponds with the time when clinicians began routinely testing patients for genetic alterations targeted by newly approved drugs . In 2012 , the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommended that all patients with nonsquamous NSCLC undergo genetic testing .

Subsequently , genetic testing for EGFR ( epidermal growth factor receptor ) mutations and ALK ( anaplastic lymphoma kinase ) gene rearrangements — which are targeted by the newer treatments — increased substantially . Because immune checkpoint inhibitors were not in widespread use over the period of the analysis , the authors suspect that most of the survival benefit was attributable to effective EGFR or ALK inhibitors or other advances in therapy . The effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors on NSCLC survival is significant , which suggests that this improving trend in survival should continue .

“ The survival benefit for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer treated with targeted therapies has been demonstrated in clinical trials , but this study highlights the impact of these treatments at the population level ,” said Nadia Howlader , Ph . D ., of NCI ’ s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences , who led the study . “ We can now see the impact of advances in lung cancer treatment on survival .”

The consequences of the pandemic put a massive strain on the healthcare ecosystem .

By Gary Bagoff , CPA , Partner , Citrin Coooperman

healthcare clients , a physician practice focused on primary care , was one of the many private businesses that felt an immediate economic impact from COVID‐19 .

While complying with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New Jersey Department of Health guidelines to ensure patient and employee safety , and enabling telehealth visits , the client encountered difficulties with their financial institution when applying for and obtaining loan funding from the Small Business Administration ’ s Payroll Protection Plan program .

When the CARES Act was enacted , most banks only accepted loan applications for existing customers . Since we have a relationship with an institution that frequently works with our healthcare providers , they readily agreed to help our client . Their funding was approved within seven days of submitting the application , giving our client the critical financial resources to cover expenses for employee payroll , rent and utilities . This allowed our client to keep their critical frontline workers employed and remain open for urgently needed healthcare operations .

Subsequently , we are consulting our client on their CARES Act Provider Relief Funds eligibility , including significant terms and conditions ; fund allocation and deployment ; documentation ; risk management in creating internal controls ; and reporting requirements to the U . S . Department of Health and Human Services .

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