Aaron Mitchell
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thewonkologist.bsky.social
Aaron Mitchell
@thewonkologist.bsky.social
Medical oncologist and health services researcher. Focusing on health care costs, physician-industry COI, and oncology reimbursement reform. Opinions mine.
Postdoc opportunity at @mskcancercenter.bsky.social ! Read about and apply to OPTICS below:
November 8, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Huge thanks to the large, multidisciplinary team that helped get this study to the finish line!

I joke that I've been planning this study since I started oncology fellowship - now 10 years ago - but this is very true. @ethanbasch.bsky.social

7/
November 5, 2025 at 5:33 PM
However, the result for profit margin was very null.
All cancer types clustered around that red line of OR=1 (no difference)

5/
November 5, 2025 at 5:33 PM
For clinical benefit, the result was clearly positive. More beneficial (per NCCN) treatments were used more often.
OR = 1.62 in our random effects meta-analysis.

4/
November 5, 2025 at 5:33 PM
But, when we looked at appropriate use in CRPC, there was more variation. Across 3 networks (each a different color), 2 initiated bone agents for most patients. But 1 network lagged, initiating bone agents for only a minority of patients.

3/
November 4, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Great review by @amitabhchandra.bsky.social and Mark Shepard in @nejm.org on the challenges of corporatization in US healthcare

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
September 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM
In at least 1 case, the answer seems to be that the company is still pursuing additional approvals.

This drug is belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep).
Notably, Blenrep was also one of the most heavily-promoted drugs on social media, which we also recently studied.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
4/
August 28, 2025 at 1:13 AM
*SIGH*

Might as well unsubscribe at this point, am I right?
August 22, 2025 at 7:33 PM
The only place industry COI does *not* pervade medicine, it would seem, is on vaccine advisory panels!

New in @jama.com today, great work by @profgenkanter.bsky.social

cc @mdaware.org @by-cjewett.bsky.social @charlesornstein.bsky.social @joho.bsky.social

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
August 18, 2025 at 10:46 PM
SIGH 😔
August 8, 2025 at 9:30 PM
***SIGH***
August 1, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Credit where it’s due, Lander was the only competent bagel-orderer of the bunch
June 25, 2025 at 3:30 AM
I’m not endorsing Brad Lander, but the difference in bagel ordering competence is striking
June 21, 2025 at 5:07 PM
This bagel order alone should be enough to disqualify any candidate for mayor of NYC

#dontrankcuomo
June 21, 2025 at 5:03 PM
The NYTimes should really consider upgrading their search function technology to 1998 AltaVista
June 14, 2025 at 11:24 PM
I’m all for reducing plastic.
But as an epidemiologist, I recognize this as a very strong counterfactual claim.

@epidbydesign.bsky.social have you ever considered teaching with this example?
June 3, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Greetings from Pharma Disneyland! #ASCO25
June 1, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Ok this is my favorite #ASCO25 poster thus far.

We oncologists both
1) beat GPT4 by a wide margin
2) pass the Turing test

I literally lol’ed at the examples in the bottom left. So obvious who is who - only a human doc knows to factor an insurance denial into their recs! 😂
June 1, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Presenting at #ASCO25 today!
I was expecting to find evidence that oncologists prefer more-lucrative treatments, and was surprised by our results! Clinical benefit matters, drug profit did not.
Cc @dusetzinas.bsky.social
May 31, 2025 at 9:25 PM
🚨🚨🚨
Presenting our new study on Medicare Advantage at #ASCO25! Lower use of low value cancer care among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.

Simultaneously published in JCO
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/...
May 31, 2025 at 8:49 PM
*sigh*
May 30, 2025 at 11:31 PM
What this great @nytimes.com story highlights about overpriced bandages, reminds me quite a bit of the chemotherapy markups that cancer care providers keep

@bykatiethomas.bsky.social @sangerkatz.bsky.social
April 13, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I was today years old when I learned that the president of Nintendo of America is for real named Bowser
April 10, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Searching online forums with the same question, I stumbled upon my soul mate.
March 12, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Contact your Reps now!

CR approaching congressional vote would gut medical research, including a 57% cut to the Dept of Defense medical research budget.

www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
March 10, 2025 at 11:50 PM