Comorbidity can be summed up in a simple question: “In addition to cancer, what else is wrong with you?” A comorbidity is an existing and unrelated diagnosis at the time of a cancer diagnosis. Common comorbidities include heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Nearly 30 such comorbid conditions occur frequently enough and contribute to treatment...

Shared decision-making and value-based care are emerging approaches to obtaining additional value from patient care. Shared decision-making is the process of interacting with patients who wish to be involved in arriving at an informed, values-based choice among two or more medically reasonable alternatives. It attempts to stimulate collaborative discussion between physicians and patients to better...