Anthem Blue Cross California Doxorubicin Liposome (Doxil, Lipodox) Form
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Overview
Clinical criteria
Overview
Coding
Document history
References
This document addresses the use of doxorubicin liposome (Doxil). Doxorubicin liposome is a cytotoxic, anthracycline topoisomerase II
inhibitor used in the treatment of oncologic conditions.
The FDA approved indications for doxorubicin liposome are advanced ovarian cancer, AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, and multiple
myeloma. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) provides additional recommendations with a category 2A level of
evidence for the use of breast cancer, B and T cell lymphomas including Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma including
both indolent and aggressive forms of NHL (e.g. mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome), advanced soft tissue sarcoma, and
advanced or recurrent uterine neoplasms.
There is a black box warning with doxorubicin liposome for cardiomyopathy (including congestive heart failure) and infusion-related
reactions consisting of, but not limited to, flushing, shortness of breath, facial swelling, headache, chills, back pain, tightness in the
chest or throat, and/or hypotension.
Definitions and Measures
Chemotherapy: Medical treatment of a disease, particularly cancer, with drugs or other chemicals.
Complete Response (CR): The disappearance of all signs of cancer as a result of treatment; also called complete remission; does not
indicate the cancer has been cured.
Cytotoxic: Treatment that is destructive to cells, preventing their reproduction or growth.
Line of Therapy:
• First-line therapy: The first or primary treatment for the diagnosis, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy
or a combination of these therapies.
• Second-line therapy: Treatment given when initial treatment (first-line therapy) is not effective or there is disease progression.
• Third-line therapy: Treatment given when both initial (first-line therapy) and subsequent treatment (second-line therapy) are
not effective or there is disease progression.
Off-Label: Utilization of an FDA approved drug for uses other than those listed in the FDA approved label.
Partial response (PR): A decrease in the size of a tumor, or in the amount of cancer in the body, resulting from treatment; also called
partial remission.
Platinum-resistant: Disease reoccurs in less than six months after receiving platinum based chemotherapy.
Platinum-sensitive: Disease relapses after six months or more after receiving platinum based chemotherapy.
Progressive Disease (PD): Cancer that is growing, spreading, or getting worse.
Relapse or recurrence: After a period of improvement, during which time a disease (for example, cancer) could not be detected, the
return of signs and symptoms of illness or disease. For cancer, it may come back to the same place as the original (primary) tumor or
to another place in the body.
Stable disease: Cancer that is not decreasing or increasing in extent or severity.
Clinical Criteria
1
When a drug is being reviewed for coverage under a member’s medical benefit plan or is otherwise subject to clinical review
(including prior authorization), the following criteria will be used to determine whether the drug meets any applicable medical necessity
requirements for the intended/prescribed purpose.
Doxorubicin Liposome (Doxil)
Requests for Doxorubicin Liposome (Doxil) may be approved if the following criteria are met:
I.
Individual has a diagnosis of one of the following:
A. Breast cancer when used as monotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease (NCCN 2A); OR
B. Kaposi’s sarcoma, AIDS-related; OR
C. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (e.g. classical Hodgkin lymphoma or nodular lymphocytic predominant Hodgkin lymphoma) when
used as a second-line or subsequent therapy for refractory or relapsed disease (NCCN 2A); OR
D. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NCCN 2A); OR
E. Multiple myeloma when agent used as second-line or later line of therapy; OR
F. Ovarian cancer (including epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and primary peritoneal cancer) that is when one
of the following is met:
1. Agent used as monotherapy; OR
2. Agent used in combination with carboplatin (NCCN 1, 2A); OR
3. Agent used in combination with bevacizumab, if bevacizumab (bevacizumab biosimilar), was not previously used for
treatment of ovarian cancer (NCCN 2A); OR
4. Agent used in combination with carboplatin and bevacizumab (or bevacizumab biosimilar), if bevacizumab was not
previously used for treatment of ovarian cancer (NCCN 1, 2A); OR
G. Sarcomas, soft tissue when one of the following is met (NCCN 2A):
1. Angiosarcoma when used as a monotherapy; OR
2. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) with fibrosarcomatous transformation used as monotherapy; OR
3. Dedifferentiated chordoma used as monotherapy; OR
4. Desmoid tumors; OR
5. Retroperitoneal/intra-abdominal sarcomas when used as monotherapy; OR
6. Rhabdomyosarcoma when used as monotherapy; OR
7. Soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity, superficial trunk, head or neck when used as monotherapy; OR
8. Solitary firbrous tumor when used as monotherapy; OR
H. Uterine neoplasm when one of the following is met (NCCN 2A):
1. Endometrial carcinoma when used as monotherapy; OR
2. Uterine sarcoma when used as monotherapy for advanced or metastatic disease.
Doxorubicin Liposome (Doxil) may not be approved when the above criteria are not met and for all other indications.
Coding
The following codes for treatments and procedures applicable to this document are included below for informational purposes. Inclusion
or exclusion of a procedure, diagnosis or device code(s) does not constitute or imply member coverage or provider reimbursement
policy. Please refer to the member's contract benefits in effect at the time of service to determine coverage or non-coverage of these
services as it applies to an individual member.
HCPCS
Q2049
Q2050
Injection, doxorubicin hydrochloride, liposomal, imported lipodox, 10 mg
Injection, doxorubicin hydrochloride, liposomal, not otherwise specified, 10 mg [Doxil]
ICD-10 Diagnosis
B20
Human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease
C44.09
Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of lip [dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans]
C44.191-C44.199 Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of eyelid, including canthus
C44.291-C44.299 Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of ear and external auricular canal
C44.390-C44.399 Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of other and unspecified parts of face
C44.49
Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of scalp and neck
C44.590-C44.599 Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of trunk
2
C44.691-C44.699 Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of upper limb, including shoulder
C44.791-C44.799 Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of lower limb, including hip
C44.89
C44.99
Other specified malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of skin
Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin, unspecified
C46.0-C46.9
Kaposi’s sarcoma
C48.0-C48.8
Malignant neoplasm of retroperitoneum and peritoneum
C50.011-C50.929 Malignant neoplasm of breast
C54.0-C55
Malignant neoplasm of corpus uteri, uterus part unspecified
C56.1-C56.9
Malignant neoplasm of ovary
C57.00-C57.9
Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified female genital organs
C79.81
Secondary malignant neoplasm breast
C81.00-C81.99
Hodgkin lymphoma
C83.00-C83.09
Small cell B-cell lymphoma
C83.30-C83.39
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
C83.80-C83.99
Other non-follicular lymphoma, non-follicular (diffuse) lymphoma, unspecified
C84.00-C84.19
Mycosis fungoides, Sézary disease
C84.40-C84.49
Peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not classified
C84.60-C84.79
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
C84.A0-C84.A9
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, unspecified
C84.Z0-C86.6
Other mature T-NK cell lymphomas, other specified and unspecified types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma,
C88.4
Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue [MALT-lymphoma]
C90.00-C90.32
Multiple myeloma
D47.Z2
D48.1
L90.5
Z85.3
Z85.43
Z85.71
Castleman disease
Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of connective and other soft tissue [desmoid tumor]
Scar conditions and fibrosis of skin
Personal history of malignant neoplasm of breast
Personal history of malignant neoplasm of ovary
Personal history of Hodgkin lymphoma
Document History
Revised: 05/19/2023