Close The Gap Between Discovery Research And Patient Care: Cancer Moonshot Pathways

Note: President Joe Biden in February launched a “Cancer Moonshot” initiative that aims to reduce the death rate from cancer by 50% in the next 25 years. This is part of series of posts with cancer experts offering suggestions to help the Moonshot succeed. The upcoming 3^rd Forbes China Healthcare Summit” on August 27 (August 26 ET) will address “New International Directions For A Reignited Moonshot” as its main theme this year. Registration is free. For more information, contact: [email protected]

Dr. Andrea Myers, global program head for lung cancer at Novartis, has been working side by side to help cure patients battling cancer for two decades. It’s important for the Cancer Moonshot initiative not to lose a focus on the delivery and access of care to patients as it seeks grand challenges to advance science, she said in a recent interview.

“The Cancer Moonshot evokes the aspiration of putting someone on the moon, which requires incredible vision and science, but equally important are the tactics and operations,” Myers said. “The process of getting mankind to the moon wasn’t just one of discovering a bigger and better rocket engine. It was the creation of a system in which every component, every bolt, was tested and re-tested to make sure that all the parts and all the people worked together. It was through that process that we were able to get the entire crew both to the moon and back earth safely.

The Cancer Moonshot will involve a system of care stretching from early screening and diagnosis through the completion of care. This system needs to be designed to work well for all people with cancer, individualized to ensure they get the care they need, Myers said.

“Lung cancer is a leading global cancer killer, due in part to its late diagnosis. We now have a screening test available that improves overall survival. Yet it’s cumbersome. Currently, only around 5% of the patients in the United States eligible for the screening actually do it. New, transformative technologies will improve and simplify screening and we should prioritize these advancement efforts. In parallel we need to optimize implementation of what is available now ” she said.

“Often leading edge technological innovations come from institutions with extensive resources, which may not fully reflect the care settings of all patients with cancer and may challenge more broad implementation” noted Myers, formerly a physician at Dana-Faber Cancer Institute and a post-doctorate fellow at Harvard.

“Just like with the original moonshot, every part of the system, every diagnostic and therapeutic needs to be tested in a variety of clinical scenarios. I would love to see creative proposals for how to reach more patients in need than we currently do—it in itself would be lifesaving.”

See related posts:

Meet The Scientist Coordinating Joe Biden’s New Cancer Moonshot

“Why Is Cancer Less Important To Cure Faster Than Covid?”: Cancer Moonshot Pathways

Break Through Barriers To Drive Progress: Cancer Moonshot Pathways

Biden Deserves Credit For Taking On Cancer: Cancer Moonshot Pathways

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