The next big steps forward in cancer care require even more collaboration

Thanks to advances in science, data and technology, we are closer to our goal of eliminating cancer as a cause of death, and while that’s our goal at 阿斯利康 , it’s certainly one we can’t achieve alone. We’ve collectively been trying to beat cancer for decades and, as we learned during the pandemic, change can happen when we work together. While it may feel like we’re tantalizingly close to “cure” in some cancers, the next big steps forward will require even more collaboration with key stakeholders and influencers to put cancer at the forefront of global and local policies to improve standards of care.

Take breast cancer. There have been incredible advances over the past few years in the treatment of this disease and yet it remains an urgent public health concern. We know there are many economic benefits to gender parity, and when women’s health is so critical to economies and societies, leaders need to prioritize addressing this. That’s why I’m proud to share that we’ve partnered with City Cancer Challenge , World Health Organization and others on the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) as a member of their industry advisory board. The goal is to save the lives of 2.5 million people with breast cancer around the world by 2040 through the implementation of three key strategies: 1) health promotion and early detection; 2) timely diagnosis, and 3) comprehensive breast cancer management, measured through clear KPIs. By simplifying and streamlining goals and measurement, we can break out of silos, have those meaningful conversations with the policymakers who impact decision-making in governments and build the political groundwork that puts breast cancer at the forefront. This is only the first step. Progress in breast cancer policies is also a foundational first step to improve policies and outcomes for other cancers and non-communicable diseases overall.

There is a distinct common thread between the GBCI approach and recommendations that came out of a roundtable discussion I had earlier this month at #ASCO23 with a group of policy and advocacy leaders. This group came together to discuss collaboration to promote policy actions needed to improve equity in breast cancer care. Across the breast cancer community, there is strong agreement that progress in science and innovation needs to be bolstered by improvements in health literacy, eliminating disparities based on location, disease staging and other factors, greater access to screenings and early detection, and innovative treatments.?Most importantly, we all need to focus on improving and supporting outcomes in care across the continuum – and understand how those better outcomes lead to a better, healthier world overall.

Last month, at a panel discussion about the future of cancer care, my fellow panelists and I took some inspiration from a famous Charles Dickens quote to debate the question: Is this the best or worst of times when it comes to cancer care? After a week of talking to those across the entire spectrum of the oncology community at ASCO, I left reminded of yet another quote from Charles Dickens: “The most important thing in life is to stop saying, ‘I wish’ and start saying, ‘I will’. Consider nothing impossible, then treat possibilities as probabilities.” Good health is the foundation for good lives, strong societies, and resilient economies. We can’t wish for the best when it comes to cancer. We must commit to how we will invest in our collective health, especially in improving cancer outcomes, and ensuring a strong foundation for our future prosperity.?

Learn more about our GBCI partnership: https://spr.ly/6043OtIMP