NOW IS THE TIME TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS IN CANCER CARE

This week, like many in the oncology community, I would have been preparing to travel to Chicago for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Germany for The European Hematology Association (EHA). I always looked forward to this time of the year as it afforded me time to dig into the latest data and meet with like-minded individuals in the oncology field who share the same purpose of finding a cure. However, like so many of you, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our lives, giving collaboration and coming together a completely new meaning.

With the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many of us continue to stay at home. As a result, new virtual approaches are being applied across many sectors, including major global congresses such as ASCO and EHA. I am looking forward not only to the virtual scientific exchange that will still take place, but also seeing how these organizations’ digital technologies and solutions enable these meetings to go forward.

We have also seen health services adapt rapidly to the current situation; however, there is still a long road ahead in order to address the gaps in delivering cancer care as a result of the pandemic. With many patients unable to get timely access to cancer diagnostics and treatment, it has given rise to another critical concern. Data from the Epic Health Research Network shows that appointments for screenings for cancers of the cervix, colon, and breast were down between 86% and 94% in March compared with three-year average volumes. In the U.S., patients are concerned about contracting the virus in hospitals, and treatment centers around the world have been postponing treatments, surgeries, and appointments. The consequences of the pandemic are revealing greater challenges and concerns for the cancer community.

We all know that cancer will not wait and ongoing delays in diagnosis and treatment will no doubt ultimately lead to poorer prognoses and death. The challenges we face are incredibly complicated, and we could argue there are no straightforward responses to such an extraordinary situation. 

We have a duty of care to patients and physicians to support them in navigating a deeply sensitive and unnerving time. Dr. Fatima Cardoso, director of the breast cancer unit at the Champalimaud Cancer Center in Lisbon said something recently that has stuck with me, “while COVID-19 may be frightening, it still has a relatively low mortality rate. Metastatic breast cancer has a 100% mortality rate.”

So, what can we do? How can we all offer our hand to help?

First, this is not the time to slow down progress in cancer care. Now, more than ever, the cancer community needs our support. At Novartis, our main priority is to ensure patients can access the treatments they need. We have made quick and nimble decisions, such as appropriately supporting doctors with research and virtual tools, providing patient advocacy groups with donations and information, and sourcing alternative aircraft options to transport personalized cancer therapies when passenger flights became grounded. Further, my colleagues are going the extra mile by driving to hospitals to deliver medicines.

The pandemic has shown how we can mobilize a global response to bring together a diverse research community under a common goal, and how social impact initiatives from non-healthcare companies have given a new meaning to our responsibility to society. What learnings can we take from this accelerated and more cohesive response, and how can we apply them to better prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer?

This pandemic has fundamentally changed many aspects of our lives and we must adjust to the new realities of how we work and engage with our stakeholders. This is top-of-mind for me as we come together, with a common goal, to keep looking for new ways to support the cancer community as their needs rapidly evolve.  By listening, understanding and acting we can ensure cancer services are operational during a pandemic while setting a new standard for reimagining cancer care.