Why ‘why’ is my favourite word

There are so many reasons I love my job!

First and foremost, it’s the chance to play a part in developing treatments and therapies that genuinely improve the lives of patients all over the world. Then there are the connections: the opportunity to meet and collaborate with amazing people both within my own organisation, across the industry, and beyond. People who, like me, are passionate about making life better for those most in need. It may be a cliché but I can honestly say that every day I learn something new from, or am inspired to think differently by, someone whose path I cross.

I also love the chance to use one of my favourite words: ‘why?’ In oncology, so often the question we pose ourselves is ‘how’? How to enable the broadest possible patient access. How best to collaborate with other industry partners. How to include the patient voice earlier in the product lifecycle. How to stage a congress digitally instead of physically.

The upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) congress is usually a chance to combine all three of these things – though, of course, this year’s installment comes with one major difference: the COVID-19 pandemic means it will take place virtually. So, rather than thousands of healthcare and medical professionals flocking to Chicago at the end of the month, we’ll all be joining from the comfort of our own living rooms, studies and gardens.

Although it’s bound to feel a little strange (I was certainly looking forward to catching up with friends and colleagues from across the industry in person!), we must treat ASCO as the same pivotal moment in the oncology calendar that it has always been. A chance for people throughout the oncology world to discuss the latest scientific data and share breakthrough research that will make a meaningful difference to the lives of patients.

No matter the format, however, ASCO will give us at Janssen the chance to show how we ask ourselves ‘why?’ every day. Why are we focusing on a specific disease area or patient group? Why approach a particular challenge in this way? Why not try to do things differently?

I’m thrilled to say we’ll be showcasing as many as 29 company-sponsored studies and 10 investigator-initiated data presentations this year, showing how we do things differently by asking ‘why?’

As part of that we’ll be presenting new data from our prostate cancer portfolio. Why is the unmet need in this disease area so vital to address? At the moment, people with non-metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) find themselves in a situation where their disease has not yet metastasised and yet, at the stage where it should be at its most treatable, find that standard treatments don’t work and there is nothing they can do to stop it advancing further. Given that we know that treating cancer before malignancy makes an enormous difference to outcomes, this is something that Janssen is determined to address.

Anyone who knows me knows that catching cancer as early as possible – whether through innovative new treatments for disease areas such as nmCRPC, or through wider and equally exciting approaches such as cancer interception – is a particular passion of mine. That’s why I’m so looking forward to sharing the data that we have on our latest developments in this field.

No doubt, many other companies and research institutions will have their own innovations to share during ASCO too. Personally speaking, I find it incredibly inspiring that our field’s collective pioneering spirit and commitment to progress is still burning brightly even in the current circumstances.  Right now, we can’t be sure when we’ll all be free to come together in person again. But, in the meantime, the journey to enhance the lives of people around the world living with cancer continues apace. At ASCO and beyond, my favourite word is becoming more important than ever.