Thought Leadership

Recent advances in precision medicine are helping transform patient outcomes all across the cancer community, but unfortunately, disparities still remain. Patient navigation can be a key to patients reporting improved quality of life and closing gaps for people of color and marginalized communities. In this segment, Dr. Linda Burhansstipanov, President of the Native American Cancer Initiative, speaks with Martha Orzechowski, Head of US Advocacy & Alliance at AstraZeneca, to discuss the importance of patient navigation in realizing the full potential of precision medicine advancements.

People in underserved communities continue to face challenges accessing optimal cancer care. Closing these critical gaps requires a multifaceted approach including a focus on clinical research where diverse representation remains a challenge. In this segment, Hope Wohl of Breastcancer.org and Dr. Nadine J Barrett of the Duke Clinical Translational Science Institute speak with Camille Hertzka, Vice President and Head of Oncology US Medical at AstraZeneca, to discuss the challenges to and importance of building inclusivity and trust in cancer research.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on overall cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Public health experts worry that delayed screenings and interruptions to routine care will cause an influx of unnecessary cancer deaths over the coming years, as cancer grows undetected until it becomes more difficult to treat. This segment with Margarette Osias of the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC) and Cassandra Codes-Johnson of the Delaware Division of Public Health affords us an opportunity to reimagine the future of cancer care and emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary partnerships across the oncology community to address urgent needs for people with or at greater risk for breast cancer.

Over the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a period of seismic disruption across the cancer community that risks leaving too many people behind in its wake. In this segment, Omar Perez of AstraZeneca and Andrea Ferris of LUNGevity discuss the ways in which the pandemic has reshaped cancer care, and how advocacy organizations are working alongside the community to reimagine the future of care with an eye toward overcoming barriers to screening and ensuring equitable access to quality care for all who stand to benefit.

This year marks 50 years since the National Cancer Act was signed into law by President Nixon. As we look at the advancements made over the past 50 years, Dave Fredrickson of AstraZeneca and Dr. Leigh Boehmer of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) discuss precision medicine, examining its role amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond with an emphasis on improving patient outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer care in countless ways and brought to light challenges within the health-care system that we must address across the industry. In this segment, Camille Hertzka of AstraZeneca and Lincoln Nadauld of Intermountain Healthcare discuss how we can work to identify cancer earlier through improving screening and testing capabilities and prioritizing personalized medicine.

The emergence of the novel coronavirus presented huge challenges for people living with cancer and the health-care workers who care for them. That’s why healthcare providers are looking to come together to address key challenges and solutions and learn from the impacts of COVID-19. During this session, Chatrick Paul of AstraZeneca, Dr. Debra Patt of Texas Oncology, and Ellen Miller-Sonet of CancerCare discuss the impact of coronavirus on cancer treatment, barriers to access when it comes to critical care needs, broaden health equities, and how to continually advance oncology during this urgent era in medicine.

Cynthia Bens of the Personalized Medicine Coalition, Andrea Ferris of LUNGevity, and Chad Ramsey of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance share their unique perspectives on oncology precision medicine, emphasizing how we can come together as a community to help ensure that the right patients receive the right treatments at the right time.

Laurie Fenton Ambrose of GO2 Foundation, Rose Gerber of the Community Oncology Alliance, and Dr. Jill O’Donnell-Tormey discuss the important role grassroots and community partnerships play in advancing care for people with cancer.