DAVID NANUS, MD
On June 29, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital joined more than 270 institutions across the country in holding a Moonshot Summit. These summits were held in conjunction with Vice President Biden’s Moonshot initiative to fight cancer. On this national day of action, cancer experts throughout our institution, survivors, and advocates came together to share their ideas for increased collaboration and cures.
The summit conversation started with a constructive dialogue about clinical trials and the unfortunate fact that for many cancer types, the “standard of care” chemotherapies are not good enough. At Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, immunotherapies and precision medicine are opening new doors in cancer treatment, but sadly not all patients currently have access to these types of cutting-edge treatments.
Clinical trials may have gotten a bad rap in the past, but they are a powerful tool to access innovative treatments. The speakers agreed that clinical trials should be easily accessible to all patients, but at times there are obstacles. These range from lengthy forms that deter enrollment, to bureaucracy that slows the timeline for opening new clinical trials, to disinterest and concerns about the treatments’ effectiveness. On a global scale, there has been a lack of adult participation in cancer clinical trials, while for children we actually see the opposite trend – very high enrollment. What can we learn from this information?
One of my colleagues Dr. Gail Roboz wisely stated, “I always tell my patients, be afraid of the disease, not the treatment.” She’s right in that we need to reframe the conversation to focus on making strides in increasing cure rates through new research that leads to new treatment breakthroughs across disease states.
We also talked about access to care. Not all patients are able to get a correct diagnosis quickly. This can be due to a variety of reasons including a lack of access to specialists, living in a rural area, or financial limitations. By increasing government research funding, as well as making it easier for patients to reach quality care, we can remove some of these barriers nationally. If we increase the number of people who are diagnosed with cancer early on, we can increase the cure rates. Additionally, as a country, we need to provide comprehensive care for patients and families and always put the interests of patients first. This includes offering supportive services beyond just the best medical care.
I felt so empowered by my colleagues and our patients’ great ideas about how we can overcome the challenges we face in cancer care. The Cancer Moonshot initiative is giving high hopes to many and will help ultimately change the world of cancer care as our country stands together with common goals and a renewed commitment to collaboration. By bringing everyone together at an event like this, we hear diverse perspectives and glean new insights. The fight against this terrible disease truly unites us all.
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