Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Special Report: A Deeper Dive Into Cancer Breakthroughs
Axios: 1. The Search For Next-Generation Cancer Treatments
A flood of cancer drugs has entered the market over the last decade, and some have been game changers for treating the disease. However, most are yielding only incremental advances: They're important to patients, but may be ballooning the already enormous cost of cancer care. Some experts argue that the financial incentives to develop drugs mimicking those already on the market are detrimental to patients because they divert resources from truly transformative discoveries. (Owens and Snyder, 4/2)
Axios: 2. The Fast-Changing Survivability Of Cancer
Death rates for many individual cancer types, such as melanoma, have seen historic drops in the last decade. At the same time, a few cancers like pancreatic cancer have remained stubbornly unchanged. Others like colorectal cancer have even seen worrisome increases. Between 2000 and 2021, cancer death rates in the U.S. dropped 27%, from 196.5 to 144.1 deaths per 100,000 people. Much of that progress occurred since the human genome was sequenced, allowing major changes in how we understand cancer, screen for it, and ultimately treat it with personalized therapies, experts say. (Reed, 4/2)
Axios: 3. How COVID Reshaped Cancer Care
The pandemic disrupted cancer treatments for millions of Americans, but it led health care providers to speed up efforts to shift care from hospitals and clinics to patients' homes. Cancer patients at higher risk for infections and other complications could benefit from therapy and testing at home — and the care delivered in less intensive settings could also be cheaper. The pandemic delayed cancer screening, treatments and rehabilitation while causing supply shortages and diverting medical staff. Many patients fearing COVID-19 stayed away from clinics as their cancers worsened. (Bettelheim, 4/2)
Axios: 4. Meet The New AI Cancer Detectives
Algorithms are increasingly being put to work alongside radiologists and pathologists to help detect and diagnose cancers. AI developers say these tools can help relieve a stressed health care system and improve critical medical decision-making, but experts caution about the risk of overdiagnosis that could drive up health spending and bring the possibility of unnecessary, risky biopsies. Some also warn it's too soon to say whether the tools are effective. (Snyder, 4/2)
Axios: 5. The Pandemic Made Cancer Disparities Worse
Health disparities among cancer patients — a known ongoing issue in America — were exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. A study out earlier this week of 3,506 cancer patients shows "significantly higher COVID-19 severity" among African American than white cancer patients, bolstering similar findings from an earlier 2020 study of 73.4 million electronic health records. Black cancer patients also experienced delays in radiotherapy sessions and in access to novel anti-COVID therapies like remdesivir — instead often receiving hydroxychloroquine, later found to be ineffective. (O'Reilly, 4/2)
Axios: 6. The Health Benefits Of Easing Cancer Costs
Particularly common among cancer patients, "financial toxicity" is a term that's used to describe the financial strain of paying for expensive medical care. Financial planners may be the solution. Patients that received financial guidance or financial assistance have a higher survival rate, according to a 2020 research study — meaning relieving crushing financial burdens may have also improved their medical outcomes. Even when they have health insurance, cancer patients still face out-of-pocket costs — like copayments and deductibles — that can add to the emotional stress of fighting cancer, especially if they don't have a financial safety net. (Moriarty, 4/2)
In other news about cancer —
Press Association: Cancer Testing: AI Could Predict Drug Combinations In Two Days
A new test could take less than two days to predict what drug combinations might work for cancer patients, a new study suggests. The cutting-edge technique uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse data from tumour samples and can more accurately estimate a patient's response to medication than is currently possible. The test can be carried out in 24 to 48 hours and the rapid turnaround means it has the potential to help doctors decide which treatment is best. (Massey, 4/4)
