Accelerating the Delivery of Patient-Centered, High-Quality Cancer Care

Significant progress has been made in the past 50 years across the field of oncology, and, as a result, the number of cancer survivors in the United States is more than 14.5 million. In fact, the number of cancer survivors continues to grow on an annual basis, which is due in part to improved treatments that help people with cancer live longer, and improvements in early detection that allow doctors to find cancer earlier when the disease is easier to treat. However, in spite of this progress, innovation in cancer research and care is at risk as the rise in health care spending is leading to significant pressure to contain costs. As the oncology community seeks to ensure that innovation in cancer research and care continues, it is imperative that stakeholders focus their attention on the value that the research and care continuum provides. Over the past several years, the Turning the Tide Against Cancer initiative has worked with the cancer community to accelerate the delivery of patient-centered, high-quality cancer research and care, while addressing value and cost. This article highlights policy recommendations that resulted from the convening of an expert working group comprising leaders from across the oncology field. Of the recommendations, the co-conveners have identified several issue areas that merit particular focus in 2015: Support FDA's efforts to modernize its framework for bringing new medicines to patients, through facilitating and implementing innovative approaches to drug development and regulatory review. Ensure that cancer clinical pathways or similar decision-support tools are transparent; developed through a physician-driven process that includes patient input; and meet minimum standards for clinical appropriateness, timeliness, and patient centeredness. Support oncology decision-support tools that are timely, clinically appropriate, and patient centered. Build on existing efforts to convene a multistakeholder committee and develop a report on ways to define and measure value in oncology care, taking into account many of the complex dynamics associated with measuring value, including the interests and needs of patients, as well as the importance of committed and ongoing support for innovative research. These policy options are intended to further the national dialogue and represent meaningful and actionable steps toward supporting cancer research and care that is innovative, efficient, and focused on the patient. (C)2015 AACR.