Sanofi Oncology launched its signature initiative, When Cancer Grows Old, calling on the global oncology community to collaborate on addressing specific gaps related to cancer and aging within existing policy frameworks around the world.
As part of my ongoing thought leadership work on this campaign, I drafted this post for the then-head of Global Oncology to announce the results of a report with the Economist Intelligence Unit investigating the policy landscape around cancer and aging in the U.S., Europe and Japan.
See the original post on LinkedIn here.
Cancer and Aging: Room for Improvement in the Global Policy Framework
Around the world people are living longer, which can bring a new set of challenges. These challenges, for many, have become increasingly more prevalent due to COVID-19, placing many aging patients with cancer at a particularly higher risk. For members of the cancer community, it’s a reminder that we must work together to address the unique needs of older people with cancer and provide them with more customized support throughout the various stages of their journey.
When Sanofi launched When Cancer Grows Old™earlier this year, we announced our commitment to collaborating with members of the oncology community to find tangible solutions to give patients with cancer the best chance to grow old. To do this, we knew we had to start by identifying where there are specific gaps related to cancer and aging within existing policy frameworks around the world.
A new report, Cancer and Ageing: Policy Responses to Meeting the Needs of Older People, conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit supported by Sanofi, represents the culmination of this first exploratory phase. The study highlights several important takeaways that governments, stakeholders and medical institutions should consider when addressing the rising cancer burden of patients 65 and older. These include the need for:
Personalized resources for older patients with cancer during screening, treatment and follow-up care.
Better data to support clinical decision-making, ranging from more clinical studies with older patients to advanced geriatric knowledge on behalf of oncologists.
Integrated multidisciplinary teams to cover the variety of complex health needs that many older patients have.
Stronger support services to navigate both the medical and psychosocial elements of the patient journey.
The report investigates the existing policy landscape around cancer and aging in the U.S., Europe and Japan. And while it provides a fascinating look at many of the regional differences in treating cancer in this age group around the world, it goes a necessary step further by including expert insights that help bring the data to life and offers a set of key takeaways for stakeholders and practitioners alike.
I encourage you to read the report when you have a moment, and I look forward to working together on the next critical phase of our mission: translating these findings into meaningful action for patients across the continuum of cancer care.