Pfizer announced a partnership with the American Cancer Society aimed at reducing disparities in cancer treatment.

As part of the initiative, Pfizer is providing $15 million in funding. This money will go towards improving the health outcomes of cancer patients from underrepresented communities in the United States. This will include working to improve access to cancer screenings, clinical trial opportunities, and patient care.

In a press release, Pfizer’s chief oncology officer and executive vice president Chris Boshoff said, “Cancer doesn’t discriminate–and neither should cancer care. Everyone should have the same opportunity to access the latest advances in care, regardless of their background or where they live. We’re proud to partner with the American Cancer Society on a broad, community-focused initiative to reach people living with cancer where they are, with urgency, and connect them to resources to receive the care they deserve.”

The partnership will work under the banner of “Change the Odds: Uniting to Improve Cancer Outcomes.” Initially, it will focus on breast and prostate cancer, although it may expand to other cancer types as well.

People living in unrepresented and lower income areas face significant challenges when it comes to cancer care. Due to their circumstances, they are more likely to die from cancer. Unfortunately, they are also less likely to be diagnosed with cancer due to a lack of availability or access to general care and screenings. This results in people often not discovering they are sick until the disease has progressed to an advanced state.

“Our goal of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone, including medically underrepresented communities, can only be attained through strong and actionable partnerships with a shared vision like ours with Pfizer,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society. “Our collaboration will help unlock ACS’ full potential in addressing health disparities with measurable, sustainable and systemic solutions to deliver access to high-quality care and treatments for every individual.”

Pharmaceutical Executive previously reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report detailing the global cancer burden and how it’s expected to change in the coming decades. According to the report, the global cancer burden is expected to increase by 77% by the year 2050.

The report also details the current situation in regard to cancer cases and deaths. Obviously, a major detail that impacts this is a population’s exposure to risk factors, such as pollution, poor general health, and other environmental factors. Researchers determined an area or region’s human development index (HDI) and compared this to its cancer burden.

Not surprisingly, the worse the HDI, the worse the cancer burden. Generally, patients suffering from cancer are more likely to survive or live longer if they live in an area with a good HD

February 8, 2024

Mike Hollan