NFCR Insights: What Does People-Centered Care Mean to You?

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NFCR Insights: What Does People-Centered Care Mean to You?

In honor of World Cancer Day, February 4, 2025, we asked key voices from our NFCR community about what this year’s goal of moving toward people-centered care means to them.

First, What is People-Centered Care?

People-centered care is a shift toward treating the individual rather than the disease. It urges healthcare providers to consider unique factors and develop a treatment plan that considers those unique factors.

An integrated people-centered approach is gaining momentum and offers many benefits, including:

  • Higher quality of care
  • Equity of access to lifesaving cancer care
  • Improved trust between patients and healthcare providers
  • Efficient practices of dispelling care, whether it be treatment, prevention, or public education

From the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC):

“People living with cancer don’t always feel heard, seen, or understood. They might feel alienated and voiceless at a time when they’re also learning to navigate an unfamiliar and confusing health system, not to mention dealing with the emotional highs and lows of cancer diagnosis, treatment, or recovery.

People-centered cancer care represents an opportunity to refocus, rewire, and rewrite how we think about cancer, to embrace people’s differences, and to make sure that everyone is seen for who they really are and has access to the care they need.”

What Our Community Has to Say on People-Centered Care:

“While groundbreaking targeted therapies and precision medicine have brought new hope and expanded treatment options for cancer patients, their actual utilization remains below 40%. This stark reality is driven by cancer disparities – many patients, both in the U.S. and globally, lack sufficient access to these life-saving advancements.

Cost remains a significant barrier, and with 85% of cancer patients receiving treatment outside academic institutions, access to specialized knowledge on advanced therapies is often limited. Community oncologists, who care for the majority of patients, may not always have the same resources or familiarity with these innovations. Additionally, inadequate early screening further widens the gap, delaying timely interventions that could save lives.

To truly advance people-centered cancer care, we must bridge these disparities – ensuring that every patient, regardless of location or socioeconomic status, has access to the best possible treatments. More must be done to expand access, improve early detection, and support healthcare providers in delivering equitable, high-quality care. Every patient deserves a fighting chance, and by prioritizing people-centered solutions, we can save more lives – both in the U.S. and worldwide.– Sujuan Ba, PhD, NFCR CEO

Sujuan Ba PhD

“I feel very strongly that there is only one responsibility for each of us and that is to reduce the suffering of mankind. As an oncologist, I spend every day of my life thinking about what it is we are doing to individuals diagnosed with cancer. We need to develop a compassionate, patient-centric solution which rests on not treating end-stage disease but revolutionizing early detection and prevention of cancer.” – Dr. Azra Raza, Columbia University, NFCR-Supported Scientist

“It is the process of everyone within, that’s related to your cancer journey coming together. Whether it’s your family, your general practitioner, your oncologist, your radiologist, your surgeon, you know, everybody kind of having … access to the information to be able to navigate the next process for that person’s cancer journey. Which is hard, right?” – Cheryl Stratos, Cancer Survivor and NFCR Community Ambassador

“Cancer is personal, so why shouldn’t your care plan also be personal, or “people-centered”?  Groups like the National Foundation for Cancer Research have invested MILLIONS of dollars for over 50 years now to hone in on the unique cellular and molecular mechanisms that can enable patient care to be more personal – targeted cancer therapies.  Personalized cancer treatments are available because of that investment!” – Silas Deane, NFCR Board Member

“NFCR emphasizes and provides easy-to-understand education and resources to patients, families, and advocates, to learn, understand cancer, and share issues they and others have faced or are facing in daily life, empowering all to be active participants in their community in the cancer journey, resulting in the best decisions and care for the patient. Additionally, through the annual NFCR Global Summit and Award Ceremony for Cancer Research & Entrepreneurs, we bring together researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, advocates, and patients to learn and discuss the latest progress and future of cancer research. Our learnings from this event help shape ways in which we can most efficiently bring future prevention, detection, and treatment care to everyone’s community.” – Hali Hartmann, PhD, NFCR Director of Institute Relations

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