Connecting Through Cancer

In 2009, world-renowned oncologist Dr. Vincent DeVita was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. Dr. DeVita – who developed the first chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and wrote the book on The Death of Cancer – simply froze. He was paralyzed with shock.

Eventually, Dr. DeVita appointed a care champion to advocate on his behalf. But his story illuminates a major challenge in oncology: a cancer diagnosis is emotionally crippling, no matter who you are or what you know. And when we consider complex challenges with health literacy, cultural nuances, and the sheer logistics of navigating care, one thing is clear.

The current system places undue and unjust burden on patients and their loved ones as they face one of the worst experiences imaginable.

When all is said and done, life-changing medicines are useless if they cannot reach the patients who desperately need them. Change is needed to close the gaps for patients, physicians, and the system itself.

Today, despite major gains in access to health information, cancer leaves many patients feeling powerless and lost. According to All.Can, a not-forprofit organization dedicated to improving the efficiency of cancer care:

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47%

Almost half of patients don’t feel sufficiently involved in choosing the best treatment option.

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31%

And a third say they aren’t given enough information about their care, with support materials often inaccessible or difficult to understand.

Limited access to resources, as well as global disparities in health literacy, contribute to widening equity gaps despite the advances seen in science and medicine. All.Can called for better information across the care pathway and ‘cancer navigators’ to support patients every step of the way. And patients aren’t the only ones struggling.

Oncologists must keep pace with rapid advancements and innovations. Every new treatment or technological solution can create more challenges to understand and implement. New knowledge raises new questions. Novel MOAs, emerging combinations, evolving sequencing patterns, and predictive testing are all changing the way cancer is treated.

The paradigm isn’t shifting; it’s shattering. And it is an opportunity to rebuild thoughtfully.

At VML, we look at every engagement as an opportunity to craft a better future in oncology. With so many incredible companies and organizations all working tirelessly towards their own ‘north stars,’ we see much opportunity in connecting the dots to create constellations.

Brand connectivity is about providing end-to-end support throughout the lifecycle, unifying access, medical, brand, and engagement. When cross functional groups work in lockstep from the get-go, strategies play out seamlessly like a domino effect – from scientific discovery through treatment initiation and whatever each patients’ new normal may be.

We applaud scientific advancement. We celebrate it. Oftentimes, we’re fortunate enough to partner with clients to work on it, too. But science is one part of medicine. Treating patients fully and successfully in the future will require better tools and better education to improve navigation. Anything less does the industry – and patients – an injustice.