Torrie Fields: Let’s make supportive cancer care the standard of care

Torrie Fields, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at TFA Analytics, shared a post by Ramy Sedhom on LinkedIn, adding:

“Kudos to my friends and colleagues Ramy Sedhom and Michael Fisch on this much-needed and timely chapter on cancer care and the need to incorporate supportive care to improve quality of life for people with cancer and their caregivers.

My experience with cancer was a difficult road, for me and my caregivers. Without the support of a care team (social worker, chaplain, psychologist, and nurse) in addition to my rock star oncologists I would have struggled even more.

Thank you to American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for highlighting such a vital part of value-based cancer care.

Let’s make supportive cancer care the standard of care!

Notable highlights:

‘Cancer care will always be differentiated by its human side; supporting its patients and their caregivers from comfort to cure is the standard of care…

Addressing the emotional aspects of illness enhances the oncologist-patient relationship and bolsters patients’ resilience in the face of uncertainty. Relationships with patients are not only fundamental but also therapeutic.”’

Quoting Ramy Sedhom’s post:

“Happy to share an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) E-Book chapter I led with great collaborators

‘Tumor Is Not the Only Target: Ensuring Equitable Person-Centered Supportive Care in the Era of Precision Medicine.’

Living with cancer is life-altering, no matter what the outcome. Supporting patients and families through this unique experience requires careful attention to their social, psychological, spiritual, and financial needs

Rather than an either-or approach, patients are increasingly receiving both attention to the science of reducing their burden of cancer, along with their cancer experience.

Our profession will always be differentiated by its human side—showing compassion, expressing empathy, telling it like it is, and supporting patients and their caregivers from comfort to cure. We cannot allow the tumor to become the only target.”

Source: Torrie Fields/LinkedIn and Ramy Sedhom/LinkedIn

Ramy Sedhom holds positions as Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology at Perelman School of Medicine and Director of Medical Oncology and Palliative Care at Penn Medicine’s Princeton Medical Center. His work focuses on palliative care integration, geriatric assessment, psycho-oncology, caregiver distress, and remote patient monitoring, with publications in leading journals. Nationally, he contributes to guideline panels and committees, including the NCCN Guideline Panel for Older Adults with Cancer, and leadership roles within ASCO.