Amar Rewari, Chief of Radiation Oncology at Luminis Health, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Here’s the first of two segments from World Cancer Day on NBC News Daily.
We focused on the progress being made in cancer care and where policy still needs to catch up.
Five-year cancer survival rates have now reached ~70%, up from the mid-50s, driven by real advances in treatment and technology.
- This includes adaptive radiation therapy that adjusts treatment in real time.
- Immunotherapy and radiopharmaceuticals that target cancer more precisely.
- Advanced imaging such as MRI for dense breasts and PSMA PET scans for prostate cancer.
- Emerging multi-cancer blood tests that may help detect cancers earlier.
- We also discussed the impact of prior authorization delays on patients.
ASTRO data show over 9 in 10 cancer patients experience delays, often averaging 6–10 days, with 1 in 3 patients abandoning recommended treatment and real consequences for outcomes. This is why federal action matters. Delays are not paperwork issues. They are care issues.
I closed with questions patients should feel empowered to ask their doctors.
- Is treatment urgent, or can it safely wait?
- Is this plan tailored to my specific cancer?
- Are there personalized tests, such as prostate genomic testing, that can guide treatment decisions?
- What side effects are red flags that mean I should call right away?
And if I had to recommend one screening test people should stop postponing, it’s colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45, because removing suspicious polyps early can prevent cancer before it starts.
Thanks to Morgan Radford and Vicky Nguyen for the thoughtful conversation.”
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