"When someone is first diagnosed with cancer, there is a lot of information received at once. It can be very challenging to understand what's happening in their body and the different medicines that are available to treat the disease. However, what they do know is their desire to live." —Desiree A. H. Walker, breast cancer survivor and patient advocate
At Pfizer Oncology, we believe that all physicians, patients, providers, payers, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies ultimately share one common goal: cure cancer. We also know that to achieve this goal we all need to work together and that patients play an important role in this endeavor.
This year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting’s theme is “Caring for Every Patient, Learning from Every Patient,” providing the entire oncology community an opportunity to reflect on how we treat, connect, and learn from the people living with this devastating disease.
For Pfizer Oncology, finding more ways to amplify the patient’s voice and educate them on the science is critical as we continue to help change the trajectory of cancer. At the ASCO Annual Meeting, we are focusing on three specific areas that deliver on this mission:
- Presenting breakthrough science. Cancer is not a singular disease, so neither is Pfizer Oncology’s approach to treating it. We do not limit ourselves to one modality, platform or disease, allowing us to translate the most promising science into the best cancer treatments possible for patients. During the meeting, data for 10 types of cancer across our oncology portfolio will be presented. We will be sharing the results of studies evaluating new uses and populations for some of our existing medicines, the role of biomarkers to help pinpoint which patients may benefit from particular therapies, and our continued efforts to find the right combinations of new immunotherapies and targeted therapies.
- Making clinical research more accessible and understandable. We heard first-hand from patients that they want to hear the latest scientific developments and advances, as they become available. But, we also know that clinical data can be complex and often difficult to understand since most people diagnosed with cancer aren’t scientists.To help a broader audience better understand the latest scientific advances, we developed summaries for some research results presented at medical conferences in language that is easy to understand. We call these “abstract plain language summaries.” By communicating research in terms that are understandable, we hope to increase transparency around our work and help more people understand the research we have underway.
- Learning from the patient community. Cancer cannot be cured by one person, one company, or one organization. To educate ourselves on the patient’s perspective, we will be hosting a number of patient advocate forums at the ASCO Annual Meeting. These include a summit with members of our leadership team and advocacy organizations, during which we’ll discuss and workshop solutions to burning questions; for example, how to address disparities in cancer care, identify barriers to clinical trial recruitment, and ensure patients have access to innovative medicines.
At Pfizer Oncology, we’re inspired every day by the patients who receive our medicines, work with us and continue to persevere. Patients, and their loved ones, are the reason we continue to search for new and transformational medicines. We look forward to continuing the theme of the Annual Meeting by encouraging patients to share their stories with us and bring new ideas on how we can collectively improve cancer care.
