Disparities Exist in Delivering Innovative Cancer Therapies

Delivering new and innovative cancer therapies, such as CAR T-cell therapy, come with disparities, explained John Sweetenham, MD, FACP, FRCP, director of clinical affairs and physician in chief at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, in Salt Lake City.

These disparities go beyond those that first come to mind, such as race and ethnicity. Patients face barriers in entering clinical trials and receiving the latest standard of care if they live in rural areas.

Three aspects could help fix this problem, said Sweetenham: more education about new advances; more robust funding systems; and a more sophisticated technological platform for clinicians to communicate with patients.