Genentech Oncology
Featured Initiative: Empowering Communities with Access, Together
A collaborative effort with the American Cancer Society
We are committed to tackling the most difficult challenges that people with cancer face and ensuring everyone can access the care they deserve. Our patient advocacy community is critical to helping us understand the underlying structures and systems that lead to health inequity, and we are proud to continue our work with the American Cancer Society to address these root causes and bring innovative cancer care to all patients.
—Ashley Magargee, Chief Executive Officer, Genentech
Our partnership reflects the depth and breadth of our commitments to improving cancer outcomes for everyone across the continuum of care. The strength of our partnership derives from aligned organizational priorities and proven success in addressing emergent needs as we work to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
—Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, Chief Executive Officer of The American Cancer Society
Problem
In a 2016 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, among cancer survivors aged 18 - 64 years, 53.6% reported at least one type of financial hardship.*1 Cancer survivors who report financial hardship have higher mortality risk.**2
About 20% of rural residents live >60 miles from a medical oncologist, creating a barrier to treatment3
- About 45% of surveyed oncology patients who did not receive social and emotional support services reported not filling a prescription or skipping an appointment4
*Financial hardship includes being unable to afford health care costs, worrying about paying bills, or delaying or forgoing care due to cost.
**Compared to their counterparts without financial hardship.
An example of how we’re addressing the problem:
- For nearly 40 years, the American Cancer Society and Genentech have worked together at the intersection of advancing patient outcomes through access to high-quality care and innovation for everyone. Our work showcases the extensive range of our commitments—navigation, clinical trial enrollment, biomarker testing, policy solutions, and helping improve cancer outcomes for everyone across the continuum of care.
- This initiative builds upon the progress we made together on Get Screened. Get Screened enabled approximately 1.2M new screenings to be conducted and approximately 16,000 cancers to be diagnosed that may not have otherwise been found.
Our Goals & Impact
In 2023, we aimed to deliver measurable improvements in cancer care and build a path toward progress in cancer equity to ensure that everyone has access to quality screenings, treatments, and resources.
Through our efforts, we have forged deeper connections within the community, deliberately dismantled barriers to care, and impacted lives. Our support has contributed towards:
- Nearly 375,000 cancer screenings completed through community-based screening interventions primarily with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), resulting in more than 4,700 cancer cases diagnosed.
- The launch of ACS CARES in June, which provides nonclinical navigation support for more than 3,000 new users.
In 2024, we are focused on patient navigation as a tool to improve patients’ access to the resources they need for their cancer screening and care. This work with ACS will be anchored at the local level via three pilot navigation programs in communities with underserved populations to address structural and social determinants of health.
- The pilots will take place in Georgia, Ohio, and Oregon.
- The ACS patient navigation pilots will lead sustainable national- and community-level, capacity-building tactics to address structural and social determinants of health (SDOH) through screening for SDOH needs and referral to community resources.
- These three community initiatives will pilot local SDOH navigation workflow, enhance connectedness of community partners, amplify solutions, and measure impact.
Partners will check in quarterly on results of these efforts, and ACS will release annual results.
Related Case Study: 4R Oncology Care Coordination Tool
4R is a care sequence tool that puts people with cancer in the driver’s seat, empowering them to help plan and manage their care.
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Han X, Zhao J, Zheng Z, de Moor JS, Virgo KS, Yabroff KR. Medical Financial Hardship Intensity and Financial Sacrifice Associated with Cancer in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020 Feb;29(2):308-317.
Han X, Zhao J, Zheng Z, de Moor JS, Virgo KS, Yabroff KR. Medical Financial Hardship Intensity and Financial Sacrifice Associated with Cancer in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020 Feb;29(2):308-317.
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Yabroff KR, Han X, Song W, Zhao J, Nogueira L, Pollack CE, Jemal A, Zheng Z. Association of Medical Financial Hardship and Mortality Among Cancer Survivors in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2022 Jun 13;114(6):863-870.
Yabroff KR, Han X, Song W, Zhao J, Nogueira L, Pollack CE, Jemal A, Zheng Z. Association of Medical Financial Hardship and Mortality Among Cancer Survivors in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2022 Jun 13;114(6):863-870.
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Garlapow M. Travel Distance Shown to Be a Rural-Urban Disparity in Access to Specialized Cancer Care. Oncology Nurse Advisor website. Accessed November 8, 2021. https://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/home/cancer-types/general-oncology/travel-distance-to-specialized-cancer-care-exceeds-60-m iles-for-many-rural-pts
Garlapow M. Travel Distance Shown to Be a Rural-Urban Disparity in Access to Specialized Cancer Care. Oncology Nurse Advisor website. Accessed November 8, 2021. https://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/home/cancer-types/general-oncology/travel-distance-to-specialized-cancer-care-exceeds-60-m iles-for-many-rural-pts
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The Cancer Support Community. Access to care in cancer: barriers and challenges. Accessed September 3, 2021. https://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/sites/default/files/migrated/pdf/csc-access-to-care-barriers-challenges.pdf.
The Cancer Support Community. Access to care in cancer: barriers and challenges. Accessed September 3, 2021. https://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/sites/default/files/migrated/pdf/csc-access-to-care-barriers-challenges.pdf.
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