India needs national strategy to improve access to new cancer therapies: Experts

India needs a coordinated national strategy to bridge the gap between breakthrough cancer treatments and patient access ensuring that scientific advances benefit every eligible patient leading oncologists cancer survivors and public health experts said on WednesdaySpeaking at a media roundtable on Bridging Innovation and Affordability in Cancer Care organised by the Indian Cancer Society ICS the experts said that although cancer treatment has advanced significantly access remains limited due to high costs inadequate insurance coverage limited diagnostic facilities and unequal healthcare infrastructureThe roundtable held during Cancer Survivor Month brought together oncologists and cancer survivors to discuss ways to make innovations in cancer care more affordable and accessible across IndiaJyotsna Govil Chairperson of the Indian Cancer Society said cancer care is entering a new era of scientific innovation but the challenge is ensuring these advances reach every patient who can benefitThrough dialogues like these we hope to encourage informed public conversations that help improve access to quality cancer care while keeping patients at the centre of every decision she saidExperts said India does not have to choose between innovation and affordability Instead they called for public resources to focus on therapies that offer the greatest public health benefit They stressed that wider adoption of new cancer treatments should be based on strong clinical evidence improvements in survival and quality of life costeffectiveness and relevance to Indias disease burdenDr Ravi Mehrotra Management Committee Member of the Indian Cancer Society and former Director of the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research NICPR called for evidencebased prioritisation of cancer therapiesIndia does not have to choose between innovation and affordability Evidencebased prioritisation supported by scientific evaluation and realworld evidence can help ensure that scientific advances translate into meaningful health gains for the largest number of patients he saidThe experts also emphasised the need to strengthen scientific evaluation systems including Health Technology Assessment to support decisions on adopting innovative therapies under publicly funded healthcare programmes They said proven treatments could gradually be included under schemes such as Ayushman Bharat to reduce patients outofpocket expensesDr Ajay Gogia Professor of Medical Oncology at Dr BRA Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital IRCH AIIMS New Delhi said the future of cancer treatment lies in providing the most suitable therapy for each patientPrecision medicine supported by scientific evidence and appropriate patient selection enables us to improve outcomes while making better use of healthcare resources Evidencebased optimisation of treatment can also help improve affordability Innovation achieves its true value only when patients can access it he saidDr Prof Jyoti Wadhwa Principal Lead of Medical and Precision Oncology at Apollo Athenaa Womens Cancer Centre and Apollo Hospital Delhi said India has the potential to become a global leader in cancer research because of its clinical expertise and diverse patient populationGreater collaboration in clinical research will help improve future standards of care while generating evidence that reflects Indias healthcare realities and expands access to innovative therapies including biosimilars she saidDr Pragya Shukla Head of Clinical Oncology at Delhi State Cancer Institute stressed the need to strengthen public financing evidencebased reimbursement systems and healthcare infrastructureOur fight against cancer cannot be considered successful until the recommended treatment reaches even the poorest of the poor Scientific advances achieve their true purpose only when every patient who needs them has a fair opportunity to receive them she saidCancer survivors also shared their experiences of diagnosis treatment and recovery saying timely access to innovative therapies financial support and proper medical guidance can significantly improve outcomes and quality of lifeThe experts also called for stronger efforts in cancer prevention tobacco control HPV and Hepatitis B vaccination early detection and organised screening programmes They said reducing Indias cancer burden would require a balanced approach that combines prevention innovation and equitable accessThe roundtable concluded with a consensus that collaboration among the government healthcare institutions researchers industry civil society and patient groups is essential to ensure that advances in cancer treatment benefit all patientsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any 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