After Karen Knudsen departed from the American Cancer Society late last year, the question of where she will end up becoming the fodder for cocktail party chatter throughout oncology.
Exact Sciences Corp. announced the launch of Cologuard Plus, the most accurate noninvasive colorectal cancer screening test reported in studies to date. FDA-approved for average-risk patients 45+ and covered by Medicare, the Cologuard Plus test detects 95% of colorectal cancers at 94% specificity in the U.S. screening population.
The immune system can be a powerful tool to control cancer. Immune cells within our body detect cancer cells and release payloads that kill them. Transformative science in the last decade has led to the development of therapies that enhance the ability of our immune cells to carry out this function. These therapies, including checkpoint blockade and CAR-T cells, have been lifesaving for many patients that before had untreatable cancer. But, sadly, a majority of patients with advanced solid tumors still succumb to their disease.
Cancer care is at an inflection point. The traditional boundaries between academic and community oncology are dissolving, requiring a reimagined approach to patient care and clinical research. At City of Hope, we are implementing a national model that integrates breakthrough research with accessible, advanced treatment across diverse geographic regions.
Two recent studies by researchers from Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine explore the effect of the pandemic on colorectal cancer screening tests and diagnostic colonoscopies in central Indiana.