Press Releases
ATLANTA, March 22, 2023 – With health equity issues in cancer care continuing to disproportionately impact medically under-resourced communities, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, are partnering to execute a $4 million collaborative effort to provide equitable access to every cancer patient and their families.
ACS and Genentech will work to deliver measurable improvements in cancer care, build a path toward progress in cancer equity and ensure that everyone has access to the quality screening, treatment and resources that they need. The goals of the partnership include:
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To increase access to innovative, high-quality cancer care and improve health equity for marginalized populations
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To expand programmatic reach of patient navigation programs and seek policy changes to enhance patient services to support the needs of every patient and family
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To address health-related psychosocial needs for every patient and their families
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To increase access to, and utilization of biomarker testing and emerging therapies
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To increase discoveries and diverse representation in clinical trials
"Every person with cancer should be able to access high quality care,” said Alexander Hardy, chief executive officer of Genentech. “To advance health equity, we must collaborate across the healthcare ecosystem to understand the root causes of disparities and focus on the communities most marginalized and underserved. We’re proud to partner with the American Cancer Society on this transformative work that builds upon our larger commitment to improve equitable health outcomes for all patients.”
Even as cancer mortality rates decline in the United States, potentially preventable cancer deaths persist in communities with little to no access to advances in prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship. Studies have found multiple types of determinants contribute to individual cancer risk and the likelihood of survival after a cancer diagnosis. These include biological/genetic, environmental, behavioral, healthcare and social determinants. It is estimated that medical care only accounts for 10-20 percent of the modifiable contributors to healthy outcomes, while the other 80 to 90 percent are attributed to other social determinants of health which impede advancement in health equity.
“Our partnership reflects the depth and breadth of our commitments to improving the lives of cancer patients and their families across the continuum of care,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society. “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.”
For nearly 40 years, ACS and Genentech have collaborated on several efforts to advance cancer care for all patients. Most recently, Genentech served as the founding sponsor of ACS’s Get Screened initiative, meant to rapidly restore and improve screening rates in the wake of the pandemic. This movement focused on communities that faced historical inequities and had the greatest impact from the pandemic. Now in its third year, the initiative has had a profound impact on several fronts including protecting or increasing funding for breast and cervical cancer screening in 40 states, completing 345,600 breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer screenings, diagnosing 6,600 breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancers, publishing 47 screening-related research manuscripts and launching two national roundtables on breast cancer and cervical cancer: National Breast Cancer Roundtable and the National Roundtable on Cervical Cancer.
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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.