World Cancer Day Shines Light on Therapeutic Advancements in Cancer Care

World Cancer Day is celebrated yearly on Feb. 4 and is observed in order to raise awareness about various types of cancer as well as to address the global cancer epidemic, according to worldcancerday.org, and this year is no different. Dr. John Oertle sat down for an interview with CURE®, in which he emphasized the significance of the day, raising awareness about cancer care advancements, improving patient outcomes and addressing disparities in access to personalized treatments.

“Anytime we can raise awareness [about] cancer, it's a valuable thing. When it comes to World Cancer Day, specifically, [it is important to] focus on the latest advancements [which have led to] better outcomes, as well as the things that we're doing to be able to improve on those outcomes and reduce cost,” he explained.

In the interview, Oertle discussed the importance of World Cancer Day and how this has helped raise awareness and support for patients currently undergoing treatment for their cancers. He also went on to highlight challenges that patients with cancer face throughout their treatment, the importance of addressing disparities in cancer care and shared a message of hope for patients.

Currently, Oertle is Chief Medical Officer of Envita Medical Center — Cancer and Lyme Disease Treatment Experts, and lead of the Molecular Tumor Board, as well as residency director at Envita Medical Centers, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Read more of his insights on the importance of World Cancer Day below.

CURE: How does World Cancer Day help raise awareness and support for patients currently undergoing cancer treatment?

Oertle: [During World Cancer Day, it is important to] focus on the latest advancements in the cancer care space. For example, we now provide precision-based medicine, which utilizes the best of technology. [This enables physicians] to be able to not just use a one-size-fits-all cancer treatment approach for chemotherapies, but what we like to do — and we're seeing some amazing improvements — is to target the cancer treatment around the cancer's genetics. This is where, if [a patient] already has a gene or some type of resistance to the chemotherapy that [they are] on, we can shift to a protocol based upon [a patient’s] specific biomarkers that we are seeing in the cancer.

What are some of the biggest challenges that patients with cancer face today? How does World Cancer Day help bring attention to these issues?

[Tying into my previous answer], one of the biggest challenges is access to the technology of individualized, personalized medicine. There's [the barrier of getting] access to the labs to be able to have the fullest of data, to be able to make decisions based upon [that]. If you do that, then the other challenge that goes along with it is how to get coverage for the cost of the actual care for cancer treatment.

To be able to just raise awareness and be able to have this as an access point to people's insurance plans [is a big challenge]. We work with companies to be able to have case rates for individuals to have coverage for the work that we're doing. It is a matter of getting access to the actual technology, and it's being able to have coverage for the technology, which is proving to be very lifesaving, giving patients a lot more options to be able to have better outcomes with their cancer.

What is the benefit of patients and their families connecting with support networks, advocacy groups or resources?

There is much information that's thrown at you when you're a patient. It's hard to navigate the healthcare system alone, especially with something as critical as making a decision for your cancer treatment; this is something that's a terminal illness or can have terminal consequences. It is critical to be able to connect with advocacy groups or people who are in the know of what is best for you or somebody who’s gone through it before.

[Patients will ask their peers questions like], what did you do? This does not just include the medical care, oncology and chemotherapy [portion of things] — which we're happy to be able to provide — but rather includes things like what their diet is, what their lifestyle is, what their exercise looks like. [They may ask], how do you [get] through this?

There's so much to understand in a in a very short period when you're dealing with cancer; you don't have a lot of time to discern or decide. This is where advocacy groups that are relaying this information to patients can be a great support to be able to ask what is available. How do I take this difficult situation and be able to land on my feet and make the best decisions? What is the right next step?

This is why I love connecting with groups like yours and others to raise awareness, especially with World Cancer Day. [It is important to] understand how we make decisions with our difficult situations, to be able to make sure we're giving ourselves the best outcomes and the best chance to be able to either survive or make sure that we're able to treat it and it never comes back.

How does World Cancer Day highlight the importance of equity in cancer care? Are there any steps that are being taken to address some of the disparities?

What we have seen within the Envita Medical Center patient cohorts, our 2021 and 2023 data, was a 3,500% better outcome with treatment based upon the patient specifics. When you see that, it's great, but then you see this disparity between people who don't have access to the technology or labs to be able to see the genetic information, or they're being denied that. Additionally, there is also the cost factor of things.

We do have cash pay options for individuals, and we see this as an important thing, but still, that can be really expensive. This is where being able to get your plans to do a single case agreement or, here in the United States, being able to receive their insurance through employers [is vital]. This is a great option because it reduces cost, but it also produces much better outcomes for individuals when you personalize it for them.

Being able to address those disparities is something that's a big focus of mine, to be able to make sure that everybody has access to this level of care. It is not something that should just be for the few who can afford it but should be something that people have access to and can be freely chosen.

For patients currently navigating their cancer treatment, what message do you hope they take away from World Cancer Day?

My recommendation for any patient who is listening is to be able to be an advocate and be able to ask questions; don't just take the status quo for the best result. I'm always supportive of patients who are actively seeking, searching, reaching out and talking to the right people. Get a true second opinion from somebody that's not just [from] the insurance-covered program.

We're here at Envita to be able to take questions and look at how we can think about things differently. What do we do differently than the standard of care? How do you actually advocate for yourself, ask questions, make sure that you're on the right diet, have the right lifestyle and exercises? There is more to cancer care than just what your doctor's telling you; there's more of a comprehensive level of care.

With the advent of the internet, being able to utilize the internet to be able to bring questions up to your oncologist and your cancer providers [is vital]. This is because this is your life is so important, and you want to make sure that you're making the right decision for your life and for the loved ones in your life. I always like to say, ask questions. Make sure that you're asking those questions, bringing these concepts up to your providers. Me and my team, we love questions from our patients, and we're happy to be able to answer those questions for anybody that calls in.

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