Summary: One of the most promising areas of cancer treatment involves identifying the cancer a person has and using therapies targeted at just that cancer. This field of precision medicine or targeted medicine is not well understood by most lawmakers or the general public. On the podcast to discuss this emerging field is Dr. Carl Morrison, a molecular biologist and pathologist who is the senior vice president of Scientific Development and Integrative Medicine at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y. He is one of the nation’s leading researchers in the field. Our second guest is Karmen Hanson, a policy expert at NCSL. She explains why these new treatments are important for legislators to understand, both so they can aid their constituents and because of the costs to the health care system. Resources Advancing Health Equity, Addressing Cancer Disparities, American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network Biomarker Testing, LUNGevity Cancer Disparities, National Cancer Institute Cancer in the 21st Century, NCSL Common Cancer Testing Terminology, Consistent Testing Terminology Working Group “Improving Access to Biomarker Testing,” American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network “Development of an Actionable Framework to Address Cancer Care Disparities in Medically Underserved Populations in the United States,” JCO Oncology Practice “Know Your Biomarker,” Global Colon Cancer Association No One Missed, LUNGevity OAS Episode 138 Transcription “Precision Medicine,” Cancer Support Community
