GCI Health, Fersen and Fierce Pharma, hosts Ryan Kurzman and Wendy Lund explore the fast-shifting landscape of cancer care with Pam Traxel of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Traxel outlines the growing complexity facing patients—from navigating an expanding range of treatment options to managing rising costs—and explains why access to reliable insurance remains one of the most urgent challenges. As she notes, even with groundbreaking innovation, patients still struggle with affordability, systemic barriers and an overwhelming amount of information that is not always credible or tailored to their specific diagnosis.

The conversation also examines the evolving role of patient advocacy and the partnerships needed to drive meaningful change. Traxel emphasizes the importance of integrating lived experiences into policy, improving the credibility of patient-facing communication and strengthening early, ongoing collaboration between biopharma, policymakers and advocacy organizations. She also highlights two top priorities for U.S. cancer policy by 2030: reducing out-of-pocket costs and improving nationwide screening rates. For healthcare and life sciences professionals seeking deeper insight into how access, innovation and policy must intersect to improve patient outcomes, this is a must-listen episode.

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