Prevention in Different or Unexpected Approaches

According to the WHO, 30% to 50% of all cancer cases are preventable.¹ Prevention can include vaccines, screening tests, and lifestyle changes, such as quitting tobacco use, decreasing alcohol intake, increasing physical activity, maintaining healthy dietary practices, as well as other environmental and occupational strategies.

It makes sense that directing efforts toward prevention will decrease the cost of cancer treatment. Two trending topics in the oncology landscape can contribute to this “prevention” concept.

ASCO updated its evidence-based recommendations that address the integration of palliative care in oncology and recommend that oncology clinicians refer individuals “with advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies to specialized interdisciplinary palliative care teams that provide outpatient and inpatient care beginning early in the course of the disease.”² Palliative care manages cancer-related symptoms and side effects from treatment, while addressing quality of life and stress for patients and families. This supportive care, alongside active treatment of cancer, has been shown to make it easier for patients to stay on their treatment course, prolong survival, support caregivers, and increase patient support in decision-making.

The other trending topic is the use of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists as a method of prevention for obesity-associated cancers. Some brand names of GLP-1 receptor agonists include Trulicity, Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy. A study of more than 1.6 million patients with type 2 diabetes who had no prior diagnosis of cancer showed that patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists versus insulin had a significant risk reduction in 10 of 13 obesity-associated cancers, including esophageal, colorectal, endometrial, gallbladder, kidney, liver, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer, as well as meningioma and multiple myeloma.³

These trends are outside the norm of prevention recognized at the start of the cancer continuum but represent highly creative thinking as new guidelines and research are adapted into oncology care. These trends support the idea that the shape of cancer care will change due to innovative technologies and approaches to disease.

References

1. World Health Organization. Preventing Cancer. Accessed July 25, 2024. www.who.int/activities/preventing-cancer
2. Sanders JJ, Temin S, Ghoshal A, et al. Palliative care for patients with cancer: ASCO guideline update. J Clin Oncol. 2024;42:2336-2357.
3. Wang L, Xu R, Kaelber DC, Berger NA. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and 13 obesity-associated cancers in patients with type 2 diabetes. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7:e2421305.