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5 Ways Cancer Care Will Change by 2030

Personalized therapies new technologies to revolutionize treatment over next 10 years

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Cancer treatment will be more targeted

Traditional chemotherapy has long been a standard treatment in cancer care. But it's increasingly taking a back seat to a more precise and personalized approach, called targeted therapy. Unlike traditional chemotherapy drugs, which can damage both normal and cancerous cells, targeted therapies disrupt only the cancer cells and leave the healthy cells alone. The drugs do this by “targeting” specific characteristics that make cancer cells different from normal cells. Then they prevent those cancer cells from replicating, the American Cancer Society explains. Some targeted therapy drugs trigger a person's own immune system to kill the cancer cells, for example. Others block chemical signals that tell the cancer cells to grow and divide. The type of targeted therapy prescribed depends on a person's specific type of cancer and the gene changes that take place in those cells. This level of personalization “makes it more likely that the patients who receive therapy are going to respond to that therapy,” explains William Hahn, M.D., chief scientific officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and a professor at Harvard Medical School. “And it spares people from therapies that aren't going to work.” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers >

Emphasis shifts to precancer risks

About 40 percent of the U.S. population will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives, according to federal data. And knowing who is at greater risk for getting the disease will become a priority over the next decade, Perchick predicts. In the past, much emphasis has been put on patient education and cancer prevention: Don't smoke, wear sunscreen and the like. While promoting awareness of cancer risks remains critical, so, too, is focusing research and honing treatments for groups with a greater likelihood of a cancer diagnosis. "When we identify , we have the chance of creating better biomarkers, better diagnostics and better interventions,” Perchick explains. “The precancer space is where we have the greatest opportunity to make a big impact.” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. , too. The average cost of treatment is in the $150,000-per-patient range, and the U.S. is expected to spend $174 billion on cancer care costs in 2020, according to the National Cancer Institute. Cost is a barrier that keeps many patients from accessing treatment, MSKCC's Perchick says. Plus, she adds, “lack of affordability can lead to financial toxicity. And financial toxicity can lead to worse outcomes, even if you survive your cancer.” Addressing costs is “required” over the next decade, Perchick argues. She expects to see continued efforts to reduce cancer drug prices as well as other high-cost items and services. "In a perfect world, one day we would like to see a patient walk through our doors, be able to run a few tests on them,” and based on genetic and disease information gleaned from algorithms and machine learning, doctors will be able to prescribe what they think will be the most effective form of treatment, Dana-Farber's Solomon explains. "And so then you're saving time and money,” she adds. “And we're not there yet, but that's kind of the vision that we see coming out of this one day.” More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS