Health Disparities…
In the 20+ years of my career in cancer diagnostics, I have seen incredible disparities amongst my family, friends and friends of friends. Laboratory testing accounts for 2-3% of the total healthcare spend in the US. It is one of the most necessary aspects that will determine the course of a persons care. Yet, we do not make testing, such as biomarker testing for cancer patients, readily available to all patients. With limited to no biomarker testing, patients then are not eligible for targeted therapies that may be best for their disease. AND it will only get worse as testing becomes more advanced, such as whole genome sequencing, which can provide tremendous biological insights in both clinical care and research. It is a systemic problem and I hope to see this change in my lifetime! Great article on health equity in the Journal of Ethics.
#peoplefirst #patientsfirst #cancersucks #biomarkertesting
