Enhanced future cancer role for pharmacists
Enhanced roles for pharmacists in future cancer care features in an expert review of anticancer therapy published this week.
The review, edited by Karol Sikora, professor of cancer medicine, Imperial
College School of Medicine, looks ahead to cancer care in 2025. It predicts
an estimated 20 million new cancer patients globally each year. Cure
rates will be increased but the costs will preclude the majority of patients
receiving best treatment worldwide, it adds.
The authors predict that delivery of cancer care will predominantly be
in the patient’s home and local community. The organisational structure
will be networked from cancer centres into the communities they serve,
where, the review points out, a network of local pharmacies already exists.
Patients will be seen by “clinicians, nurses, pharmacists and other
professionals more often, and telemedicine will cut out many visits to
hospital”.
The report also mentions the role of clinical pharmacists who treat cancer
patients after first assessment by a consultant. “There will be
a continued blurring of professional boundaries,” it adds.
The review highlights the continuing problem of postcode rationing for
some cancer drugs in the UK, but suggests in the future, patients may
make “copayments” for perceived benefits from new therapies
unavailable on the NHS.
The report predicts the introduction of novel cancer prevention strategies,
including harnessing drugs such as anti-inflammatory agents to prevent
cancer in certain high risk groups. The experts predict that future therapy
will be based on molecular targets, with diagnostics assuming greater
importance. People will be able to monitor their risk to cancers using
genetic mapping, and intervene if necessary.
According to the report, tumours will be profiled for particular biological
or genetic characteristics that will be used to optimise therapy. The
expression of specific gene products will be used to predict response
to treatment and biomarkers will elucidate whether or not a drug is working
on its target. “Cancer 2025: The future of cancer care” is
published as a supplement to the Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy (2004;4[3]Suppl). |
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