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ACS and Genentech partnership to drive greater health equity for all

Collaborative effort aims to improve access and outcomes.

With health equity issues in cancer care continuing to disproportionately impact medically under-resourced communities, the American Cancer Society and Genentech are partnering to execute a $4 million collaborative effort to provide equitable access to every cancer patient and their families. 

The goals of the partnership include:

  • Increase access to innovative, high-quality cancer care and improve health equity for marginalized populations 
  • Expand programmatic reach of patient navigation programs and seek policy changes to enhance patient services to support the needs of every patient and family 
  • Address health-related psychosocial needs for every patient and their families 
  • Increase access to, and utilization of, biomarker testing and emerging therapies 
  • Increase discoveries and diverse representation in clinical trials 

“Our partnership reflects the depth and breadth of our commitments to improving cancer outcomes for everyone across the continuum of care,” said Chief Executive Officer Dr. Karen Knudsen. “The strength of our partnership derives from aligned organizational priorities and proven success in addressing emergent needs.” 

Even as cancer mortality rates decline in the United States, potentially preventable cancer deaths persist in communities with little to no access to advances in prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship. It is estimated that medical care only accounts for 10-20 percent of the modifiable contributors to healthy outcomes, while the other 80 to 90 percent are attributed to other social determinants of health which impede advancement in health equity.

For nearly 40 years, ACS and Genentech have collaborated in several efforts to advance cancer care for all patients. Most recently, Genentech served as the founding sponsor of ACS’s Get Screened initiative, meant to rapidly restore and improve screening rates in the wake of the pandemic. This movement focused on communities that faced historical inequities and had the greatest impact from the pandemic. 

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