Life lessons

Unlocking better outcomes – the importance of supportive care in cancer treatment

The oncology landscape has dramatically changed over the past two decades.

Breakthrough treatments and heightened public awareness of cancer symptoms have significantly extended patient survival rates. More people are living with cancer than ever before.

A consequence of this is that now, not only is there the need to focus on survival, there is the additional need to manage and prioritise a patient’s ongoing quality of life.

As cancer treatments become more effective and people live longer, the demand for supportive care has also grown. This type of care works alongside active cancer treatment to counterbalance the side effects and enhance a person’s quality of life.

One of the major challenges is the often-debilitating side effects that come with powerful cancer treatments.

These effects can range from physical ailments to emotional distress, placing a heavy burden on people with cancer and their families.

Up to 89% of those diagnosed with cancer report unmet physical needs, while up to 85% report an unmet psychological need.

Picture this catch-22 scenario – you have a highly efficacious treatment that is working to reduce or maintain your cancer, but the side effects may be severe enough to significantly impact your day-to-day life.

You may miss a chemotherapy appointment or stop taking treatment altogether. This isn’t just a predicament faced by only a small minority.

In fact, according to a UK study, approximately 75% of people with breast cancer are non-adherent to treatment due to joint aches and pain as side effects.

Cancer supportive care medicines are now considered an integral part of the oncology care landscape.

They can help to address a wide range of needs, from managing pain and symptoms like nausea and fatigue to treating infections caused by weakened immune systems.

By helping people to better tolerate their treatments, supportive care medicines ultimately improve overall health outcomes and well-being.

Supportive care is not just limited to alleviating side effects – it plays a fundamental role in the entire cancer care continuum.

It helps ensure that people remain on their prescribed treatments for longer, enhancing the effectiveness of therapy and improving survival rates.

Research has shown that people who receive effective symptom management and supportive interventions are more likely to complete their cancer treatments, leading to better long-term outcomes.

Moreover, supportive care extends beyond medications.

Nutritional support, physical therapy, palliative care and psychological counselling are all important elements of a more holistic treatment approach.

Malnutrition, for example, affects nearly half of all people living with cancer, and targeted nutritional interventions can significantly improve strength, energy levels and overall resilience to treatment.

Additionally, advancements in digital health are revolutionising supportive care.

Wearable devices and telemedicine platforms are now being used to monitor symptoms in real-time, allowing for earlier interventions and more personalised adjustments to care plans.

This shift towards proactive rather than reactive supportive care is paving the way for better patient experiences and outcomes.

Beyond symptom management, a truly patient-centric approach to supportive care ensures that treatment plans are tailored to the individual’s needs, preferences and daily challenges.

Every person’s journey is unique, and supportive care should be personalised to optimise the patient’s physical, emotional and psychological well-being.

For example, certain supportive treatments may need to be adjusted based on age, co-existing conditions, or even lifestyle factors that influence adherence.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy might struggle with severe nausea, and while anti-emetic medications exist, a more personalised approach – such as switching to a different formulation or combining therapies – could drastically improve their day-to-day experience. In turn this could encourage adherence to their primary treatment.

Patient-centricity also extends to mental health support. Cancer doesn’t just affect the body it impacts emotional resilience, relationships and overall quality of life.

Offering holistic supportive care, including mental health interventions and peer support programmes, can make a tangible difference in treatment success and recovery.

Ultimately, patient-centric supportive care is about empowering individuals to take an active role in their treatment journey, ensuring that care plans are built around their needs rather than expecting people to simply adapt to available solutions.

As oncology treatment continues to grow, it’s no surprise that the demand for supportive care treatment is also rising.

But new drug development comes at a price, requiring lengthy and expensive research and development processes, taking years to come to fruition.

What if there was a process that could address supportive care needs in people living with cancer sooner?

This is where value-added medicines (VAMs) come in. At their very core, VAMs are about taking established treatments and finding new ways of revitalising and repurposing them into new indications and formats.

This process is often referred to as ‘incremental innovation’, which ultimately results in one or more of the following: a clinically relevant advantage a major contribution to patient care and significant improvement to use in a clinical setting.

Even modest adjustments to existing medicines that were formulated years ago can provide a better patient experience, such as reducing side effects, while improving health outcomes. Some of the blockbuster cancer treatments on the market have now been around for many years.

Therefore, we’re starting to see even greater opportunities to explore VAMs in the cancer care space as a promising solution to the rising patient needs and costs of cancer care burdening healthcare systems worldwide.

In that time, we’ve seen a wealth of new technology come to market. By partnering with new technology companies, new administration formats such as patches, films and nasal sprays can be ‘bolted onto’ existing medicines, and used alongside or instead of tablets, liquids and injections to make medicines easier to use.

Repurposing established products for supportive care needs can benefit people living with cancer, healthcare providers and payers.

This is because older medications are generally well understood, with extensive safety data and have already been through rigorous testing.

As a result, these reformulated medicines can be developed more quickly and cost-effectively, ultimately reaching people sooner.

By repurposing established therapies to better meet patients’ needs, we can bridge gaps in care more efficiently, not only by reducing the burden on healthcare systems, but in helping to improve overall outcomes for patients.

With a renewed focus on incremental innovation and patient-centric solutions, we can move closer to a future where cancer care is not only effective but also compassionate and sustainable.