Navigating the Future of Oncology: Key Trends and Strategies

What You’ll Learn:

The oncology market is evolving rapidly, with over 2300 clinical trials underway, over 700 drugs in late-stage development, and advancements in diagnostics enabling earlier cancer detection. Over 66% of all FDA approvals since 2000 were for cancer medicines. This explosion of innovation offers both opportunities and challenges for oncologists.

Due to the system's inherent disparities, ensuring diversity and equity in clinical trials is essential for the future of oncology.

Oncology isn’t just a professional interest for me—it’s personal. I’ve been on the front lines of this disease for the past several decades and supported over 30 different oncology brands. My interests are not only as a professional but also as someone who has watched many of my loved ones battle cancer. But my experience is not unique. So many of us have similar stories.

Advancing oncology will always be my passion, and my dual perspective—personal and professional—drives me to work with clients as they strive to build brands that address the needs of the cancer community.

As I prepare to present at the upcoming 2nd Annual PanAgora Pharma CX Oncology Summit on September 26th in Princeton, I want to offer a preview of the key trends shaping the future of oncology and the implications for oncology marketing.

Understanding the Rapidly Growing Oncology Landscape

The oncology market is expanding at an unprecedented rate. [As of March 2024, 2306 clinical trials were underway in oncology.](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-024-00094-4#:~:text=As%20of%20March%202024%20and,and%202%2C306%20are%20ongoing%20(Fig) Over 2,000 oncology products are estimated to be under development. More than 66% of all FDA approvals since 2000 were for cancer medicines.

This rapid expansion can overwhelm even the most dedicated oncologist with volumes of information. The complexity of these treatments, from understanding biomarkers to managing treatment resistance, can create issues in selecting and properly sequencing suitable therapies.

Oncologists have limited time in their day to stay up-to-date and learn about innovations in their field. Out of a 10-hour workday, they may find 62 minutes to read medical content. To get the information they need, they attend conferences virtually, utilize social media, listen to podcasts, and read online journals.

This wave of innovation raises a critical question: how and when should oncologists sequence treatments to give their patients the best chances of success? AI-driven digital platforms may hold the answer. By using real-world data, AI can help identify the most effective treatment paths based on factors such as a patient’s tumor genetic profile, treatment history, biomarkers, age, gender, and geography. This approach could enable oncologists to detect cancer earlier and provide more personalized, optimized care—especially when addressing treatment sequencing challenges.

At Klick, we’re deeply invested in understanding the most cutting-edge AI developments in oncology. We observe and meet with experts to learn how AI streamlines processes like patient identification, treatment sequencing, and predicting outcomes based on real-world data. We are dedicated to staying ahead of these rapid advancements, ensuring that the tools we explore and promote are practical, scalable, and capable of making a significant impact on oncologists' decision-making and, ultimately, patient outcomes.

The Evolving Role of Personalized Medicine

Personalized medicine continues to become the cornerstone of modern cancer treatment. Advances in genetic profiling, biomarkers, and targeted therapies are driving this shift from a one-size-fits-all approach with chemotherapies to treatments tailored to individual patient's tumor genetic and molecular profiles. We now have the tools to identify specific mutations that drive a patient’s cancer, resulting in increased survival with fewer off-target side effects.

The development of advanced and less invasive diagnostic technologies, such as circulating tumor DNA and saliva tests, enables us to detect cancer much earlier. This shift to earlier diagnosis is crucial, as most cancers are detected at later metastatic stages when it is too late to truly intervene for a cure, thus yielding a poorer prognosis. Earlier detection increases the chances of successful treatment outcomes - especially in the hardest-to-treat cancers.

Managing an Aging Population and Cancer as a Chronic Disease

As our population is getting older and rates of cancer continue to rise, we also are seeing cancer become a more “chronic” condition for those living with metastatic disease as targeted therapies drive longer rates of survival.

Oncologists are now having to more overtly address the needs of people living with cancer who are on therapies long term. This reality means more scrutiny of treatment adverse events and potential longer-term toxicities and financial burdens. Marketers must consider this as they position their brands and create educational resources for HCPs and their patients.

The Importance of Health Equity and Diversity in Clinical Trials

Health equity is a pressing issue in oncology, particularly regarding clinical trials. Despite the rapid advancements in cancer treatment, these innovations will only be truly effective if they are accessible to all patient populations. Unfortunately, clinical trials have historically lacked diversity, with underrepresentation of particular demographic groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, women, and older adults.

As an organization, Klick is committed to addressing these disparities by developing communication strategies that promote inclusivity and diversity in clinical trials. We work to ensure that trials are representative of the broader population, encompassing diverse demographic groups. Some of these strategies include creating targeted recruitment campaigns that speak to these communities' unique needs and concerns and ensuring that trial information is health-literate, accessible, and understandable to all.

Conclusion

As we continue to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of oncology, it’s crucial to understand these trends and how they impact the oncologists and the cancer communities they serve. In this rapidly growing category, it will become increasingly difficult for marketers to gain attention and differentiate their brands unless they offer clearly superior efficacy and safety. At Klick, we closely monitor these exciting developments to anticipate best practices and help our clients navigate these challenges to achieve brand success.

Please join us at the PanAgora conference on September 26th, along with oncology marketers, as we discuss the implications and opportunities arising from these trends. I look forward to and enjoy meeting with oncology clients to discuss their business and ideate ways to solve their marketing challenges. Please reach out and contact me so we can source solutions together!