In Science Magazine this week, MSK’s Dr. Peter Bach and Dr. Timothy Chan were featured in two articles discussing two very different but intrinsic aspects of cancer care.
As the director of the Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Dr. Chan and his colleagues are bridging the genetics of tumors with the therapeutics of immunology, to better understand and create precise treatments based on the genetic mutations of a patient’s cancer. The result is the reinvigorated, integrated field of precision immuno-oncology. “It’s one of the most fast-paced, active areas in cancer research,” Chan says, “because it’s at the intersection of fields, where breakthroughs happen.”
Peter Bach has immersed himself in the field of health policy and economics to highlight and change the landscape of drug pricing for cancer treatment. As cancer treatments become more and more personalized, the price tag has skyrocketed. Cancer drugs today can cost on average $250,000 a year, with CAR-T cell treatment at a staggering $475,000. In 2015, Bach and his colleagues created the Drug Abacus. This interactive tool provides the public and policymakers a way to understand how much a drug should cost based on value.
