Freakonomics Radio 449. How to Fix the Incentives in Cancer Research
Jan 28, 2021
In this insightful discussion, Ned Sharpless, Director of the National Cancer Institute, and Diane Simeone, a pancreatic cancer surgeon at NYU Langone, tackle the ongoing challenges of cancer research. They emphasize the staggering mortality rates of cancer, especially pancreatic cancer, and the urgent need for novel collaborative platforms to improve outcomes. The conversation highlights the transformative role of telehealth during the pandemic and proposes reforms to align research incentives with better patient outcomes, integrating big data and AI for more effective treatments.
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Cancer's Complexity
- Cancer research was initially overly optimistic, aiming for a cure by 1976.
- Decades of basic science were needed to understand cancer's complexity, distinguishing science from engineering.
Cancer's Heterogeneity
- Cancer is not a few diseases, but hundreds or thousands, each with unique characteristics.
- This paradigm shift has led to advances against some cancers but not others, creating uneven progress.
Cancer and COVID-19
- Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, with nearly 10 million annual deaths.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted cancer screenings and treatments, but also spurred potentially beneficial changes.