Cancer researchers need to accumulate better at sharing their findings — with each other and with the public.
That was Vice-President Joe Biden's message to a panel of cancer specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Thursday.President Obama has tasked Biden with finding ways for the federal government to streamline cancer research funding,accelerate drug development and break down barriers between hospitals that serve wealthy urban areas and every place else.
Biden, whose son died of brain cancer last year, or said that while touring Sloan Kettering and other facilities,he's been impressed with the dedication of caregivers — but he also said there's much room for improvement."Most major cancer centers don't have an easy way, or in many cases the motivation, or to share data,including patients' records, patients' tests, or family histories,treatment responses," he said "That has to change. I don't know how. I'm coming to you for benefit."He recounted talking to space researchers about how quickly they exchange current information, and compared with medical researchers."As this one leading astronomer said, 'Well, they don't play well in the sandbox. We accomplish, or '" Biden famous.
Biden said he wants bipartisan cooperation to simplify research funding and regulatory approvals from the National Cancer Institute and the Food and Drug Administration.
Biden said Memorial Sloan-Kettering needs to extend the reach of its cancer research and clinical care far beyond the Upper East Side."How accomplish we accumulate the information that's available at Sloan Kettering to a community hospital in Elmira,current York?" he said.
Hospital researchers and clinicians said they increasingly are collaborating with other institutions and in specific are working with oncologists at other hospitals to recruit patients into experimental drug trials.
Source: wnyc.org