This past year has been groundbreaking in cancer care. Continued advancements in areas like precision medicine are providing renewed hope for people with cancer. At the same time, those working in oncology continue to recognize the enormous role that community partnerships play in providing education and equitable access for all who need it most. “Building trust at the community level is crucial to strengthening care in an equitable way and improving outcomes for all people with cancer,” says Chatrick Paul, Senior Vice President and Head of US Oncology Business at AstraZeneca.

Though much progress in this direction has been made in the past three decades, many underserved patient groups and rural communities still face a persistent lack of access to cancer education, screening and quality treatment.

The Cancer Community Awards (or C2 Awards)—presented by AstraZeneca’s YOUR Cancer Program and Scientific American Custom Media—honor people and organizations working to improve and expand cancer care on many levels, from impacting how someone feels after diagnosis to enhancing the ability to provide the right treatment for the right person at the right time. “The C2 Awards are an integral part of our YOUR Cancer program, which is consistent with our mission of eliminating cancer mortality for all people and working alongside the community to champion unsung heroes and stories that produce meaningful change,” Paul says. “By elevating diverse heroes and the work they do, we hope to inspire new ways of delivering care to those in need.”

To encourage others to take that first step, we asked the winners of the 2022 Cancer Community Awards what inspired them, what makes them hopeful about the future of cancer care, and what could advance care for all people. Here’s what they said.

2022 CATALYST FOR PRECISION MEDICINE WINNER: MARC R. MATRANA, MD, DIRECTOR OF PRECISION MEDICINE AND ENDOWED PROFESSOR, OCHSNER HEALTH

What about cancer care today makes you most hopeful for the future?

As someone involved in cancer research, I’m always amazed at the number of new drugs, new breakthroughs and new ideas that are coming out each and every day. When I think about the things that could have the biggest impact for those who suffer from cancer, I think about the inequalities that we have for accessing new technologies and treatments. The biggest impact across the board would be if all patients had equal access to the new therapies, experimental treatments, and clinical trials. We tell our patients when they go on clinical trials that they’re receiving the medicines of tomorrow, today. All patients should have that access.

2022 CATALYST FOR CHANGE WINNER: CHARLES R. ROGERS, PHD, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN

In your work, if you could point to one thing that would advance cancer care for all who need it, what would it be?

If we have funding that can allow more colonoscopies for people who are uninsured, under age 45, or who simply do not have the funds to get a colonoscopy, that’s a life-saving game changer. If we provide more funding for research on topics that are debatable and understudied, that’s another game changer. If we provide more funding for resources to prevent barriers to early detection screening, that’s too a game changer, for example, providing a weekend colorectal cancer screening option for people who have to work during the week or providing a van service for people who may not have reliable transportation to get to the doctor to get screened.

2022 CATALYST FOR CARE WINNER: SPARROW’S NEST OF THE HUDSON VALLEY, Represented by KRISTA JONES, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

What inspired you to create an organization that provides food to cancer patients in New York's Hudson Valley?

I have witnessed firsthand what a cancer diagnosis looks like, and it is an emotional battle. To think of people doing that alone is heartbreaking to me. I wanted to figure out how I could ease some of that burden. Back in 2012, my grandiose plan was that one day we would have farmland, grow our own vegetables, and have our own facility that housed the kitchen where we cook and deliver 300 homemade meals a week to families facing cancer. We have the ball rolling for our grand plan—a permanent home for the Nest in our community.

2022 CATALYST FOR EQUITY WINNER: CENTER FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES AND POPULATION EQUITY, Represented by DAVID W. WETTER, PHD, DIRECTOR

What would make cancer care more available to everyone?

One of the things that has really changed in the past few years has been the powerful movement around health equity and the requirements that comprehensive cancer centers need to meet. It would benefit so many people if we could make progress on health inequity. We need to be able to provide preventive services to everybody, regardless of their ability to pay, and provide pathways to treatment if we find cancers. We do not have that right now, and we struggle with that constantly in our work. Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.

2022 PRESIDENT’S AWARD WINNER: DOUGLAS FAIR, MD, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

Why does today's cancer care make you hopeful?

It is the people working in cancer care. So often, physicians get the spotlight, but everybody at a cancer hospital—nurses, administrators, our administrative staff, our technicians, the team that cleans the floors—are all pulling the weight. They are doing the best that they can, in their own way, to create an environment that is healing and supportive. Everyone is trying to tackle these issues. It’s so inspiring to see people get passionate about an issue that’s affecting patients and row the boat in the same direction, really dedicating time, effort, and resources to help fix problems.

The fourth annual C2 Awards included an esteemed panel of judges spanning health systems, research institutes, advocacy groups, and other organizations working to transform cancer care from one person’s disease into a true community effort.

To learn more about this year’s winners and the C2 Awards, please visit YourCancer.org.

US-68667 Last Updated 9/22