Precision tools for complex oncology challenges
Picking up where we left off (see Accelerating Rare Disease Diagnosis): our digital pathology journey continues, this time focused on rare cancers. These are often underrepresented, underdiagnosed, and underserved, despite their significant burden.
Globally, rare cancers account for approximately 26.7% of all new cancer cases and 30% of cancer related deaths (GLOBOCAN 2022). In Europe, rare adult solid cancers represent 24% of all cancers, yet cause 30% of all cancer deaths (EURACAN).
Imagine the impact of extending this globally, harmonizing data across geographies could reveal new diagnostic patterns, strengthen early detection, and accelerate access to precision treatments in regions where information remains fragmented or inaccessible.
It is not just rare cancers. It is the whole system.
All cancers, and many diseases, face similar systemic barriers: diagnostic delay, disconnected data, and siloed communication between pharma, clinicians, and lab medicine.
A common mindset still prevails: “If there is no treatment, there is no need to diagnose.” What if the opposite is also true? That better diagnosis could create treatment opportunity?
To move forward, we must connect the internal dots, between drug developers, treating physicians, and the diagnostic experts who provide the first clues. That is where digital pathology and AI open doors: to earlier signals, better stratification, and shared action.
Digital Pathology + AI: Building a Smarter Diagnostic Foundation
These tools could improve accuracy and speed, especially when resources are constrained. In the context of rare and complex cancers, digital pathology and AI could:
- Support standardized classification of tumor subtypes
- Enable remote second opinions and faster review cycles
- Aggregate image and diagnostic data across institutions
- Integrate pathology with molecular and genomic testing workflows
They do NOT replace human expertise! They augment it, making insights available where and when they are most needed.
My Vision and Mission
My vision is that digital pathology will open access to the right insights, faster, and where it matters most. Many in pathology already recognize this. But clinicians often wait for information that pathology teams struggle to deliver, not for lack of skill, but due to system constraints and resource limits.
My mission is to help shape this shift, not only within lab medicine, but across healthcare systems. With urgency, ethics, and realism. True transformation starts by aligning diagnostics with care, not after treatment is available, but as an enabler of care itself.
Pharma’s Role in Driving Diagnostics Forward
This is not just about rare cancer. Pharma has the ability to drive diagnostic innovation across disease areas.
Progress is possible through:
- Biomarker driven development
- Co-creation of companion diagnostics (CDx)
- Support for AI and digital pathology adoption
- Partnership with lab medicine and treating clinicians
Pharma pipelines depend on:
- Clear tissue and mutation classification
- Early patient identification
- Effective trial enrollment and outcomes tracking
By embedding AI and digital pathology earlier, pharma could:
- Improve patient selection
- Reduce screen failure rates
- Accelerate targeted therapy development
This is not about adding layers. It is about realigning the system around patient impact. The tools are here. The need is real.
Closing Thought
Patients with rare cancers, and all diseases, deserve faster, more accurate answers. But progress requires more than tools. It requires collaboration across diagnostics, pharma, and clinical practice, rooted in integrity and purpose.
What if pharma could bring innovation to market faster, with less risk, more clarity, and the right partners from the start?