Leveraging the potential for deintensification in cancer care
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43018-024-00827-9.epdf
By Jennifer A. Soon, Fanny Franchini, Maarten J. IJzerman & Grant A. McArthur
Deintensification in cancer care is a promising strategy that involves reducing the intensity of treatments without sacrificing effectiveness. This approach has shown potential, especially in the treatment of melanoma, where fewer interventions can lead to positive outcomes with less cost and fewer side effects. Personalized decision-making tools and predictive biomarkers are key in determining which patients benefit from deintensified treatments. Beyond the medical benefits, deintensification can reduce healthcare costs and environmental impacts, making it a win-win for both patients and healthcare systems. However, barriers such as fear of undertreatment and a lack of robust clinical data slow its wider adoption.