Addressing the Alarming Rise of Early-Onset Cancers with Dr. Karin Tollefson of Pfizer

The alarming rise of early-onset cancers, particularly in individuals under 50, demands a critical shift in our understanding and approach to cancer care. 

In this episode, Dr. Karin Tollefson, Chief Oncology Medical Officer at Pfizer, discusses the concerning 79% increase in cancer diagnoses among younger people since 1990, highlighting the urgent need to address this trend. She emphasizes that this is a multifactorial issue, with likely contributors including Western lifestyle factors such as poor diet, obesity, sedentary habits, and exposure to toxins, as well as genetic predispositions. Dr. Tollefson also underscores the need for increased screening accessibility, particularly with colonoscopies, and molecular testing to tailor treatments for younger patients often diagnosed at later stages. Furthermore, she addresses the importance of making clinical trials more accessible to diverse populations and ensuring comprehensive survivorship care, including mental health, family planning, and fertility considerations, as cancer survival rates increase. Finally, Dr. Tollefson calls on the need to partner with advocacy organizations and to educate the public about early detection, healthy lifestyles, and available resources. 

Tune in and learn about the critical shifts needed in cancer care to address early-onset cases.

Resources:
Follow Dr. Karin Tollefson, Chief Oncology Medical Officer at Pfizer, on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karintollefson)
Discover more about Pfizer on their LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/pfizer) and website (https://www.pfizer.com/)
Read more on Pfizer in Oncology here (https://cancer.pfizer.com/)

Patient Resources/Advocacy Links:
Explore This Is Living With Cancer’s Advocacy Support website (https://www.thisislivingwithcancer.com/advocacy-support)
Visit the Global Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s website here (https://www.globalcca.org/programs/know-your-biomarker) (Pfizer was one of their sponsors)
Learn more about the transformative work CancerCare (https://www.cancercare.org/) is doing.
Find CancerCare’s guide on Biomarker Testing here (https://media.cancercare.org/documents/298/original/CancerCare-Biomarker-Toolkit-FINAL-v13.pdf)
Read the best practices for Biomarker Testing Coverage here (https://www.cancercare.org/biomarkertoolkit?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhIymxa20igMVuDgIBR07PwY-EAAYAiAAEgLwYfD_BwE) (Pfizer had input and was a sponsor)
Get AONN Biomarker Navigation here (https://aonnonline.org/toolkits) . For the Precision Medicine Toolkit, look here (https://aonnonline.org/images/resources/navigation_tools/TLG1971/2023-Pfizer-Precision-Medicine-Toolkit.pdf)
Empower yourself or your patients with essential navigation resources (http://www.patientnavigation.com) –a site co-created with AONN, to find materials on breast, prostate, health equity, geriatric, and more. (Patient navigators can download and share educational tools for enhanced support.)
Deepen your understanding of prostate cancer here (https://www.thisislivingwithcancer.com/cancer-type/prostate)