The Power of a Unified Voice

Over the past decade, oncology has undergone an extraordinary transformation. Precision medicine, immunotherapy, cell and gene therapy, and data-driven care models have redefined what is possible for patients. Survival rates have improved, treatment toxicity has decreased, and multidisciplinary care is now the norm rather than the exception. Yet, amid these advances, new barriers have emerged that threaten the very progress we celebrate.

Today, cancer care faces mounting headwinds that extend far beyond the clinic. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) wield increasing control over formularies, patient access, and reimbursement. Prior authorization and utilization management have become administrative choke points that delay time-sensitive treatments and drain clinical resources. Federal and commercial payment models frequently undervalue the complexity and cost of providing high-quality, community-based oncology care. Meanwhile, consolidation pressures and policy uncertainty continue to erode the independence of local practices—which are often the backbone of patient access in rural and underserved communities.

These challenges underscore a fundamental truth: advocacy is not optional in oncology— it’s essential. Science alone cannot secure access to care. Without a unified and informed voice guiding policy, innovation risks being trapped behind bureaucracy, inefficiency, and misplaced economic incentives.

This is where the collective power of the oncology community becomes critical. Advocacy organizations, patient groups, professional societies, and industry partners must align around a shared mission: protecting the patient-provider relationship and ensuring that policy decisions reflect real-world clinical expertise. Engaging policymakers and federal agencies— including HHS) and CMS—calls for more than talking points. It requires education. We must help policymakers understand what true medical and scientific expertise looks like, and why oncology is not a one-size-fits-all discipline.

Equally important is bringing more physicians and advanced practitioners into the advocacy fold. Many clinicians feel advocacy is outside their lane, or that their voices don’t make a difference. But in reality, their frontline experience is exactly what policymakers need to hear. From local op-eds and Congressional visits to testimony and coalition participation, there are innovative ways to make physician engagement easier and more impactful.

And advocacy works. While progress can feel slow, the oncology community has achieved meaningful wins: advancing PBM transparency legislation, elevating 340B reform on Capitol Hill, and ensuring that patient access and affordability remain bipartisan priorities. These outcomes don’t happen by accident; they happen because advocates remain persistent, coordinated, and credible.

As we look to the next decade, our challenge is to pair scientific progress with policy progress—ensuring that innovation translates into real-world access for every patient. The power of a unified voice has never mattered more. When oncologists, patients, and advocates speak together, we do more than influence policy; we defend the promise of modern cancer care itself.

About the Associate Editor

Kathy Oubre, MS, is associate editor of Evidence-Based Oncology™. She is CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, with locations in Covington and Mandeville, Louisiana. Among other leadership roles, Oubre is a board member of the Community Oncology Alliance, for which she co-chairs the Drug Policy and Regulatory Affairs committee and serves on the Government Affairs committee.