Bridging the Cancer Care Gap: From Hidden Treatment Options to Holistic Support
· Dr Upasana Bedi Chanana
How many people with cancer miss out on life-changing treatment options simply because they don’t know they exist?
And even for those who do get cutting-edge care, how many are left without the right support to truly live well once the hospital doors close?
Two recent discussions – one from clinical practice, another from national patient experience data – shine a light on these intertwined challenges: the knowledge gap and the support gap in cancer care.
When the Right Treatment is Hidden in Plain Sight
Dr James Wilson, Clinical Oncologist, raises a critical point: some of the most effective cancer treatments aren’t experimental – they’re real, available now, and supported by growing evidence – yet patients don’t know to ask for them.
Take oligoprogressive disease, a scenario where cancer is mostly stable on treatment but a few spots begin to grow. In the past, this often meant abandoning an otherwise effective therapy entirely. But research like the CURB trial shows that targeted stereotactic radiotherapy to those rogue spots can extend progression-free survival dramatically – in some lung cancer patients, from 2.2 months to 10 months.
The problem? Most patients – and even some clinicians outside specialist oncology – don’t know this is an option. Those who do often discover it only after hours of personal research, digital searching, or through private consultations. This creates a troubling inequality: patients with greater health literacy, resources, or advocacy networks have a better chance of accessing potentially life-changing interventions.
The Support Gap After Hospital Care
The 2024 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, with responses from over 64,000 people, reveals another pressing issue: while hospital-based cancer care in the NHS scores highly (8.9/10 average rating, with 78% praising hospital staff), only 48% felt well-supported by their GP, and just 33% could access emotional support at home after treatment.
As survival rates improve, more cancer care is happening outside NHS hospitals. Yet without robust community and primary care services, many people feel like they’re “surviving at all costs” rather than living well.
Where Gena Health Fits In
This is exactly where Gena Health can make a measurable difference. Our mission is to bridge the gap between hospital-based treatment and everyday life with cancer, ensuring patients have the knowledge, tools, and personalised guidance they need – not just during treatment, but at every stage after diagnosis.
Here’s how Gena Health addresses the two big gaps:
Closing the Knowledge Gap – Through our curated, user friendly content and expert-led resources, we help patients understand emerging treatment options, clinical terms, and care pathways they may never hear about in standard consultations. This empowers them to have informed, proactive conversations with their care teams.
Filling the Provider Gap – Our platform connects patients to personalised treatment options and healthcare provider – providing support that spans medical, supplemental, and practical needs.
By combining accessible health education with personalised support, Gena Health ensures that people living with and beyond cancer are not left to find their own way through a maze of complex information and fragmented services.
A Shared Challenge: Equity and Connection
Whether it’s access to advanced radiotherapy techniques or emotional support at home, the common thread is equity – ensuring every person, regardless of background, knows about and can access the right care at the right time.
That means:
Educating patients about emerging treatment options in plain, accessible language.
Improving communication between hospitals, GPs, and community services.
Integrating digital solutions like Gena Health to connect patients with expertise beyond hospital walls.
Measuring success not only in months of survival but in patient-reported quality of life, return to work, and sense of being cared for.
From Treatment to Thriving
Cancer care is no longer just about prolonging life – it’s about ensuring that the life extended is worth living. That requires a shift in mindset: from assuming patients will ask for the right treatment to making sure they know it’s there, and from celebrating survival alone to prioritising how people live after cancer.
With the right collaboration between hospital teams, community services, digital innovators, and patient advocates, we can close both the knowledge gap and the support gap.
At Gena Health, we believe no one should miss out on life-changing care because they didn’t know to ask – and no one should feel alone in navigating life with cancer.