Podcast #13: Clinical Cancer Prevention: The Front Lines In The Cancer Wars With Dr. Therese Bevers
By
Leonard Zwelling
When I trained as a medical oncologist, there was no such thing as clinical cancer prevention. Thanks to the pioneering work of MD Anderson’s second president, Dr. Charles LeMaistre and the first Head of the Division of Cancer Prevention at MD Anderson, Dr. Bernard Levin, cancer prevention has taken its rightful place as a unique discipline in the war against cancer.
In this episode of A New Prescription, we speak with Dr. Therese Bevers, Professor of Cancer Prevention and the chief of Clinical Cancer Prevention at MD Anderson about the major advances in primary cancer prevention, stopping the development of cancer, and secondary cancer prevention, early detection to improve clinical outcomes.
The model Dr. Bevers uses to individualize cancer prevention strategies for her patients is based on whether a patient falls into one of three risk categories: average, increased, or high risk.
Average risk patients can usually decrease their likelihood of developing cancer by changing their lifestyles—eliminating smoking, alcohol and excess weight. These patients still need a series of cancer screening tests from mammography to colonoscopy to prostate specific antigen blood tests.
Increased risk patients with family histories of cancer or precancerous lesions like polyps need more intense screening and, on occasion, preventative medications.
High risk patients with actual cancer-associated genetic mutations may not only need frequent screening, but also invasive procedures like prophylactic mastectomies.
Primary care physicians are the real front line in the deployment of cancer prevention strategies and places like MD Anderson are always available for consults in the management of patients whose screening plans may be complex. More information can be found at mdanderson.org under Prevention.
Finally, we speculate a bit on how artificial intelligence might be employed in the future for cancer prevention and screening.
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