HJBR Mar-Apr 2019

dialogue 14 MAR / APR 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of baton rouge   Chief Editor Smith W. Hartley What is new in the area of cancer care and treatment? Todd Stevens  Interventions to prevent, detect, diagnose, treat, and care for individuals with cancer are evolving at an unprecedented pace. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and its hospital, academic, and community part- ners were encouraged by recent news show- ing a 27 percent decline in deaths from cancer over a 25-year period. Louisiana’s rates show improvements that mirror this national trend with a 26.5 percent reduction in cancer deaths since the 90s. This decline can be attributed to a greater emphasis on prevention, edu- cation and early detection, and advances in understanding the complex nature of can- cer and how to interrupt, slow, or stop it from progressing. Looking ahead, we anticipate numerous new tools will be available to help patients and families who are burdened with cancer. Scientists and clinicians will continue to unravel tangles that have slowed progress in the past. Mary Bird Perkins is focused on