By Divya Chaudhury & Lisa Pauline Mattackal

DAVOS in Switzerland (Reuters). Despite the fact that cancer screening was severely disrupted by the pandemic coronavirus, AstraZeneca executives stated that advances in medical technology, as well as greater variety in clinical trials, could lead to better treatments.

According to Dave Fredrickson of AstraZeneca’s executive vice president of Oncology, the cancer diagnosis and testing rate dropped 15%-25% over the past 2 years, as more people skipped regular checksups.

Fredrickson explained this week that “we are diagnosing patients with cancer late,” Fredrickson claimed, with early detection being the most effective way to ensure the best possible outcome.

Fredrickson stated that efforts to reduce the number of patients who need to visit healthcare facilities are important. He also recommended that telemedicine be adopted more widely and trials brought to patients, rather than patients coming to trials.

He stated that clinical trial diversity was one of the best ways to deliver treatments for cancer in an equitable manner across the world.

Fredrickson expressed more optimism about detection and treatment for breast and lung cancers. New drugs and treatments have helped improve survival rates.

He said that public-private partnerships are important for improving survival and diagnosis rates in cancer.

Biden revived this Obama-administration initiative in February. It aims at improving cancer prevention and detection, as well as encouraging the research into cancer.

This interview was done in the Reuters Global Markets Forum. Join GMF on Refinitiv Messenger: https://refini.tv/33uoFoQ)