An integrated approach to cancer care requires that medical imaging and radiotherapy take their rightful place, according to the Global Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare IT, and Radiation Therapy Trade Association (DITTA).
At the World Cancer Congress in Paris, DITTA urged the development of care approaches that take advantage of medical imaging by delivering earlier and more accurate diagnoses, monitoring treatment, and follow-up post-treatment. As well, advances in radiotherapy allow for even more precise cancer treatment, the association said.
"Currently, healthcare systems are not ideally configured to deal with the burden of cancer," said Nicole Denjoy, DITTA's vice chair, in a statement released by the group. "Preventing and managing this disease demands an integrated care approach. Medical technology can play a pivotal role; its capacity to deliver personalized, targeted therapies makes interventions more effective with fewer side effects."
