Cancer care is entering a period where the science is arguably moving faster than delivery systems can absorb it: mRNA vaccines, biology-guided radiation, molecular tumor boards and AI-enabled trial matching are all advancing at once. Oncology leaders say the real work now is building the infrastructure and governance to bring those advances to patients reliably, not just chasing the next breakthrough.
Becker’s asked oncology leaders two questions: What cancer therapies and technologies are you most excited about right now, and what do you anticipate is the biggest roadblock your organization will face in the next 12 months? Their answers spanned precision oncology and mRNA vaccines to execution capacity and staff training.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What cancer therapies and technologies are you most excited about right now?
Stephen Miller. Chief of Operations at USC Norris Cancer Hospital (Los Angeles): It has been exciting to see cell and gene therapies continue to advance, with indications expanding to include solid tumor malignancies. But what I’m most excited about is the potential of mRNA vaccines. Although no mRNA vaccines are fully FDA approved, trials have shown promising results with melanoma and pancreatic cancer and are expanding to other disease sites. These therapeutic vaccines are tailored to the specific tumor mutation and train the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells, and studies thus far have shown their effectiveness in reducing the risk of disease recurrence, which could significantly change the trajectory of several diagnoses. Furthermore, the addition of checkpoint inhibitors or other immune modulatory agents with mRNA vaccines may enhance the response.
In radiation oncology, the potential for biology-guided radiation treatment is exciting, as it leverages real-time signals from the tumor itself to guide treatment rather than just prior imaging, allowing for greater precision in radiation delivery.
Joseph Weber, MD. Vice President of Cancer Services, Wisconsin Division, and Division Clinical Vice President of the Cancer National Service Line at Advocate Health and Aurora Health Care (Milwaukee): I’m most excited by the convergence of precision oncology, AI-enabled clinical trial matching, molecular tumor boards, antibody-drug conjugates, cellular therapy, theranostics and emerging MRD/ctDNA tools. Each is important on its own, but the bigger opportunity is creating a care model where these advances can be delivered at scale and closer to home, not only at academic centers. At Advocate Health, that means working to make genomically informed, evidence-based cancer care more reliable and accessible, with faster answers, fewer handoffs and better coordination for patients.
Q: What do you anticipate is the biggest roadblock your organization will face in the next 12 months?
SM: At the highest level, the biggest challenge is to continue innovating and driving our mission of education, research and patient care amid increasing financial pressures and decreased funding sources. A more specific challenge is adapting our organization at the rate at which clinical and research data and technology has grown. There is a tight window in which organizations must adopt new infrastructure, governance and training in order to safely integrate AI into their organizations and work to be at the forefront of leveraging the benefits of the technology and data. In particular, I think that staff training is oftentimes overlooked when tools become available and there is still oftentimes hesitation in adopting AI into workflows. It’s critical to thoughtfully engage and train staff in order for organizations to fully realize the benefits of new technology and data. We have a great team and culture in place, and I am optimistic for our future growth despite these challenges.
JW: Our biggest challenge moving forward will be execution capacity. Oncology innovation is moving faster than many delivery systems were built to absorb. The next year will require health systems to standardize pathways, integrate fragmented data, improve access, support stretched teams and translate promising technology into workflows that actually make care easier. Success will depend less on chasing every new tool and more on disciplined implementation, clear governance and a relentless focus on the patient journey.
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