Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) today announced an innovative set of initiatives to support underserved communities in New York City who lack access to cancer screening and early detection. With critical support from longtime MSK Board Member, real estate developer, and former New York City Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, Bruce Ratner, the Ratner Early Detection Initiative (REDI) draws from MSK’s deep experience in cancer science and discovery, community engagement, and compassionate patient care.
REDI will encompass three main project elements: resources to help increase access to lung cancer screening among underserved communities, patient navigation services through a robust co-learning program, and support for the development of dynamic Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to spur early detection technology. The five-year initiative will include Queens-based MediSys Health Network (comprised of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center) as well as various community-based organizations. REDI’s overarching goal is to support communities throughout Queens and Brooklyn, where disparities in screening and access to care are present and problematic.
“We have the technology to identify many cancers early when they are still curable, and we can do more to expand access to these tests, especially in low-income communities that have historically lacked access to health facilities,” said Mr. Ratner. “By increasing awareness of care access and cancer screening opportunities, and by providing the resources to help with initial and follow-up testing, we’re hopeful that we can save lives in these communities.”
“Creating meaningful change requires a vision, deep collaboration, and a champion to lead,” said David G. Pfister MD, Chief of the Head and Neck Oncology Service and Associate Deputy-Physician-in-Chief for Strategic Partnerships at MSK, and Chief of Medical Oncology at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. “Mr. Ratner’s support of these important projects, informed by loss from cancer in his own family and deep appreciation of the enormous unmet need in underserved communities, coupled with the expertise of healthcare professionals across MSK, MediSys Health Network, and various community organizations, will have a lasting impact across New York City.”
Breaking Down Barriers to Lung Cancer Screening
REDI is positioned to improve awareness of and access to lung cancer screening and prioritize personalized support for people undergoing screening and cancer care, particularly within eastern Brooklyn and southern Queens, where inequities persist among certain racial and ethnic populations. Through strategic partnerships and outreach to qualified health centers across the community, MSK is expanding its efforts to engage people who have not been screened for lung cancer yet may be at higher risk due to occupational hazards or smoking history.
Patient navigators – a hallmark of the initiative – will support patients starting with the initial encounter and will address the legal, financial, psychosocial, and technological impediments to increase appointment attendance and adherence to care plans. Some studies have shown correlations between unmet socioeconomic needs and missed healthcare appointments; the value and contribution of patient navigators is widely recognized.
“For many people, especially underserved populations, cancer screenings may seem inaccessible, and coping with a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Finishing all the treatment that’s required can seem like an impossible feat,” said Francesca M. Gany, MD, MS, Chief of MSK’s Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service. “The Ratner Early Detection Initiative will invest in building the presence of patient navigators, who will support patients’ needs across the entire care continuum.”
In addition to direct navigation services provided to community members through REDI, the project will also build community and health care system capacity to provide navigation support services through a Lung Cancer Screening and Treatment Navigation co-learning program.
Innovating and Improving Early Detection of Renal Cancer with Artificial Intelligence
This year, more than 81,600 new cases of renal cell cancer – often referred to as kidney cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma – will be diagnosed in the United States, resulting in nearly 14,400 deaths. While more commonly found in people over the age of 64, this type of cancer also disproportionally affects African Americans and is more often discovered incidentally during imaging when patients are asymptomatic.
AI has the potential to support physicians in diagnosing kidney cancer at its earliest stages, yet a lack of funding to support the development of larger-scale projects to ensure more robust data sharing has been lacking. REDI provides a foundation to support MSK data scientists and experts in radiology to co-develop AI tools that can improve data sharing to make more immediate and cost-effective differences in outcomes.
“Diagnosing cancer at its earliest stage results in improved outcomes and a better quality of life for all patients,” said Lawrence H. Schwartz, MD, Chair of the Department of Radiology at MSK. “We are uniquely positioned to effect real change and are grateful for Mr. Ratner’s dedication and visionary gift.”
Looking ahead, the REDI team will use its learnings from this initial phase to inform additional projects and expand on these current initiatives. MSK Radiologist Elise Desperito, MA, MD, is spearheading one such project where plans to broaden access to mammography services to Harlem residents is underway at the MSK Ralph Lauren Center, with plans to expand in other boroughs. Future expansion of other programming could also include screening initiatives for other cancers such as colon and skin.
Mr. Ratner has personal ties to cancer after experiencing the profound loss of his brother Michael in 2016. He believes deeply in early detection and has co-authored the book “Early Detection: Catching Cancer when it’s Curable” (OR Books, June 11, 2024) with Adam Bonislawski.
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