"Rethinking Cancer Terminology: Addressing Fear and Misconceptions"

The traditional method of classifying cancers based on their organ of origin is hindering progress in cancer treatment and causing delays in accessing effective drugs for patients with specific molecular alterations. Shifting towards a molecular-based classification system would allow for more targeted and effective treatments, necessitating changes in medical oncology, education, and access to molecular testing. Regulatory agencies, scientific societies, and insurance companies need to redefine evidence requirements for treatment decisions, while hospitals and universities should restructure oncology to prioritize molecular analysis. Medical education should focus on molecular understanding of cancer, and access to molecular testing needs to be improved to enable widespread adoption of molecular-based classifications.