Together, the American Cancer Society and Genentech Drive Greater Health Equity and Improved Outcomes for People Facing Cancer

For nearly 40 years, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Genentech, a biotechnology company and member of the Roche Group, have worked together at the intersection of advancing patient outcomes through access to high-quality care and innovation for everyone. Our partnership showcases the extensive range of our commitments- navigation, clinical trial enrollment, biomarker testing, policy solutions, and improving cancer outcomes for everyone across the continuum of care.

2025 resources from Genentech and the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society and Genentech are pleased to share these helpful resources for patients, providers, and care partners.

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Genentech and ACS: How We Advance Cancer Equity, Together

Starting in 2024 and continuing through 2025, we aim to boldly lead progress toward cancer equity through measurable and sustainable solutions, delivering access to high-quality care and treatment for everyone.

While cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship innovations have come a long way, not everyone has benefited equally. Research shows that while overall cancer mortality rates in the US are dropping, certain communities bear a disproportionate cancer burden. These communities often face more significant obstacles than others as a result of social drivers of health such as income and access to food and transportation. These factors are typically interrelated, out of a person's control, and are increasingly important predictors of cancer mortality in the US. Approximately 80% of cancer outcomes are influenced by social drivers of health such as personal, social, systemic and societal barriers, while just 20% are dictated by tumor biology. Cancer can affect anyone, but it does not affect everyone equally. This reality guides our shared vision with ACS.

Our work together is anchored at the local level through patient navigation programs in communities where underserved populations have a disproportionate cancer burden. In part through Genentech’s investments, ACS patient navigation efforts focus on addressing the most prevalent access barriers for patients by piloting innovative and sustainable solutions, such as:

Streamlined needs screening
Employee-driven food pantries
Addressing food and housing insecurity
Transportation support
On-site patient education centers

To date, patient navigation pilots have supported nearly 20,000 patients across eight health systems in Georgia, Ohio, and Oregon, spanning rural, urban, and hybrid settings, and enabling access to cancer care through patient navigation and referrals to community resources. This program connects each patient with a social worker who helps identify the appropriate resources through new and existing community-based partnerships and ensures they can access services to address their health-related social needs. In addition, these pilots are supporting operational sustainability by building health system capabilities, capacity, and workflow integration to facilitate reimbursement for these screening and navigation services.

We are committed to tackling the most difficult challenges that people with cancer face and ensuring everyone can access the care they deserve. Our patient advocacy community is critical to helping us understand the underlying structures and systems that lead to health inequity, and we are proud to continue our work with the American Cancer Society to address these root causes and bring innovative cancer care to all patients.

Ashley Magargee

Chief Executive Officer, Genentech

We know innovation without equity isn't progress and that cancer affects everyone – but not everyone equally. Partners like Genentech are key to advancing our shared work to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.

Shane Jacobson

CEO, American Cancer Society

Advancing equitable health outcomes through the power of patient focused relationships

Black couple standing under a tent at a Strides event

The key to our success lies in the ability of ACS and Genentech to connect and mobilize together at the community level.

Case Study: Charting a Path Towards Measurable Improvements in Cancer Care

In 2020, Genentech catalyzed the American Cancer Society’s Get Screened as the founding sponsor. This initiative aimed to rapidly restore and improve screening rates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Get Screened movement focused on communities that face historical inequities and were most impacted by the pandemic. The Get Screened initiative expanded the reach of screening messages to engage communities who are at the greatest risk of higher cancer rates and advanced diagnoses. ACS and Genentech experts worked closely to create resources and provide public health expertise as participants in the National Consortium on Cancer Screening and Care. Through this work, Genentech and ACS demonstrated how two leading organizations can purposefully tackle significant challenges and pioneer ambitious solutions.

In 2023, ACS and Genentech worked to deliver measurable improvements in cancer care and built a path toward progress in cancer equity so everyone can have access to quality screening, treatment, and resources. Through our efforts, we forged deeper connections within the community, impacted more lives than ever, and deliberately dismantled barriers to care in an unprecedented manner.

Impact and Metrics:

More than 1,400,000 additional people screened for cancer since 2020 as a result of our work together.
More than 18,000 cancers diagnosed since 2020 as a result of our work together.

Case Study: Cancer Screen Week

Established in 2017, Cancer Screen Week focused on authentically reaching, educating, and motivating people to learn why cancer screening is important and how they can take action to get screened.

Campaign Goals:

Drive national coverage about the importance of cancer screening.
Reach and inspire diverse communities to get screened.
Amplify screening education across Genentech channels and in the field

Results, Impact & Metrics:

More than 1 billion estimated impressions since launching Cancer Screen Week in 2017.
127M reached through top-tier and major lifestyle placements media channels.
190K+ Spanish-language speakers reached via Facebook, elevating patient stories and the latest screening guidelines in their newsfeeds.
Panel discussion hosted at the 2023 Los Angeles Comic Con (LACC) to expand the reach at a major cultural moment about the intersection of cancer and comics.
Cancer Screen Week Ambassadors Instagram takeover with Olympic soccer player Lauren Sesselmann and posts from comedian Loni Love, actress and singer Ariana DeBose,and actress Yvette Nicole Brown.
Live events in New York and North Carolina, and iHeartRadio sponsorship in Pennsylvania

Case Study Love Letters: Driving Cancer Screening to Improve Outcomes Among Black and Latina Women

Five people gathered for a picture in the lobby of a building

Love Letters for Cancer Screening was a cancer screening awareness program focused on Black and Latina women, created by this community, for this community. The campaign pairs original artwork by Black and Latina artists with personal letters, in English and Spanish, to loved ones who faced cancer. In the spring of 2023, 40 faith-based leaders and other community leaders were brought together for a “Love Letters for Cancer Screening” kickoff at Brooklyn Borough Hall during National Minority Health Month. With support from community leader and clergy member Dr. Cheryl Anthony and consultant educator Adrian Slaker, MSEd from Women of Faith Advocating Change, Judah International we mobilized a volunteer ambassador team with a goal to reach 2,500 potentially unscreened community members.

More than 5,000 pieces of lifesaving cancer screening messages were distributed via community partners to houses of worship, healthcare facilities, and other community hubs. Each resource connected viewers, via QR code, to comprehensive screening information in both English and Spanish.

Impact & Metrics:

During the pilot program in New York City:

1.7 million broadcast TV impressions
7.9K cancer.org visits directed from Love Letters materials
>25,000 participants at in-person events
10 YMCA events, including exercise classes
6 health fairs

Case Study: The Miles to the Horizon initiative, a neighborhood-focused project

This neighborhood-focused collaboration with Genentech was centered in Bronzeville, a historically AfricanAmerican area with an average life expectancy lower than that of the wealthier neighborhoods to the north. The Miles to the Horizon initiative featured a geotargeted social media campaign promoting cancer screening awareness within the community (Cook County, IL). Additionally, an in-person event at Apostolic Faith Church was convened by the local ACS team. The event brought together community leaders and local organizations in Bronzeville, including Northwestern Medicine, Insight Medical Center, and Equal Hope, actively addressing disparities in the community. A live screening of the documentary short developed by ACS was held at the event, featuring voices of local Bronzeville residents sharing their experiences in the fight against cancer.