American Society of Clinical Oncology Policy Statement: Disparities in Cancer Care

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (17) ◽  
pp. 2881-2885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Goss ◽  
Ana Maria Lopez ◽  
Carol L. Brown ◽  
Dana S. Wollins ◽  
Otis W. Brawley ◽  
...  

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has embarked on an intensive campaign to integrate elimination of cancer health disparities into the Society's overall mission and activities. Key components of this commitment are enhancing awareness of disparities; improving access to care; and supporting research on health disparities. Major objectives are to advance the education of the oncology community in the care of patients from underserved and minority populations; increase the diversity of the clinical oncology workforce as a requisite to improving access to cancer care for the underserved; and support research in the area of health disparities. Racial and ethnic disparities in cancer care are an issue of critical importance to ASCO, the oncology community, and our society at large. The health disparities initiative outlined herein enunciates ASCO's dedication to eliminating disparities in cancer care and discusses our multipronged approach for addressing disparities within the clinical oncology community. ASCO is committed to collaborating with the diverse community of stakeholders to undertake the following: develop policies to guarantee equal access to quality health care, with special emphasis on reducing insurance and economic barriers to cancer care; develop a comprehensive plan to increase awareness of racial and ethnic disparities in cancer care; execute a strategy to enhance the supply of minority physicians and to improve the training of the oncology workforce to meet the needs of racially and ethnically diverse cancer patients; increase prioritization of public and private research on cancer care disparities; develop mechanisms to increase participation of racially and ethnically diverse populations in cancer clinical trials; and support initiatives to enhance patients' involvement in their cancer care.

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (28) ◽  
pp. 3816-3824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly Moy ◽  
Blase N. Polite ◽  
Michael T. Halpern ◽  
Steven K. Stranne ◽  
Eric P. Winer ◽  
...  

Patients in specific vulnerable population groups suffer disproportionately from cancer. The elimination of cancer disparities is critically important for lessening the burden of cancer. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides both opportunities and challenges for addressing cancer care disparities and access to care. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) advocates for policies that ensure access to cancer care for the underserved. Such policies include insurance reform and the reduction of economic barriers to quality health care. Building on ASCO's prior statement on disparities in cancer care (2009), this article summarizes elements of the health care law that are relevant to cancer disparities and provides recommendations for addressing major provisions in the law. It outlines specific strategies to address insurance reform, access to care, quality of care, prevention and wellness, research on health care disparities, and diversity in the health care workforce. ASCO is committed to leading efforts toward the improvement of cancer care among the most vulnerable patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 490-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Alberg ◽  
Noelle K. LoConte ◽  
Lewis Foxhall ◽  
Martin A. Weinstock ◽  
Scarlett Lin Gomez ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Michael P. Kosty ◽  
Anupama Kurup Acheson ◽  
Eric D. Tetzlaff

The clinical practice of oncology has become increasingly complex. An explosion of medical knowledge, increased demands on provider time, and involved patients have changed the way many oncologists practice. What was an acceptable practice model in the past may now be relatively inefficient. This review covers three areas that address these changes. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) National Oncology Census defines who the U.S. oncology community is, and their perceptions of how practice patterns may be changing. The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-ASCO Teams in Cancer Care Project explores how best to employ team science to improve the efficiency and quality of cancer care in the United States. Finally, how physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) might be best integrated into team-based care in oncology and the barriers to integration are reviewed.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (23) ◽  
pp. 3868-3874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neal J. Meropol ◽  
Deborah Schrag ◽  
Thomas J. Smith ◽  
Therese M. Mulvey ◽  
Robert M. Langdon ◽  
...  

Advances in early detection, prevention, and treatment have resulted in consistently falling cancer death rates in the United States. In parallel with these advances have come significant increases in the cost of cancer care. It is well established that the cost of health care (including cancer care) in the United States is growing more rapidly than the overall economy. In part, this is a result of the prices and rapid uptake of new agents and other technologies, including advances in imaging and therapeutic radiology. Conventional understanding suggests that high prices may reflect the costs and risks associated with the development, production, and marketing of new drugs and technologies, many of which are valued highly by physicians, patients, and payers. The increasing cost of cancer care impacts many stakeholders who play a role in a complex health care system. Our patients are the most vulnerable because they often experience uneven insurance coverage, leading to financial strain or even ruin. Other key groups include pharmaceutical manufacturers that pass along research, development, and marketing costs to the consumer; providers of cancer care who dispense increasingly expensive drugs and technologies; and the insurance industry, which ultimately passes costs to consumers. Increasingly, the economic burden of health care in general, and high-quality cancer care in particular, will be less and less affordable for an increasing number of Americans unless steps are taken to curb current trends. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is committed to improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and eliminating disparities in cancer care through support of evidence-based and cost-effective practices. To address this goal, ASCO established a Cost of Care Task Force, which has developed this Guidance Statement on the Cost of Cancer Care. This Guidance Statement provides a concise overview of the economic issues facing stakeholders in the cancer community. It also recommends that the following steps be taken to address immediate needs: recognition that patient-physician discussions regarding the cost of care are an important component of high-quality care; the design of educational and support tools for oncology providers to promote effective communication about costs with patients; and the development of resources to help educate patients about the high cost of cancer care to help guide their decision making regarding treatment options. Looking to the future, this Guidance Statement also recommends that ASCO develop policy positions to address the underlying factors contributing to the increased cost of cancer care. Doing so will require a clear understanding of the factors that drive these costs, as well as potential modifications to the current cancer care system to ensure that all Americans have access to high-quality, cost-effective care.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-142 ◽  
Author(s):  

This publication is ASCO's inaugural report on the state of cancer care in America. Going forward, these annual reports will track progress against cancer and examine the most important trends that affect the oncology community's ability to provide high-quality, high-value cancer care.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (18) ◽  
pp. 2182-2190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald C. Chen ◽  
R. Bryan Rumble ◽  
D. Andrew Loblaw ◽  
Antonio Finelli ◽  
Behfar Ehdaie ◽  
...  

Purpose To endorse Cancer Care Ontario’s guideline on Active Surveillance for the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has a policy and set of procedures for endorsing clinical practice guidelines developed by other professional organizations. Methods The Active Surveillance for the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer guideline was reviewed for developmental rigor by methodologists. The ASCO Endorsement Panel then reviewed the content and the recommendations. Results The ASCO Endorsement Panel determined that the recommendations from the Active Surveillance for the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer guideline, published in May 2015, are clear, thorough, and based upon the most relevant scientific evidence. ASCO endorsed the Active Surveillance for the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer guideline with added qualifying statements. The Cancer Care Ontario recommendation regarding 5-alpha reductase inhibitors was not endorsed by the ASCO panel. Recommendations For most patients with low-risk (Gleason score ≤ 6) localized prostate cancer, active surveillance is the recommended disease management strategy. Factors including younger age, prostate cancer volume, patient preference, and ethnicity should be taken into account when making management decisions. Select patients with low-volume, intermediate-risk (Gleason 3 + 4 = 7) prostate cancer may be offered active surveillance. Active surveillance protocols should include prostate-specific antigen testing, digital rectal examinations, and serial prostate biopsies. Ancillary radiologic and genomic tests are investigational but may have a role in patients with discordant clinical and/or pathologic findings. Patients who are reclassified to a higher-risk category (Gleason score ≥ 7) or who have significant increases in tumor volume on subsequent biopsies should be offered active therapy.


2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 893-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Robson ◽  
Courtney D. Storm ◽  
Jeffrey Weitzel ◽  
Dana S. Wollins ◽  
Kenneth Offit

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samia Tasmim ◽  
Sarah Collins

Racial and ethnic disparities in health stem from the historical legacy and continued patterns of unequal resources and treatment on the basis of race/ethnicity in society (Hummer and Hamilton 2019; Williams and Sternthal 2010). Health disparities encompass differences in physical health, mental health, all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk, activity limitations, healthcare access and utilization, and other metrics of well-being. Researchers have identified a variety of explanations for racial/ethnic health disparities, including socioeconomic inequality, institutional- and individual-level discrimination, residential segregation, early-life circumstances, and health behaviors, among others. However, unequal opportunities on the basis of race/ethnicity remain the fundamental cause of health disparities (Hummer 1996; Phelan and Link 2015).


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