The U.S. cancer workforce faces critical challenges that may affect Americans' access to lifesaving cancer care and delay progress in cancer research. A new report from the President's Cancer Panel, Ensuring a Strong Future for America's Cancer Workforce, underscores these key issues—including shortages of cancer care providers.
The report was authored by two Panel members: Mitchel S. Berger, MD, Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, and Director, Brain Tumor Center at the University of California, San Francisco; and Carol L. Brown, MD, Attending Surgeon, Gynecology Service, Department of Surgery, and Member, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
These mounting workforce challenges come at a time when the demand for cancer care is rising, says the Panel. Numbers of cancer cases in the United States are rising as the population ages, while cancer diagnoses are simultaneously increasing among people under the age of 50. More than 2 million new diagnoses are expected in 2026, according to the American Cancer Society. The Panel calls for urgent action to build and maintain a robust cancer workforce able to meet the needs of all Americans, now and in the future.
Americans diagnosed with cancer often face long waits to see their doctors, and many do not have access to the best possible care close to home, says the Panel. Roughly two-thirds of rural U.S. counties—home to about 32 million people—have no oncologist. These problems are worsened by inefficient systems and burdensome administrative tasks that prevent doctors and care teams from focusing on patient care.
"We cannot ignore the challenges facing our cancer workforce. We need our research and care teams to be strong so that everyone in the United States facing a cancer diagnosis gets the best possible care," commented Dr. Brown.
The President's Cancer Panel provides specific recommendations related to three priorities to address cancer workforce challenges:
- Create partnerships to foster and support the cancer workforce: Addressing the challenges facing the modern cancer workforce will require collaboration among different communities and sectors, including health-care and research organizations, government leaders and agencies, and the private sector. Bringing together multiple perspectives will lead to innovative solutions, and pooling resources will allow partners to efficiently achieve their shared goals.
- Expand education and training pathways to strengthen key roles in the cancer care workforce: Cancer care is a team effort, requiring a robust and well-trained workforce comprising many different roles. Intentional and coordinated investment in education and training are needed to encourage people to join and stay in the oncology workforce. The Panel identified specific opportunities related to advanced practice providers and allied health-care professionals.
- Support cancer care team productivity: A productive cancer care workforce is one that efficiently and effectively uses its time, resources, skills, and personnel to deliver high-quality cancer care. Currently, numerous factors—including administrative burden caused by poorly integrated electronic health record (EHR) systems and suboptimal prior authorization processes—undermine productivity for the cancer care workforce. Given the increasing demands of cancer care and growing workforce shortages, it is critical to support workforce productivity by improving EHR systems and streamlining prior authorization processes.
The Panel urges action from stakeholders, large and small, to implement the report recommendations. "All members of the cancer community must come together to make sure there are enough people equipped with the skills and resources to deliver high-quality cancer care, improve access to cancer clinical trials, and continue progress in cancer research," said Dr. Berger.
About the President's Cancer Panel
The Panel, established by the National Cancer Act of 1971, is an independent entity charged with monitoring the National Cancer Program and reporting to the President on any barriers to its execution. The Panel does not conduct scientific research, and although support for the Panel is provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), its conclusions and recommendations should not be interpreted as policy or perspectives of NCI, NIH, or HHS.
