Karen M. Winkfield, MD, PhD, of the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, discusses cultural factors that contribute to cancer care disparities, the role of national policy in addressing inequities in access to care, and what local institutions can do to improve the situation.
Michael Kenneth Keng, MD, of the University of Virginia, gives a status update on this international program, and discusses future initiatives which include coaching mentorship and publishing articles on quality care (Abstract 7).
Nadine Housri, MD, of the Yale School of Medicine, talks about a new paradigm in sharing knowledge from tumor board discussions at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers, with community oncologists on themednet.org. Currently, thoracic, breast, and GI cancers are included, with plans to expand the scope (Abstract 272).
Ryan Huey, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses his findings that showed the large financial burden on lower-income patients enrolled in phase I trials (Abstract 8).
Elena Martinez, PhD, MPH, of Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, discusses the challenges of ensuring diversity in precision oncology and potential solutions to address the challenges.
Grace C. Hillyer, EdD, MPH, of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, discusses the many barriers to enrolling patients in clinical trials, most notably different attitudes toward and perceptions about research studies among clinicians vs patients. Her findings point to the need for better communication between the two groups and more patient input (Abstract 170).
