This following article has been adapted from Care Across
In March, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released a report called “The State of Cancer Care in America, 2014” which examines many factors that affect the ability of the oncology community to provide high quality, high-value cancer care [1]. Some of these factors are presented in the following lines.
Growing demand for Cancer care services
It is estimated that by 2025, demand for oncology services will grow by 42%, while the supply of oncologists will grow by 28%. This translates to a shortage of about 1487 oncologists by that time. Only 3% of oncologists are based in rural areas, and African and Latin American oncologists are also under-represented.
Furthermore, and regarding physicians’ compensation, according to the 2013 Medscape Physician Compensation Report, Oncology was one of only two specialties to experience an overall decline in annual income between 2011 and 2012.
Improved care and quality of life for cancer patients
Today, cancer patient care has improved dramatically compared to 5 decades ago. Two thirds of Americans now live at least 5 years after cancer diagnosis and the cancer death rate has decreased 20% since the early 1990s. This has resulted in 13.7 million cancer survivors living in the USA. Thankfully, there is also significant improvement in the quality of life in these patients.
All these factors have raised the overall cost of providing oncology healthcare services. One study estimated that the annual excess economic burden of survivorship among recently diagnosed cancer survivors (<1 year from diagnosis) is more than $16,000 per survivor and among those formerly diagnosed (>1 year from diagnosis) more than $4,000 per year.
Issues such as the increasing cancer burden, the growing ranks of cancer survivors and the newly insured patients will require changes in health care policy.
Conclusions: stay optimistic and move Oncology forward
This is a field that attracts increasing attention, as scientists and doctors are making great progress in offering patients improved overall survival and quality of life. While challenges remain, we must remain optimistic about the future of each individual patient, as well as about the overall healthcare system.
References
1. Trent, Laura: The State of Cancer Care in America, 2014: A Report by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Journal of Oncology Practice; March 2014, Vol. 10 Issue 2, p119. http://jop.ascopubs.org/content/10/2/119.full
In March, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released a report called “The State of Cancer Care in America, 2014” which examines many factors that affect the ability of the oncology community to provide high quality, high-value cancer care [1]. Some of these factors are presented in the following lines.
Growing demand for Cancer care services
It is estimated that by 2025, demand for oncology services will grow by 42%, while the supply of oncologists will grow by 28%. This translates to a shortage of about 1487 oncologists by that time. Only 3% of oncologists are based in rural areas, and African and Latin American oncologists are also under-represented.
Furthermore, and regarding physicians’ compensation, according to the 2013 Medscape Physician Compensation Report, Oncology was one of only two specialties to experience an overall decline in annual income between 2011 and 2012.
Improved care and quality of life for cancer patients
Today, cancer patient care has improved dramatically compared to 5 decades ago. Two thirds of Americans now live at least 5 years after cancer diagnosis and the cancer death rate has decreased 20% since the early 1990s. This has resulted in 13.7 million cancer survivors living in the USA. Thankfully, there is also significant improvement in the quality of life in these patients.
All these factors have raised the overall cost of providing oncology healthcare services. One study estimated that the annual excess economic burden of survivorship among recently diagnosed cancer survivors (<1 year from diagnosis) is more than $16,000 per survivor and among those formerly diagnosed (>1 year from diagnosis) more than $4,000 per year.
Issues such as the increasing cancer burden, the growing ranks of cancer survivors and the newly insured patients will require changes in health care policy.
Conclusions: stay optimistic and move Oncology forward
This is a field that attracts increasing attention, as scientists and doctors are making great progress in offering patients improved overall survival and quality of life. While challenges remain, we must remain optimistic about the future of each individual patient, as well as about the overall healthcare system.
References
1. Trent, Laura: The State of Cancer Care in America, 2014: A Report by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Journal of Oncology Practice; March 2014, Vol. 10 Issue 2, p119. http://jop.ascopubs.org/content/10/2/119.full
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