ASCO And Susan G. Komen For The Cure Launch Initiative To Combat Disparities In Cancer Care

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 05 Oct 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are launching the Komen/ASCO Diversity in Oncology Initiative, a first-of-its-kind program to diversify the population of oncologists practicing in the United States and also improve access to and quality of cancer care for people living in medically underserved areas.

"A multi-ethnic physician workforce brings increased cultural competency to the medical field, as well as increasing the trust and comfort level of patients," said Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, co-chair of ASCO's Health Disparities Advisory Group and director of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute. "To improve clinical care to underserved groups, we must target recruitment efforts to oncologists from these same populations."

Recent research has also highlighted the importance of diversity in medical schools. A study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that students who attend medical schools with an ethnically diverse population are better prepared to care for a diverse patient population. The need for culturally competent providers is especially urgent for cancer patients, since cancer incidence and mortality is significantly higher among minorities than their white counterparts.

In its first two years, the Komen/ASCO Diversity in Oncology Initiative will provide more than $350,000 in funding for three programs:

- The Komen/ASCO Loan Repayment Program will repay up to $70,000 in medical educational debt to selected doctors who have completed an oncology fellowship training program and commit to practicing clinical oncology for two years in a medically underserved region of the United States.

- The Komen/ASCO Medical Student Rotation will provide 8- to 10-week clinical or clinical research rotations in oncology for U.S. medical students. Students will be matched with a mentor, a clinical oncologist who will provide ongoing academic and career guidance to the student.

- The Komen/ASCO Resident Travel Award will provide financial support to eligible residents enrolled in an Internal Medicine residency program to participate in ASCO's Annual Meeting. Awardees also will be matched with a clinical oncologist mentor in advance of the Annual Meeting.

Applicants for the Medical Student Rotation and Resident Travel Award must be a member of a racial or ethnic population that is underrepresented in the field of medicine relative to their numbers in the general population. Races/ethnicities identified include but are not limited to: American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Applicants for the loan repayment program can be U.S. citizens from any ethnic background committed to working for two years in a medically underserved area.

"The overall goal of the Diversity in Oncology Initiative is to increase the recruitment and retention of an ethnically diverse population to an oncology career," said Otis Brawley, MD, co-chair of ASCO's Health Disparities Advisory Group. "Long term, we want to diversify the oncology workforce and encourage more top oncologists to work with patients in underserved communities or pursue careers in health disparities research."

"Komen for the Cure's comprehensive effort to address breast cancer mortality goes beyond educating oncologists in medicine. With ASCO, we're working to develop a new generation of uniquely qualified cancer professionals who are able to treat cancer with skill while including all patients as worthy partners in the healing journey," said Susan G. Komen for the Cure President and CEO Hala Moddelmog.

ASCO formed its Health Disparities Advisory Group in 2003 to develop programmatic and policy solutions to reduce disparities in cancer care. The Advisory Group is undertaking a range of activities to support this goal, including educating oncologists about how to care for patients from underserved and minority populations; supporting research and the development of clinical cancer researchers in the health disparities arena; and advocating for public policy that ensures access to cancer care for the underserved and that supports increased clinical cancer research in health disparities.

"Many issues contribute to disparities in health care in the United States, including lack of access to health care, lack of health insurance, poverty, language and literacy barriers, and low expectations of the result of cancer treatment, doctors, and the health care system," said ASCO President Richard L. Schilsky, MD. "Through this initiative, ASCO hopes to further improve cancer care for these underserved populations."

To learn more about the Diversity in Oncology Initiative, including information for medical students, residents and fellows on applying for a program, visit The ASCO Cancer Foundation Diversity in Oncology Initiative online at http://www.ascocancerfoundation.org/diversity.

Educational resources on health disparities for oncologists and other health care providers, people with cancer, and the public are available online at http://www.asco.org/healthdisparities.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is the world's leading professional organization representing physicians who care for people with cancer. With more than 25,000 members, ASCO is committed to improving cancer care through scientific meetings, educational programs and peer-reviewed journals. For ASCO information and resources, visit http://www.asco.org/presscenter. Patient-oriented cancer information is available at http://www.cancer.net.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world's largest breast cancer organization. Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit http://www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN

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