Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Disparity Research - #ASCO20 Virtual Annual Meeting

For the past year, I have been a member of Community Action Board at the Rutgers Cancer Institute. The Board advises the Center of Health Equity and Engagement led by Dr. Anita Kinney. The Center's role is to improve patient engagement for underserved and underrepresented communities in NJ in order to improve screening, prevention and access to treatment and clinical trials.

With that role in mind I took some time during the ASCO annual meeting to review studies related to cancer disparities. Here are just a few of the studies I viewed.

Uterine Cancer
Abstract 6089
Impact of Obesity Ovarian Cancer
e18067


Opiod Access / End Of Life Care 
Abstract 7005


Gender based disparities in clinical trials
Abstract # 2058



Survival outcomes by race minimally invasive versus open surgery
 Abstract #6029


Financial Toxicity
Abstract 6079
Geography and Cancer Care
Poster  1574
This study assessed overall survival (OS) of patients with all cancers, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and lung cancer while assessing distance from each county to the one (NCI-CC) in Georgia. Researchers conclude that disparity in cancer care exists between geographic conditions.




Black and white disparities in triple negative breast cancer ... Nurses’ Health Study

Poster 1655
This study examined disparities in triple negative breaset cancer by socioeconomic position, reporductive factors and diabete.  " observed racial differences in TNBC diagnoses may be at least partially mediated by differences in socioeconomic position and reproductive patterns, namely breastfeeding."
 
Breast and cervical cancer screening disparities among transgender patients
Poster 7024
About 1 million Americans identify as transgender. Limited primary care access and poor adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening are evident for transgender populations.


I look forward to next year's annual meeting whose theme was announce by incoming ASCO President , Dr Lori Pierce. 
We as advocates have a role to play to insure all patients receive appropriate and timely cancer care.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing! 

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