JCO oncology practice
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JCO oncology practice · Aug 2020
Practical Considerations for Treating Patients With Cancer in the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Cancer has become a prevalent disease, affecting millions of new patients globally each year. The COVID-19 pandemic is having far-reaching impacts around the world, causing substantial disruptions to health and health care systems that are likely to last for a prolonged period. Early data have suggested that having cancer is a significant risk factor for mortality from severe COVID-19. ⋯ In the context of broad principles, issues including risks of treatment, principles of prioritizing resources, treatment of elderly patients, and psychosocial impact are discussed. Detailed treatment advice and options are given at a tumor stream level. We must maintain care for patients with cancer as best we can and recognize that COVID-19 poses a significant competing risk for death that changes conventional treatment paradigms.
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JCO oncology practice · Jun 2020
Racial Disparities in Health Care Utilization at the End of Life Among New Jersey Medicaid Beneficiaries With Advanced Cancer.
Racial and ethnic disparities in cancer care near the end of life (EOL) have been recognized, but EOL care experienced by Medicaid beneficiaries is not well understood. We assessed the prevalence of aggressive EOL care and hospice enrollment for Medicaid beneficiaries and determined whether racial and ethnic disparities exist. ⋯ The majority of Medicaid patients with advanced cancer received aggressive EOL care and were not enrolled in hospice. NH Black patients were more likely to receive aggressive EOL care. Further work to understand processes leading to suboptimal EOL care within Medicaid populations and among racial and ethnic minority groups is warranted.
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JCO oncology practice · Jun 2020
Gender Differences in Faculty Rank and Leadership Positions Among Hematologists and Oncologists in the United States.
Gender disparity persists in academic medicine. Female faculty are underrepresented in leadership positions and have lower research output. We studied gender differences in faculty rank and departmental leadership and contributing factors among academic hematologists and oncologists in the United States. ⋯ Gender disparity exists in senior ranks of academic hematology and oncology; however, gender is not a significant predictor in achieving professorship or department leadership position.