The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patients
Introduction: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) patients with cancer disproportionally present with more advanced stages of disease and have the worst cancer-specific survival rates of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. The presence of disparities in radiation therapy (RT) access for...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Advances in Radiation Oncology |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452109417301665 |
| _version_ | 1819098861828833280 |
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| author | Shearwood McClelland, III, MD Jennifer Leberknight, PhD B. Ashleigh Guadagnolo, MD, MPH C. Norman Coleman, MD Daniel G. Petereit, MD |
| author_facet | Shearwood McClelland, III, MD Jennifer Leberknight, PhD B. Ashleigh Guadagnolo, MD, MPH C. Norman Coleman, MD Daniel G. Petereit, MD |
| author_sort | Shearwood McClelland, III, MD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) patients with cancer disproportionally present with more advanced stages of disease and have the worst cancer-specific survival rates of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. The presence of disparities in radiation therapy (RT) access for AI/AN patients has rarely been examined.
Methods and materials: National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiatives toward addressing AI/AN disparities were examined. Additionally, an extensive PubMed literature search for studies investigating RT access disparities in AI/AN patients was performed.
Results: Literature describing RT access disparities for the AI/AN patient population is sparse, revealing only 3 studies, each of which described initiatives from the Walking Forward program, the NCI Cancer Disparity Research Partnership initiative to address barriers to cancer screening among AI populations in the Northern Plains region (eg, geographic remoteness and mistrust of health care providers). This program has used patient navigation, community education, and access to clinical trials for more than 4000 AI/AN patients to combat high cancer mortality rates. Over the course of its 15-year existence, the program has resulted in patients presenting with earlier stages of disease and experiencing higher cure rates. Lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related mortality in AI/AN patients, is the most recent and ongoing focus of the program.
Conclusion: The amount of information regarding RT access in AI/AN patients is limited, with nearly all peer-reviewed published progress in this area being associated with the Walking Forward program. Further initiatives from this program will hopefully inspire similar initiatives throughout the country to reduce the barriers to optimized cancer care that these patients face. Given the similarities with cancer disparities of populations worldwide, the AI/AN experience should be included within the broad issue of a global shortage of cancer care among underserved populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:37:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a92c4d6b5e744fb69fc679f852d94060 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2452-1094 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:37:43Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Radiation Oncology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a92c4d6b5e744fb69fc679f852d940602022-12-21T18:44:46ZengElsevierAdvances in Radiation Oncology2452-10942018-01-01313710.1016/j.adro.2017.08.010The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patientsShearwood McClelland, III, MD0Jennifer Leberknight, PhD1B. Ashleigh Guadagnolo, MD, MPH2C. Norman Coleman, MD3Daniel G. Petereit, MD4Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OregonWalking Forward Program, Rapid City, South DakotaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TexasInternational Cancer Expert Corps, Washington, DCWalking Forward Program, Rapid City, South DakotaIntroduction: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) patients with cancer disproportionally present with more advanced stages of disease and have the worst cancer-specific survival rates of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. The presence of disparities in radiation therapy (RT) access for AI/AN patients has rarely been examined. Methods and materials: National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiatives toward addressing AI/AN disparities were examined. Additionally, an extensive PubMed literature search for studies investigating RT access disparities in AI/AN patients was performed. Results: Literature describing RT access disparities for the AI/AN patient population is sparse, revealing only 3 studies, each of which described initiatives from the Walking Forward program, the NCI Cancer Disparity Research Partnership initiative to address barriers to cancer screening among AI populations in the Northern Plains region (eg, geographic remoteness and mistrust of health care providers). This program has used patient navigation, community education, and access to clinical trials for more than 4000 AI/AN patients to combat high cancer mortality rates. Over the course of its 15-year existence, the program has resulted in patients presenting with earlier stages of disease and experiencing higher cure rates. Lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related mortality in AI/AN patients, is the most recent and ongoing focus of the program. Conclusion: The amount of information regarding RT access in AI/AN patients is limited, with nearly all peer-reviewed published progress in this area being associated with the Walking Forward program. Further initiatives from this program will hopefully inspire similar initiatives throughout the country to reduce the barriers to optimized cancer care that these patients face. Given the similarities with cancer disparities of populations worldwide, the AI/AN experience should be included within the broad issue of a global shortage of cancer care among underserved populations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452109417301665 |
| spellingShingle | Shearwood McClelland, III, MD Jennifer Leberknight, PhD B. Ashleigh Guadagnolo, MD, MPH C. Norman Coleman, MD Daniel G. Petereit, MD The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patients Advances in Radiation Oncology |
| title | The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patients |
| title_full | The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patients |
| title_fullStr | The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patients |
| title_short | The pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the United States, part 2: American Indian patients |
| title_sort | pervasive crisis of diminishing radiation therapy access for vulnerable populations in the united states part 2 american indian patients |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452109417301665 |
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