World Cancer Day: Oncology leaders share practical advice to ‘close the care gap’
World Cancer Day will be observed Feb. 4.
Union for International Cancer Control created World Cancer Day in 2000 to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of cancer to ensure early detection and treatment, encourage elected representatives to commit ample resources to reduce cancer mortality, and increase awareness that lifestyle behaviors can have a considerable effect on cancer risk.
The theme of this year’s observance — “Close the Care Gap” — is intended to increase awareness about inequities in cancer care.
This is the second year of a 3-year campaign designed to highlight barriers related to socioeconomic factors, stigma and discrimination that prevent many people from around the world from accessing potentially life-saving preventive services, screening, treatment and care.
In conjunction with World Cancer Day, Healio asked key opinion leaders in oncology and hematology to share one piece of practical advice to help the clinical community close the gap, with the goal of reducing disparities in cancer treatment and outcomes.
Watch this video to hear the following clinicians and researchers share their advice: Rayne H. Rouce, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine; Samer Al Hadidi, MD, MS, of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Ana Maria Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP, FRCP, of Jefferson Health New Jersey and Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center; Amar U. Kishan, MD, of UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center; C. Jillian Tsai, MD, PhD, of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Sophia George, PhD, of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Electra Diane Paskett, PhD, of The Ohio State University College of Medicine; Shakira J. Grant, MBBS, of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO, of Lifespan Cancer Institute and Brown University.