New Study Shows Growing Shortage of U.S. Oncologists Poses Risks to Women's Health

Analysis Identifies the 10 Major U.S. Cities Most Likely to Suffer a Shortage of Oncologists

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Doximity

Oct 30, 2019, 06:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Doximity, the largest professional medical network, released a new study that illuminates an emerging women's cancer care crisis. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. for women, exceeded only by heart disease1. Of those cancer deaths, breast and lung cancer are the top two deadliest for American women, making access to treatment a key concern for women's healthcare nationally.

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MSAs with the highest risk of an oncologist shortage.
MSAs with the highest risk of an oncologist shortage.

The demand for cancer treatment is expected to grow by 40 percent over the next six years and at the same time, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is projecting a shortage of more than 2,200 oncologists over the next six years2. The "2019 Women's Health and Oncologist Workforce Analysis" asses which U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) will be most severely impacted by the coming shortage of oncologists.

Top 10 MSAs most likely to suffer a shortage of oncologists in the coming years:

  1. Miami
  2. North Port, Fla.
  3. New York City
  4. Los Angeles
  5. Washington D.C.
  6. Detroit
  7. Hartford, Conn.
  8. Buffalo, N.Y.
  9. Las Vegas
  10. San Diego

"Cancer is one of the most pressing health issues that women face nationally. One out of every 17 U.S. women will develop lung cancer over the course of their lifetime and one out of every eight will develop invasive breast cancer," said Amit Phull, M.D. co-author of the report and Vice President of Strategy and Insights at Doximity. "If the growing shortage of oncologists is not addressed, it could have serious implications for large patient populations, especially in places where the shortages are predicted to be most acute."

Additional findings:

  1. There's an imminent wave of retiring oncologists: In several U.S. metros, there is a higher rate of breast and lung cancer among women, alongside a large number of oncologists nearing retirement age.
    • The metros with the highest percentage of oncologists who are 65 years old and older are: Miami; North Port, Fla.; New York City; Los Angeles; and Washington, D.C.
  2. Women on the east coast and in middle America hit hard with high rates of breast and lung cancer: To better understand workload demands for oncologists, rates of breast and lung cancer were examined per 100,000 people.
    • The metros with the highest number of women with breast cancer are: Buffalo, N.Y.; Pittsburgh, Penn; Rochester, N.Y.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Hartford, Conn.
    • The metros with the highest number of women with lung cancer are:  Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN; Syracuse, N.Y.; Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.; Winston-Salem, NC.; Knoxville, Tenn.

"By identifying where oncologist shortages may appear first, we can get a clearer view into how a shortage will impact local communities across the country; and particularly impact patients suffering from the most common forms of cancer," said Christopher Whaley, Ph.D., lead author of the report and adjunct assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

To read the full report, please click here.

Methodology
Doximity's study is drawn from CMS data, board certification data, and self-reported data on more than 18,000 full-time, board-certified oncology practitioners. Responses were mapped across metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). The top 50 MSAs which have the highest number of women with breast cancer were selected by the population of women above age 40, according to 2010 Census data. MSAs which have the highest number of patients with lung cancer across all ages were ranked by using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About Doximity
Founded in 2011, Doximity connects physicians and clinicians to make them more successful and productive. It is the largest professional medical network with over 70 percent of all U.S. physicians as members. The network enables medical professionals to communicate with colleagues and patients, and to share their perspectives on the latest health care trends and research. Doximity is based in San Francisco and was created by the founders of Epocrates and Rock Health. To learn more, visit www.doximity.com.

1 American Cancer Society. "Cancer Facts & Figures 2019." Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2019. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2019/cancer-facts-and-figures-2019.pdf 
2 Yang, Wenya et al. "Projected Supply of and Demand for Oncologists and Radiation Oncologists Through 2025: An Aging, Better-Insured Population Will Result in Shortage." Journal of Oncology Practice 10, no. 1 (January 1, 2014)

SOURCE Doximity

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