ACCCBUZZ BLOG

From challenging misconceptions about breast cancer to incorporating paramedical tattooing for survivors after reconstruction, gather valuable takeaways from Oncology Issues in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used by cancer care professionals to streamline workflows, optimize screening, and identify the best treatment and survivorship plans for patients with cancer. Learn how the technology's potential is being harnessed in the breast cancer care space.

From mental health concerns to fertility preservation, adolescents and young adults with cancer require a specialized approach to treatment and survivorship care. In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, ACCC highlights a pivotal program from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and resources that meet the critical needs of these patients.

In recognition of Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, ACCC compiled a group of resources to help care teams navigate two of the most commonly diagnosed adult leukemias: acute myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

An at-home option for cervical cancer screening breaks down barriers to care and offers the same level of precision as screening in the clinic.

On June 1, 2026, CMS published its interim final rule (IFR), Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals in the Federal Register, followed by a public comment period, during which time ACCC submitted a comment letter requesting amendments to the IFR.

Decentralized clinical trial approaches, including remote consent, telehealth, local laboratory and imaging services, and more, can help reduce some of the many barriers that prevent eligible patients from participating in trials. But as the participants in ACCC’s Advancing Decentralized Clinical Trials in the Community Setting Roundtable Series emphasized, implementing DCT elements is not simply a matter of adopting new technology. Doing so successfully requires thoughtful workflows and oversight structures that consider equity, scalability, and sustainability.

From precision medicine to psychosocial care to navigation for a diverse population, the latest issue Oncology Issues brings insights into not just institutional and administrative barriers to treatment, but areas of care that directly impact the lived experience of those navigating the cancer care continuum.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, developed a novel Pre-Intake Navigation (PIN) program, which identifies and resolves early financial and insurance barriers, enabling patients to access timely, high-quality cancer care with less anxiety and fewer delays. PIN shifts financial navigation from a late-stage, reactive task to an early, standardized, patient‑centered process embedded in the call center workflow.

Understanding both the benefits to be had from offering BsAb therapy to its community and the scope of this undertaking, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center took a novel approach with its APP-led BsAb step-up dosing clinic, which won the program a 2026 ACCC Innovator Award.

At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Louisiana Oncology Society received the ASCO Jeffrey C Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award for advancing critical advocacy priorities that have translated into meaningful legislative victories. The Iowa Oncology Society and Washington State Medical Oncology Society were also recognized for their advocacy efforts in 2025 at the meeting, receiving second place awards.

Nationally, approximately 1 in 5 patients who qualify for CAR T-cell therapy never receive it due to geographic distance, travel burden, or limited availability at specialized inpatient centers. Recognizing a critical need in its community, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, launched the region’s first fully outpatient CAR T-cell therapy program for select blood cancers, fundamentally redefining how advanced cellular therapies can be delivered safely outside of a hospital setting and earning the program a 2026 ACCC Innovator Award.

To better reach its patients living in rural communities throughout Georgia with targeted interventions, 2026 ACCC Innovator Award winner Winship Cancer Institute developed an Embedded Community Staff model, which leverages the experiential knowledge of local community members.

2026 ACCC Innovator Award Winner UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center noticed a common pain point among patients who received oncolytic virus treatment for advanced melanoma: time spent in appointments. To minimize the need for multiple lengthy appointments, the center developed a pharmacist-led strategy that utilized virtual visits and premixing doses prior to in-person visits.

In a recent article from Oncology Issues, authors conducted a systematic literature review and found that two main drivers of care disparities exist for transgender and nonbinary individuals with cancer: rigid binary gender frameworks and gaps in mental health care.

2026 ACCC Innovator Award Winner St. Luke's Cancer Institute noticed a significant administrative burden being placed on providers to review medical necessity validation for complex oncology therapies. To address the resulting rise in peer-to-peer requirements, delays in care, and pre-service denials, the team designed and implemented a new Clinical Documentation Integrity Registered Nurse role.

ACCC launched its Precision Medicine Stewardship Program to highlight institutions that have successfully built the infrastructure, workflows, and leadership models needed to deliver precision medicine at scale. TriHealth Cancer and Blood Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers a compelling example of what it takes to move from aspiration to execution.

Although patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma now have more treatment options than ever, their journeys are often complex. As clinicians consider when to introduce newer therapies such as bispecific antibodies, they must account for prior treatments, treatment-related toxicities, and comorbidities that may impact treatment decisions.

Each year, the NCCN State Oncology Society Forum is thoughtfully organized to foster meaningful collaboration and forge common bonds to advance dignity and fair access to cancer care. In this blog, Sean T. McCarson shares key insights from stakeholders across the oncology policy landscape at this year's meeting.

The latest issue of Oncology Issues features key insights from the inaugural ACCC Leadership Summit, strategies to adjust to rising patient volumes and workforce strain, advanced practice leadership models, and more.

In the third in a series of multidisciplinary consensus-building roundtables, ACCC and its partners explored ways to bridge the gap between community oncology programs and authorized treatment centers offering CAR T for patients with multiple myeloma.

In a recent conversation with ACCC, Kevan Simms, MBA, PMP, Assistant Vice President of Precision Medicine at Ochsner Health, shared how his organization is building a scalable stewardship model that not only improves current oncology care but also prepares for the future.