Highlights From Volume 40, Number 6 Oncology Issues

This month, the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) wraps up the 40th volume of Oncology Issues, a peer-reviewed, bimonthly journal for the entire multidisciplinary cancer care team. This issue emphasizes collaboration, whether between oncology and other medical specialties, between surgeons, or between the cancer care community and policy makers. Read on for a preview of all the articles that can be found in this last issue of the year.

A New Frontier—Where Women’s Health Meets Oncology

As cancer becomes more prevalent among women under age 50, health care systems are recognizing the need to develop integrated, patient-centered programs tailored to this population. This article explores the intersection between women’s health and oncology, addressing the full continuum of care from prevention to survivorship. 

Authors Tessa Kerby, MBA, MPH, and Matt Cox, MPH, advocate for a lifecycle-based care model. This strategy recognizes that common points of connection between women and the health care system, such as adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause, are opportunities for early detection, prevention, and education. Read the full article for perspectives and actionable steps that reframe women’s health as a strategic front door to oncology.

Together As One: Advancing Joy, Resilience, and Peer Support in Oncology Care

Burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress are daily realities faced by oncology providers. As the field of cancer care confronts workforce shortages and a growing patient population, it is vital that staff receive support and resources to handle these challenges with resilience. In response, Advocate Health developed the Best Place to Care initiative, which elevates provider and staff well-being and satisfaction as strategic imperatives for the health care organization.

This model supports staff through critical programming, tools, and resources to create profound and sustainable improvements in well-being. “I believe that embracing well-being as a cultural shift sparks leadership development, resources, and programs that affirm and uplift the humanity of our clinicians and all teammates,” said Mila Felder, MD, FACEP, enterprise vice president of Teammate Well-Being at Advocate Health. In this article, Advocate Health shares the institutional framework and individual initiatives driving a more resilient workforce.

Efficiency and Safety of the Dual Surgeon Bilateral Mastectomy Approach

Dual surgeon approaches are used across surgical specialties, including breast cancer care, but there is a lack of data evaluating the efficiency and productivity of using 2 surgeons for bilateral mastectomies. This study addresses that gap by comparing overall operative time and the number of cases scheduled per day between single surgeon and dual surgeon bilateral mastectomies through a retrospective analysis of cases at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. The study also compares complication rates between primary and secondary surgeon sides for dual surgeon procedures.

The findings suggest that a dual surgeon approach can increase efficiency for the surgical team and reduce the time patients spend in the operating room. Methods, data, and discussions from the study authors also provide important insights into the benefits of this surgical collaboration for both patients and the care team.

Heart and Healing: Embedding Pharmacists in Cardio-Oncology Clinics 

As more patients are surviving cancer and managing their disease as a chronic condition, providers are faced with challenging comorbidities that result from chemotherapy and other treatments. Cancer programs are seeing a growing need for cardio-oncology services due to the cardiovascular adverse effects associated with certain targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

In this article, Oncology Issues spoke with Marcela W. Heiss, PharmD, BCOP, clinical oncology pharmacist at St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, about the exciting potential for pharmacists in the cardio-oncology setting. Heiss discusses her cancer center’s 4-week pilot project integrating pharmacists into this setting, and how their knowledge of oncolytic therapies, drug interactions, and toxicity management proves integral to patient care.

From Awareness to Advocacy: Missouri’s Fight Against Radon Exposure

Exposure to radon, a known human carcinogen, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the US and the leading cause of cancer in nonsmokers, yet the risk it poses is poorly understood in the general population. There is also a lack of federal laws or mandates regulating radon and inconsistencies in state and local policies, leaving communities across the country at risk.

To increase radon testing and mitigation, a group of cancer prevention experts developed the Missouri Radon Risk Reduction Model, built on community outreach, education, and advocacy. This graphic-rich article illustrates the state of radon policy in Missouri, education and awareness interventions, and advocacy efforts that aim to reduce lung cancer rates through policy change.

Shared Solutions for Rural Oncology: Insights Across the Americas

Recognizing the need for global collaboration among the cancer community, ACCC hosted its second annual Global eXchange panel at the ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference. Discussion was rooted in practical, real-world solutions to barriers faced by patients living in rural areas.

Jacqueline Galica, PhD, RN, OCN, from Queen’s University in Canada, Yanin Chávarri-Guerra, MD, from the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán in Mexico, and Enrique Soto Pérez-de-Celis, MD, PhD, FASCO, from the University of Colorado Cancer Center in the US, talked candidly about common challenges across borders in North America. Read the full article for transferrable tips and key takeaways regarding community engagement, navigation programs, education and capacity building, and culturally tailored outreach.

Collaborative Care: A Solution for Providing Optimal Psychosocial Oncology Care

Providing timely, effective psychosocial support to patients navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment remains a critical challenge for cancer programs. The Collaborative Care Model offers a scalable, system-level solution to the growing mental health crisis in oncology. This article explores the insights gained from 2 recent ACCC webinars on implementing this model, including learnings from the rollout at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Beyond the Features

In addition to the feature articles, Oncology Issues includes columns from Editor-in-Chief Krista Nelson, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW, FAPOS, FACCC, and 2025-2026 ACCC President Una Hopkins, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, RN, FACCC. Contributors also provided articles on projected effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on patients with cancer, guidance on reviewing your cancer center’s compliance plan, navigating revenue cycle management in oncology, and a spotlight on ACCC Program Member Quincy Medical Group Cancer Institute. Read the full Oncology Issues and share with your colleagues to take advantage of all the insights this issue has to offer the multidisciplinary team.