Access to Quality Cancer Care

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, with the majority of new cancer diagnoses occurring among those aged 65 and older (Siegel, Naishadham, & Jemal, 2012). Access to quality cancer care is the right of all people. Quality care demands safety; efficacy; timeliness; a patient-centered approach, coordinated by a multidisciplinary team; and the integration of evidence-based practice to continuously improve care (Institute of Medicine, 2011). Without essential services targeted at reducing cancer risk, morbidity, and mortality, patients with cancer may suffer from decreased quality of life or less-than-optimal outcomes. Those services are prevention, early detection, risk reduction, clinical trials, treatment, psychosocial care, and survivorship.