OnCo
termsTerm

Oncology workforce

There are not enough oncologists, radiation therapists, pathologists, oncology nurses and pharmacists for the growing number of patients, in rich countries and especially in poor ones; burnout, geography and training pipelines shape who receives care.

ASCO projected a shortage of ~2,200 US oncologists by 2025 as demand grows ~40% with ageing and survivorship while supply grows ~25%; ~20% of Americans live in rural areas with <7% of oncologists (ASCO State of the Oncology Workforce). Burnout affects 45-60% of oncologists. Globally, many LMICs have fewer than one oncologist per million people; radiation oncology, medical physics, pathology (≤1 pathologist per million in parts of Africa) and oncology nursing are the scarcest. Responses: advanced practice providers, team-based care, telehealth, task-shifting to nurses and general physicians with protocols, international training partnerships (AORTIC, ASCO International, IAEA), AI-assisted pathology and radiotherapy planning, and retention strategies. The workforce is a rate-limiting factor for every advance listed in this graph.

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