A study commissioned by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) projects a significant shortage of medical and gynecologic oncologists in the United States by 2020. The study found that an aging and growing population, increasing numbers of cancer survivors, and slower growth in the supply of oncologists will result in a shortage of 2,550 to 4,080 oncologists by 2020. At that time, the total supply of oncologists is projected to be roughly 12,500.

ASCO commissioned the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Center for Workforce Studies to conduct the study, which is the first comprehensive analysis of future supply and demand for oncologist services. A complementary study by Richard Cooper, MD (University of Pennsylvania) models demand for oncologist services based on economic trends. His findings project a similar shortage by 2020.

As a result of the study, ASCO has formed the Workforce Implementation Group to identify the specific actions ASCO should undertake to address the projected shortfall. The Group is chaired by Michael Goldstein, MD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston), and co-chaired by Dean Bajorin, MD (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York).  Recommendations will be issued later this year.

An overview of the study was published in ASCO’s Journal of Oncology Practice. Additionally, ASCO President, Gabriel Hortobagyi, MD, FACP (MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston), published the Society’s response to the study in ASCO’s Journal of Clinical Oncology.

For additional information or to provide feedback please email workforce@asco.org

Related Material:

IOM to Host Workshop on Oncology Workforce - On October 20-21, the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) will host a workforce conference, “Ensuring Quality Cancer Care through the Oncology Workforce: Sustaining Research and Care in the 21st Century.” Dean F. Bajorin, MD, and Michael A. Goldstein, MD, co-chairs of ASCO’s Workforce Advisory Group, will both participate in the panel discussions.

ASCO Statement to Senate HELP Committee. ASCO submitted a statement to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on health care workforce issues on February 12, 2008. Additional information on the hearing is available on the Committee's website.

Workforce Study Slide Presentation. The Workforce Study was presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting 2007. The presentation is available for download. If you would like to alter this presentation, please contact workforce@asco.og. 

Workforce Study. AAMC Center for Workforce Studies Report to ASCO: Forecasting the Supply of and Demand for Oncologists.

Brief Overview of Study. Future Supply and Demand for Oncologists: Challenges to Assuring Access to Oncology Services as published in the Journal of Oncology Practice.

ASCO Presidential Commentary.A Shortage of Oncologists? The American Society of Clinical Oncology Workforce Study by Dr. Gabriel Hortobagyi in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Alternate Demand Methodology. The Medical Oncology Workforce: An Economic and Demographic Assessment of the Demand for Medical Oncologists and Hematologist-Oncologists to Serve the Adult Population to the Year 2020, a study by Dr. Richard Cooper.

ASCO Press Release

Roster of ASCO's Workforce Implementation Group