Purpose: Cancer disparities are well documented among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, yet little is known about the characteristics of programs that serve these populations. Integrating specialized cancer care services within community settings is important for addressing the needs of historically marginalized populations. Our National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center initiated a clinical outreach program incorporating cancer diagnostic services and patient navigation within a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to expedite evaluation and resolution of potential cancer diagnoses with the goal of collaboration between oncology specialists and primary care providers in a historically marginalized community in Boston, MA.
Materials and methods: Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed from patients who were referred to the program for cancer-related care between January 2012 and July 2018.
Results: The majority of patients self-identified as Black (non-Hispanic) followed by Hispanic (Black and White). Twenty-two percent of patients had a cancer diagnosis. Treatment and surveillance plans were established for those with and without cancer at a median time to diagnostic resolution of 12 and 28 days, respectively. The majority of patients presented with comorbid health conditions. There was a high prevalence of self-reported financial distress among patients seeking care through this program.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the wide spectrum of cancer care concerns in historically marginalized communities. This review of the program suggests that integrating cancer evaluation services within community-based primary health care settings offers promise for enhancing the coordination and delivery of cancer diagnostic services among historically marginalized populations and could be a method to address clinical access disparities.