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Current Oncology
Special Issues
Health Disparities and Outcomes in Cancer Survivors
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Health Disparities and Outcomes in Cancer Survivors

A special issue of Current Oncology (ISSN 1718-7729). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychosocial Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 970

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Claire Jungyoun Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
2. The Ohio State University–James: Cancer Treatment and Research Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Interests: cancer survivors; gastrointestinal (GI) cancers; chemotoxicity and symptom management; hospice and palliative care in vulnerable cancer populations; cancer health disparities in cancer survivorship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The landscape of cancer survivorship is rapidly evolving, marked by a substantial increase in the number of individuals living beyond their cancer diagnosis. Globally, it is estimated that there are over 20 million cancer survivors, a number projected to grow due to advancements in early detection and treatment modalities (American Cancer Society, 2023). This burgeoning population underscores the importance of addressing health disparities that persist among different socio-demographic groups of survivors. Despite progress in oncology care, disparities in health outcomes such as quality of life, symptom management, caregiver burden, facilitating return to normal life and work, cancer rehabilitation, and access to supportive services remain prevalent among cancer survivors. This Special Issue will feature original research, reviews, and novel case reports that advance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of health disparities and propose solutions to improve these disparities among cancer survivors across diverse populations.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Cancers.

Dr. Claire Jungyoun Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Current Oncology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer survivorship
  • quality of life
  • social behavioral determinants of health (SBDH)
  • health disparities
  • symptom management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
Biological Aging and Chemotoxicity in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Secondary Data Analysis Using EHR Data
by Claire J. Han, Ashley E. Rosko, Jesse J. Plascak, Alai Tan, Anne M. Noonan and Christin E. Burd
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(8), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32080438 - 5 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background: Biological aging influences cancer outcomes, but its changes during chemotherapy and impact on chemotoxicity in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain underinvestigated. We examined (1) trajectories of biological aging (using Levine Phenotypic Age) during six months of chemotherapy, (2) sociodemographic and clinical risk [...] Read more.
Background: Biological aging influences cancer outcomes, but its changes during chemotherapy and impact on chemotoxicity in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain underinvestigated. We examined (1) trajectories of biological aging (using Levine Phenotypic Age) during six months of chemotherapy, (2) sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for biological aging, and (3) links between biological aging and chemotoxicity. Methods: Using data from electronic health records (2013–2019) from 1129 adult CRC patients, we computed biological aging (raw Levine Phenotypic Age and its age acceleration [Levine Phenotypic Age–chronological age]) from routine blood tests (e.g., complete blood counts, hepatorenal/inflammatory markers). Chemotoxicity was identified primarily via International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 and -10) codes. Results: Chemotherapy accelerated biological aging over time. Biological aging at baseline and changes over time predicted chemotoxicity. However, changes in biological aging over time showed stronger associations than baseline biological aging. Advanced cancer stages, higher comorbidity burden, and socioeconomic disadvantage (especially area-level deprivation) were associated with accelerated biological aging at baseline and over time. Biological aging occurred across both young and older adults. Conclusions: Levine Phenotypic Age, computed from routine blood tests in EHRs, offers a feasible clinical tool for aging-related chemotoxicity risk stratification. Validation in diverse cohorts and the development of predictive models are needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Disparities and Outcomes in Cancer Survivors)
20 pages, 345 KiB  
Article
Collecting Data on the Social Determinants of Health to Advance Health Equity in Cancer Care in Canada: Patient and Community Perspectives
by Jacqueline L. Bender, Eryn Tong, Ekaterina An, Zhihui Amy Liu, Gilla K. Shapiro, Jonathan Avery, Alanna Chu, Christian Schulz-Quach, Sarah Hales, Alies Maybee, Ambreen Sayani, Andrew Pinto and Aisha Lofters
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(7), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32070406 - 16 Jul 2025
Viewed by 507
Abstract
Despite advances in cancer care, disparities persist. The collection of the social determinants of health (SDOH) is fundamental to addressing disparities. However, SDOH are inconsistently collected in many regions of the world. This two-phase multiple methods study examined patient and community perspectives regarding [...] Read more.
Despite advances in cancer care, disparities persist. The collection of the social determinants of health (SDOH) is fundamental to addressing disparities. However, SDOH are inconsistently collected in many regions of the world. This two-phase multiple methods study examined patient and community perspectives regarding SDOH data collection in Canada. In phase 1, a survey was administered to patients at a cancer centre (n = 549) to assess perspectives on an SDOH data collection tool. In phase 2, broader perspectives were sought through a community consultation with patient partners experiencing structural inequality (n = 15). Most participants were comfortable with SDOH data collection. Of survey respondents, 95% were comfortable with the collection of language, birthplace, sex, gender, education, and disability, and 82% to 94% were comfortable with SES, sexual orientation, social support, and race/ethnicity. Discomfort levels did not differ across subgroups, except women were more uncomfortable disclosing SES (OR: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.26, 3.19). Most (71%) preferred face-to-face data collection with a healthcare professional and only half were comfortable with storage of SDOH in electronic health records. Open-ended survey responses (n = 1533) and the community consultation revealed concerns about privacy, discrimination, relevance to care, and data accuracy. SDOH data collection efforts should include a clear rationale for patients, training for providers, strong data privacy and security measures, and actionable strategies to address needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Disparities and Outcomes in Cancer Survivors)
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