In the U.S., care deserts exist across specialties and geographic areas. Represented in a variety of ways, cancer care deserts arise when patients are unable to access appropriate treatments, screenings and clinical trials. 

Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Health has broken ground on the Dean and Barbara White Cancer Center.

Cancer researchers at the New York City-based Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine have developed a new AI tool aimed at improving prostate cancer diagnosis and care.

Los Angeles-based UCLA Health has amassed the largest collection of sarcoma patient-derived tumor organoids to date, allowing researchers to study and replicate tumor response to drug therapies, according to a study published Sept. 20 in Cell Stem Cell.

Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Cancer Institute has joined Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Cancer's Certificate in Community Outreach and Engagement program alongside select cancer centers across the U.S.

The Oregon Nurses Association recently said it is "hopeful" a new cancer center in Redmond will be adequately staffed; the union previously expressed reservations in that regard. The facility is part of Bend, Ore.-based St. Charles Health System.

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries used what amounted to $8,718 less in resources than traditional Medicare beneficiaries within six months of beginning chemotherapy treatment, according to a study published Sept. 20 in JAMA Network Open. 

Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine will establish the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer after receiving a $25 million gift from the Weiser Charitable Foundation.

Infections account for an estimated 13% of all cancer cases globally, the American Association for Cancer Research found, but more work is needed to help patients prevent these infections, The New York Times reported Sept. 18.

Cancer survivors with overweight and obesity showed a 13.9% increased risk of developing a second cancer and a 33.2% increased risk of developing a second cancer related to obesity, according to a study published Sept. 17 in JAMA Open Network. 

Forty percent of all cancers are associated with modifiable risk factors, though there has been a 33% decline in the cancer death rate between 1991 and 2021, according to the American Association for Cancer Research's annual Cancer Progress Report. 

Cancer cases in adults under 50 have been rising in recent years, and alcohol consumption may be one factor contributing to the rise, The New York Times reported Sept. 18.

Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope has received a $150 million gift to fund pancreatic cancer research, the single largest gift in the health system's history, from philanthropists A. Emmet Stephenson Jr. and Tessa Stephenson Brand.

As pharmaceutical innovation for oncology care continues to grow, here are four updates to know:

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City has appointed two oncology chiefs. 

Karen Knudsen, PhD, CEO of both the American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, will transition from the organizations.

Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center and drugmaker AstraZeneca are collaborating to accelerate the development of CAR-T cell and T cell receptor therapies. 

Individuals are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and psychological illness after a family member is diagnosed with cancer, according to a study published Sept. 9 in Cancer.

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University, both based in Houston, have partnered to launch a new operational research initiative aimed at improving cancer care operations with data. 

Surgeons at the Camden, N.J.-based MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper employed noninvasive, histotripsy technology for the treatment of liver cancer, becoming one of 20 cancer centers in the world to offer the treatment.