Addressing Health Disparities in Hematologic Malignancies: from Genes to Outreach

Hematologic malignancies exhibit disparities in risk and outcomes across populations. A systematic review to identify prospective studies addressing disparities among patients with hematologic malignancies with an intervention or analysis at any level in the “Cells-to-Society” model identified few studies and demonstrated literature gaps, which experts have supplemented with relevant citations. This review presents current research on diagnosis, treatment, and survival disparities and explores the roles of biology, cancer centers, community outreach, patient advocacy, and policies. Emphasis is placed on multilevel collaborative approaches to promote equity in healthcare delivery and improve survival. Significance: This review underscores our shared responsibility to champion multidimensional strategies rooted in basic and translational science, community involvement, and societal responsiveness for a meaningful impact. Unifying themes include the need to enhance collaborative infrastructure to engage laboratory researchers, epidemiologists, data scientists, clinicians, patients, community leaders, and policymakers; patient-level support services; outreach, education, and navigation for patients at the community level; recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in the healthcare and research workforce; and funding for these efforts.