Emergency Cancer Care: inaugural editorial

Abstract

A 2017 National Health Service (UK) report emphasized the dramatic increase in ED presentations related to cancer and concomitant high rates of inpatient admissions—often associated with poor patient experience, poor coordination of care, poor communication, and fragmented patient care pathways [6]. While the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have been major federal funders of past emergency care research, the proposed 2022 budget for the National Cancer Institute approximates that of NHLBI and NINDS combined [7]. In addition to the evaluation and treatment of oncologic emergencies, including the prevention and management of treatment toxicities (e.g., chemotoxicity, radiotoxicity, post-surgical complications, transplant-related issues), the journal will address the emergency care provider’s role in primary and secondary prevention (e.g., smoking cessation, minimizing ionizing radiation, cancer screening).