Results from a leadership diversity survey conducted by AACI in partnership with The Cancer Letter (TCL) show that there is a long road ahead in confronting cancer disparities in the oncology leadership pipeline.
In an editorial published in the October 9 edition of TCL, AACI President Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, and Immediate Past President Roy A. Jensen, MD, shared their thoughts on the survey results. According to Drs. Knudsen and Jensen, the data suggest common challenges within and among underrepresented racial/ethnic and gender groups that inform our understanding of diversity and inclusion in cancer center leadership.
Of the 78 directors at AACI cancer centers who responded to the survey, 61 represent NCI-designated centers. One director identified as Black and 17 identified as either Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish; Middle Eastern or North African; Asian/Asian American; Pacific Islander; or multiracial. Gender identity among directors skewed heavily toward men, with 66 respondents identifying as men and 12 directors identifying as women.
Drs. Knudsen and Jensen remarked that the key to moving the needle on diversity in cancer center leadership is to bring individuals from underrepresented groups into the field from the beginning, especially when it comes to Black and/or African American individuals and women entering and moving through the leadership pipeline.
In their editorial, Drs. Knudsen and Jensen expressed their hope that the survey will provide a benchmark to compare progress toward goals for individual centers, and serve as the basis for meaningful dialogue.
Citing examples from a recent McKinsey & Company report, they noted that "enhancing diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but has been shown to provide significant enhancement of business performance across a wide breadth of industries." They issued a call to action for the leaders of AACI cancer centers to commit to actionable, measurable change, adding, "Mission statements are meaningless without concrete action."