Journal article
A survey of cancer affiliate network hubs in the US: goals, composition, resources, and evaluation
Cancer causes & control, Vol.36(12), pp.1919-1926
12/2025
DOI: 10.1007/s10552-025-02070-8
PMCID: PMC12630224
PMID: 40987993
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
Community hospitals play a critical role in cancer care delivery across the US but face challenges in providing needed services and specialized expertise. Cancer affiliate networks, i.e., formal/informal relationships between a large cancer center (hub) and community cancer centers (affiliates), can potentially improve quality in small hospitals where many Americans receive care. However, published descriptions of these networks are lacking. Thus, we aimed to identify and describe cancer networks across the US.
We assembled a listing of US-based cancer affiliate networks using a formal web searching strategy and surveyed hub representatives regarding network goals, composition, services/resources, and methods for evaluating success.
Sixteen of 21 identified networks responded to the survey. All networks focused on improving access/delivery of high-quality cancer care at affiliate sites with common goals that included improving access to services, supporting quality improvement, and recruitment for clinical trials. Networks often included multiple healthcare systems; few had financial ownership over affiliates; and most had participation requirements (e.g., accreditation). Hubs extended a variety of specialized services/resources to affiliates (e.g., clinical trials, genetic counseling, virtual tumor boards). Approaches to evaluation and quality improvement varied.
We found that cancer affiliate networks generally aimed to improve access and delivery of high-quality cancer care, with considerable variation in the activities used to achieve and evaluate progress toward these goals. As networks continue to operate and emerge, research is needed to identify best practices for optimizing networks' influence on the quality of care in resource-constrained hospitals and enabling effective scaling of the cancer affiliate network model.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A survey of cancer affiliate network hubs in the US: goals, composition, resources, and evaluation
- Creators
- Madison M Wahlen - University of IowaMary C Schroeder - University of IowaPamela Y Bojorquez - Loyola University ChicagoSarah A Birken - Wake Forest UniversityJason T Semprini - Des Moines UniversityJessica S Gorzelitz - University of IowaAaron T Seaman - University of Iowa, General Internal MedicineLeila Sadri - University of Alabama at BirminghamKristy Broman - United States Department of Veterans AffairsIngrid M Lizarraga - University of IowaMary E Charlton - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Cancer causes & control, Vol.36(12), pp.1919-1926
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10552-025-02070-8
- PMID
- 40987993
- PMCID
- PMC12630224
- NLM abbreviation
- Cancer Causes Control
- ISSN
- 0957-5243
- eISSN
- 1573-7225
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Grant note
- R01CA254628 / NCI NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 09/23/2025
- Date published
- 12/2025
- Academic Unit
- Health Management and Policy; Epidemiology; Surgery; Pharmacy Practice and Science; Center for Social Science Innovation; Obstetrics and Gynecology; General Internal Medicine; Community and Behavioral Health; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology ; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984966546102771
Metrics
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