Cancer treatments are advancing steadily, but the supply of cancer doctors isn’t, USA Today reports.
The United States could face a shortage of as many as 4,080 oncologists by 2020, according to a report from the American Society for Clinical Oncology.
Factors contributing to the impending shortfall include the aging of the U.S. population (cancer is more prevalent among older adults), retiring oncologists, and — shockingly — a growing number of female oncologists. Apparently, studies show female cancer doctors see fewer patients than their male counterparts.