| Abstract: |
Public health is defined as efforts that “[promote] and [protect] the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.” Public health impacts health outcomes at the population level and is made manifest in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care. Importantly, cancer affects public health at multiple levels in the United States and globally, with substantial impact on both the duration and quality of life of those diagnosed and treated for this common condition. Although cancer's effects on patients and their families are varied and individual, a greater understanding of cancer's consequences for large populations can inform practices, policies, and interventions that impact millions of people across the world. Therefore, research that informs population-level trends in cancer incidence, disparities in care access and delivery, and interventions that improve prevention, screening, treatment, and survivorship is critical. In oncology, public health plays a role across the cancer continuum: in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
