For oncology nurses, quality cancer care isn’t just about individualizing care for your patients, following local and national guidelines to the letter, or educating patients and family members to get them through their cancer diagnosis. Those are critical components to great cancer care, but tangible and intangible elements impact oncology as well.

Beyond the emotional complexities of end-of-life care, a multitude of cultural nuances and differences can affect the care that oncology nurses need to provide to their patients and family members. As the face of the healthcare team, oncology nurses are often called on to navigate this delicate area within the cancer continuum.

Oncology nursing has certain universal truths: Your patients are going to need care. They’re going to need advocates, educators, and support systems to help them face their cancer diagnoses. Whether you work in a town that’s as American as apple pie or the Kingdom of Bhutan in the Eastern Himalayas, oncology nurses are at the ground level providing patient-centered care that leads to positive outcomes.

According to the results of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, African American and Hispanic patients with ovarian cancer who lived in Texas were more likely to receive invasive or toxic treatment and be admitted to intensive care in their final month of life than their Caucasian counterparts.

By 2035, it’s expected that 22 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed annually around the world. The global burden of cancer care and treatment is something that affects all nations and cultures. Through collaboration, understanding, and a dedication to forging new relationships, oncology professionals from around the world are coming together to fight for their patients and colleagues on February 4, 2017, for World Cancer Day.

Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) experience a disproportionate burden of cancer. Although NHOPI make up only 1% of the U.S. population, they comprise 26% of Hawai‘i residents. The reasons for cancer health disparities in NHOPI include higher prevalence of tobacco use and obesity, lower income, lower rates of insurance coverage, and lower access to care than Caucasians.

For the first time, the incidence of breast cancer among African American women in the United States is equal to that of Caucasian women, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.