Status of the Clinician Investigator in America: An Essential Healthcare Provider Driving Advances in Cancer Care

Authors:
Randall F. Holcombe University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii;

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Claire F. Verschraegen The Ohio State University, Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio;

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Andrew E. Chapman Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

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David Gaffney Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah;

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Richard M. Goldberg WVU Cancer Institute, Morgantown, West Virginia;

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Ruben A. Mesa Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas;

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Mohammed Milhem Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa;

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Martha Mims The Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas;

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Edith P. Mitchell Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

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Dan Mulkerin University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, Wisconsin; and

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Srinivasan Vijayakumar University of Mississippi Medical Center Cancer Institute, Jackson, Mississippi.

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Volume/Issue:
Volume 19: Issue 2
Online Publication Date:
02 Feb 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2020.7685
Restricted access

Background: Translation of basic discoveries to clinical care for patients with cancer is a difficult process greatly enabled by physician-trained researchers. Three categories of physicians, with responsibilities spanning from laboratory and preclinical research to direct patient care, are involved in the translational research continuum: physician-scientist (PS), clinician investigator (CI), and academic clinician (AC). Methods: To define how protected time for research efforts is supported, the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) conducted a survey of their member institutions, obtaining 56 responses documenting time spent in research and clinical activities across multiple cancer disciplines, and providing information about funding streams for the different categories of cancer physicians. Results: Responses showed that PSs and ACs are minimally involved in clinical research activities; the driver or clinical research in academic cancer centers is the CI. A significant concern was a lack of stable funding streams for nonbillable clinical research activities, putting the sustainability of the CI in jeopardy. Limited funding was derived from hospital sources, with most support derived from cancer center sources. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of the CI in translational cancer medicine and represents a call to action for institutions and research funding agencies to develop new programs targeted toward CI support to ensure continued progress against cancer.

Submitted October 1, 2020; accepted for publication November 4, 2020.

Disclosures: The authors have disclosed that they have not received any financial consideration from any person or organization to support the preparation, analysis, results, or discussion of this article.

Correspondence: Randall F. Holcombe, MD, MBA, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, 701 Ilalo Street, Suite 600, Honolulu, HI 96813. Email: rholcombe@cc.hawaii.edu
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Print ISSN:
1540-1405
Online ISSN:
1540-1413
Publisher:
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Cover Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
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Copyright:
Copyright © 2021 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2021
Page Numbers:
4
Article Category:
Brief Report
Received:
01 Oct 2020
Accepted:
04 Nov 2020
Print Publication Date:
01 Feb 2021
Online Publication Date:
02 Feb 2021

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