A new study indicates that the number of practicing oncologists (that is, doctors who specialize in cancer diagnoses and treatments) will not keep pace with the expected increased needs for their services by the year 2020. Although it is expected that the number of oncologists to practice in this specialized field of medicine in the future will increase, the rate will be too slow. The "Workforce Study" conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology Task Force in collaboration with the Association of American Medical Colleges Center surveyed and analyzed data from various sources, which is being summarized and published as an article in the March issue of the "Journal of Oncology Practice." "It is very important that the results of the study are looked at not as a problem only for medical oncology," stated the Task Force Chair, Michael Goldstein, M.D. "It really presents a challenge for the whole cancer care delivery system, including nurses, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pharmacists, and anyone who participates in the care of patients with cancer," added Goldstein. According to the projected shortfall, an all-inclusive strategy must be initiated to make sure that all Americans requiring the need for oncology services in the future will be met. Cancer is secondary only to heart disease as the leading causes of death in the U.S. Cancer causes more than a million deaths annually.