Understanding Social Vulnerabilities in Pediatric Cancer Care

Sometimes the biggest obstacle between a child and cancer treatment is not the tumor. It is a three-hour drive, a parent's lost paycheck, or a medical vocabulary no one has translated for the family. On this episode of the BackTable ENT & Allergy series on pediatric head and neck cancer, Dr. Jill D'Souza talks with pediatric oncologist Dr. Dylan Graetz and otolaryngology resident Dr. David Fei-Zhang, who both study how social vulnerability and health disparities shape cancer care. They define social vulnerabilities, name the ones they see most often, from financial hardship to language and health literacy, and share what helps: combined multidisciplinary clinics, patient navigators, and screening that starts before the first visit and repeats at every turning point in care.