AMA President-Elect Dr. Willie Underwood Leads Policy Panel at National Summit on Cancer Health Disparities

“We are responsible for this,” Dr. Willie Underwood proclaimed bluntly, addressing a room filled with clinicians, researchers, and advocates at the Summit on Cancer Health Disparities in Seattle, Washington. “All forms of inequality are unjust. But inequality in health is the most shocking, because it results in physical death.”

Despite progress in cancer care, the benefits have not reached everyone. Over 600,000 Americans die from cancer each year, with disproportionately higher burdens among racial and ethnic minorities, rural communities, those in persistent poverty, and members of sexual and gender minority groups. Dr. Underwood asserts that policy solutions must confront these disparities in all their complexity.

On April 25- 27, the annual continuing medical education, Summit on Cancer Health Disparities (SCHD), gathered eminent leaders in oncology and health equity to deliberate on the best practices to improve cancer care delivery and outcomes. Organized by an oncology nonprofit, Binaytara, SCHD is one of the few conferences in the United States that addresses issues at the intersection of health equity and innovations in cancer care and delivery.

Dr. Underwood chaired the Session entitled “The Role of Policy in Supporting Cancer Health Equity.” This session deep-dived into the foundational premises and moral imperatives that underlie health outcomes in communities, particularly the underserved. With profound reminders of social injustices, economic burdens, and ineffective financial structures, the auditorium resounded with immediate calls to action. Dr. Underwood underscored this point, saying, “We are the ones driving the car. If it’s heading in the wrong direction, that’s on us. If we fail to look out for the welfare of our citizens, we have failed. Tactics without strategy? That’s just the noise before defeat. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must act.”

Following his keynote address, Dr. Underwood steered a panel discussion featuring medical malpractice attorney and founding partner at LawMD, Archie L. Rich II, along with the Suzy Yuan-Huey Hung Endowed Professor of Medical Oncology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Mark Pegram. The dialogue that ensued at the panel posed impactful questions that forced the audience to look at the issues of cancer equity from a new perspective. From the corporatization of healthcare to the prioritization of prevention in policies, Dr. Underwood evoked a sense of urgency and shared responsibility among attendees to reimagine a healthcare system rooted in justice, equity, and collective action.

Drawing on the vision of the president of Binaytara, Dr. Shah, Dr. Underwood stressed the importance of community engagement and outreach, stating, "To build more efficient paths to justice, start where you are. Find your access point. Reach out. Have the courage, like Dr. Shah, to inspire others to do the same."

In his closing remarks, Dr. Underwood emphasized that even with structural reforms, like new care models or universal health coverage, inequities will persist unless we confront discrimination and flawed payment systems head-on. He challenged the audience to imagine what a truly just, high-quality healthcare system looks like, and to identify the levers needed to make it real. Dr. Underwood further pointed out the imbalance in policy influence, noting that underfunded efforts cannot compete with powerful lobbying forces. “If physicians contributed just a few dollars a day to advocacy, we would have the resources to shape the system we believe in,” he said. “If we say this is the system we want, then we have to build it. No one else will. The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”