Cancer Care in Post-Roe America: How Do We Move Forward?

In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This ruling ended all federal protections for abortion, consequently reshaping the American healthcare landscape. Two years later, the impacts of this ruling on cancer care remain largely undiscussed. This reflection summarizes a literature review exploring the effects of the Dobbs decision on cancer treatment access in America. Articles were identified using databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Westlaw Campus Research, Nexis Uni, Google Scholar, and JSTOR. Search terms included cancer, drugs, Methotrexate, access, treatment delays, Roe v. Wade, Dobbs, post-Roe, abortion, abortion-inducing, maternal health, reproductive rights, and limitations. Thirty eligible articles, published in English from 2001 to 2024, were reviewed in full text. The findings of this reflection article highlight the urgent need for the oncology community to understand the potential impact of these changes and work collectively to ensure the equal access to women's cancer care.