Community Solutions Closing Gaps in Breast Cancer Care: Anasuya Gunturi, MD, PhD

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Across the breast cancer continuum, persistent gaps in care delivery often stem from barriers beyond the clinic walls, according to Anasuya Gunturi, MD, PhD, medical director of the cancer center and chief of hematology/oncology at Lowell General Hospital in Massachusetts, which serves a community that is culturally diverse and traditionally blue-collar.

Although interpreter services help bridge language differences, other challenges persist. “There’s a high no-show rate to my clinic, unfortunately,” Gunturi says, “and if we take the time to delve into what happened, it’s oftentimes transportation issues, confusion—‘I didn’t know I had an appointment’, even though it’s on the portal. They’re not technically savvy, or English is not their main language.”

Although health systems increasingly use technology to improve efficiency, these tools don’t always reach patients who lack digital literacy or consistent access. “That’s what I see on a daily basis,” Gunturi adds.

To address these obstacles, the Lowell community rallies each year through TeamWalk, a citywide fundraising event that has become a lifeline for local patients. “What is so special about it is that everybody shows up,” Gunturi says. “Many of them walk in memory of loved ones who lost their lives to cancer or those who are still fighting the fight.”

The event has raised up to $700,000, with every dollar dedicated to patient support. Funds cover transportation to treatments, co-pays for medications before insurance coverage begins, and other urgent needs—such as wigs or other essentials not reimbursed by insurance. “They are very specific about what this money can be used for,” Gunturi notes, “and I’m so glad that they are so strict, because that means that the patients get it.”

These local efforts highlight a broader truth: Innovation in cancer treatment must be matched by access initiatives. “Community partnerships, policy changes at the government level, fundraising, partnership with insurance companies to come up with ways to deliver these drugs to patients at a low cost—I think all of the above needs to happen,” Gunturi emphasizes. “Not just publishing better and newer drugs, but making sure that they actually reach everyone.”