MD, MSc, FASCO
Richard M. Goldberg Distinguished Professor in Medical Oncology
Professor of Public Health, Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health
Co-Leader, UNC Lineberger Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program
Director, Cancer Outcomes Research Program
Chief of Oncology
Physician-in-Chief, North Carolina Basnight Cancer Hospital
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program
Meet Ethan Basch
Area of Interest
I am a medical oncologist and health services researcher focused on developing methods to bring the patient perspective into cancer clinical research and routine care delivery. For over a decade, my group has developed and implemented patient-reported outcome (PRO) tools in these contexts, and worked closely with public and private agencies to effect policy changes based on our findings. My goal in these efforts is to foster inclusion of PROs in product development and FDA labels. Without such information, we cannot adequately understand people’s experiences during treatment, or make informed treatment decisions. It is my hope that bringing the patient voice into clinical research and care delivery processes will lead to safer drug development, improved quality of care, enhanced patient-clinician communication, and better patient experiences with disease and treatment.
Awards and Honors
- Clinical Innovation Award (UNC Lineberger’s e-PRO initiative), Healio & City of Hope, 2025
- OncLive Giants of Cancer Care Award, 2024
- Elected to Board of Directors, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2019
- Elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), 2018
- Awarded the Ware/Tarlov Career Achievement Prize in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures, Health Assessment Labs, 2017
- Ware/Tarlov Career Achievement Prize, 2017
- Visiting Scholar, University of Birmingham, England, 2017
- Visiting Scholar, Dartmouth University, 2016
- Appointee, Board of Scientific Advisors, National Cancer Institute, 2012
- Visiting Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 2012
- Board of Directors, International Society for Quality of Life Research, 2011
- Federal Appointee, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Methodology Committee, 2011
- Career Development Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2006
- Research Investigator Award, Cancer and Leukemia Group B, 2004
- Carbone Young Investigator Award, Geriatric Oncology Consortium, 2004
- Merit Awards, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2004-2006
- Collins Research Award, Harvard Medical School, 1997
- Lally Research Scholarship, Harvard University, 1996
- Albert Schweitz Fellowship, 1996
- Fulbright Scholarship, 1989
- Baker Research Fellowship, Brown University, 1989
- Phi Beta Kappa, Magna cum laude, 1989
News and Stories

Building tools to help doctors better track patient symptoms, improve outcomes
Digital reporting technologies created by UNC Lineberger researchers are now being used in North Carolina and across the country to improve care and outcomes for cancer patients.

UNC Lineberger faculty and trainees present research, receive honors at cancer research meeting
UNC Lineberger faculty and trainees presented research findings and participated in panel discussions at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago.
