Cancer in the developing world: a call to action

Annals of Oncology, 2010

ABSTRACT The article is a joint effort of a number key opinion leaders in cancer and it describes how we can use some of the lessons learned in the fight against HVI/AIDS in the fight against cancer in developing countries. Lessons highlighted are: Access to treatment is mandatory, cancer prevention and treatment must be mainstreamed in the health system in order to provide enough access, and advocacy and education is a must.

Virology & Mycology, 2018

Worldwide, one in eight deaths is due to cancer. Cancer causes more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined [1]. When countries are grouped according to economic development, cancer is the leading cause of death in developed countries and the second leading cause of death in developing countries [2]. Rates of cancers common in Western countries will continue to rise in developing countries if preventive measures are not widely applied [3-5]. Projections based on the GLOBOCAN 2012 estimates predict a substantive increase to 19.3 million new cancer cases per year by 2025, due to growth and ageing of the global population. Incidence has been increasing in most regions of the world, but there are huge inequalities between rich and poor countries. More than half of all cancers (56.8%) and cancer deaths (64.9%) in 2012 occurred in less developed regions of the world, and these proportions will increase further by 2025 [6]. By 2030, the global burden is expected to grow to 21....

The Lancet, 2010

Substantial inequalities exist in cancer survival rates across countries. In addition to prevention of new cancers by reduction of risk factors, strategies are needed to close the gap between developed and developing countries in cancer survival and the eff ects of the disease on human suff ering. We challenge the public health community's assumption that cancers will remain untreated in poor countries, and note the analogy to similarly unfounded arguments from more than a decade ago against provision of HIV treatment. In resource-constrained countries without specialised services, experience has shown that much can be done to prevent and treat cancer by deployment of primary and secondary caregivers, use of off -patent drugs, and application of regional and global mechanisms for fi nancing and procurement. Furthermore, several middle-income countries have included cancer treatment in national health insurance coverage with a focus on people living in poverty. These strategies can reduce costs, increase access to health services, and strengthen health systems to meet the challenge of cancer and other diseases. In 2009, we formed the Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries, which is composed of leaders from the global health and cancer care communities, and is dedicated to proposal, implementation, and evaluation of strategies to advance this agenda.

ecancermedicalscience, 2019

Background: Kenya, like most other developing countries, is undergoing an epidemiologic shift of disease patterns characterized by an increasing prevalence of cancer and other non-communicable diseases straining health care resources which were mainly intended for communicable diseases. We describe the development of sustainable cancer prevention and control programs at Moi University and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Western Kenya. Methods: The cancer prevention and control program at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital was started by volunteer nurses and clinicians in 2005 in response to a high prevalence of AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. Chemotherapy was donated by a local drug store until 2007 when Eli Lilly pharmaceuticals from Indianapolis in the USA started helping the program through the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH). Due to good response rates of patients with AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma, and lobbying by volunteers, the service became a formal department of Moi Teaching and Referral hospital in 2008. Results: The department has now grown to become the second largest public cancer centre in the country registering about 9000 patient visits per year. In addition, staff have now specialized in various areas such as medical oncology, palliative care, surgical oncology, nursing and gynaecology oncology. Conclusions: The development of a medical oncology program requires a multidisciplinary team focused on integration within existing programs and expansion of collaborative networks in order to provide the best care to patients.

Annals of Oncology, 2006

The burden of cancer in developing countries is growing and threatens to exact a heavy morbidity, mortality, and economic cost in these countries in the next 20 years. The unfolding global public health dimensions of the cancer pandemic demand a widespread effective international response. The good news is that the majority of cancers in developing countries are preventable, and the efficacy of treatment can be improved with early detection. Currently, the knowledge exists to implement sound, evidence-based practices in cancer prevention, screening/early detection, treatment, and palliation. It is estimated that the information at hand could prevent up to one-third of new cancers and increase survival for another one-third of cancers detected at an early stage. To achieve this, knowledge must be translated into action. To facilitate the call to action in the fight against cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a comprehensive approach to cancer control. The WHO has produced many valuable guidelines and resources for the effective implementation of national cancer control programs. Several milestones in the WHO's efforts include the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, and global strategies for diet and exercise, reproductive health, and cervical cancer. This review examines the strategies and approaches that have successfully resulted into global action to confront the rising global burden of cancer in the developing world.

2019

Key Message 1: Cancer Burden Has A Broad Social, Economic, And Political Impact. New cancer cases and cancer deaths are anticipated to at least double in Africa by 2030, reaching 1.28 million new cancer cases and 970,000 cancer deaths[1]. Cancer takes a substantial toll on the financial security, quality of life and the future well-being of patients and their families. In African culture, burden on families is particularly great, as family members help pay illness costs. Additionally, mothers of children affected with pediatric cancers carry a disproportionate share of caretaking burden, and face challenges from missing work to transportation costs and marital instability. Key Message 2: Research Is Essential To Effective And Cost-Efficient Cancer Control. Research forms the bedrock of health care policy in many international countries and translating research into health practice has been shown to improve patient safety and treatment outcomes[26]. In international settings, locally relevant cancer research has led to substantial cost savings in care. Allocating cancer research funding with respect to the societal burden each type of cancer imposes leads to high impact clinical and policy interventions[27]. Key Message 3: Collaboration Provides Opportunities to Gain Cutting Edge Knowledge. Collaboration with other African governments and regional or international bodies provides opportunities for mentorship and information exchange. In 2015, 473

Journal Africain du Cancer / African Journal of Cancer, 2012

Cancer in sub-Saharan Africa is a latent public health crisis. Its burden is expected to increase, as people in this region live longer with reduced risk of death from infectious diseases and increasingly adopt lifestyles that include tobacco use, unhealthy diet, the harmful use of alcohol and reduced physical activity. Promotion of healthy lifestyles including anti-tobacco and alcohol legislation, immunization, early diagnosis by screening target populations and surveillance and monitoring are available to stem this tide. Alarm must be raised now, before it is too late. Africa can avoid a significant proportion of the cancer scourge that lies ahead. This requires the development and implementation of proactive national cancer prevention and control programmes, which are guided by sound scientific evidence. Governments and partners need to grasp the importance of the growing cancer burden in the region and reflect this awareness in their budget and funding policies as recommended in the African Regional Strategy for Cancer Prevention and Control.

The creation and implementation of national cancer control plans is becoming increasingly necessary for countries in Africa, with the number of new cancer cases per year in the continent expected to reach up to 1·5 million by 2020. Examples from South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, and Rwanda describe the state of national cancer control plans and their implementation. Whereas in Rwanda the emphasis is on development of basic facilities needed for cancer care, in those countries with more developed economies, such as South Africa and Nigeria, the political will to fund national cancer control plans is limited, even though the plans exist and are otherwise well conceived. Improved awareness of the increasing burden of cancer and increased advocacy are needed to put pressure on governments to develop, fund, and implement national cancer control plans across the continent.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: The problems of cancer are increasing in low-and middle-income countries (LMCs), which now have significant majorities of the global case and mortality burdens. The professional oncology community is being increasingly called upon to define pragmatic and realistic approaches to these problems.