A young woman's battle with breast cancer reveals a shocking disparity in healthcare access. Reshma's story begins with a desperate search for a life-saving drug, Herceptin, a breakthrough for HER2-positive breast cancer. This aggressive form of cancer involves overproduction of a protein that accelerates cancer cell growth, but targeted therapies can block it, offering high survival rates with early detection.
But here's the catch: the drug's high cost delayed her treatment. Reshma's journey took her from Mahabaleshwar to Pune, where she found help at an NGO, the Prashanti Cancer Care Mission. Dr. C B Koppiker, the mission's founder, explains that they had a fund to support patients like Reshma, ensuring she received timely treatment. This, along with supportive therapies, aided her quick recovery.
The Lancet study highlights a critical issue: early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for cancer patients, boosting cure rates significantly. However, socio-economic factors, limited education, and remote screening centers in rural areas hinder early detection. Despite recent improvements, the study reveals a stark contrast: while 40% of women in high-income countries are diagnosed early, this drops to 20% in low and middle-income countries.
The study's lead author, Prof. Claudia Allemani, emphasizes the need for easy access to care and therapy. Universal health coverage, she suggests, could address social, economic, and geographic disparities in cancer care in India. The VENUSCANCER project's findings support this, showing that early-stage detection is significantly lower in low and middle-income countries for breast and cervical cancers.
Ovarian cancer, too, is often diagnosed late in these countries. The study also reveals longer waits for surgery after diagnosis for all three cancers in low and middle-income countries. With these cancers accounting for 34% of all cancers in women in 2018, the need for prompt access to optimal treatment is vital.
Population-based cancer registries are essential tools in this fight. Prof. Allemani aims to include Indian data in future studies. These registries collect data on all cancer patients in a specific area over time. In India, the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases includes population-based screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancers, but participation is low. Prof. Allemani suggests training non-specialized doctors to recognize early symptoms and using mobile screening units to increase participation. With the recent introduction of the HPV vaccine in India, education and awareness about early detection and prevention are crucial.
And this is the part that might spark debate: is the healthcare system doing enough to ensure equal access to life-saving treatments? What steps should be taken to bridge the gap in cancer care between high-income and low-middle-income countries? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
