Transforming cancer care and prevention: raising awareness still matters
MPP student Angel Mauricio Ibañez, who has experience in health research, policy and advocacy, outlines how we can identify barriers for cancer prevention and early detection and move towards better outcomes for people across the world.
Every year on February 4th, World Cancer Day is observed to raise awareness and mobilise people in the fight against this disease.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, responsible for approximately 9.6 million deaths worldwide. So which interventions can improve how we treat cancer patients, and prevent it in the first place?
The scale of the challenge
As the world’s population gets older, the burden of cancer is also growing. By the mid-2030s, it is projected that there will be 265 million people aged 80 or older, exceeding the number of infants under one year of age. By 2080, the population over 65 years will surpass those under 18 years old.
As a result, projections indicate that new cancer cases worldwide will rise by 70% by 2045. The expected increase is particularly significant in Africa, followed by Latin America and Asia. Lung cancer represents the highest number of projected cases globally for both men and women.
Overcoming barriers to prevention and early detection
One of the main challenges in cancer control is the lack of access to prevention and early detection services. The WHO Universal Health Coverage and Cancer Survey indicates that only 39% of participating countries cover basic cancer care as part of their publicly funded health services. As of 2021, 61 out of 194 countries had no national cancer prevention program, with 50% of these countries located in Africa according to WHO statistics.
In Latin America, 67% of countries report having universal health coverage, yet 40% require women to pay for breast and cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, over half of countries in the region face challenges in monitoring cancer patients, further complicating efforts to continue delivering the treatment.
Some types of cancer, such as cervical cancer, are preventable through HPV vaccination. In fact, the WHO aims to ensure that 90% of girls are fully vaccinated against HPV before the age of 15 as part of its Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem. Last October, a fourth HPV vaccine was approved by the WHO. Since July, 61 countries around the world have expanded their HPV vaccination programs to include both adolescent boys and girls. Additionally, new vaccines are being developed to help the immune system identify and attack cancer cells at early stages.
AI is playing an increasingly important role in cancer research and treatment, with applications ranging from expediting cancer screening, detection, and diagnosis to accelerating cancer drug discovery, facilitating cancer surveillance and improving access to cancer care. Researchers from Harvard Medical School have developed CHIEF (Clinical Histopathology Imaging Evaluation Foundation), an AI model similar to ChatGPT, capable of detecting cancer cells and predicting a tumour’s molecular profile.
Financial mechanisms for high-cost treatments
Several countries have introduced innovative financing mechanisms to ensure equitable access to costly cancer treatments. Uruguay’s National Resources Fund acts as a reinsurance system for high-cost treatments, funded by contributions from public and private insurance providers as well as government allocations. This approach helps distribute financial risk while ensuring universal access to essential treatments.
In Nigeria, the Cancer Health Fund was established through a public-private partnership, allowing the population to access innovative cancer technologies since 2021.
The UK’s Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) has, since 2016, facilitated access to new cancer drugs through collaboration between the National Health Service (NHS), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and pharmaceutical companies. Under this model, new drugs are provided to patients while additional data is collected to assess their long-term effectiveness before routine funding decisions are made.
The way forward
Significant progress has been made in cancer prevention and treatment, particularly through technological advancements and financial models that ensure access to high-cost therapies. However, even delivering services will improve, one of the most crucial public policies steps still remains in raising awareness and encouraging individuals to seek out preventive health services.
Angel Mauricio is a Peruvian Government scholar.