The Global Breast Cancer Disparity
Strategies for Bridging the Gap
- Jonas A. de Souza, MD;
- José Bines, MD
- Author Affiliations: Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, and Global Health Initiative, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Dr de Souza); and Instituto Nacional de Câncer, INCA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Dr Bines).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- BREAST NEOPLASMS
- DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
- DRUG THERAPY
- HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES
- PUBLIC HEALTH
- WOMEN'S HEALTH
- WORLD HEALTH
It is estimated that, by the year 2020, 70% of patients with cancer will live in countries that have less than 5% of the resources available for care of patients with cancer.1 Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide and is a prototype of global cancer disparity. While breast cancer mortality is decreasing in developed countries, it continues to increase in low- and middle-income countries (LMCs). The age-adjusted survival rate from breast cancer ranges from 32% in sub-Saharan Africa to 81% in the United States.1 This disparity results from several factors, mostly related to disease biology and access to screening and effective treatments.1
Selective aromatase inhibitors, the taxanes, and targeted therapies (trastuzumab, lapatinib) are pharmacological treatments that have been proven effective and are widely available in developed nations. These novel agents carry substantial price tags and are mostly cost-prohibitive in LMCs. While these scientific …
