Abstract:
Breakthroughs in our global
fi
ght against cancer have been achieved. However, this progress has
been unequal. In low- and middle-income countries and for speci
fi
c populations in high-income
settings, many of these advancements are but an aspiration and hope for the future. This review
will focus on health disparities in cancer within and across countries, drawing from examples in
Kenya, Brazil, and the United States. Placed in context with these examples, the authors also draw
basic recommendations from several initiatives and groups that are working on the issue of global
cancer disparities, including the US Institute of Medicine, the Global Task Force on Expanded
Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries, and the Union for International
Cancer Control. From increasing initiatives in basic resources in low-income countries to rapid
learning systems in high-income countries,
the authors argue that beyond ethics and equity
issues, it makes economic sense to invest in global cancer control, especially in low- and
middle-income countries.
