Cancer Care Disparities: Overcoming Barriers to Cancer Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Open accessAbstract
The rising global burden of cancer disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which account for over half of new patients and cancer deaths worldwide. However, LMIC health systems face profound challenges in implementing comprehensive cancer control programs because of limited health care resources and infrastructure. This analytical review explores contemporary evidence on barriers undermining cancer control efforts in resource-constrained LMIC settings. We conducted a comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed evidence on cancer control challenges and solutions tailored to resource-limited settings. We provide a conceptual framework categorizing these barriers across the cancer care continuum, from raising public awareness to palliative care. We also appraise evidence-based strategies proposed to overcome identified obstacles to cancer control in the published literature, including task-shifting to nonspecialist health workers, strategic prioritization of high-impact interventions, regional collaborations, patient navigation systems, and novel financing mechanisms. Developing strong primary care delivery platforms integrated with specialized oncology care, alongside flexible and resilient health system models tailored to local contexts, will be critical to curb the rising tide of cancer in resource-limited settings. Urgent global commitments and investments are needed to dismantle barriers and expand access to prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliation services for all patients with cancer residing in LMICs as an ethical imperative. The review elucidates priority areas for policy actions, health systems strengthening, and future research to guide international efforts toward more equitable cancer control globally.
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Caregivers have a central role in cancer care, especially in low-resource settings in the United States and parts of Europe and in low-income to middle-income countries.
“Given the growing evidence regarding the interdependence of patient and caregiver well‐being 110 , 111 , 112 and caregivers' central role in cancer care, especially in low‐resource settings in the United States and parts of Europe and in low‐income to middle‐income countries, 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 133”
From Nonpharmacologic interventions for managing distress, anxiety, and depression for patients with cancer and their family caregivers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis (2026) · cites this paper as [128]
The Task-Sharing and Developing Primary Care Capacity section describes nurses, clinicians, and community health workers providing cancer services in LMICs, but does not address patients’ caregivers or their central role. Searches for caregivers and family support found only a reference about caregivers’ willingness to vaccinate children, not evidence for the claimed role in cancer care or the stated US and European settings. No page number was available for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.74)
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High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: time for a revolution
Kruk, M. E., Gage, A. D., Arsenault, C., Jordan, K., Leslie, H. H., Roder-DeWan, S., Adeyi, O., Barker, P., Daelmans, B., Doubova, S. V., et al. (2018) · The Lancet Global Health · doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(18)30386-3 · Cited by 4,057 · see citing works
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Research works printed but not linked: 7
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Schiess, L. C., Song, L. L., Schädelin, S., Fürst, T., Urech, C., Friese, C. R., & Katapodi, M. C. (2026) · CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · doi:10.3322/caac.70076
- Authors
- Bamodu, O. A., & Chung, C.-C.
- Affiliations
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (TZ)
- Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital (TW)
- Venue
- JCO Global Oncology
- Published
- 2024-08
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- e2300439-e2300439
- ISSN
- 2687-8941 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4401742040
- Cited by
- 147
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 90 · 2025: 55 · 2024: 2
- FWCI
- 9.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- JCO Global Oncology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Taipei Medical University (TMU111-AE1-B23)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advances in Oncology and Radiotherapy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Global Health and Surgery
- Keywords
- cancer care disparities, cancer control, low- and middle-income countries, barriers to cancer care, resource-constrained healthcare, task shifting, patient navigation, health care financing, primary care integration, palliative care, cancer prevention and early detection, health system strengthening
- MeSH terms
- Delivery of Health Care, Developing Countries, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Neoplasms, Healthcare Disparities
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