Low-cost breast, cervical cancer interventions could save thousands of women
Scientists say that low-cost health interventions, costing as little as US$1.72 per person, could help prevent the deaths of hundreds of thousands of women in developing countries all over the world from breast and cervical cancer.
Every year, almost 800,000 women die of cervical and breast cancer, with two-thirds of breast cancer deaths and 9 out of 10 cervical cancer deaths in developing countries, according to a study.
Some diagnostic and treatment options such as mammography and radiotherapy are often not available in poor countries, but several low-cost interventions have a potential to save lives, the scientists said.
In a statement, Ophira Ginsburg from the University of Toronto, said that there is a widespread misconception that breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatments are too difficult and expensive, especially for women in resource-poor countries where the burden of these diseases is highest.
“But nothing could be further from the truth. Recent estimates suggest that a basic cancer control package could be introduced in low- and middle-income countries for as little as US$1.72 per person – equivalent to just 3% of current health spending in these countries,” Ginsburg said.
Breast and cervical cancer kill nearly three times as many women each year than complications from pregnancy and childbirth, the scientists from University of Toronto, University of Cape Town and King’s College London, said.
With the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer expected to almost double to 3.2 million in 2030 and the number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer projected to rise by at least a quarter to over 700,000, the scientists warned the cost of inaction will be “huge”.
They said human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination of girls in the world’s poorest countries over a period of four years could prevent 600,000 deaths from cervical cancer.
Low- and middle-income countries receive just 5% of global funding for cancer and persistent under investment has exacerbated the problem.
Reducing inequalities and improving cancer survival for women should be seen as a part of international commitments to achieve universal health coverage, they added.
They recommended immunizing 70% of girls against HPV by 2030 and enabling access to early diagnosis and treatment to all women with breast cancer.
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