Equitable access to treatment and early detection, main challenges for cancer in the country
SANTO DOMINGO. - La lack of preventive education, early detection, access to treatments, coverage in health services and promoting the active participation of patients in decision-making, are the main challenges facing the Dominican Republic in the fight against cancer.
This was stated by the president of the Fundación un Amigo como Tú, Juan Manuel Pérez, who shared his experience as a survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma during the discussion "Comprehensive vision and challenges of cancer in the Dominican Republic", made in the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).
Pérez indicated that, added to the emotional impact of receiving the diagnosis and the lack of information about the causes of the disease, cancer patients face late diagnoses and insufficient coverage in medicines and services.
In the conversation, organized by the Dominican Society of Oncology, the Fundación un Amigo como Tú and the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo, the most recent statistics of the pathology in the Dominican Republic were exposed; In addition to presenting advances in cancer management through artificial intelligence, biotechnology and immunotherapy, precision medicine, the role of multidisciplinary medical teams, among other relevant topics.
In this regard, Dr. Mariel Pacheco del Castillo, pathologist and master's degree in Molecular Oncology; recognized that in recent years there has been an improvement in the application of diagnostic techniques and the use of precision medicine to improve the efficiency of treatment and patient care.
"Today, the goal of cancer treatment should be to restore a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being in patients and not just eradicate the tumor burden," said Pacheco del Castillo, who also highlighted advances in artificial intelligence as a tool support to make diagnoses, the improvement of liquid biopsy and the development of a greater number of targeted therapies and immunotherapies that apply biotechnology.
Likewise, Dr. Miguel Monanci, president of the Dominican Society of Oncology, indicated that the best strategy in the fight against cancer is multidisciplinary management; in prevention controls, early detection and equal access. “According to data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the region of the Americas could incur a 55% increase in people diagnosed with cancer by 2040, if more prevention measures are not taken,” he added.
The panel seeks to offer a space for hope, meeting and reflection on cancer with the participation of various key actors such as doctors, patients, caregivers, NGOs, the public sector and the scientific-academic community.
Every year during the month of February, World Cancer Day is commemorated, a pathology that currently represents the first cause of death in the world.[1]
The agenda for the fight against cancer 2022-2024 seeks to focus on reducing the gap in terms of access to treatment and care for all patients. "Unite our voices and take action" is the specific theme of this 2023.[2]
"In 2020, cancer claimed the lives of approximately 10 million people, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization.[3]. Therefore, it is crucial to join efforts and undertake joint actions to combat this disease. For this, it is essential to reduce disparities and raise awareness among the population"[4].
For its organizers, the conversation is a specific action towards the objective of fairer care for all patients in the Dominican Republic, within the framework of the three-year plan of World Cancer Day and the International Union against Cancer.
Nationwide Cancer Data
Advances in specialized medical treatments to treat patients' pathologies and increase their life expectancy, as well as the emergence of a culture of prevention of different types of cancers in the country have been a constant in recent years. Considering this context, it is estimated that the probability of premature death due to cancer per year will be reduced to 5.48% by 2030.[5]
The most recent data available in the World Cancer Observatory corresponding to the year 2020, indicates that breast cancer in our country had an incidence of 17.2% compared to a 13.0% mortality; while prostate cancer had higher figures, with 24.3% of new cases and 14.4% of deaths. [6]
As for lung cancer, the deadliest of all[7], estimates indicate that in 2040 approximately 2,600 new cases will be diagnosed in the Dominican territory[8]. In reference to other less common types of cancer, but with a high mortality rate, such as ovarian cancer, for example, in which the figures indicate an incidence of 0.70% and a mortality rate of 0.82%.[9]
References
[1] World Health Organization. "Cancer". Access: February 20, 2023 https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
[2] World Cancer Day. Access: February 20, 2023. https://www.worldcancerday.org/es/tema-dela-campana-por-unos-cuidados-mas-justos
[3] World Health Organization. "Cancer". Access: February 20, 2023 https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
[4] World Cancer Day. Access: February 20, 2023https://www.worldcancerday.org/es/tema-dela-campana-por-unos-cuidados-mas-justos
[5] World Health Organization. Cancer Country Profile 2020. Accessed: January 31, 2023
[6] World Health Organization. Cancer Country Profile 2020. Accessed: January 31, 2023
[7] World Health Organization. Cancer Country Profile 2020. Accessed: January 31, 2023
[8] World Health Organization. Cancer Country Profile 2020. Accessed: January 31, 2023
[9] World Cancer Observatory. "Dominican Republic". Access: January 31, 2023 https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/214-dominican-republic-fact-sheets.pdf