Equitable cancer care ensures that all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographic location, or other factors, have equal access to high-quality cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and supportive care services. It emphasizes fairness, justice, and the elimination of disparities in cancer outcomes.
Disparities in Cancer Care
Disparities in cancer care include differences in cancer incidence rates, treatment options, and survival outcomes among different demographic groups. Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location significantly influence these disparities.
Related: Equitable Cancer Care Workshop
Barriers to Equitable Cancer Care
These barriers include lack of health insurance, financial constraints, transportation issues, cultural beliefs and practices, language barriers, and limited access to healthcare facilities and providers. It also includes instances where individuals from disregarded communities face delays in diagnosis and treatment, receive suboptimal care due to cultural misunderstandings, or encounter financial barriers that limit their access to life-saving treatments.
Impact of Social Determinants of Health
Social determinants of health, such as income, education, employment, housing, and access to healthcare services, significantly influence cancer outcomes. Disadvantaged communities often experience higher rates of cancer incidence, later-stage diagnoses, and lower survival rates due to disparities in these social determinants.
