Study shows less than 20 pc of women in low and middle-income countries diagnosed with cancer at early stage

Under a fifth of women in low and middle-income countries having breast or cervical cancer are diagnosed at an early stage, compared to two in every five in high-income countries, according to a study published in The Lancet journal, highlighting disparities in cancer care around the world.

Too many women, especially in low and middle-income countries, are only diagnosed when their cancer is already advanced, reducing their chances of survival compared to women in wealthier nations.

The ‘VENUSCANCER’ study, led by researchers from the ‘Cancer Survival Group’ at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, analysed trends in care and treatment including diagnosis and compliance with international guidelines for more than 2,75,000 women across 39 countries. It covered women diagnosed with breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers between 2015 and 2018.

Lead author and researcher Claudia Allemani, a global public health expert at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said the study provided “largest and most detailed global population-based database for three of the most common cancers in women to date.”

“Population-based cancer registries are key to assessing and monitoring the consistency of treatment with clinical guidelines and their impact on the survival of patients with cancer,” Allemani said.

The researchers found that ovarian cancer is least likely to be diagnosed early across the world—at under 20 percent.

Ovarian cancer is often described as a ‘silent killer’ as “vague” symptoms, including abdominal pain and swelling, can go undetected for a long time, leading to late-stage diagnosis, the team said.

Further, surgery was generally offered to women with early-stage cancer in most countries, although not necessarily consistent with international guidelines, the team said.

Older women were less likely to be offered a treatment aligned with clinical guidelines, compared to younger women, the study found.

It also revealed that metastatic breast cancers—in which cancer has spread to other parts of the body—accounted for under 10 per cent in most high-income countries, but was more common in low and middle-income countries (two to 44 percent).

Governments should include a stable financial support for population-based cancer registries in under a cancer control plan, Allemani said.

“Evidence from this study should help to inform global policy on cancer control, including WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative and the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative,” she added.