Video
Dr. Anderson on the Unmet Need in Low- and Middle-Income Breast Cancer Care
Author(s):
Benjamin O. Anderson, MD, a surgical oncologist at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the biggest unmet need for patients with breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries.
Benjamin O. Anderson, MD, a surgical oncologist at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the biggest unmet need for patients with breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries.
The biggest need is to address the system’s obstacles, states Anderson. In countries with fewer resources, financial constraints are a big issue that needs to be managed. However, an even more significant problem is the systematic disorganization that is common in limited resource environments.
This is a problem because prior to 2011, infectious diseases were thought to be the primary health issue in low- and middle-income countries, explains Anderson. What is happening globally is that this is being overtaken by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), meaning heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and cancer. The World Health Organization has been tasked by the United Nations to address the NCDs.
