Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Care in Low-Resource Settings
Summary
Breast cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in low-resource settings, where limited infrastructure, workforce shortages and socioeconomic constraints impede early detection and effective management. Women frequently present with advanced-stage disease due to a combination of patient-level delays, such as lack of awareness and cultural beliefs, and system-level delays, including scarce screening services and diagnostic facilities. Geographic distance from specialised centres exacerbates inequities, with rural populations facing prolonged travel times and higher out-of-pocket costs. Treatment options are often restricted to basic surgery and first-line chemotherapy, with few centres offering radiotherapy or targeted therapies. Strengthening primary care pathways, deploying portable diagnostic tools, adopting community-based education and telepathology, and expanding cancer registries are critical strategies to downstage disease, increase treatment completion and improve survival outcomes.
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Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Care in Low-Resource Settings publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in breast cancer diagnosis and care in low-resource settings across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Geospatial barriers: Delay in diagnosis or treatment arising from physical distance or travel time to healthcare facilities.
Cancer staging: System for categorising tumour size and spread at diagnosis, from early (Stage I and II) to advanced (Stage III and IV).
Key performance indicators (KPIs): Standardised metrics such as time to diagnosis and treatment completion used to monitor and compare breast cancer care.
Multimodal treatment: Use of two or more therapeutic approaches—commonly surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy—to manage breast cancer.
References
- Geospatial disparities in survival of patients with breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa from the African Breast Cancer-Disparities in Outcomes cohort (ABC-DO): a prospective cohort study. The Lancet Global Health (2024).
- Feasibility of monitoring Global Breast Cancer Initiative Framework key performance indicators in 21 Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance member countries. EClinicalMedicine (2023).
- Analysis of the Breast Cancer Journey in Namibia. JAMA Network Open (2023).
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