Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategies
Cancer survivorship has become a critical global health issue, with survival rates on the rise in both high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cancer survivors, encompassing individuals from diagnosis onward, face unique and complex health challenges that necessita...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1601483/full |
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| author | Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos Guilherme Falcao Machado Guilherme Falcao Machado Cassiano Pereira de Barros Cassiano Pereira de Barros Victor Piana de Andrade Rui Monteiro de Barros Maciel Lucas Leite Cunha Lucas Leite Cunha Lucas Leite Cunha |
| author_facet | Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos Guilherme Falcao Machado Guilherme Falcao Machado Cassiano Pereira de Barros Cassiano Pereira de Barros Victor Piana de Andrade Rui Monteiro de Barros Maciel Lucas Leite Cunha Lucas Leite Cunha Lucas Leite Cunha |
| author_sort | Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cancer survivorship has become a critical global health issue, with survival rates on the rise in both high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cancer survivors, encompassing individuals from diagnosis onward, face unique and complex health challenges that necessitate tailored care. In HICs, survival rates have increased due to advances in diagnosis and treatment, prompting robust survivorship programs addressing late effects and long-term quality of life. In LMICs, however, disparities in healthcare access, infrastructure, and support systems hinder comparable progress in survivorship care, particularly outside urban areas. LMIC survivors often contend with financial barriers, limited access to follow-up care, and significant psychosocial and rehabilitative gaps. Specialized survivorship centers are rare, and resources for addressing late effects are constrained, impacting survivors' long-term wellbeing. Emerging studies, primarily from middle-income nations, identify late effects such as endocrine and metabolic disorders, though robust, comprehensive data remain scarce. For childhood cancer survivors, late effects like chronic viral infections and cognitive impairments are documented, yet systematic follow-up remains limited. To bridge these gaps, LMICs require innovative care models, such as non-profit partnerships and community-based interventions, to meet the complex needs of survivors. In Brazil, we've highlighted successful programs including the Mais Médicos program for increased care capacity and DATA-SUS as a model registry. This review synthesizes available literature on cancer survivorship in LMICs, evaluating challenges and successful practices across diverse regions. Addressing these needs is crucial for improving survivorship care, particularly in regions where socioeconomic disparities amplify the challenges of post-cancer recovery. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0af8d22335db4185a2a19bb90b33a3c8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-0af8d22335db4185a2a19bb90b33a3c82025-08-20T02:40:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-07-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.16014831601483Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategiesGustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos0Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos1Guilherme Falcao Machado2Guilherme Falcao Machado3Cassiano Pereira de Barros4Cassiano Pereira de Barros5Victor Piana de Andrade6Rui Monteiro de Barros Maciel7Lucas Leite Cunha8Lucas Leite Cunha9Lucas Leite Cunha10Emergency and Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular and Translational Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilEmergency and Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular and Translational Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilEmergency and Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular and Translational Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilA.C.Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular and Translational Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilEmergency and Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular and Translational Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilA.C.Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, BrazilCancer survivorship has become a critical global health issue, with survival rates on the rise in both high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cancer survivors, encompassing individuals from diagnosis onward, face unique and complex health challenges that necessitate tailored care. In HICs, survival rates have increased due to advances in diagnosis and treatment, prompting robust survivorship programs addressing late effects and long-term quality of life. In LMICs, however, disparities in healthcare access, infrastructure, and support systems hinder comparable progress in survivorship care, particularly outside urban areas. LMIC survivors often contend with financial barriers, limited access to follow-up care, and significant psychosocial and rehabilitative gaps. Specialized survivorship centers are rare, and resources for addressing late effects are constrained, impacting survivors' long-term wellbeing. Emerging studies, primarily from middle-income nations, identify late effects such as endocrine and metabolic disorders, though robust, comprehensive data remain scarce. For childhood cancer survivors, late effects like chronic viral infections and cognitive impairments are documented, yet systematic follow-up remains limited. To bridge these gaps, LMICs require innovative care models, such as non-profit partnerships and community-based interventions, to meet the complex needs of survivors. In Brazil, we've highlighted successful programs including the Mais Médicos program for increased care capacity and DATA-SUS as a model registry. This review synthesizes available literature on cancer survivorship in LMICs, evaluating challenges and successful practices across diverse regions. Addressing these needs is crucial for improving survivorship care, particularly in regions where socioeconomic disparities amplify the challenges of post-cancer recovery.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1601483/fullcancer survivorshiplow-and middle-income countries (LMICs)late effectshealth disparitiesquality of life |
| spellingShingle | Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos Gustavo Rodrigues dos Anjos Guilherme Falcao Machado Guilherme Falcao Machado Cassiano Pereira de Barros Cassiano Pereira de Barros Victor Piana de Andrade Rui Monteiro de Barros Maciel Lucas Leite Cunha Lucas Leite Cunha Lucas Leite Cunha Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategies Frontiers in Public Health cancer survivorship low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) late effects health disparities quality of life |
| title | Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategies |
| title_full | Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategies |
| title_fullStr | Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategies |
| title_short | Cancer survivorship in low- and middle-income countries: challenges, needs, and emerging support strategies |
| title_sort | cancer survivorship in low and middle income countries challenges needs and emerging support strategies |
| topic | cancer survivorship low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) late effects health disparities quality of life |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1601483/full |
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