Women, Power and Cancer: Lancet | 30 Sep 2023

Source: IE

Why in News?

Recently, The Lancet Global Health has released a report titled-“Women, Power and Cancer”, which highlights how societal apathy towards women’s health has delayed their access to Cancer prevention.

What is the Methodology of the Study?

• This study estimated premature deaths at ages 30–69 years and distinguished these as deaths that are preventable or treatable in 185 countries worldwide.
• For this population-based study, estimated Cancer deaths by country, cancer, sex, and age groups were retrieved from the International Agency for Research on Cancer's GLOBOCAN 2020 database.
• Crude and age-adjusted cancer-specific Years of Life Lost (YLLs) were calculated for 36 cancer types.

What are the Findings of the Report?

• Cancer-Related Mortality and Burden:
  • In 2020, there were 5.28 million premature cancer-related deaths worldwide, occurring between the ages of 30 and 69.
  • These premature deaths resulted in a significant burden of 182.8 million years of life lost (YLLs), accounting for 68.8% of the total YLLs from cancer across all age groups.
• Preventable and Treatable Deaths:
  • Among the premature YLLs, 68% were deemed preventable, achievable through primary prevention or early detection efforts.
  • The remaining 32.0% YLLs were considered treatable, where effective evidence-based treatment with curative intent could reduce mortality.
• Gender Disparities:
  • Men experienced a higher proportion of preventable premature YLLs compared to women (70.3% for men vs. 65.2% for women).
  • However, the proportion of treatable premature YLLs was higher for women than for men (34.8% for women vs. 29.7% for men).
• Human Development Index (HDI) and Mortality:
  • Countries with lower HDI levels had greater proportions of YLLs at premature ages compared to very high HDI countries.
  • Lung cancer was a major contributor to preventable premature YLLs in medium to very high HDI countries, while cervical cancer led in low HDI countries.
  • Colorectal and breast cancers were major treatable cancers across all tiers of HDI.

What are the Key Highlights of the Study Pertaining to India?

• Cancer Deaths Among Women in India:
  • Nearly 63% of cancer deaths among women in India could have been prevented by reducing risk factors, screening, or early diagnosis.
  • 37% of deaths could have been averted with appropriate and timely treatment.
• Challenges and Factors Affecting Cancer Care for Women:
  • Societal apathy towards women’s health, lack of awareness, and absence of quality expertise at the primary care level delayed access to cancer prevention, detection, and care for women.
• Gender Gap and Discrimination in Healthcare:
  • Because of Gender Inequity in cancer care, a woman's health concerns were dismissed or ignored.
  • Women are less likely to be in a position of power and may face difficulty in determining their care due to gender bias and discrimination.
• Leading Risk Factors Among Women in India:
  • The top three cancers among women in India are Breast, Cervical, and Ovarian Cancers.
  • One woman dies from cervical cancer every eight minutes.
• Infection continues to be the biggest risk factor for cancer in Indian women, contributing to 23% of deaths.
  • Infections that increase the risk of cancers include the HPV virus, which causes cervical cancer, and Hepatitis B and C infections that increase the risk of liver cancer.
  • Tobacco is the second important risk factor, contributing to 6% of the cancer deaths.
  • Alcohol and obesity each contributed to 1% cancer mortality in India.
• Economic and Social Impact:
  • BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations lost out on USD 46.3 billion because of productivity loss as a result of premature cancer deaths.
  • The value of unpaid cancer care-giving by women is about 3.66 of India’s national health expenditure.

What are the Recommendations of the Report?

• There is a need to call for a new feminist and inclusive agenda for cancer care, aiming to address the gender disparities and challenges women face in accessing appropriate cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.
• There is a need for more sex- and gender-inclusive policies and guidelines, addressing long-standing discriminatory practices undermining women’s interaction with the health system.
• There should be tailored programs for early diagnosis, screening, comprehensive treatment, risk factor reduction, and vaccination to address premature cancer inequalities.
• Screening is crucial for early detection and prevention of breast and cervical cancers.
  • Self-examination of breasts every month and clinical examination by a doctor every year is advised.
  • Women over the age of 40 should get a mammography once a year to check for breast cancer.
  • Women between the ages of 25 and 65 years should get a pap smear test to check for pre-cancerous growth on their cervix.

Why are Women More Precarious to Dying of Cancer?

• Many women in India face barriers in accessing healthcare. Their headaches, stemming from a developing brain cancer, are ignored generally in many cases.
  • There is a need of addressing societal apathy towards women's health, lack of awareness, and absence of quality healthcare at the primary level.
• The challenges faced by dispossessed women, including early marriage, lack of education, and financial dependence, hinder their ability to seek medical attention and sustain treatment.
• Lack of knowledge and delayed diagnosis by local healthcare providers can severely impact a patient's prognosis and quality of life.