A Review of the Current State of Global Surgical Oncology and the Role of Surgeons Who Treat Cancer: Our Profession’s Imperative to Act Upon a Worldwide Crisis in Evolution

Abstract

Worldwide, the capacity of healthcare systems and physician workforce is woefully inadequate for the surgical treatment of cancer. With major projected increases in the global burden of neoplastic disease, this inadequacy is expected to worsen, and interventions to increase the workforce of surgeons who treat cancer and strengthen the necessary supporting infrastructure, equipment, staffing, financial and information systems are urgently called for to prevent this inadequacy from deepening. These efforts must also occur in the context of broader healthcare systems strengthening and cancer control plans, including prevention, screening, early detection, safe and effective treatment, surveillance, and palliation. The cost of these interventions should be considered a critical investment in healthcare systems strengthening that will contribute to improvement in the public and economic health of nations. Failure to act should be seen as a missed opportunity, at the cost of lives and delayed economic growth and development. Surgeons who treat cancer must engage with a diverse array of stakeholders in efforts to address this critical need and are indispensably positioned to participate in collaborative approaches to influence these efforts through research, advocacy, training, and initiatives for sustainable development and overall systems strengthening.

Oncological Surgical Wound Care: A Comparison of Theruptor NXT Non-adherent Dressing and the Current Standard of Care

“…Globally, millions of surgical procedures are performed annually. In the context of the prevailing trend in cancer surgeries, the projected surge in the annual demand for cancer surgeries worldwide is anticipated to rise from 9 million procedures in 2018 to over 13.8 million surgeries by 2040 [ 10 ]. The majority of the surgeries involve wound closure using stitches, staples, clips, or glue for healing [ 7 ].…”