Enhancing global access to cancer medicines

Abstract

Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death, with numbers greatly exceeding those for human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Limited access to timely diagnosis, to affordable, effective treatment, and to high‐quality care are just some of the factors that lead to disparities in cancer survival between countries and within countries. In this article, the authors consider various factors that prevent access to cancer medicines (particularly access to essential cancer medicines). Even if an essential cancer medicine is included on a national medicines list, cost might preclude its use, it might be prescribed or used inappropriately, weak infrastructure might prevent it being accessed by those who could benefit, or quality might not be guaranteed. Potential strategies to address the access problems are discussed, including universal health coverage for essential cancer medicines, fairer methods for pricing cancer medicines, reducing development costs, optimizing regulation, and improving reliability in the global supply chain. Optimizing schedules for cancer therapy could reduce not only costs, but also adverse events, and improve access. More and better biomarkers are required to target patients who are most likely to benefit from cancer medicines. The optimum use of cancer medicines depends on the effective delivery of several services allied to oncology (including laboratory, imaging, surgery, and radiotherapy). Investment is necessary in all aspects of cancer care, from these supportive services to technologies, and the training of health care workers and other staff.

Breast cancer treatment: A phased approach to implementation

“…For the management of patients with MBC, essential medicines cover first‐ and second‐line treatments for most subtypes; in addition, capecitabine, vinorelbine, and other agents active in metastatic disease are included in the essential medicine list 43 . Priority should be given to ensure the availability of these essential medicines in LMICs because in many settings they are not, which adversely affects breast cancer survival for these patients 38,44,45 . Advantage can be taken of the lower cost of biosimilars to allow for the availability of trastuzumab in limited‐resource settings.…”

Advances in synthetic lethality for cancer therapy: cellular mechanism and clinical translation

“…Cancer is regarded as a complex disease with multiple genetic changes, including oncogenes, tumor suppressors, DNA repair, cancer metabolism, and genetic background, which results in excessive growth, metastasis, and drug resistance [1][2][3]. The advances in genome sequencing over the past decade demonstrated that tumor-specific genetic alterations and biological changes drive tumor progression, which leads to susceptibilities that could be manipulated to target tumors selectively [4].…”

Epimedokoreanin C, A Prenylated Flavonoid Isolated from Epimedium Koreanum, Induces Non-Apoptotic Cell Death with the Characteristics of Methuosis in Lung Cancer Cells

“…Despite the fact that remarkable progress has been achieved in the understanding of cancer therapies over the past several decades, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the world [1]. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the most widely used treatments for cancers [2].…”