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Current Status of Cancer Rehabilitation in Latin America

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This article provides an overview of access, advancements, and obstacles in the field of cancer rehabilitation in Latin America.

Recent Findings

Since cancer rehabilitation is a relatively new service for Latin American countries, there is a noticeable lack of economic, human, and other resources available to carry out the optimal program. This study aims to highlight the current state in order to find solutions to the identified challenges.

Summary

Cancer and its treatment contribute to significant patient morbidity and mortality with physical and mental late effects. Cancer rehabilitation provides care and interventions to mitigate these functional impairments and improve quality of life. There are significant increases in global cancer incidence and number of survivors, which necessitates an increase in cancer rehabilitation services. Currently, in our countries, there are substantial political, economic, and educational challenges that are barriers to growth in these services.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rehabilitation Services, Hospital Dr. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, San José, Costa Rica

    Vanessa Uclés Villalobos

  2. Unidad de Investigación en Salud, Hospital Dr. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, San José, Costa Rica

    Vanessa Uclés Villalobos

  3. Rehabilitation Services, Centro de Rehabilitación e Inclusión Infantil Teletón Guanajuato, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Ana Carolina Méndez Silva

  4. Rehabilitation Services, Hospital Militar Central Nro 1, COSSMIL, La Paz, Bolivia

    Gema Herrera Belmonte

  5. Hospital Regional ISSSTE León, Universidad de Guanajuato, León, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Judith del Rosario Bermúdez Ruiz

  6. Cancer Rehabilitation Program, Hospital Central de la Policía, Bogota, Colombia

    Yudi Milena Rodríguez Mojica

  7. Serviço de Reabilitação do Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Christina May Moran de Brito

  8. Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Victor Figueiredo

  9. RehabilitekGT, Guatemala City, Guatemala

    Patricia Rosales Merida

  10. Rehabilitation Services, Sala de Rehabilitación Integral Área Sur Morón, Ciego de Ávila, Cuba

    Blanca Irene Acuña Santander

  11. Rehabilitation Services, Hospital General de Zona N° 24, Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico

    Jonathan Ortiz Flores

  12. Unidad de Apoyo Integral, Hospital Luciani, Caracas, Venezuela

    Mónica Luciani

  13. Rehabilitation Services, UNAH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

    Leonardo Sierra

  14. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Centro Médico Nacional “20 de Noviembre” ISSSTE, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico

    Maritza Martínez Tagle

  15. Rehabilitation Services, Hospital Policlinico Arce, Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social, San Salvador, El Salvador

    Georgina Granados Mónchez

  16. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Licellot Martínez

  17. Instituto Boliviano de Rehabilitación IBR Caja Nacional de Salud, La Paz, Bolivia

    Merly Mónica Rivero Jiménez

  18. Rehabilitation Department Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, Jesús Maria, Lima, Peru

    Every Nataly Casas Flores

  19. Centro de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación - Instituto de Previsión Social, Asuncion, Paraguay

    Koyi Sato

  20. Hospital General San Juan De Dios, Guatemala City, Guatemala

    Erika Lissette Pérez De León

  21. Rehabilitation Service, Hospital General San Juan de Dios, Guatemala City, Guatemala

    Juan Carlos Leal Gómez

  22. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hospital General San Juan de Dios, Guatemala City, Guatemala

    Edin Geovanny Xicay Sincal, Flor de María Pérez Ponce, Martha Lolany Pérez Ramírez de Quan, Claudia Morales Duarte, José Emilio Albizures Ramírez & Sigrid Yerena Lémus Chavez

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  1. Vanessa Uclés Villalobos
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  2. Ana Carolina Méndez Silva
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  26. Sigrid Yerena Lémus Chavez
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Correspondence to Vanessa Uclés Villalobos.

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Villalobos, V.U., Silva, A.C.M., Belmonte, G.H. et al. Current Status of Cancer Rehabilitation in Latin America. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 12, 126–137 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-024-00434-w

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