Precarity, Social Organization, and Outcome on Cancer Management in the Tropical Areas

Abstract

Precarity is a common condition for most healthy people living in tropical countries and obviously even more so in patients with cancer. Numerous socioeconomic, cultural, and educational difficulties influence the outcome of cancer management: poverty, diminishing extended family support among communities, lack of reliable cancer registries, poor awareness even within the medical community, limited public’s trust in western medicine, association of cancer with social rejection and isolation, and lack of basic understanding of the disease and of its management. Fear, stigma, confidence in traditional medicine, and financial incapacity are major reasons for delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation and for premature therapy cessation. Wars and conflicts between groups and the occurrence of droughts and famines further complicate access to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Collaborative efforts between practitioners of traditional medicine and western medicine need to be continued and expanded and cancer registries must be established to improve outcome of cancer management in tropical areas.