Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Economic Overview

Authors: Susan Horton, Cindy Gauvreau

Citation:

Abstract:

The economics in health care system design and implementation are reviewed in this chapter by looking at patterns of cancer care resources across countries for surgery, radiotherapy, medications, laboratories and pathology, cancer registries, skilled medical personnel, health insurance and international partnerships. Cost-effectiveness of interventions is discussed for six types of cancers: cervical, breast, childhood, colon, liver, and oral. The dearth of literature on cost-effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) points out the need for more studies, especially for surgery which is considered the cornerstone of cancer treatments. Future economics work on cancer is to cost out the ingredients required for the priority interventions, such that costs of resource-appropriate care can be estimated in individual countries.