Seven in 10 women who died prematurely from cancer in 2020 could have been saved

As time draws near for the annual celebration of Cancer Awareness (in the month of October), data in a new Lancet Commission on Women, Power, and Cancer (LCWPC) and an accompanying analysis of previous International Agency for Research on Cancer data has shown that nearly seven in 10 women who died prematurely from cancer in 2020 could have been saved.

The research found that of the 5.3 million adults who died early from cancer last year, 2.3 million were women, with one-third killed due to a lack of timely treatment rather than prevention.

The new population-based study has estimated premature deaths from cancer at ages 30 to 69 years across 185 countries. The study looks at the preventable and treatable deaths on 36 different types of cancer. Of the estimated global cancer burden of 265.6 million years of life lost (YLLs), 182.8 million were due to premature deaths from cancer in 2020. This is equivalent to 68.8% of the total YLLs from cancer. Of these premature deaths, 124.3 million (68%) were preventable and 58.5 million (32%) were treatable.

According to the study, lung cancer was the leading contributor to preventable premature YLLs in medium to very high human development index (HDI) countries, while cervical cancer led in low HDI countries. Colorectal and breast cancers were major treatable cancers across all four tiers of HDI. The study highlighted the need for tailored programmes of early diagnosis and screening linked to comprehensive treatment, as well as greater investment in risk factor reduction and vaccination to address premature cancer inequalities.

Further, the research showed that the interactions between women and cancer are complex and multifaceted, including participation in prevention and screening, diagnosis and treatment, caregiving, advocacy, research, and policy making.

It was also pointed out that women face structural marginalization due to gender bias and discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity, which can impede their ability to seek diagnosis and quality care. Since, cancer is a leading cause of premature mortality among women globally, the article highlighted the urgent need for more research to better understand the causes of cancer in women. Added to this, it said women also experience financial catastrophe due to cancer, and the unpaid caregiving workforce for cancer is predominantly female.

The report recommended a set of ten actions, including making all policies responsive to the needs and aspirations of women in all their diversities, and creating awareness, ensuring equitable access to research opportunities and resources, and implementing policies mandating that sex and gender dimensions are considered in research and research policy making to address gender bias and discrimination in cancer research and knowledge production. Measures are also recommended to recognize and value the unpaid caregiving work done by women in cancer care.

The report further highlighted overlapping forms of discrimination experienced by women from different communities and contexts in their interactions with the cancer health system. As such researchers aim to transform the way women interact with the cancer health system, whether as patients, care providers, or both.

The research acknowledged the rise in cancer cases and deaths amongst women globally, projecting a 44% increase in new cases by 2040. While wealthier economies have a higher lifetime risk of cancer, the risk of dying from cancer is similar globally, regardless of where a woman lives. Cancer health disparities largely reflect social inequalities between and within countries, driven by structural determinants such as sexism, racism, and ageism.