A Proposal to Improve Treatment of Patients with Gynecologic Cancer in Developing Countries

Abstract

There is no doubt that patients with cancer in developing countries need more care. The prognosis of these patients depends on early diagnosis and standard methods of treatment. Gynecologic cancer represents an important and forgotten group of patients with cancer in these countries despite its high incidence. To improve the survival of patients with gynecologic cancer, their management should be performed in specialized units by specialized gynecologic oncologists working in a multidisciplinary team together with medical oncologists, radiation therapists, pathologists, and other specialists. However, there are many barriers that might interfere with development of such units in developing countries, including economic, cultural, and organizational issues. Developed countries could participate in initiation of gynecologic oncology units in developing countries. This review provides a simplified and conclusive work plan to develop a gynecologic oncology unit in the university hospitals in Egypt and other developing countries, emphasizes the importance of the development of this unit, and describes the basic outline of the future unit.