Access to basic surgical oncologic services in 54 countries: Where to go from here?

Abstract

e17525 Background: In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), there are significant deficits in access to core cancer services including surgical care. Surgical biopsy is an essential modality in the diagnosis and staging of cancer and, thus, functions as an index indicator for access to basic cancer services in LMIC. The objective of this study is to describe the existing capacity of and access to cancer services in LMIC. Methods: Responses to the World Health Organization Emergency and Essential Surgical Care survey are analyzed, assessing service availability in 1269 health facilities in 54 countries. Responses describe the capacity to perform surgical biopsies along with facility and personnel characteristics. Results: Surgical biopsy is available in 608 (48%) surveyed health facilities. The most commonly stated reason for an inability to perform biopsies is a lack of necessary skills (79%). There are an estimated 1.65 physicians able to perform basic surgical procedures and 0.58 trained surgeons per...