ArticleAdvances in radiation oncology
Measuring Global Inequity in Radiation Therapy: Resource Deficits in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Without Radiation Therapy Facilities.
Article in Advances in radiation oncology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Global Disparities in Current Clinical Trials in Cervical Cancer.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Cancer burden among adults aged 65 years and older in Asia, 1990-2023: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.npj aging · 2026Article
- Automated planning in image-guided adaptive brachytherapy for cervical cancer: Impact analysis on patient workflows in high-volume centers.Journal of contemporary brachytherapy · 2026Article
- [Survey of radiotherapy resource allocation and service capacity in Hunan Province, 2025].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026Article
- Impact of health system interventions to improve access to external beam radiotherapy: a scoping review.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- A high-resolution geospatial analysis of radiation therapy access in the Philippines.Ecancermedicalscience · 2026Article
- Global determinants of cervical cancer outcomes: a health systems analysis.BMJ oncology · 2026Article
- Article
- Improving Access to Radiotherapy in Gauteng: A Framework for Equitable Cancer Care.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Epidemiological analysis of radiation therapy utilization and its implications for cancer care in India-insights from National Cancer Registry Programme.BMC cancer · 2025Article
- Gastric Cancer at a Nigerian Tertiary Referral Center: Experiences With Establishing an Institutional Cancer Registry.Journal of surgical oncology · 2025Article
- Travel Burden of Radiation Therapy in the Philippines.Advances in radiation oncology · 2025Article
- A qualitative study of patient experiences: socioeconomic barriers to radiotherapy access in Gauteng, South Africa.Ecancermedicalscience · 2025Article
- Are we making progress in curing advanced cervical cancer-again?International journal of gynecological cancer : official journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society · 2024Review
- A perspective on inequities in the management of radiation dermatitis.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2024Article
- Updates in global oncology: Advancements and future directions.Journal of surgical oncology · 2024Review
- Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer in Africa.Advances in radiation oncology · 2024Review
- Establishment of Twinning Partnership to Improve Pediatric Radiotherapy Outcomes Globally.JCO global oncology · 2024Article
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion topics at a medical physics residency journal club.Journal of applied clinical medical physics · 2023Article
- Radiotherapy and radiosurgery for intracranial lesions in Africa: Insights from 3 country case studies: A systematic review.Neuro-oncology advancesReview
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: Although radiation therapy (RT) is an effective and inexpensive pillar of multidisciplinary cancer care, access to RT facilities remains highly inequitable globally. Numerous studies have documented this resource gap, yet many countries continue facing their raging cancer epidemics ill-equipped. In this study, we present an estimation of resource deficits in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) without any RT facilities at all. Methods and Materials: This study builds on publicly available data on country classification, population, cancer incidence, and RT requirements provided by the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Leveraging these data, we developed a capacity-planning model to estimate the current deficit of fundamental RT resources for LMICs with more than 1 million inhabitants and no active RT facilities. Results: There were 23 LMICs with a population of more than 1 million inhabitants and without any active RT facilities, 78% of which were located in sub-Saharan Africa. The aggregate population of these countries was 197.3 million people. The largest countries without RT facilities were Afghanistan and Malawi, with a population of 38.0 million and 18.6 million inhabitants, respectively. Estimated cancer incidence for all countries under study totaled at 134,783 new cases per year, 84,239 (62.5%) of which would have required RT. There was an aggregate deficit of 188 megavoltage machines and 85 brachytherapy afterloaders, along with simulation equipment and human capital in the magnitude of approximately 3363 trained radiation oncology staff. Conclusions: Hundreds of thousands of patients with cancer in LMICs continue to live in countries without access to RT in their own country. This extreme form of global health inequity requires urgent and decisive action, the success of which depends on the integration of international and local efforts.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.