ReviewESMO gastrointestinal oncology2026
Strategies to overcome barriers in access to cancer treatment in Latin America: a regional perspective.
Review in ESMO gastrointestinal oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Access to high-quality cancer care remains a major challenge across Latin America, particularly for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. Despite major advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, molecular testing, and treatment, substantial disparities persist in access to timely and appropriate care throughout the region. This narrative review examines the multidimensional nature of access in GI oncology, encompassing availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and quality. We analyze the principal barriers affecting cancer care delivery in Latin America, including economic constraints, geographic disparities, fragmented health systems, sociocultural determinants, limited access to precision oncology, and regulatory challenges. We further explore how these barriers contribute to delayed diagnosis, advanced-stage presentation, treatment interruptions, reduced access to biomarker testing and innovative therapies, and ultimately poorer clinical outcomes. The review highlights evidence-informed strategies that have demonstrated potential to improve access, including National Cancer Control Plans (NCCPs), organized colorectal cancer screening programs, patient navigation initiatives, multidisciplinary care models, virtual tumor boards, teleoncology, digital health solutions, and artificial intelligence-enabled interventions. Particular attention is given to equity-focused approaches addressing the needs of women, rural populations, indigenous communities, migrants, and young adults affected by early-onset GI cancers. Improving access to GI cancer care requires coordinated action across policy, health system, institutional, and community levels. Strengthening governance through NCCPs, expanding precision oncology infrastructure, leveraging digital innovation, and implementing robust monitoring frameworks are critical to reducing disparities. Lessons learned from Latin America may provide valuable insights for other low- and middle-income settings seeking to translate scientific advances into equitable cancer outcomes.
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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.