2023-09-27 05:01:16
Health experts called for adopting a “feminist approach” in approaching the issue of cancer, as studies reveal that about 800,000 women die “unnecessarily” annually because they are deprived of optimal health care.
Cancer is the largest cause of death for women in the world, and is ranked among the top three causes of premature death in almost all countries of the world, according to what was reported by the newspaper “The Guardian“.
A new report reveals that lack of gender equality and discrimination reduce women’s opportunities to avoid cancer risks and hinder their ability to get timely diagnosis and quality care.
The study, which included hundreds of women in 185 countries, found that unequal power dynamics across society globally have “profound negative impacts” on women’s experience with cancer prevention and treatment.
“The effects of patriarchy on women’s experiences with cancer have been largely unrecognized,” said Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, senior clinical research advisor at the US Cancer Institute’s Center for Global Health.
The co-chair of the committee that prepared the study adds that, globally, “women’s health often focuses on reproductive and maternal health, in line with narrow definitions of women’s value and roles in society, while cancer remains completely underrepresented.”
The medical expert continued that the committee she chaired “highlights that gender inequality greatly affects women’s experiences with cancer.”
To address this problem, the same speaker emphasizes the need for cancer to be seen as a priority issue in women’s health, and also stresses the importance of “approaching a feminist approach to cancer.”
The report adds that gender inequality also hinders women’s career advancement as leaders in cancer research and policy-making, which in turn perpetuates a continued lack of prevention and women-centered care.
A second study published in the journal “Lancet Global Health” indicated that 1.5 million premature cancer deaths among women under the age of 70 in 2020 could have been avoided through prevention, detection and early diagnosis measures.
The research analyzed premature deaths from cancer among women between the ages of 30 and 69, and found that 800,000 lives could be saved every year if all women received optimal cancer care.
About 1.3 million women of all ages died in 2020 from cancer as a result of four main factors that cause this disease: tobacco, alcohol, obesity, and infections.
The same report notes that the burden of cancer on women caused by these four risk factors is “not widely recognized.”
For example, a study from 2019 found that only 19 percent of women undergoing breast cancer screening in the United Kingdom were aware that alcohol was a major risk factor for breast cancer.
“Discussions about cancer in women often focus on gynecological cancers, such as breast and cervical cancer,” said Dr. Isabel Swergumataram, co-chair of the committee, “but about 300,000 women under the age of 70 die every year from lung cancer, and 160,000 from colorectal cancer.” Which are among the top three causes of cancer death among women, worldwide.
“Of the 3 million adults diagnosed with cancer under the age of 50 in 2020, two in three were women,” said Dr. Verna Vanderpuye, co-chair of the committee.
“Cancer is a leading cause of death among women, many of whom die in the prime of their lives, leaving behind an estimated one million children in 2020 alone. There are important women-specific factors that contribute to this significant global burden – and by addressing them through a feminist approach we believe this will reduce The impact of cancer on everyone.
To address the negative impact of gender inequality and change the ways women interact with the cancer health system, the Committee calls for discussions of gender and identity to be included in all cancer policies and guidelines.
It also calls for developing strategies aimed at increasing women’s awareness of cancer risk factors and symptoms, in addition to increasing equitable access to early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
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