Breast and cervical cancer control in low and middle-income countries: Human rights meet sound health policy

Each year, 200,000 more women die from breast and cervical cancer than from pregnancy and childbirth. Over 50% of deaths from breast cancer and 88% of deaths from cervical cancer occur in less developed regions, where gender discrimination and extreme poverty severely limit a woman's choice to seek care. Health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are overwhelmed with competing priorities, while providers of care are unprepared to deal with the growing epidemic of cancer. Women with cancer face additional burdens as the need to attend to a personal health crisis is outweighed by primary responsibilities to the family. Myths about cancer and taboos about women's bodies in more conservative societies render these women at significant risk of being abandoned by their husbands and ostracized by their community. However, there is hope for hundreds of thousands of women confronting these challenges. Innovative, interdisciplinary programs are being piloted in lower resource settings throughout the Americas, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Some have already shown great promise to reduce death and disability from breast and cervical cancer, while strengthening primary care and health systems overall. Breast and cervical cancer control should be viewed as a “best buy” investment opportunity to reduce health expenditures. Implementation and cost-effectiveness research can inform rational cancer policy not only for developing countries, but also for high-income countries where resources are increasingly strained. Women leaders in the health and education sectors can play a pivotal role in prioritizing cancer within the framework of women's health and equity.