Skip to main content

Barriers to Widespread Access to Cancer Medications Include Excessive Cost

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 19, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Nov. 19, 2024 -- Barriers to widespread access to cancer treatments include excessive cost and lack of affordability, according to a review published online Nov. 18 in Cancer.

Arafat H. Tfayli, M.D., from the American University of Beirut Medical Center, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the current state of cancer drug development, assessing the availability of drugs in different income countries.

The researchers note that an increase in cancer cases worldwide is projected, especially in low-income countries, where most cancer-related deaths are expected. The approval rate of cancer treatments has increased, but significant barriers to widespread access are posed by their excessive cost and lack of affordability. Geographic location and procurement connections influence disparities in the costs of crucial cancer medications. Sharing production secrets, implementing price discrimination, international funding, improved primary health care measures, and implementation of cost-effective screening methods are potential solutions for addressing the inequity in drug distribution.

"Accessibility to effective cancer treatments needs to become a fundamental human right that transcends borders and one that could become economically affordable. All parties should collaborate to ensure that the principle of beneficence is well applied," the authors write. "In the 21st century, it cannot and should not be a medical disadvantage to be born in a low‐income country."

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted November 2024

Read this next

Pulmonary Embolism More Common in Children Than Previously Thought

THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- Pulmonary embolism (PE) is more common in children than previously thought, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2025...

Half of Youth-Serving Clinicians Screen for Substance Use Disorder at Every Well Visit

THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- Just over half of youth-serving clinicians report that they routinely screen adolescents for substance use disorders (SUDs) at every well visit...

Many Heart Failure Patients Do Not See a Cardiologist Annually

THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- About 40 percent of patients with heart failure diagnosis do not see a cardiologist annually, according to a study published online May 18 in the...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.