World Cancer Day takes place on 4 February 2022. This initiative unites communities worldwide to raise awareness and promote education about cancer, prompting governments to take action against the disease. This year’s theme is “closing the care gap”, which highlights the fact that half of the world’s population are unable to access essential health services. Health inequities (as opposed to inequalities, which refers to the uneven distribution of resources) can result from disparities in income and education, geographical location, and from discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle. Many equity gaps exist around the world, even in high-income countries. However, a number of recent initiatives offer hope to vulnerable individuals. Innovative ideas, such as new partnerships for delivering better screening systems and the use of digital technologies, can help to close the equity gap.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Axel Merseburger, said, “I would encourage further investment into research to identify sex-specific differences in cancer therapies. It is well known that women experience greater changes and fluctuations in hormone levels, which are affected by factors such as age, contraception and menopause. Hormones can significantly affect the immune system and the body’s ability to metabolise drugs. Therefore, sex-related dosing, or dosing that is synchronised with hormone cycles is needed. Liver function also plays an important role, as this differs between men and women. More research could close the gap in this field.”
To support the “closing the gap” campaign, touchONCOLOGY is helping to raise awareness of this important topic. View some of our recent content to learn more about cancer care and the use of digital innovations in the field of oncology.
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