What’s missing in India’s cancer care ecosystem? Gender-intelligent oncology
Cancer does not affect men and women equally, and the paths they take to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery are shaped as much by gender as by biology. Systems in India currently do not take this into account, and this needs to change
India's rapidly increasing cancer burden has largely been addressed through a generic approach, with a focus on building more cancer centers, expanding insurance schemes, and promoting early detection campaigns. However, this strategy overlooks the critical aspect of gender-intelligent oncology, which recognizes that cancer affects men and women differently and that their experiences with diagnosis, treatment, and recovery are influenced by gender factors as much as biological ones.
For instance, breast and cervical cancers, which together account for nearly 40% of all cancers among Indian women, are frequently diagnosed at advanced stages due to a variety of gender-related barriers. Women often delay seeking medical attention due to household responsibilities, modesty concerns around examinations, lack of decision-making authority over healthcare spending, and limited mobility.
On the other hand, men face a different but equally gendered pattern, being diagnosed late due to societal norms that discourage acknowledging pain or seeking preventive care for tobacco and alcohol-related cancers like oral, esophageal, and lung cancer. The treatment gap further exacerbates the diagnostic gap, with only a small fraction of early-stage breast cancer patients in India undergoing breast-conservation surgery compared to Western countries.
Additionally, India's oncology infrastructure has not been designed to accommodate the distinct pathways of men and women, with screening programs for cervical and breast cancer being sparse outside urban areas and often failing to account for practical barriers such as travel, childcare, and workplace norms that hinder women's access to care.
The economic implications are also significant, as women frequently serve as primary caregivers for cancer patients, absorbing the logistical and emotional burden while often neglecting their own treatment and financial well-being. A more responsive cancer care ecosystem would begin by disaggregating data on cancer incidence and outcomes by sex, understanding the unique challenges faced by each gender, and tailoring interventions to address these issues effectively.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
