Genitourinary Cancer Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Disparities in Incidence and Access to Care

Abstract

Despite the considerable global burden of urologic malignancies, Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often encounter significant challenges in caring for patients with urologic malignancies. Several interrelated factors impact cancer care in LMICs, which face significant challenges that hinder effective diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease. Socioeconomic and healthcare infrastructure limitations are fundamental issues leading to the disparity observed in cancer care across the globe. This review aims to evaluate the challenges and disparities in access to comprehensive urologic care in LMICs, emphasizing the impact of such global disparities on incidence rates, timely diagnoses, and access to comprehensive care as it relates to prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers.

Keywords

• health disparities
• low- and middle-income countries
• access to care
• prostate cancer
• kidney cancer
• bladder cancer