The Rising Cancer Pandemic in Latin America: Major Cancer Problems and Prospects for Prevention

Abstract

In Latin America and the Caribbean there are striking differences among nations regarding the stage of disease and time of diagnosis as well as the incidence and survival. These differences depend on ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status. Hence, Michail Shafir examines the very different scenarios that can be encountered by pointing to challenges–worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic–in realizing prevention, monitoring the incidence of specific cancers (i.e., breast, gastric, and cervical), tracing the uneven presence of cancer registries, strengthening the healthcare systems, providing healthcare services, and addressing social and national inequities in access to healthcare.