Global chemotherapy demands: a prelude to equal access

Chemotherapy is a crucial component of cancer care. In The Lancet Oncology, Brooke Wilson and colleagues 1 Wilson BE Jacob S Yap ML Ferlay J Bray F Barton MB Estimates of global chemotherapy demands and corresponding physician workforce requirements for 2018 and 2040: a population-based study. Lancet Oncology. 2019; (published online May 8.)http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30163-9 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (68) Google Scholar report chemotherapy demands and physician workforce requirements for 2018 and projections for 2040. The authors used population-based cancer data for patient characteristics and stage distribution in Australia and the USA, together with existing guidelines for cancer management to define indications for chemotherapy, to compute site-specific chemotherapy utilisation estimates, which were subsequently mapped to GLOBOCAN estimates of new cancer cases for 2018 and predictions for 2040. The authors estimated that 9 782 783 (57%) of 17 036 902 patients with cancer worldwide required first-line chemotherapy in 2018. Estimates of global chemotherapy demands and corresponding physician workforce requirements for 2018 and 2040: a population-based studyStrategic investments in chemotherapy service provision and cancer physicians are needed to meet the projected increased demand for chemotherapy in 2040. Full-Text PDF