Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition

Silbermann, Michael

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-22912-6

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Cancer patients face challenges in accessing advanced diagnostic services such as nuclear scans, CT scans, and MRIs, which are unavailable at governmental hospitals, not functioning, or inaccurate in some cases. Earlier studies were in line with these findings which confirmed that nuclear medicine and PET scans are not available at Palestinian governmental hospitals and patients are referred to East Jerusalem or Israel to obtain such services ( 12 , 13 , 19 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Additionally, interruption of cancer treatment, related to delays from the Israeli side in providing chemotherapy-related drugs and diagnostic materials are major blockages in the cancer pathway. Interruption of chemotherapy treatment is an ongoing challenges for cancer care in the oPt ( 17 , 19 ) and experienced in other conflict-affected areas ( 7 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The poor infrastructure of the treatment facilities was also among the cancer patients’ concerns. Prior studies have noted that health system challenges for cancer patients might be partially explained by the Israeli military occupation and economic crisis of the Palestinian Authority in financing the health care system in general, including cancer care ( 19 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They mainly offer chemotherapy treatment and some surgical care. Moreover, there is no radiation therapy in any of the West Bank hospitals (these are not permitted by Israeli authorities) and patients who need radiotherapy are usually referred to East Jerusalem or hospitals in Israel ( 12 , 13 , 19 ). Referrals for cancer patients to East Jerusalem, Israel and neighboring countries are also provided for advanced diagnostic services such as nuclear medicine scanning and advanced treatment ( 12 , 19 , 20 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Access to advanced cancer care services in the West Bank-occupied Palestinian territory

et al. 2023

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IntroductionUniversal Health Coverage (UHC) identifies the provision of palliative care for people with advanced disease as an essential health service. Palliative care is also stipulated as a human right under existing covenants. Oncology services provided by the Palestinian Authority under Israeli military occupation are limited to surgery and chemotherapy treatment. Our study aimed to describe the experiences of patients with advanced-stage cancer in the West Bank in accessing oncology services and meeting their health care needs.MethodologyWe conducted a qualitative study among adult patients diagnosed with advanced lung, colon, or breast cancer in three Palestinian governmental hospitals, and with oncologists. Thematic analysis was conducted on the verbatim interview transcripts.ResultsThe sample consisted of 22 Palestinian patients (10 men and 12 women) and 3 practicing oncologists. The findings reveal that cancer care is fragmented, with limited access to the services needed. Patients face referral delays in accessing treatment which worsen their health condition in some cases. Some patients reported difficulties in getting Israeli permits to access radiotherapy treatment in East-Jerusalem, and others experienced interruptions of their chemotherapy treatment sessions due to the unavailability of chemotherapy medications caused by Israeli-side delays. Other reported problems were related to the Palestinian health system and service delivery and quality, including fragmentation of services, infrastructure issues, and unavailability of medications. Advanced diagnostic services and palliative care are almost absent at Palestinian governmental hospitals, and patients need to seek these services in the private sector.ConclusionThe data demonstrate specific access restrictions to cancer care in the West Bank due to Israeli military occupation of Palestinian land. This affects all stages of the care pathway, from restricted diagnosis services, to limited treatment and then poor availability of palliative care. Cancer patients will continue to suffer if the root causes of these structural constraints are not addressed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Access to advanced cancer care services in the West Bank-occupied Palestinian territory

et al. 2023

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Global Perspectives on Palliative Care for Cancer Patients: Not All Countries Are the Same

Brant

Silbermann

2021

Curr Oncol Rep

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Purpose of the Review The integration of cancer-related palliative care is essential to holistic, quality cancer care. While some similarities exist between countries, this manuscript will focus on five differences that impact palliative care for cancer patients including the epidemiology of cancer and related symptoms, cancer-specific integration into care, palliative care education, economic development of the country, and cultural and religious differences. Recent Findings The epidemiology of cancer varies around the world resulting in variable symptoms and the need for individualized approaches to palliative care. While palliative care is integrated in some countries, it is lacking in over half of the world, and specific integration into cancer care is virtually absent. Education and training are the key to expansion, and yet oncology-focused palliative care education is lacking or is not well-reported in the literature. To complicate this global lens even further are the economic disparities that exist. Low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) are resource poor and have the fewest resources and least amount of integration, and yet patients with advanced cancer are over-represented in these countries. Essential to cancer-related palliative care is a tailored approach that addresses cultural and religious differences around the globe. Summary Palliative care is developing around the globe and yet palliative care specific for cancer patients is in its infancy. Cancer care professionals should (1) understand the epidemiologic differences that exist globally and the impact this has on palliative care, (2) integrate palliative care into the cancer care arena, (3) provide cancer-specific palliative education focused on the cancer trajectory from diagnosis through survivorship and end of life, (4) advocate for LMICs, which suffer from a lack of resources and services, and (5) understand cultural and religious differences that exist to provide holistic and sensitive cancer-related palliative care.

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Assessment of Spiritual Care Practices Among Nurses Caring for Cancer Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

2023

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Introduction The importance of spirituality in health and wellness has been documented in the literature. While the developed countries have reported robust evidence of spirituality in nursing practices, there is scant evidence in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. Objectives This study assessed the spiritual care practices of the nurses attending to cancer patients in a tertiary health institution in Ilorin. It further determined factors associated with spiritual caring practices among nurses. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2021 and December 2021 to assess spiritual care practices among nurses caring for cancer patients. During the study period, 66 nurses were recruited randomly from the hospital's medical and surgical clinics, palliative care department, and Obstetrics and Gynecology department. Twelve items validated Nurses’ spiritual care practices questionnaire was adapted for this study. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23. Results The mean age of the respondents was 36.5 years ( + 10.1) while female respondents made up 83.3%. About 48% of the nurses had good spiritual caring practices while 52% had poor spiritual caring practices. Nurses with training in oncology (96%) with p = .001 and those with spirituality training (86.2%) with p = .017 showed significant association with spiritual care practices. This study concluded that spiritual care practices among nurses are sub-optimal with training as a significantly associated factor with spiritual care practices. Conclusion It is, therefore, suggested that spiritual care practices should be incorporated into all nursing training and curriculum. This will allow them to better support the spiritual needs of the patients, especially those with chronic diseases like cancer.

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Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition

Cited by 9 publications

References 26 publications

Access to advanced cancer care services in the West Bank-occupied Palestinian territory

Access to advanced cancer care services in the West Bank-occupied Palestinian territory

Global Perspectives on Palliative Care for Cancer Patients: Not All Countries Are the Same

Assessment of Spiritual Care Practices Among Nurses Caring for Cancer Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

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