Evelyn Wong: The substantial disparities in cancer management across the APAC region

Evelyn Wong, Medical Oncologist at National Cancer Centre Singapore, shared her recent article on LinkedIn about recent paper she and colleagues co-authored, titled “Quality-of-care indicators for oncology management: an analysis of Asia-Pacific healthcare and oncology indicators” published on ESMO Open.

Authors:  R. Kanesvaran, E.Y.T. Wong, B. Keam, N. Prasongsook, H. Malhotra, J.-Y. Blay

“Honoured to be part European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) APAC Public Policy Committee to publish this important piece.

We recognize the substantial disparities in cancer management across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. While some countries have well-established national cancer policies, infrastructure, and funding models, others struggle with limited resources, fragmented healthcare systems, and inconsistent access to care.

In our study, commissioned by the ESMO Asia Pacific Public Policy Committee, we analyzed 57 oncology and healthcare indicators across 47 countries in APAC to assess how different healthcare systems perform in cancer care.

Key Findings from our Study:

Variability in Cancer Care Across APAC Countries.
– Cancer outcomes differ widely due to economic and healthcare infrastructure gaps. Shortages of oncologists, medicines, and treatment facilities directly impact survival rates in lower-income countries.

The Role of Healthcare Financing Models.
– Government-funded healthcare models improve access, seen in Japan and South Korea with compulsory insurance schemes.
– Countries with low public health investment face greater disparities in early diagnosis and quality treatment.

Gaps in Cancer Infrastructure and Workforce.
– High-income nations have specialized cancer centers with advanced therapies, but LMICs lack infrastructure.
– Oncologist shortages in many APAC nations (fewer than 1 per 100,000 people) limit cancer care access.

Access to Cancer Medicines and Treatment.
– Some countries with Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) ensures basic cancer drugs but restricts access to innovative treatments.
– LMICs struggle with high drug costs, making advanced therapies inaccessible for most patients.

The Need for Stronger Cancer Policies and Regional Collaboration.
– While most APAC countries have a national cancer plan, their effectiveness varies.
– Palliative care services are well-developed in high income nations, but many LMICs lack structured programs.
– Stronger regional collaboration is needed to share knowledge, improve policies, and support lower-income countries.

We recognize the variability in data quality and availability across countries may have influenced our findings. The reliance on published sources and secondary data limited our ability to capture nuances in healthcare systems that may not be documented.”

Ravindran Kanesvaran, Chairman of the Division of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, shared this post on LinkedIn, adding:

“Great to see this important project come to completion. Thank you ESMO – European Society for Medical Oncology for the funding and support. Honored to have been given the opportunity to lead this initiative which provides important insight into the state of oncology in 47 countries across the APAC region for the first time. Special thanks to Jean-Yves Blay, chair of ESMO Public Policy committee, co-authors Evelyn Wong, Naiyarat Prasongsook, Hemant Malhotra, Bhumsuk Kaem, Paul Laffin, Paula Franklin.”