Joshua Omale, Pediatric Oncology Advocate, Innovation Council Member at Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2), shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Cancer control collapses when primary care is weak!
Cancer systems often measure strength by the number of specialists or treatment centers.
But cancer journeys rarely begin there. They begin in primary care.
Early detection depends on:
- clinical suspicion at first contact
- basic diagnostic triggers
- structured referral pathways
- continuity between community and facility
When primary care is weak:
- symptoms are normalized
- warning signs are missed
- referrals are informal
- time is lost
Oncology cannot compensate for late entry into the system.
By the time patients reach tertiary care, things would have gone out of hand.
Strong cancer control is not built by expanding specialist infrastructure alone. It is built by strengthening first-contact care, where risk is first noticed, interpreted, and acted upon.
Primary care is not peripheral to cancer systems. It is the load-bearing structure.”
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