Series on the Lancet Oncology Commission on Global Cancer Surgery: Introduction-Intent and Content.

BACKGROUND: Surgery plays a key role in the multi-disciplinary cancer care pathway. Nearly 80% of patients with solid tumors will require surgical intervention during the course of their disease. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these patients do not have access to safe, timely, high-quality, and affordable cancer surgical care. The first Lancet Oncology Commission on Global Cancer Surgery shone a light on this grave situation and outlined some strategies to address them. The second Lancet Oncology Commission on Global Cancer Surgery (TLO- II) was conceived to continue the work of its predecessor by developing a roadmap of practical solutions to propel improvements in cancer surgical care globally. METHODS: The Commission was developed by involving approximately 50 cancer care leaders and experts from different parts of the world to ensure diversity of input and global applicability. RESULTS: The Commission identified nine solutional domains that are considered essential to deliver safe, timely, high-quality, and affordable cancer surgical care. These nine domains were further refined to develop solutions specific to each of the six World Health Organization regions. Based on the above solutions, we developed eight action items that are intended to propel improvements in cancer surgical care on the global stage. CONCLUSIONS: The second Lancet Oncology Commission on Global Cancer Surgery builds on the first Commission by developing a pragmatic roadmap of practical solutions that we hope will ensure access to safe, timely, high-quality, and affordable cancer surgical care for everyone regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographic location.

Global cancer surgery in low-resource settings: A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis.

Global cancer surgery is an essential and complex component of oncologic care. This study aims to describe global cancer surgery literature since the 2015 Lancet Commission on Global Surgery and Cancer Surgery and perform a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. A systematic search was performed in PubMed of global cancer surgery articles. Themes were extracted from the included studies based on the following criteria: (1) performed in low- or low-middle-income countries, (2) published during or after 2015, (3) published in peer-reviewed journals, (4) written in the English language, and (5) accessible to the authors. Themes were further grouped into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis). The search strategy identified 154 articles published from 1992 to 2022. Forty-six articles were included in the qualitative synthesis and SWOT analysis. Recurring themes included local epidemiologic studies, local innovations and feasibility studies, prioritizing quality of life outcomes, multidisciplinary team approaches, limited resources, health system gaps, lack of economic analyses, diverse cancer management strategies and priorities, inter-setting collaboration, research expansion, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and unchecked technological advancements. These strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were described and related to the themes of research, surgical systems strengthening, economics and financing, and political framing of the 2015 Lancet Commission on Global Cancer Surgery. SWOT analyses of global cancer surgery may be helpful in suggesting future strategies for this expanding field. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Cancer surgery is a resource-intensive yet essential component of cancer care. In the face of projected growth of cancer burden, the present gap in cancer surgery care in low-resource settings with stressed health care and surgical infrastructure risks further exacerbation. We present a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of recent global cancer surgery literature pertaining to low-resource settings.