Colorectal cancer in Mexico: should a middle income country invest in screening or in treatment?
Mexico, like many other middle-income countries, is experiencing a demographic and epidemiological transition resulting in an older population suffering from chronic diseases. At the present time, cancer is the second cause of death in the country. Until recently, cervical carcinoma was the most frequent type of cancer in the country, however, the incidence of breast, prostate and colon cancers is growing. The demand for health care and health expenditure represented by cancer treatment challenges the limited resources the country has, particularly as patients seek treatment in advanced stages of the disease. Interestingly enough, these types of cancers could be detected in the early stages with rather simple screening procedures. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Mexican health system, and the impact of its fragmentation on access to medicines. Focusing on colorectal cancer (CRC), we describe its epidemiology, screening procedures and the inequities in health care access for these patients.
Verastegui
Emma
E
Unidad de Etica Clinica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Av San Fernando 22, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico. unidadbioetica@incan.edu.mx
Mohar
Alejandro
A
D000328:Adult; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000600:supply & distribution; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D040841:Resource Allocation