In:
Future Oncology, Future Medicine Ltd, Vol. 17, No. 2 ( 2021-01), p. 151-157
Abstract:
Lay abstract Cancer of unknown primary site (CUP) is a rare occurrence in which doctors identify where a cancer has spread but cannot determine where it originated. The rising cost of cancer care, particularly in patients with CUP, poses a significant challenge for low- and middle-income countries. To inform future guidelines, we conceived a survey of 20 items that focused on the diagnostic tests that doctors use for patients with CUP, as well as the treatment options that they could offer. Only participants from lower- and higher-middle-income countries, as per the World Bank Classification, were eligible for this study. Our results show that the indications for the first round of treatment were similar between the two income brackets, whereas those for the second round of treatment were more prevalent in higher-middle-income countries. The use of targeted therapy based on only one diagnostic test was higher in lower-middle-income countries, despite access to certain indicators of CUP being similar between the two regions.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1479-6694
,
1744-8301
DOI:
10.2217/fon-2020-0677
Language:
English
Publisher:
Future Medicine Ltd
Publication Date:
2021
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