Global And Regional Disparities In Access To Specialist Sarcoma Services

Description

In this episode of AI Talks with Bone & Joint, Brian and co-host Lisa delve into a significant paper published in April 2025, titled 'Global and regional disparities in access to specialist sarcoma services.' The discussion emphasizes the critical nature of sarcoma care, which affects both adults and children, and the necessity for timely and specialized treatment to enhance clinical outcomes. The study, authored by T Zamora and colleagues, draws insights from a comprehensive global survey of 192 orthopedic oncology specialists from 47 countries, gathering data at the 2024 Birmingham Orthopaedic Oncology Meeting.



Listeners learn about alarming statistics; only 40% of specialists reported most patients being treated in specialized sarcoma centers, and 40% noted that financial constraints frequently delayed treatments. The survey unveiled disparities in access to diagnostic technologies, with advanced treatments like proton therapy being particularly limited in low-to-middle-income countries.



Geographical comparisons highlight that regions with robust healthcare systems, such as Europe and Australasia, boast better access to sarcoma services compared to Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The hosts discuss how financial burdens disproportionately affect low-to-middle-income countries and reveal internal disparities within high-income nations, exemplified by Ukraine's limited access relative to other European states.



Concluding the conversation, Brian and Lisa stress that addressing these disparities demands targeted healthcare policies, optimized resource allocation, and global collaboration to improve the quality of sarcoma care worldwide.

Specialties

Paper Links

https://boneandjoint.org.uk/Article/10.1302/2633-1462.64.BJO-2024-0208.R1