The disparity in care in the Cancer world and in healthcare generally is so challenging to navigate and accept, especially when there comes a time when it impacts you or people close to you. The 'Close the Care gap' theme in the Cancer community worldwide continues this year.
As the team behind World Cancer Day report:
This is the equity gap – and it’s costing lives. People who seek cancer care hit barriers at every turn. Income, education, geographical location and discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle are just a few of the factors that can negatively affect care. The most disadvantaged groups are also more likely to have increased exposures to a host of other risk factors, like tobacco, unhealthy diet or environmental hazards.
The gap affects everyone. You might feel like the equity gap doesn’t impact you personally, but it likely does affect someone you know. While it’s more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, well-resourced countries show dramatic disparities too. It’s almost guaranteed that the gap affects you or people in your community.
We can close the gap. The reality today is that who you are and where you live could mean the difference between life and death. It isn’t fair. But we can change this.
In healthcare, inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources. By contrast, inequity means unjust, avoidable differences in care or outcomes.
The difference may seem subtle, but closing the cancer care gap isn’t really about simply providing everyone with equal resources. One size doesn’t fit all, and every challenge demands a different solution. Equity is about giving everyone what they need to offer them the chance to enjoy similar outcomes.
Having experienced cancer for the 3rd time as a patient, and having been the carer for my husband and my dad, I have witnessed first-hand the differences that we face throughout; they varied from the most compassionate, patient-centred care to my current experience which feels extremely isolating and disjointed.
No one seems to join the dots, or sees me as a whole person who has experienced 3 different cancers and the impact this has had on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I feel I have to be responsible for considering different options, finding alternatives, doing my own research, paying for additional support services, such as a nutritionist, all of which have supported me to feel empowered and give myself the best chance of survival.
My experiences have ignited a flame within me to empower more patients, urge people to look after themselves and 'know' their bodies BEFORE a cancer diagnosis comes knocking. To be more bold in getting answers and to find the courage to ask for more support.
Cancer impacts the individual and everyone who cares for them - it is frightening and extremely lonely, it makes you question your body, your mind, your sense of self and the role you play in the lives of others - it brings everything to the surface and shines a harsh light on your entire existence.
We need more compassion and understanding, more time to ask the questions, more advice on how we can empower ourselves, we need more care, for us as patients but also for our clinicians, the people who are tasked in delivering so much for us, yet don't have the support they need to be able to offer us all we need.
I'm currently running a campaign titled Kindness v Cancer - created by Laura Kendrick to support the Cancer community with compassion and the one drug that does heal.....Kindness.
As Laura said "My mission is to ensure every cancer patient has interactions that are heartfelt, compassionate and hopeful when appropriate & actively considerate of the patient's mental health"
We all have a role to play in supporting anyone on the cancer pathway, the patient, the family, the friends, the doctors, the nurses and all the support staff.
Kindness and feeling that you are seen as an individual and your care is centred on this is the most precious gift. If anyone is involved in Cancer and would like to support Laura's Kindness v Cancer campaign then please get in touch. We've got a lot to achieve in this space to honour Laura's legacy.