Access to oncological treatment: perspectives and reflections on predisposing and enabling factors for health.

Abstract

Introduction: Health is a fundamental and multifactorial right, and oncological treatment is no exception. Access is influenced by a complex interaction of individual, social, and economic factors, ranging from personal characteristics to the structure of the health system. Objective: To verify access to oncological treatment in order to outline an international analytical overview of the multiplicity of factors that impact the patient's context. Method: This work is an integrative review whose data was collected from articles on the PubMed platform. They were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in a final sample of 21 articles selected for evidence collection. Results: This study demonstrated that access to cancer treatment is complex and fraught with barriers, shaped by a set of factors that determine real-world access. It highlights that in certain groups, especially in nations of the Global South, neocolonial relationships with the Global North persist, facing even greater adversities in accessing treatment. Issues such as lack of access to medicines, an insufficient number of reference services, and limited diagnostic and treatment technology in general are reflections of a domination that impacts wealth and the organization of health services. Conclusions: The main conclusion is that without political will and a commitment to breaking with an exclusionary social structure, full access to health will not be achieved, especially in the context of cancer treatment.