Cancer surgery: orchestrating cancer control by strengthening health

Cancer and surgery are relatively new entrants into the global health arena. The field of global health has been focused on efforts to control infections and is therefore oriented to seek drug and vaccine-based solutions. These solutions have often been delivered outside of—rather than through the mechanism of—national health systems. Procedure and technology-based treatments, such as surgery or radiotherapy, are therefore less well understood than drug and vaccine-based solutions and are often forgotten when health services are expanded. 1 Meara JG Leather AJM Hagander L et al. Global Surgery 2030: evidence and solutions for achieving health, welfare, and economic development. Lancet. 2015; 386: 569-624 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2113) Google Scholar , 2 Atun R Jaffray DA Barton MB et al. Expanding global access to radiotherapy. Lancet Oncol. 2015; 16: 1153-1186 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (599) Google Scholar Global Cancer Surgery: pragmatic solutions to improve cancer surgery outcomes worldwideThe first Lancet Oncology Commission on Global Cancer Surgery was published in 2015 and serves as a landmark paper in the field of cancer surgery. The Commission highlighted the burden of cancer and the importance of cancer surgery, while documenting the many inadequacies in the ability to deliver safe, timely, and affordable cancer surgical care. This Commission builds on the first Commission by focusing on solutions and actions to improve access to cancer surgery globally, developed by drawing upon the expertise from cancer surgery leaders across the world. Full-Text PDF