Cancer among women and girls in Syrian refugee populations
Authors: Christian Popescu, Jamela Al Raiby, Saverio Bellizzi
Journal: The Lancet (2024)

The Lancet Commission on women, power, and cancer makes it clear that when it comes to cancer, women and girls must be considered vulnerable.1Ginsburg O Vanderpuye V Beddoe AM et al.Women, power, and cancer: a Lancet Commission.Lancet. 2023; 402: 2113-2166Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (14) Google Scholar Using data on Syrian refugees, we would like to highlight the specific vulnerabilities of a subgroup of women and girls—namely, those who left their homes as migrants and refugees. Studies on cancer among Syrian refugees in Türkiye show breast cancer as the most frequently detected cancer among women (30·0%), with a 5-year survival rate of 37·8%.2Kutluk T Sahin B Kirazli M et al.Clinical characteristics and outcomes of cancer cases among Syrian refugees from southern Turkey.JAMA Netw Open. 2023; 6e2312903 Crossref Scopus (2) Google Scholar In contrast, a nationwide study in Türkiye conducted between 2005 and 2017 showed a 5-year survival rate of 86%.3Özmen V Özmen T Doğru V Breast cancer in Turkey; an analysis of 20 000 patients with breast cancer.Eur J Breast Health. 2019; 15: 141-146Crossref PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar Reasons for this discrepancy range from the disruption of treatment as a result of mobility to the inability of refugees to pay for essential services amidst competing needs such as food. In Jordan, Lebanon, and Türkiye, the cost of cancer care for Syrian refugees was estimated at €33·68 million in 2017, representing 20·3% of the US$187 million of international aid for the health sector for Syrian refugees in these countries.4Abdul-Guo P Sharp F Gheorghe A et al.R4HC-MENA collaboration. The economic burden of cancer care for Syrian refugees: a population-based modelling study.Lancet Oncol. 2020; 21: 637-644Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (24) Google Scholar For refugees, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is often forced to triage due to inadequate funding. Data from Jordan between 2009 and 2012 show that, for example, of the 511 submissions for funding for cancer treatment, only 246 (48·1%) were approved, with the main reason for refusal being poor prognosis.5Spiegel P Khalifa A Mateen FJ Cancer in refugees in Jordan and Syria between 2009 and 2012: challenges and the way forward in humanitarian emergencies.Lancet Oncol. 2014; 15: e290-e297Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (70) Google Scholar Expanding on the priority action 1 proposed by Ohira Ginsburg and colleagues,1Ginsburg O Vanderpuye V Beddoe AM et al.Women, power, and cancer: a Lancet Commission.Lancet. 2023; 402: 2113-2166Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (14) Google Scholar migrant and refugee status should be added to the data routinely collected in cancer health statistics. Additionally, with support from the international community, host countries should provide resources for adequate cancer care for vulnerable refugees and migrants. We declare no competing interests. Women, power, and cancer: a Lancet CommissionWomen interact with cancer in complex ways, as healthy individuals participating in cancer prevention and screening activities, as individuals living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis, as caregivers for family members and friends, as patient advocates, as health workers and health-care professionals, and as cancer researchers and policy makers. Full-Text PDF