Challenges and Issues in the Treatment of Reproductive Cancer in India: A Behavioural Science Perspective

Abstract

There has been a transition of diseases among the Indian masses seen over the last two decades. Of late, noncommunicable diseases and diseases due to environmental factors have increased manifold.Among them, cancer is a concern with every passing day across regions of India. Among them, reproductive cancers are conditions that occur in the reproductive organs contributing to the increased burden of diseases. These are cancers in the breast, cervix, uterus, vulva, endometrium, and ovaries, which affect across demographics and geographies of India. Reproductive cancers can also be found in men, like prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and penile cancer. Reproductive cancers have a significant impact on the lives of men and women worldwide. Given the seriousness of the problem, this review discusses the various determinants of reproductive cancer care in India. Further, this review examines the access to cancer care among Indian men and women. The paper gathered existing evidence through a literature search about facts, figures, and narratives of reproductive cancer in India. According to the basic objective, a literature review was done to assess various factors affecting reproductive cancer in the Indian population. The issues of reproductive cancer were assessed at different levels like socio-cultural, concerns of cancer and access to cancer care. The search sites like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Journal Storage (JSTOR) were used to unravel the issues of reproductive cancer among men and women. The article brings out many concerns about the control of reproductive cancer in India. In India, the screening, diagnosis, and modern cancer care procedures are insufficient, especially reproductive cancer care. There is also a lack of access to reproductive cancer care in most parts of the country, especially in the rural areas. The infrastructure, workforce, and supply chain of medications for cancer care are very worrisome, which needs to be augmented for primary cancer care. Overall, the public health system has to be augmented by considering the systems thinking approach by including all the stakeholders. The complex issues need simplified solutions. Hence, there is a need for training and capacity building to enhance reproductive cancer care among individuals, families, and communities at large.