Breast Cancer Management Among Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Populations: a Call to Action

Abstract

Purpose of Review: The prevalence of breast cancer is rising among refugees and displaced populations worldwide, and late-stage diagnosis has contributed to poor health outcomes in these populations. With a specific focus on the Middle East and Lebanon in particular, we discuss the challenges associated with breast cancer prevention and treatment among refugees and displaced populations and highlight priorities for urgent and needed action. Recent Findings: In the Middle East, a complex interplay of social, cultural, economic, and political factors results in delayed diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer among displaced populations. For most displaced women, the most extensive barriers to care are related to cost, transportation, stigma, inadequate cancer education, and a lack of knowledge of and difficulty accessing a host country’s health system. Summary: As a result of a lack of attention, limited finances, and insufficient support from humanitarian organizations and host governments, refugees and displaced populations with or at risk for breast cancer in the Middle East face significant barriers to accessing support, preventative care, and treatment resources. Breast cancer has yet to become a priority for international relief agencies and host governments in part due to misperceptions that breast cancers consistently present with poor prognoses and are too costly to treat. With the burden of breast cancer and the number of displaced individuals across the world both rising, host governments and the international community must reconsider and develop new strategies for breast cancer prevention and treatment.