Publications
Partners
The debate around the standard of our public health system is fierce and ongoing. But while discussions rage on in the media and Government boardrooms, those South Africans who are reliant on the system for survival are suffering the most.
The socially deprived in South Africa are dying from treatable and manageable diseases, like breast cancer, because they are either being diagnosed too late or have to wait too long for treatment.
The link between social deprivation and breast cancer mortality is not just a South African issue. A UK study published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2008 showed that women from poorer backgrounds are far less likely to survive breast cancer than their affluent counter parts.
What makes this study particularly interesting is that in the case of breast cancer, what they call the ‘deprivation gap’ actually increases as the disease progresses. The study showed that five years after the diagnosis there was a 6% gap between the survival rates of the poorer and wealthier women, which was double the rate a year after diagnosis.
At the time of publishing the study the causes were still being investigated but initial thoughts were that this gap was due to limited access to chemotherapy and hormone therapy, later diagnosis and a lower take-up of radiotherapy – all of which can lead to a higher risk of late recurrence of breast cancer.
Another study published in the British Journal of Cancer showed that poverty might trigger a gene mutation that could decrease a woman’s breast cancer survival rate. The researchers analysed the levels of mutation in the P53 gene and the analysis showed that the gene was more likely to mutate in women from poorer areas. Normally the P53 gene acts as a tumor suppressor but once it has mutated it loses that ability.
The research showed a viable link between the P53 mutation and social deprivation as well as a link between the mutation and the recurrence of the cancer. Which makes the link between social deprivation and breast cancer a very real threat.
Early detection is vital in the battle against breast cancer, which means South Africans need to be educated and informed about what to look out for. There needs to be an understanding of when it’s important to see a doctor and very importantly, there needs to be efficient and effective access to healthcare for treatment.
If a woman finds a lump in her breast, it should be relatively easy for her to have it seen to. And if she is diagnosed with breast cancer, the system should be supportive enough that it becomes possible for her to embark on a proper treatment plan within reasonable time and it should arm her with all the information she needs to be empowered to make the right decisions about ongoing management and lifestyle.
For all of this to be possible we need to look further than just our healthcare system. We need to look at the bigger picture: Everything from taking time off work without losing your job to finding the money to get to the treatment centers.
It also needs to be noted that socially deprived South Africans’ general health will often be worse off due to things like poor diet which make patients more susceptible to side effects of cancer treatment and ongoing healthcare limitations. Which is, of course, a factor.
Those living on the poverty line often have to prioritize putting food on the table over proper health management. The tragedy, of course, is if diagnosis and treatment is not managed properly then the breadwinner is likely to die.
Education and access to information is vital. An American Cancer Society study published in 2010 showed that when compared with women with a college degree, those who only had high school level education were 1.39 times more likely to die from breast cancer. Poor education and a lesser socio economic status are almost always linked.
So how do we begin to lessen the gap?
While healthcare is a mammoth issue and not easy to tackle, we can make a difference in smaller ways. Education and awareness, empowerment through knowledge and, area specific programmes to assist with potentially simple problems like transport funding are a definite move in the right direction.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
The socially deprived in South Africa are dying from treatable and manageable diseases, like breast cancer, because they are either being diagnosed too late or have to wait too long for treatment.
The link between social deprivation and breast cancer mortality is not just a South African issue. A UK study published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2008 showed that women from poorer backgrounds are far less likely to survive breast cancer than their affluent counter parts.
What makes this study particularly interesting is that in the case of breast cancer, what they call the ‘deprivation gap’ actually increases as the disease progresses. The study showed that five years after the diagnosis there was a 6% gap between the survival rates of the poorer and wealthier women, which was double the rate a year after diagnosis.
At the time of publishing the study the causes were still being investigated but initial thoughts were that this gap was due to limited access to chemotherapy and hormone therapy, later diagnosis and a lower take-up of radiotherapy – all of which can lead to a higher risk of late recurrence of breast cancer.
Another study published in the British Journal of Cancer showed that poverty might trigger a gene mutation that could decrease a woman’s breast cancer survival rate. The researchers analysed the levels of mutation in the P53 gene and the analysis showed that the gene was more likely to mutate in women from poorer areas. Normally the P53 gene acts as a tumor suppressor but once it has mutated it loses that ability.
The research showed a viable link between the P53 mutation and social deprivation as well as a link between the mutation and the recurrence of the cancer. Which makes the link between social deprivation and breast cancer a very real threat.
Early detection is vital in the battle against breast cancer, which means South Africans need to be educated and informed about what to look out for. There needs to be an understanding of when it’s important to see a doctor and very importantly, there needs to be efficient and effective access to healthcare for treatment.
If a woman finds a lump in her breast, it should be relatively easy for her to have it seen to. And if she is diagnosed with breast cancer, the system should be supportive enough that it becomes possible for her to embark on a proper treatment plan within reasonable time and it should arm her with all the information she needs to be empowered to make the right decisions about ongoing management and lifestyle.
For all of this to be possible we need to look further than just our healthcare system. We need to look at the bigger picture: Everything from taking time off work without losing your job to finding the money to get to the treatment centers.
It also needs to be noted that socially deprived South Africans’ general health will often be worse off due to things like poor diet which make patients more susceptible to side effects of cancer treatment and ongoing healthcare limitations. Which is, of course, a factor.
Those living on the poverty line often have to prioritize putting food on the table over proper health management. The tragedy, of course, is if diagnosis and treatment is not managed properly then the breadwinner is likely to die.
Education and access to information is vital. An American Cancer Society study published in 2010 showed that when compared with women with a college degree, those who only had high school level education were 1.39 times more likely to die from breast cancer. Poor education and a lesser socio economic status are almost always linked.
So how do we begin to lessen the gap?
While healthcare is a mammoth issue and not easy to tackle, we can make a difference in smaller ways. Education and awareness, empowerment through knowledge and, area specific programmes to assist with potentially simple problems like transport funding are a definite move in the right direction.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
