The global cancer care disparity is unacceptable
Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death globally. In 2015 there were 8.8 million deaths due to cancer, with 70% of these deaths occurring in Low to Middle-Income Countries.
By 2030 cancer mortality rates in LMICs are projected to INCREASE by more than 70%, yet they are projected to DECREASE by 30% in High Income Countries.
The mortality rate related to cancer in LMICs is disparately high compared to HICs.
So why is there such a high mortality rate in LMICs for cancers we know how to effectively control in HICs? There are multiple reasons for the disparity but an important and impactful one is:
Many radiotherapy clinics in LMICs still rely on basic or outdated equipment and
lack the funds, training, and supporting infrastructure to implement modern 3D and IMRT radiation.
In the past two decades we have revolutionized radiation therapy technology and made significant improvement in cancer care in the United States and other developed countries. However, developing countries are left behind. The obvious reason is the lack of funds, which leads to the inability to purchase modern technology…
This is EmpowerRT’s mission, to enable cancer clinics to improve their radiation therapy equipment and reduce treatment toxicity, at 5-10% of the cost of purchasing modern technology.
Developing country cancer care is an enormous global problem and opportunity that more prevalent than ever before. Yet only a few are doing something about this serious problem in the world, and EmpowerRT of one of them. Our solution enables resource-limited cancer clinics do more with less.