Entries by Alexandra Bukowski
Patient Navigation Success Story: Juana
Our Patient Navigation Program in Mexico was only launched a few months ago, but we are already seeing what an amazing service it provides for so many patients. Here, Dr. Enrique Soto tells the story of Juana in Mexico City. With the help of patient navigation, Juana has successfully navigated Mexico City’s health system and […]
5 Ways Patient Navigators Are Helping Women in Uruguay
Earlier this month, we launched our newest Patient Navigation Program in Montevideo, Uruguay. At Jardines del Hipodromo, a community health center in Uruguay’s capital city, two patient navigators are helping women with abnormal Pap tests receive the follow-up care they need. Pap tests are an important step in the early detection of cervical abnormalities […]
Why Do LMICs Need National Cancer Control Plans?
When most people think of health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), they think of infectious disease. Infectious disease has, after all, been the most pressing health concern for the less developed regions of the world, and it oftentimes commands the attention of both media and global health philanthropy worldwide. However, what most people don’t […]
How a Breast Cancer Database Helps Young Women Around the World
“I was 36 years old when I first felt the lump in my breast,” Diana remembers. “I had been married for three years, and we had been trying to have a baby for two of those years.” Breast cancer in very young women is considered a rare disease. When you look at the global […]
Accessible Technology Platform Connects Global Doctors
The Global Cancer Institute (GCI), a 501(c)(3) public charity, has a mission to improve the survival and quality of life of underserved cancer patients worldwide. It’s an ambitious goal, but GCI is accomplishing this by connecting a network of global oncologists through an integrated and easily accessible technology platform: Google. GCI unifies its global […]
Dr. Rossana Ruiz Discusses Her Global Cancer Fellowship
Through GCI’s Fellowships and Scholarships, young oncologists from low- and middle-income countries have the opportunity to come to Boston and gain exposure to clinical practices, education, and research in the U.S. They participate in all of the projects we do here at GCI, from leading research publications on cancer control in their home countries to […]
How Fragmented Health Systems Hurt Patients
Health system fragmentation is common in low- and middle-income countries. Most countries in Latin America have fragmented health systems with many different health coverage schemes – none of which are universal, and most of which exclude the poorest and most vulnerable patients. The result? A large proportion of patients who need care the most cannot […]
Genetic Profiling for Cancer Patients in LMICs
GCI recently hosted a Global Tumor Board Special Session on genetic profiling for metastatic breast cancer, led by Dr. Ben Park from Johns Hopkins and Dr. Aditya Bardia from Massachusetts General Hospital. Genetic profiling is a way to analyze patient tumor samples and analyze on a molecular level the alterations that are unique to different tumors. […]