World Cancer Day: Women Leaders Advancing People-Centered Cancer Care

World Cancer Day: Women Leaders Advancing People-Centered Cancer Care

Every cancer diagnosis carries a unique story—one of grief, resilience, healing, and love. That’s why a people-centered approach to cancer care, which prioritizes individual needs with compassion and empathy, leads to the best outcomes.

For World Cancer Day 2025, the theme “United by Unique” underscores the importance of putting people at the heart of care. It highlights that each person affected by cancer has distinct needs and experiences that must be recognized in the fight against the disease.

WomenLift Health acknowledges the crucial role of women leaders in shaping global health, particularly in cancer care. Their leadership ensures that policies, research, and care models address the unique needs of cancer patients, advocating for personalized, compassionate treatment.

To mark World Cancer Day, we spoke with our 2024 Leadership Journey Cohort Members, Dr. Angela Kathure Mule (Patient Journey Partner, Roche Kenya Ltd; East Africa) and Bhavana Issar (Founder & CEO, Caregiver Saathi; India), about the importance of centering people in cancer care. Their conversation focused on reimagining health systems to prioritize patient needs and the vital role women leaders play in shaping personalized, compassionate cancer care delivery.

Putting People at the Center of Cancer Care: A Leadership Perspective

Dr. Angela Mule: Putting people at the center of cancer care means being a steadfast advocate for patients, ensuring their voices are consistently heard within the healthcare system. It involves being both curious and empathetic while gaining a deep understanding of the entire cancer care pathway, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, reintegration, palliative, and end-of-life care. It’s about ensuring patients receive the care they need when they need it.

Bhavana Issar: Cancer impacts people in many ways – not just the patient, but also the caregivers, healthcare practitioners, and well-wishers. Its debilitating effects, which are financial, social, and emotional, can sometimes transcend generations. Putting people at the center of cancer care means being compassionate toward the social and emotional implications that can make both the patient and their caregivers vulnerable in ways they may not have the language or comprehension for. It calls for compassion from society, institutions, and governments in building resilient systems that can support patients and their families through the cancer care journey, and often beyond it.

It is also important for caregivers to heal from the aftermath of the journey, regardless of the treatment or cure for the patient.

Reimagining Health Systems for Patient-Centered Cancer Care

Dr. Angela Mule: Healthcare systems must be designed to meet the needs of cancer patients. This starts with investing in health promotion and disease prevention, such as national cancer screening programs, which bring services closer to communities. Integrating cancer screening into primary care can reduce treatment costs and improve early diagnosis, which is more cost-effective and has a higher likelihood of cure. Additionally, ensuring vaccines for preventable cancers reaches every eligible person is key.

We also need to create systems that ensure timely referrals to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment. Patient-centric care removes delays with seamless referral mechanisms, quickly guiding patients from diagnosis to treatment. Digital tools can support this by enabling access to health records and eliminating the need for repeated costly tests.

The role of healthcare workers is crucial. Primary care workers are often the first point of contact, so it’s essential they receive proper training and are equipped to recognize cancer symptoms. Moreover, health systems must have enough trained workers to meet the population’s needs, requiring investment in specialized oncology training for various healthcare professionals. Health financing is also key—many cancer patients in the Global South face high out-of-pocket costs. Resources must be allocated for equitable and accessible cancer care.

Bhavana Issar: Health and care systems that are compassionate toward all stakeholders in patient-centered care must communicate, educate, and support the patient, caregivers, and the community in appropriate ways. These systems should be capable of responding to emergencies, facilitating illness treatment, acknowledging the mental and emotional impact of the illness, and providing personalized support systems that help patients and families navigate the complexities of cancer care.

The ideal health and care systems strike an optimal balance between human touch and technology, ensuring that healthcare is accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford it. Such systems must be innovative and resourceful enough to overcome barriers related to affordability, accessibility, and ability (including language, digital literacy, and cognitive abilities).

Ultimately, effective health systems should be adaptable and applicable not only to cancer but also to other life-limiting conditions, diseases, and disorders.

The Vital Role of Women Leaders in Advancing Compassionate Cancer Treatment

Dr. Angela Mule: Women leaders contribute diverse perspectives and represent women’s voices in global health decisions. Since women are disproportionately affected by cancer, are often caregivers, and make up a large portion of healthcare workers, their inclusion ensures health systems respond to these unique needs. Empowering women leads to more inclusive patient advocacy, reducing gender-based health disparities and improving outcomes.

Bhavana Issar: Women leaders can understand and leverage feminine leadership traits to build and nurture collaborative, sustainable structures that are non-hierarchical and create space for debate, dialogue, and dissent.

Additionally, we can work to deepen understanding and educate individuals and institutions on what it truly means to be “compassionate” in a meaningful way. A compassionate approach should follow a 4Win model—ensuring a win-win for all parties involved, as well as a win-win in both the short and long term.

Shifting from Statistics to Individuals: Transforming Cancer Care Delivery

Dr. Angela Mule: A key change I would like to see is prioritizing and funding cancer care. Cancer patients often feel overlooked and viewed as burdens rather than as individuals in need of care. There is a misconception that cancer is a death sentence, leading to a lack of investment. I want to see leaders and policymakers commit to funding cancer care adequately.

Cancer isn’t just a statistic—it’s a lived experience. It’s time to invest in cancer care, recognizing its vital impact on individuals, families, communities, and the global economy.

Bhavana Issar: As an advocate for caregivers, one key change that I would like to see in the delivery of cancer care is the adoption and appreciation of a trans-disciplinary approach to systems thinking and problem solving. Such an approach will help us innovate and reimagine healthcare systems that are meaningful and compassionate.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are solely those of the individuals and do not reflect the views or positions of their employers or any affiliated organizations.