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. 2017 Nov 23:5:2800514.
doi: 10.1109/JTEHM.2017.2761764. eCollection 2017.

The Role of Affordable, Point-of-Care Technologies for Cancer Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review and Commentary

Karen Haney  1 , Pushpa Tandon  2 , Rao Divi  2 , Miguel R Ossandon  2 , Houston Baker  2 , Paul C Pearlman  2
Affiliations

The Role of Affordable, Point-of-Care Technologies for Cancer Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review and Commentary

Karen Haney et al. IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med. .

Abstract

As the burden of non-communicable diseases such as cancer continues to rise in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), it is essential to identify and invest in promising solutions for cancer control and treatment. Point-of-care technologies (POCTs) have played critical roles in curbing infectious disease epidemics in both high- and low-income settings, and their successes can serve as a model for transforming cancer care in LMICs, where access to traditional clinical resources is often limited. The versatility, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity of POCTs warrant attention for their potential to revolutionize cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment. This paper reviews the landscape of affordable POCTs for cancer care in LMICs with a focus on imaging tools, in vitro diagnostics, and treatment technologies and aspires to encourage innovation and further investment in this space.

Keywords: Cancer; imaging; in-vitro diagnostics; point-of-care technology.

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Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
HRME in use during a study of endoscopic screening for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at the Cancer Institute of the Chinese Academy for Medical Science (CICAMS). Device is seen at the bottom of the photo (arrows).
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
KS-Detect System in Solar Heating Mode deployed outside of a rural clinic near Kampala, Uganda.
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
CryoPen (left) offers a smaller, gasless alternative to CO2-based systems for cryotherapy (right). CryoPen is also enclosed in a ruggedized container for easy transport.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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