Social Determinants of Health in Oncology and Their Possible Impact on Individuals

Introduction:

Human evolution has seen many deadly diseases, with cancer being one among them. Cancer is a severe disease that can affect any body tissue, characterized by abnormal cells growing uncontrollably and destroying the normal body tissue. It is caused by DNA mutations in cells that lead to cell damage. Due to cell damage, the immune system gets suppressed, and the body loses its ability to fight against cancer. As a result, the patient's overall health becomes low. Therefore, cancer treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy are given to patients to improve their overall health and survival. Beyond healthcare, there are certain other factors that promote health and help achieve health equity. Such factors are known as social determinants of health.

What Are the Different Social Determinants That Impact Health in Cancer Patients?

Some factors that are not disease-related can impact the care and overall survival of cancer patients. Such factors are called social determinants of health. WHO (World Health Organization) defines social determinants of health as the conditions in which people are born, grow, age, live, and work. Deprivation to any one of the social determinants can result in inequalities in cancer care, thus playing a vital role in cancer survivorship in patients. The different social determinants that impact health in cancer are;

• Socio-economic status.

• Education.

• Health care access and quality.

• Transportation.

• Community and social context.

• Nutrition.

How Does the Socioeconomic Status of a Patient Impact Health in Cancer?

• Socioeconomic status determines the standard of living in individuals. It is the total measure of economic and sociological factors like an individual or family's income, a person's work experience, level of education, and social position in relation to others.

• Individual or family income plays a major role in determining one's overall health and access to health care. A person who is a high-income earner enjoys better health than people under low economic status, and this is because people under high financial status experience a better standard of living and have good access to health care.

• Socioeconomic status can impact cancer treatment outcomes in patients. Many scientific studies have investigated the socioeconomic impact on cancer treatment outcomes and found that the mortality rates are high in cancer patients under low socioeconomic status.

• As cancer treatments are expensive, patients with low socioeconomic status find it difficult to afford them. Low socioeconomic status can lead to inequality in cancer care and affects the cancer outcomes in patients.

• People who come under the poverty line have poor housing conditions, eating habits, and a lack of education and healthcare needs. They often live a poor standard of living that impacts their health. They are more prone to severe diseases like asthma, cancer, tuberculosis, etc.

How Can a Person's Access to Education Influence Their Cancer Experience?

• More awareness about cancer helps in early diagnosis and improves cancer outcomes and overall survival. Individuals with high education levels have more awareness of cancer symptoms and risk factors. Therefore, more awareness helps the individual diagnose cancer early and improve overall survival.

• Access to high-level education is not much prevalent in rural areas, which leads to less awareness about cancer among patients from rural areas. Improving access to high-level education in rural areas can break the inequality barrier in cancer care for patients from rural areas.

How Does Nutrition Impact Health in Cancer?

• A well-balanced, nutritious diet is essential for improving the overall health of cancer patients. Deprivation of well-balanced nutrition and access to good quality foods can increase the risk of developing cancer and decrease cancer outcomes.

• Access to good quality foods is key to promoting the intake of nutrition-rich foods. People in rural areas have limited access to good quality foods, which leads to increased cancer risk. Financial constraints, lack of sources, and transportation challenges are the factors that result in limited access to healthy foods in rural areas.

• People living in urban areas have a well-built environment of grocery stores and good transportation, which provides easy access to good quality foods. However, in recent times people in urban areas are consuming more junk and processed foods. More intake of junk and processed foods results in a lack of nutrition and affects an individual's health.

How Can a Community Affect a Person With Cancer?

Community refers to a large number of people with common interests living in a particular area. The three main types of community are urban, suburban, and rural. The following factors influence the effect of community on cancer,

1. Social Integration - A community that has ready access to social connections, with fewer discrimination and good social support, enjoys better health. Social relationships have an impact on a person's physical and mental health.

2. Support Systems - Cancer patients often go through a bad mental state as a result of the disease process. They often feel stressed or depressed and require emotional support to manage it. Emotional support from family, friends, and other social relationships helps improve the overall health and cancer outcomes in patients.

3. Community Engagement - Neighborhood and built environments also have a significant impact on the health of an individual. People living in a neighborhood with access to healthy food options, transportation, and healthy working environments enjoy better health. Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood can worsen health and decrease cancer outcomes in patients.

How Does a Patient's Access to Healthcare System Impact Cancer Outcomes?

An individual's access to health care plays a vital role in cancer outcomes. The different conditions by which healthcare impacts the health of cancer patients include;

1) Access to Care:

People living in urban areas have access to high-quality healthcare. Cancer emergency hospitals and cancer research institutes are more in urban areas, which helps the patient to get quicker access to health care. The lack of specialized doctors and hospitals in rural areas delays healthcare access, resulting in increased mortality rates in cancer patients.

2) Quality of Healthcare:

The quality of health care depends on factors like;

• Timely access to the treatment.

• Safer treatment.

• Treatment outcomes.

Access to high-quality health care helps patients recover from cancer and improve their overall health.

Conclusion:

The correlation between social determinants of health and cancer was not taken seriously in earlier times. But many recent studies found social determinants of health play a vital role in cancer outcomes. Addressing social determinants of health can help improve patient's overall health and cancer outcomes. It also helps reduce health disparities and improve health equity.