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Tackling these gender inequities and differences could contribute to saving 1.5 million women from premature death through primary prevention .

“ Our commission highlights that gender inequalities significantly impact women ’ s experiences with cancer . To address this , we need cancer to be seen as a priority issue in women ’ s health , and call for the immediate introduction of a feminist approach to cancer ,” �r Ophira Ginsburg , a senior scientific adviser for clinical research at the National Cancer Institute ’ s Center for Global Health in the �S and a co-chair of the commission , told the Guardian .

Taking account of gender differences represents a comprehensive approach that goes beyond the medical side of cancer to shed light on the specific risks and problems that tend to affect women because of their social and economic roles .

Power imbalances between men and women also mean that the latter are more likely to struggle to pay for cancer treatment or any related expenses and risk financial catastrophe due to the high cost associated with the condition .

Moreover , the research priorities that are set by oncology leadership dominated by men have rarely included potential cancer risk factors that women are usually exposed to , such as hair relaxant products and night shift work . This limits the data available to implement public health policies and advise the public on how to reduce their exposure .

Over the past several decades , global public health policies on women have mostly focused on maternal health and child mortality , especially in low- and middle-income countries ( LMICs ), while cancer has received less attention , with the notable exception of breast and cervical cancers . Despite the progress made in those areas , this neglect has translated into poor awareness about the high risks of developing lung and colorectal malignancies compared to men .

“ From the point of being exposed to cancer risk factors , having the symptoms being recognised and �agged as cancer , accessing treatment , to going back to a normal life after treatment , I think there is a lot of disparity between women and men ,” �r Nirmala Bhoo- Pathy , a professor of epidemiology and public health at Universiti Malaya and a member of the commission , told �lo�al �ealth �sia��aci�c .

Tackling these gender inequities and differences could contribute to saving 1.5 million women from premature death through primary prevention , such as reducing exposure to cancer risk factors , and avoiding another 800,000 deaths by providing all women with high-quality care , the commission says .

Power imbalances make it harder for women to deal with cancer A key difficulty women face when starting to experience potential cancer symptoms is obtaining a timely diagnosis due to both external and selfimposed factors .

“ Women can have a lot of unspoken barriers because often they aren ’ t the main decision-makers in the family and they wait for someone else to sanction ” the need for screening or check-up , said �r Nirmala . Some research from India , for instance , has found that husbands may dissuade their wives from going for screening because they believe there ’ s no need for that if the women feel well .

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