Health care that prioritises the individual over the disease is not a new concept. It’s widely understood to be an important and effective way to improve health outcomes and the experience of people living with cancer.
Yet this proven approach is too seldom put into effective practice due to several barriers, including a lack of political will, financial pressure, resource constraints, insufficient training and education, resistance to change, and systemic inequity.
We must conquer these barriers to embrace a people-centred revolution in cancer care. There is no one way to do this: just like every person’s experience with cancer is unique, so are countries and health systems. Nevertheless, there are some recommendations that can effect meaningful and lasting change everywhere.
People-centred cancer care is a profound and multifaceted transformation.
HERE ARE A FEW ACTIONABLE CHANGES CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE:
The meaningful engagement of people living with cancer in shaping services, informing care practices, and guiding health policy is at the core of creating a health system that is compassionate, humanising and empowering. A system cannot respond to the needs of people affected by cancer if it is not created in collaboration with them.
People affected by cancer, caregivers, and families have valuable skillsets, experience, and expertise. This includes the groups and organisations that represent them, such as patient advocacy groups, support networks, faith-based or cultural groups, and local leaders. The insights of these groups and individuals can help identify systemic challenges and gaps and highlight opportunities for improvement.
But until now this participation has been limited: People with lived experience are too often seen as passive recipients of care or caregivers, rather than as active partners in decisions about their treatment and care.
A shift is needed from traditional top–down approaches in which the design of interventions and strategies excludes individuals with lived experience, toward inclusive, bottom-up approaches co-created with a diversity of views. People with lived experience need to be involved in the creation of policies, programmes, and services at the local, national, regional and global levels.
EXAMPLES:
Reorienting cancer care to a people-centred approach starts with understanding what individuals value and the conditions in which they live and make health choices across every stage of the cancer continuum – from prevention, screening, and diagnosis to treatment, palliative care, and survivorship. Cancer care should be holistic, not siloed around a single diagnosis. It should be embedded within a broader framework of responsive health services that consider the individual’s full range of needs. This includes screening for other cancers, managing co-morbidities and risk factors, and even addressing the health needs of family members who may be present—such as offering childhood vaccinations. By looking beyond the immediate condition or symptoms, integrated care can better support people in the context of their lives, not just their illnesses.
Effective prevention and early detection strategies must also be designed with an understanding of the social, economic, and environmental conditions that shape people’s knowledge, awareness, and health-seeking behaviours – including education, employment, housing, and access to healthy products.
At the point of diagnosis and treatment, people must be active participants in their care. A people-centred approach equips individuals with clear, accessible information so they can weigh options, manage their care, and make decisions that align with their values, goals, and lifestyles. It’s not about asking, “What’s the matter with you?” but rather, “What matters to you?”
Health literacy – the ability to find, understand, and use health information – is a cornerstone of this model. When people understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and care plan, they are more likely to participate actively, follow medical advice, and experience better health outcomes. Health systems must proactively ensure that information is tailored, culturally appropriate, and easy to navigate. This includes verbal communication, written materials, digital tools, and translation where needed.
Throughout treatment and follow-up, care must be continuous, coordinated, and compassionate. Multidisciplinary teams (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgeons, pathologists, alongside nurses, social workers, community health workers and so on) should collaborate consistently across services and settings to manage not only clinical symptoms and side effects but also emotional, psychological, and practical needs.
Supportive care should consider the long-term physical, mental, and social challenges throughout an individual’s cancer journey. Palliative care should address the need for dignity, comfort, and support for both patients and their families.
EXAMPLE:
Decision-making must prioritise equity and inclusion. Services should be tailored to diverse populations and aim to remove barriers related to geography, language, income, disability, or stigma. Cancer control strategies should be shaped with active involvement of civil society organisations (CSOs) and people with lived experience, including marginalised groups such as indigenous peoples, migrants, and rural communities, to help ensure that services are relevant and accessible. This includes allowing for different ways of delivering care, such as reaching out-of-school girls for HPV vaccination or approving self-sampling methods for cervical cancer screening, which can help people who can’t easily get to health facilities.
Transparency in how decisions are made and how well the system performs is key. Accountability should be shared across the system so that everyone is responsible for improving cancer care and making it more responsive to people’s needs.
EXAMPLES:
Creating the conditions for change requires action across the entire health system. This includes strong leadership, appropriate and supportive policies and regulations, systems that reward quality and collaboration, and a workforce ready to deliver new models of care. Achieving this transformation takes coordination, co-creation, investment, and shared commitment across sectors and stakeholders.
Governments and institutions must set clear cancer policy goals, communicate a compelling case for change, and allocate sufficient dedicated resources to implement reforms. Strong leadership also means fostering a culture that values data, evaluation, and continuous learning.
Health workers must be supported and trained to work in new, people-centred ways. Cancer care teams should be multidisciplinary, flexible, and responsive to the emotional, cultural, and social needs of people. Staff also require the tools and support to collaborate across institutions and use data to guide care.
Laws and regulations must enable integrated cancer care. This means ensuring that services across the cancer continuum – screening, diagnosis, treatment, supportive and palliative care, and follow-up – are coordinated and connected, so that patients experience seamless, continuous, and people-centred care. Regulations must evolve to reflect the shift toward coordinated, people-centred systems.
EXAMPLES:
By engaging with your family, friends, and community, you can help raise awareness, offer support, and inspire hope.
The new World Cancer Day theme 2025-2027 "United by Unique" places patients and people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the conversation.
An urgent call for people-centred cancer care.
Treat the person, not just the disease.
Definitions of terms used in the context of World Cancer Day.
Share your personal cancer story to help inspire and support others.
Get involved any way you can. Because together, we can create change.
