Accessibility of Black Population to Oncological Care in Brazil: Integrative Review

Abstract

Introduction: The persistence of racial inequalities in the access to health services has been pointed out and the individual with cancer is within this scenario. Objective: To analyze the factors that impact the accessibility of the black population to cancer care in Brazil. Method: Through an integrative literature review, it were searched original articles published in Portuguese, English and Spanish in the databases PubMed, LILACS and Embase without time limitation. Results: Thirteen articles were included and analyzed based in the type of cancer addressed: breast cancer, gynecological cancer, prostate cancer and oral cancer. Conclusion: The racial and socioeconomic inequalities reflect upon the actions of accessibility to cancer care, mostly in early detection. Regardless of the type of cancer and the forms of diagnosis and treatment, it is unquestionable the difficulty the afro-descendant population has to access oncological care because of social and economic issues. Healthcare providers must ensure the care to the afro-descendant population as much as they do with other social groups to overcome the barriers to access health services.