Cancer is rising. Health systems are under pressure. All.Can International today publishes a seven-step evidence-based framework to help policymakers reform cancer care pathways — delivering better outcomes and more efficient use of resources.
Today, All.Can International publishes Implementing Person-Centred Cancer Care to Improve Outcomes, Experiences and Efficiency, a global report drawing on peer-reviewed and grey literature from 2018 to 2025, the expertise of 18 contributors across 11 countries, and an accompanying case study compendium documenting twelve international examples of person-centred care in practice.
The report addresses an urgent challenge. Cancer diagnoses are projected to rise by nearly 77 per cent by 2050. Almost half of people living with cancer feel they are not sufficiently involved in decisions about their treatment. And only 27 per cent of national cancer plans globally carry adequate financing strategies. Health systems cannot meet this challenge by doing more of the same.
Person-centred cancer care is not simply a quality improvement aspiration. It is a system sustainability strategy. When care is coordinated, timely, informed by what people with cancer actually need and backed by appropriate financial and psychosocial support, it reduces waste, cuts unnecessary hospitalisations and generates better outcomes. The evidence for this is now substantial. Our report makes it actionable.
The seven steps
The report sets out seven concrete steps for policymakers and health system decision-makers:
Step 1. Enable swift and effective diagnosis with timely initiation of care
Step 2. Provide coordinated and multidisciplinary cancer care
Step 3. Optimise processes using digital technologies
Step 4. Incorporate remote care and telemedicine
Step 5. Facilitate effective communication and shared decision-making
Step 6. Incorporate supportive care and survivorship approaches
Step 7. Provide financial advice and support to people living with cancer and their families
Each step is grounded in the strongest available evidence and accompanied by case studies from twelve countries, from Sweden’s cancer care pathways and the Philippines’ national financial protection programme, to Brazil’s mobile lung cancer screening initiative and the UK’s holistic needs assessment model. These examples show that person-centred care is not a theoretical ideal. It is already being implemented. What is missing is the political will to make it universal.
What decision-makers must do now
Policy- and decision-makers must embed person-centred care principles into national and regional cancer control plans, ensuring every intervention delivers the greatest benefit to people with cancer. This means adequate and accountable financing — backed by clear targets, patient-reported data and cross-system coordination.
Download the report, the accompanying pathway infographic, and case study compendium here: