Disability-Inclusive Cancer Care

Cancer care has advanced significantly lately, leading to improved quality of care and clinical outcomes. However, some groups of patients, including people with disabilities, are deprived of these improved outcomes, receiving suboptimal care and services. Individuals with disabilities face significant disparities in cancer care, contributing to increased incidence, delayed diagnoses, and poorer health outcomes. As a result, cancer has a notably higher morbidity and mortality among people with disabilities. Meanwhile, people with disabilities face barriers to receiving effective cancer care, including physical and structural obstacles, communication challenges, and financial constraints. The ideal cancer care for individuals with disabilities should provide specific and comprehensive care through health-promoting, preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, and palliative services. This chapter describes disability-inclusive cancer care and its fundamental elements for the first time, emphasizing the critical need for a systemic, evidence-based shift in clinical practice and health legislation to guarantee fair healthcare for people with disabilities.