Cancer without borders: Policy frameworks for oncology care in humanitarian and conflict settings

Pragnesh Parmar1 and Gunvanti Rathod2 1 Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, Bibinagar, Telangana, India 2 Pathology and Lab Medicine, AIIMS, Bibinagar, Telangana, India Correspondence to: Pragnesh Parmar, email:drprag@gmail.com, ORCID:orcid.org/0000-0002-8402-8435 Keywords: cancer care; humanitarian crisis; tele-oncology; global health policy; oncology triage Received: October 06, 2025 Accepted: March 17, 2026 Published: March 31, 2026 Copyright: © 2026 Parmar and Rathod. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ABSTRACT Cancer is an escalating yet neglected health crisis among refugees, migrants, and populations affected by conflict. Despite increasing global focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), oncology remains largely absent from humanitarian health agendas. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed literature, humanitarian agency reports, and case studies from Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine to examine the policy, ethical, and clinical dimensions of oncology care in crisis settings. Findings reveal systemic neglect of cancer services due to disrupted infrastructure, legal barriers, and fragmented policy frameworks. Vulnerable groups - women, children, and the elderly - experience the greatest inequities. Ethical dilemmas in triage, limited palliative care, and inadequate digital connectivity further hinder equitable access. Emerging solutions include bilateral treatment agreements, WHO-led humanitarian oncology corridors, and tele-oncology or mobile unit models that sustain care across borders. Addressing cancer in humanitarian contexts is not merely a technical challenge but a moral imperative. Integrating oncology into emergency response protocols and global health governance is essential to ensure continuity, dignity, and justice in care for displaced and conflict-affected populations.