Purposeof review: Health disparities are preventable differences in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of many diseases, including central nervous system (CNS) tumors. This review will summarize and compile the existing literature on health disparities in neuro-oncology and provide directions for future research and interventions.
Recent findings: Patients from historically marginalized groups are more likely to receive inadequate treatment, develop complications, and experience a shorter life expectancy. Financial toxicity can be particularly severe for patients with CNS tumors due to the high costs of treatment. Additionally, CNS clinical trials and research lack diverse representation.
Keywords: Brain tumors; Central nervous system tumors; Health disparities; Health equity; Neuro-oncology; Social determinants of health.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.