Expanding the Role of Oncology Nursing in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Urgent Imperative.

Abstract

Cancer disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where shortages of oncology specialists and limited system capacity constrain the delivery of comprehensive cancer care. This Perspective argues that expanding oncology nursing roles offers a pragmatic and cost-effective strategy to strengthen cancer care in resource-constrained settings. Oncology nurses contribute across advanced clinical practice, care coordination, psychosocial support, health behavior change, and leadership in research and quality improvement. Evidence increasingly supports nurse-led models as effective in improving continuity of care, symptom management, and patient-centered outcomes, particularly in community-based settings. However, the integration of advanced oncology nursing in many LMICs remains fragmented and under-recognized. We call for systematic incorporation of oncology nursing into national cancer control strategies through standardized competency frameworks, structured education pathways, and regulatory support that enable advanced practice oncology nurses. The coordinated implementation of these measures can create a self-reinforcing system in which regulation, education, universal health coverage integration, and research collectively enable equitable, efficient, and continuously improving oncology care-supporting progress toward SDG3 and ensuring that high-quality cancer care becomes a standard rather than a privilege in LMICs.