Can innovation increase the therapeutic options but accentuate the inequalities in the healthcare system?

Abstract

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, and pre 2011 the prognosis of metastatic melanoma was very poor. In developing countries, such as Brazil, a vast majority of patients do not have access to the op portunity of an early, curative melanoma approach and this leads to metastatic disease. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the distinct lack of access to innovative melanoma treatments, based on im munotherapy and target therapy, in the public and private health sectors in Brazil. We analyzed the Brazilian health regulatory system and the incorporation of health technologies in the public and private health settings. At present, for patients being treated within the public health system, only dacarbazine is available. Whereas, immune-oncology agents and target therapies are available for patients being treated within the private health sector. In this scenario, we concluded that the introduction of innovations could accentuate the existing in equalities in the delivery of healthcare in Brazil.