Therapeutic geographies of cancer in conflict: cancer care in Iraq.

Abstract

The disruption of health-care systems in conflict-affected regions creates transnational therapeutic geographies, forcing patients with cancer to navigate complex pathways for diagnosis and treatment. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, these geographies, shaped by displacement, sociopolitical barriers, and infrastructural collapse, remain underexplored in oncology research and policy. In this Review, we argue that understanding therapeutic geographies is crucial for addressing the challenges faced by conflict-affected populations. We emphasise two key themes emerging from the existing literature on cross-border cancer care in the war-affected areas of the MENA: first, the need to prioritise therapeutic geographies as a framework for analysing cancer care in conflict zones; and second, the importance of a robust toolkit of social science methods to examine these geographies. By illustrating these dynamics through the example of Iraq-a country that has had four decades of conflict and displacement-we highlight how social science methods can uncover the lived experiences of patients and families undergoing cancer treatments across borders in conflict zones. This patient-centred and transnational perspective is essential for developing regional collaborations to address the systemic challenges of cancer care across the MENA region.