Effect of cancer epidemiology on treatment efficiency in Kenyan

Abstract

Globally and across Africa, the rising burden of cancer continues to place significant pressure on health systems, with increasing incidence, limited resources, and disparities in access undermining the delivery of timely and effective treatment. In Kenya, cancer cases and deaths are steadily increasing amid gaps in diagnostic capacity, radiotherapy access, and healthcare infrastructure, resulting in delays in diagnosis and treatment and reduced treatment efficiency. This study examines how cancer epidemiological patterns influence treatment efficiency at a facility level in Nairobi, providing context-specific evidence to inform oncology planning and service delivery. Guided by Epidemiologic Transition Theory and Health Services Utilization Theory, the study explains both the shift toward chronic diseases and how healthcare demand and system capacity shape service use and efficiency. Existing literature largely relies on aggregated or high-income country data, with limited longitudinal, facility-level evidence from urban African settings, creating a gap this study addresses. A pragmatic research philosophy and retrospective quantitative descriptive design were adopted using secondary data from 8,483 cancer patient records (2018–2025), collected through a validated structured extraction tool with a high retrieval rate of 94.3%. Findings revealed fluctuating annual trends influenced by COVID-19 disruptions, dominance of breast, cervical, and prostate cancers, and a patient population largely composed of older adults, females, and residents of Nairobi and nearby counties. Treatment efficiency was constrained by significant documentation gaps and limited recording of treatment and outcome indicators. The study concludes that strengthening data systems, improving capacity planning, and decentralizing oncology services are essential to enhance efficiency, equity, and overall cancer care delivery.