The control of cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is changing, with an increasing emphasis, driven by public and political demand, on prevention, prompt diagnosis, and the patient experience during and after treatment. At the same time, governments and health funders worldwide are increasingly promoting primary care as the preferred setting for most healthcare, in order to meet the growing demands, stabilize healthcare costs, and accommodate patient preferences for care close to home.

Therefore, it is timely to consider how primary care can influence cancer and NCD control, as the discussion has been dominated by highly technical interventions focused on treatment, with the contribution of primary care often perceived as marginal (See: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/primary-care).

Primary care has been shown to be associated with greater access to health services and better health outcomes. Community-oriented primary care involves medical practice that takes responsibility for the health of a defined population. The demonstrated barriers to high-quality primary care include under-financing, inadequate payment models, a lack of community linkages, limited scope and comprehensiveness, limited integration with other components of the health system, and unexciting/unattractive conditions for physicians.