Most people don't associate cancer with the developing world, yet 60 percent of new cancer cases and 70 percent of cancer deaths occur in less developed parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization. Now, the nonprofit Global Oncology, Inc. has launched a Global Cancer Project Map, a first-of-its-kind resource that will connect cancer experts around the world in an effort to advance cancer research and care in low-resource areas.
The interactive map includes more than 800 projects on six continents. With a few simple clicks, users can search for cancer experts and research projects and then contact the investigators and program managers. The goal is to spur collaboration among people in the field and enable experts to share their collective knowledge.
"Before it was difficult or often impossible to find information about cancer projects or experts, especially in limited-resource settings," said Ami S. Bhatt, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine and genetics at Stanford and co-founder of Global Oncology, Inc. "The map now makes it possible to connect colleagues in the global cancer community with a maximum of six clicks of a computer mouse."
Bhatt, who directs global oncology for Stanford's Center for Innovation in Global Health, and GO co-founder Franklin Huang, MD, PhD, have been working with the National Cancer Institute on ways to bring multidisciplinary teams together to solve complex problems in cancer. While there are many dedicated scientists and caregivers doing innovative work in cancer in the developing world, there's been no single place where they could share knowledge or reference the work of their colleagues, she said. The cancer map is a first step in this process.
"We have the ambitious goal of providing access to every cancer research, care and outreach program in the world through the map," said Huang, who is an instructor at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
A collaboration with the NCI, the map was developed by GO volunteers, who are scientists, policymakers, public health experts, lawyers and other highly skilled individuals. It covers a wide range of projects, from prevention and screening to clinical programs and palliative care. For instance, it includes a project in Turkey to improve diagnostic accuracy of mammograms to detect breast cancer; development of an early screening test for gastric cancer in Mexico; and use of supplements to prevent arsenic-induced skin cancer in Bangladesh.
"The map is an important and innovative step forward in our effort to reduce health disparities and strengthen human capital in underserved areas of the world," said Michele Barry, MD, director of Stanford's Center for Innovation in Global Health. "With cancer rates rapidly increasing in low-resource settings, the map creates a place where the global cancer community can share and access information that is critical to providing better treatment and care."
Bhatt and Huang unveiled the new map today at the Symposium on Global Cancer Research, being held in Boston. The symposium is co-sponsored by the NCI, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Image from Global Oncology, Inc.
