Molecular Oncology (Feb 2024)

Strategies to decrease inequalities in cancer therapeutics, care and prevention

  • Ulrik Ringborg,
  • Joachim vonBraun,
  • Julio Celis,
  • Michael Baumann,
  • Anton Berns,
  • Alexander Eggermont,
  • Edith Heard,
  • Manuel Heitor,
  • Mammen Chandy,
  • Chien‐Jen Chen,
  • Alberto Costa,
  • Francesco De Lorenzo,
  • Edward M. De Robertis,
  • Frederick Charles Dubee,
  • Ingemar Ernberg,
  • Mariya Gabriel,
  • Åslaug Helland,
  • Rui Henrique,
  • Bengt Jönsson,
  • Olli Kallioniemi,
  • Jan Korbel,
  • Mechthild Krause,
  • Douglas R. Lowy,
  • Olivier Michielin,
  • Peter Nagy,
  • Simon Oberst,
  • Vincenzo Paglia,
  • M. Iqbal Parker,
  • Kevin Ryan,
  • Charles L. Sawyers,
  • Joachim Schüz,
  • Katherine Silkaitis,
  • Eric Solary,
  • David Thomas,
  • Peter Turkson,
  • Elisabete Weiderpass,
  • Huanming Yang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/1878-0261.13575
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 2
pp. 245 – 279

Abstract

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Analyses of inequalities related to prevention and cancer therapeutics/care show disparities between countries with different economic standing, and within countries with high Gross Domestic Product. The development of basic technological and biological research provides clinical and prevention opportunities that make their implementation into healthcare systems more complex, mainly due to the growth of Personalized/Precision Cancer Medicine (PCM). Initiatives like the USA‐Cancer Moonshot and the EU‐Mission on Cancer and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan are initiated to boost cancer prevention and therapeutics/care innovation and to mitigate present inequalities. The conference organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the European Academy of Cancer Sciences discussed the inequality problem, dependent on the economic status of a country, the increasing demands for infrastructure supportive of innovative research and its implementation in healthcare and prevention programs. Establishing translational research defined as a coherent cancer research continuum is still a challenge. Research has to cover the entire continuum from basic to outcomes research for clinical and prevention modalities. Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) are of critical importance for integrating research innovations to preclinical and clinical research, as for ensuring state‐of‐the‐art patient care within healthcare systems. International collaborative networks between CCCs are necessary to reach the critical mass of infrastructures and patients for PCM research, and for introducing prevention modalities and new treatments effectively. Outcomes and health economics research are required to assess the cost‐effectiveness of new interventions, currently a missing element in the research portfolio. Data sharing and critical mass are essential for innovative research to develop PCM. Despite advances in cancer research, cancer incidence and prevalence is growing. Making cancer research infrastructures accessible for all patients, considering the increasing inequalities, requires science policy actions incentivizing research aimed at prevention and cancer therapeutics/care with an increased focus on patients' needs and cost‐effective healthcare.

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