Nonprofit Global Oncology, Inc (GO) announced the launch of the Global Cancer Project Map, a novel online resource and virtual information exchange connecting the global cancer community. Developed by Global Oncology in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Global Health, the Map enables worldwide access to cancer projects and expertise, improving cancer practices and patient outcomes, especially in low-resource settings.
The Map was unveiled at the Symposium on Global Cancer Research on March 25, 2015.
The Global Cancer Project Map was developed by Global Oncology to fill a crucial need for shared resources. According to the World Bank, only 5% of global health funding for cancer is committed to oncology in developing countries. However, Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America account for 60% of the world’s new cancer diagnoses and 70% of the world’s cancer deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
“The Map is an important and innovative step forward in our effort to reduce health-care disparities and strengthen human capital in underserved areas of the world,” said Michele Barry, MD, FACP, Director of Stanford University’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.”
The Global Cancer Project Map is an interactive online database that allows users to search for cancer experts and research projects by country and cancer type and then to initiate contact with project principal investigators and program directors. The Map launched with more than 700 projects spanning six continents. The goal is for the Map to grow exponentially as awareness builds. An online tool is to be added in late 2015, allowing users to upload projects directly.
The Global Cancer Project Map covers a wide range of projects, from cancer prevention and screening, to capacity training, clinical programs, and palliative care. Projects include:
- Improving diagnostic accuracy of mammograms for breast cancer in Turkey through new methods
- Preventing arsenic-induced skin cancer in Bangladesh through the study of vitamin E and selenium supplementation
- Creating an early screening test for gastric cancer in Mexico through biomarker identification leading to an early screening test
According to Ted Trimble, MD, MPH, Director of NCI’s Center for Global Health, though many dedicated researchers and caregivers are conducting groundbreaking cancer programs around the world, until today they could not reference the collective knowledge and experiences of their colleagues in one central place.
“Before it was difficult, or often impossible, to find information about cancer projects or experts, especially in resource-limited settings,” said Global Oncology Cofounder Ami S. Bhatt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Stanford University. “The Map now makes it possible to connect colleagues in the global cancer community with a maximum of six clicks of a mouse.”
“We have the ambitious goal of providing access to all cancer research, care, and outreach programs in the world through the Map,” said Global Oncology Cofounder Franklin W. Huang, MD, PhD, Instructor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. “[Global Oncology] encourages anyone working in cancer to use the Map to get and give valuable information about their projects, contributing to cancer care for patients no matter where they are.”
Find the Global Cancer Project Map here: http://gcpm.globalonc.org. ■
