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Eldridge L, Cira MK, Duncan K, Pearlman P, Gopal S. The 8th Symposium on Global Cancer Research: Recognizing Creativity and Collaboration to Support Global Cancer Research and Control. JCO Glob Oncol 2021; 6:1-3. [PMID: 32716655 PMCID: PMC7846071 DOI: 10.1200/go.20.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Linsey Eldridge
- National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Mishka K Cira
- Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Rockville, MD
| | - Kalina Duncan
- National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Paul Pearlman
- National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Satish Gopal
- National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, Rockville, MD
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Sivaram S, Perkins S, He M, Ginsburg E, Dominguez G, Vedham V, Katz F, Parascandola M, Bogler O, Gopal S. Building Capacity for Global Cancer Research: Existing Opportunities and Future Directions. J Cancer Educ 2021; 36:5-24. [PMID: 34273100 PMCID: PMC8285681 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-021-02043-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Cancer incidence and mortality are increasing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where more than 75% of global cancer burden will occur by the year 2040. The primary drivers of cancer morbidity and mortality in LMICs are environmental and behavioral risk factors, inadequate prevention and early detection services, presence of comorbidities, and poor access to treatment and palliation. These same drivers also contribute to marked cancer health disparities in high-income countries. Studying cancer in LMICs provides opportunities to better understand and address these drivers to benefit populations worldwide, and reflecting this, global oncology as an academic discipline has grown substantially in recent years. However, sustaining this growth requires a uniquely trained workforce with the skills to pursue relevant, rigorous, and equitable global oncology research. Despite this need, dedicated global cancer research training programs remain somewhat nascent and uncoordinated. In this paper, we discuss efforts to address these gaps in global cancer research training at the US National Institutes of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudha Sivaram
- Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
| | - Susan Perkins
- Center for Cancer Training, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
| | - Min He
- Office of Cancer Centers, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
| | - Erika Ginsburg
- Center for Cancer Training, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
| | - Geraldina Dominguez
- Office of HIV/AIDS Malignancy, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Dr, Room 3A33, Bethesda, MD 20892‑2440 USA
| | - Vidya Vedham
- Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
| | - Flora Katz
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Building 31, Bethesda, MD 20892-2220 USA
| | - Mark Parascandola
- Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
| | - Oliver Bogler
- Center for Cancer Training, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
| | - Satish Gopal
- Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-9760 USA
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Abdul-Sater Z, Menassa M, El Achi N, Abdul-Khalek RA, Abu-Sittah G, Mukherji D. Strengthening capacity for cancer research in conflict settings: key informant insights from the Middle East. Ecancermedicalscience 2021; 14:1153. [PMID: 33574898 PMCID: PMC7864685 DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2020.1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Management of cancer in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is accompanied by multiple challenges including heterogeneous access to early detection and treatment options and limited implementation of national cancer control plans. Furthermore, protracted armed conflicts across the region have had dramatic effects, including disruption of healthcare systems and the migration of healthcare professionals. Strengthening capacity for cancer research has been identified as a key intervention to correct data poverty, inform policy, manage limited resources and improve health outcomes. Objective The main objective of this study is to gain insights into the landscape, barriers and enablers of cancer training, research and care in the MENA region. Method We utilised purposive sampling to interview 16 key informants from a diverse academic, medical and research background originating from countries affected by conflicts, such as Lebanon, and from active conflict zones including Iraq and Syria. Results The themes that emerged from the interviews focused on the barriers to cancer care, barriers to cancer research and training, strengths and importance of cancer research and training recommendations. The detrimental effect of conflict on cancer provision and research was a cross-cutting sub-theme disrupting cancer care provision and research due to unsafe environments, fragmented facilities, absence of drugs and migration of personnel. When asked about perceived optimal training format for cancer research, most informants recommended a post-graduate, face-to-face training focusing on cancer research methods and concepts. Conclusion This study offers a unique insight into the barriers affecting cancer research and capacity-strengthening priorities from oncologists and researchers working in conflict-affected areas of the MENA region. These data will form the base for future capacity-strengthening initiatives addressing specific regional challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahi Abdul-Sater
- Global Health Institute, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Marilyne Menassa
- Global Health Institute, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Nassim El Achi
- Global Health Institute, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | | | - Deborah Mukherji
- Naef K Basile Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Gralow JR, Asirwa FC, Bhatt AS, Bourlon MT, Chu Q, Eniu AE, Loehrer PJ, Lopes G, Shulman LN, Close J, Von Roenn J, Tibbits M, Pyle D. Recommendations from the ASCO Academic Global Oncology Task Force. JCO Glob Oncol 2020; 6:1666-1673. [PMID: 33151772 PMCID: PMC7713550 DOI: 10.1200/go.20.00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recognition of the rising incidence and mortality of cancer in low- and middle-resource settings, as well as the increasingly international profile of its membership, ASCO has prioritized efforts to enhance its engagement at a global level. Among the recommendations included in the 2016 Global Oncology Leadership Task Force report to the ASCO Board of Directors was that ASCO should promote the recognition of global oncology as an academic field. The report suggested that ASCO could serve a role in transitioning global oncology from an informal field of largely voluntary activities to a more formal discipline with strong research and well-defined training components. As a result of this recommendation, in 2017, ASCO formed the Academic Global Oncology Task Force (AGOTF) to guide ASCO’s contributions toward formalizing the field of global oncology. The AGOTF was asked to collect and analyze key issues and barriers toward the recognition of global oncology as an academic discipline, with an emphasis on training, research, and career pathways, and produce a set of recommendations for ASCO action. The outcome of the AGOTF was the development of recommendations designed to advance the status of global oncology as an academic discipline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie R Gralow
- University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | | | | | - Maria T Bourlon
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Quyen Chu
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Doug Pyle
- American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, VA
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Rositch AF, Loffredo C, Bourlon MT, Pearlman PC, Adebamowo C. Creative Approaches to Global Cancer Research and Control. JCO Glob Oncol 2020; 6:4-7. [PMID: 32716656 PMCID: PMC7846070 DOI: 10.1200/go.20.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anne F Rositch
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Christopher Loffredo
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Maria T Bourlon
- Hemato-Oncology Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Paul C Pearlman
- National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Clement Adebamowo
- Institute of Human Virology, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Institute of Human Virology, Abuja, Nigeria.,Center for Bioethics and Research, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Elmore SNC, Royce TJ, Oladeru OT, Freese CM, Wakefield DV, Vapiwala N, Zietman AL. Global Health Perspectives Among Radiation Oncology Residency Program Directors: A Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Survey. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020; 107:419-425. [PMID: 32126266 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.02.467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Interest in global health has risen among medical students applying to and residents training in radiation oncology, often outpacing available educational offerings. The Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Global Health Subcommittee sought to determine the perceptions of program directors (PDs) in radiation oncology and their current or planned global health curricular opportunities. METHODS AND MATERIALS A standardized, Knowledge-Attitudes-Practices survey composed of 32 binary items was sent to PDs for all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited radiation oncology programs. RESULTS The program response rate was 60% (55 of 91). Responding programs were distributed evenly geographically and included a range of training program sizes. Most PDs (77%) knew that most nations did not meet standard minimum benchmarks for radiation therapy access. Although 89% would support residents in pursuing global health rotations, only 22% would support departmental funding of such rotations. Furthermore, 94% believed that global health was a field worthy of an academic career, but only 39% believed that it had appropriate rigor. Only 8% of programs had dedicated global health rotations. CONCLUSIONS Radiation oncology PDs largely expressed favorable views of global health as a pursuit and affirmed a high degree of resident and medical student interest. However, faculty commitment and program offerings currently lag behind the interest level. In particular, a substantial number of PDs do not perceive global health to be a rigorous academic endeavor. Future progress in academic global health in radiation oncology will require strategies to systematically support pathways for the development of experience and scholarship both within and beyond residency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shekinah N C Elmore
- Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Trevor J Royce
- Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Oluwadamilola T Oladeru
- Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chris M Freese
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Daniel V Wakefield
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Neha Vapiwala
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anthony L Zietman
- Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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