ecancermedicalscience最新文献

{"title":"Long-term overall survival of testicular cancer: findings from a rural population-based cancer registry, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra state, India.","authors":"Monika Sarade, Dipak Das, Sharyu Mhamane, Sandip Bhojane, Suvarna Patil, Shripad Banavali, Gagan Prakash, Atul Budukh","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2026.2080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in collaboration with Bhaktashreshtha Kamalakarpant Laxman Walawalkar Hospital (BKLWH), Dervan, a rural cancer hospital in Ratnagiri, started a population-based cancer registry (PBCR) in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India in February 2009. Testicular cancer survival is a less-explored area of oncology research. This paper aims to present the 10-year survival of testicular cancer patients in Ratnagiri district for the years 2009-2018.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The registry follows an active method of case registration. Major sources of the cancer registry are TMC and BKLWH. Data quality control was conducted by TMC, Mumbai. Follow-up was performed by house and village visits/phone calls by registry staff. For survival analysis, the date of diagnosis was the starting date, and the last follow-up date was 31 December 2023. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and relative survival (RS) by the Pohar Perme method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 43 testicular cancer cases were registered in Ratnagiri PBCR, with incidence and mortality rates of 0.6 and 0.2 per 100,000 population. The 10-year RS of testicular cancer was 63.3% (95% confidence interval: 45.4-76.7). Survival was 100% for localised cases. Other prognostic factors were age at diagnosis (<40 years), histology (seminoma), 'surgery' as a treatment modality and 'completed' treatment status.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Good health infrastructure and linkage of rural hospitals with the tertiary cancer centre play a pivotal role in improved testicular cancer outcomes. Continued efforts in research and education for health professionals serving as the first point of contact for the population will be essential to enhance testicular management in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2080"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068372/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social and clinical factors associated with non-adherence to radiotherapy with curative intent in a cancer centre in Peru.","authors":"Robles Díaz, José Fernando, Flores Romaní, Lucero Silvana","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2026.2081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adherence to radiotherapy with curative intent is essential to achieve optimal tumour control and improve survival. In low- and middle-income countries, particularly in rural and multicultural settings, structural and sociocultural barriers can significantly compromise treatment completion.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To identify the social and clinical factors associated with non-adherence to radiotherapy with curative intent and its impact on progression-free survival in patients treated at a Peruvian cancer centre.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective observational study was conducted that included 254 patients treated with radiotherapy with curative intent between 2020 and 2021. Data were obtained through structured review of medical records and validated surveys. Multivariate logistic regression and survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves were applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Non-adherence was significantly associated with belonging to an indigenous ethnic group (odds ratio (OR): 10.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.34-46.67), lack of access to paved roads (OR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.10-4.36) and incomplete secondary education (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.33-4.01). These factors were also associated with reduced progression-free survival.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Structural and sociocultural determinants significantly influence adherence to radiotherapy in underserved populations. Tailored interventions-such as transport support, intercultural health education and the implementation of hypofractionated protocols-are urgently needed to improve equity in cancer care.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2081"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068370/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conducting cancer research in a conflict setting: a view from the occupied Palestinian territory.","authors":"Shaymaa AlWaheidi, Anas Ismail, Richard Sullivan, Elizabeth A Davies","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2026.2079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer is now the third leading cause of death in low-income countries (65% of cancer deaths globally), accounting for over 4 million deaths every year. Despite this, research on cancer control and access to cancer care in low-income countries is limited and that in conflict settings rare. The acute and chronic nature of conflict and the vulnerability of populations caught within it, allow researchers only narrow windows of opportunity to gather and follow-up cancer data prospectively. This is usually accompanied by a lack of infrastructure and trained human resources, absence of reliable and timely data, eroded trust and poorly coordinated healthcare systems. These factors make it difficult for local researchers to conduct research, and even more difficult for international researchers to bring their skills into the setting due to movement restrictions and a lack of awareness of the local context, increasing the possibility of misjudging necessities. The problems of research in conflict go beyond the risk to the personal safety and mental health of research teams in conflict settings. Taken together, these factors could explain why opportunities for systematic data collection in conflict settings are limited despite being essential to reduce the gap in outcomes among patients with cancer living in low-income and conflict settings and those living in high-income countries. Drawing on 2 years of field research in Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), a conflict area in the Middle East, we present our observations from a study on breast cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2079"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068369/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water pollution and childhood leukaemia risk: a systematic review.","authors":"Juan Carlos Nuñez-Enriquez, Daniela Medina-León, Diana Tinoco-Montejano, Karen Jacuinde-Trejo, Janet Flores-Lujano, Lissette Gómez-Rivera, Omar Chávez-Martínez, Francisco J García-Alvarado, Patricia Blanco-Padilla, Rosana Pelayo","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2026.2078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water pollution represents a major global health concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries where toxic metals (TMs) and pesticides can contaminate drinking water through industrial, agricultural and urban activities. Children are particularly susceptible due to their developing physiology and higher water intake relative to body weight. This review aims to explore the association between exposure to TMs and pesticides in drinking water and the risk of childhood leukaemia (CL), highlighting the broader significance for environmental health and child safety. A structured search in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar (2001-2024) identified studies on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or acute myeloid leukaemia in individuals under 20 years of age, assessing exposure to trace metals or pesticides via drinking water. Observational designs were included, excluding studies unrelated to water exposure or lacking paediatric data. Records were screened and reviewed independently by four authors. Findings were heterogeneous, with several studies suggesting potential links between specific contaminants like arsenic, hexavalent chromium, pentachlorophenol and certain pesticides and an increased risk of leukaemia in children, while others found no significant associations and noted methodological challenges such as small sample sizes and difficulties in exposure measurement. Although current evidence remains inconclusive regarding a direct causal relationship, this review underscores the need for rigorous, long-term research to clarify the role of waterborne pollutants in CL and to guide public health strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2078"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Building research capacity among health care professionals in LMICs: experiences from the 9th Tata Annual Biostatistics and Research Methods Course, 2025.","authors":"Soumitra Shankar Datta, Jigeesha Ghosh, Dishari Choudhury, Suvro Sankha Datta, Prateek Jain, Sakshi Adhia, Indranil Mallick, Sanjit Agrawal, Sanjay Garg, Shouriyo Ghosh, Arijit Nag, Arnab Mukherjee, Soumita Ghose, Sayantani Das, Rima Mukherjee, Sujit Sarkhel, Pattatheyil Arun","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2026.2077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Modern medicine, especially oncology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), requires clinicians to remain updated in a rapidly evolving field of medicine in the face of a high clinical load. Clinicians need to be able to critically evaluate published evidence and make informed decisions about the individual patients they treat. A clinical culture that encourages clinicians to question and think critically would produce high-quality research from parts of the world that have highest disease burden but lowest contribution to published research. A two-day research methods course was conducted jointly by the Tata Medical Center, Kolkata and the West Bengal Chapter of the Indian Psychiatric Society on 22nd-23rd August 2025. We report on our experience of organising this course and the lessons learned from interacting with the audience in an LMIC setting. Live anonymous participant responses were captured using Mentimeter software during the training, and written anonymous feedback were provided by majority of attendees. The three main barriers to conducting research that our participants reported were: 'lack of training in research', 'difficulties in writing a research paper' and the 'researcher's personal circumstances'. The participants in our course comprised both men and women clinicians, mostly in their early careers and this group of learners appreciated hands-on training on literature search, reference management and working with the SPSS statistical software to conduct standard statistical tests. To achieve this, institutions and individuals need to foster a conducive environment for research, inspiring those who will be responsible for the future health care delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2077"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147671379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology (IPSO) Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Guidelines.","authors":"Israel Fernandez-Pineda, Simone de Campos Vieira Abib, Tristan Boam, Diego Aspiazu Salinas, Samer Michael, Justin Ted Gerstle, Steven Warmann, Jorg Fuchs, Alyssa Stetson, Gloria Gonzalez, Greg Tiao, Timothy B Lautz, Rodrigo Chaves Ribeiro, Roshni Dasgupta, Jaime Shalkow-Klincovstein, Cristian Puerta, Andrew M Davidoff, Marianna Cornet, Julien Grosman, Aurore Pire, Sabine Sarnacki, Thomas Blanc, Abdelhafeez H Abdelhafeez","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2076","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Paediatric oncology surgeons play a crucial role in diagnosing, staging, and treating malignant solid tumors. In recent years, many solid tumour protocols have advocated for a more tailored surgical approach to both the primary tumour site and metastatic disease. The integration of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) into paediatric oncology practice has gained popularity over the past few decades. While the benefits of MIS are well established in non-oncologic surgery, its role in paediatric solid tumours is still evolving and, in many cases, lacks high-quality evidence. These IPSO-MIS guidelines guidelines aim to provide practical surgical recommendations for diverse clinical scenarios, addressing the needs of both High-Income Countries (HICs) and Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The contributing authors represent both settings, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive perspective. We hope that these guidelines will contribute to improving outcomes for children with cancer worldwide. Israel Fernandez-Pineda, IPSO Education Committee Chair Abdelhafeez H Abdelhafeez, IPSO Education Committee Member.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2076"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006547/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147510414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The 19th St. Gallen international breast cancer conference 'primary therapy of patients with early breast cancer. Evidence, controversies, consensus': key moments and breakthroughs.","authors":"Consuelo Morigi","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2075","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The 19th St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference took place at the Austria Centre in Vienna from March 12th to 15th, 2025. The event achieved remarkable success, drawing over 3,100 participants from all over the world. This accomplishment is attributable to the high calibre of scientific lectures presented by leading global experts in breast cancer (BC) treatment, the opportunity for the audience to interact with panellists through questions, the interesting and varied scope of submitted posters, the debates that punctuated the many sessions, and notably, the renowned St. Gallen Consensus Session. This year's Opening Ceremony held particular significance. In commemoration of the Swiss physician and oncologist Hansjoerg Senn, who passed away in 2023, the Hansjoerg Senn Memorial Lecture was instituted to honour his profound contributions to the treatment and care of patients, particularly those affected by BC. The Memorial Lecture serves as a platform to recognise and celebrate individuals who have significantly advanced BC research. The recipient is presented with the St. Gallen Breast Cancer Award and invited to deliver an address at the opening ceremony of the St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference. This year, this prestigious award was presented to Prof. Armando E. Giuliano, who delivered an insightful lecture entitled 'My Personal Experience: Changing Surgery for BC.' In it, drawing from his impressive surgical career during which he changed the standard of care-exemplified by the sentinel lymph node procedure and the Z0011 study-he spoke about how change, though difficult, is both necessary and inevitable, emphasising that no one is too young or too old to change.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2075"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147510506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The incidence, clinicopathological characteristics and the survival outcomes among young breast cancer patients in Alexandria, Egypt.","authors":"Abeid Omar, Omar Shebl, Abdelaziz Belal, Azza Darwish","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2074","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Breast cancer (BC) is predominantly considered a postmenopausal disorder in Western countries, with only 6% being in women below 40. In contrast, developing low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) see a much higher incidence of BC in premenopausal women due to genetic and demographic factors-reaching as much as 25%. The lack of well-established data on the features and prevalence of BC in premenopausal females in LMIC calls for a wholesome assessment of its features. Our retrospective study was conducted at two major oncology centers in Alexandria, Egypt. We included patients aged 18-40 years diagnosed from January 2008 to December 2017. We included non-metastatic patients and extracted data from files and charts. We assessed patients for clinicopathological characteristics, treatments and survival outcomes. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Version 2.0, and survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meir curves. Results were considered statistically significant at a <i>p</i>-value <0.05. After a median follow-up of 41 months, more than one-third of patients experienced relapse, with more cases of distant recurrence (73%) than locoregional recurrence (27%). The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 78 months, and the 5-year overall survival was 92%, both of which were independently predicted by tumour size and nodal status for DFS only. Our cohort had comparable features compared to prior studies conducted in Europe and the States. We also found some similarities to Kenya regarding BC in the young, where one study done in Kijabe, Kenya, showed a median presentation age of 38.2 years and a DFS of 75 months.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2074"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006541/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surgical setting of initial cholecystectomy influences prognosis in incidentally detected gallbladder carcinoma.","authors":"Ajay Kumar Yadav, Anshuman Pandey, Rahul Singh, Hareesh Shanthappa Nellikoppad, Bhanu Pratap Singh","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2073","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a common biliary malignancy in India, with many cases diagnosed incidentally as gallbladder carcinoma (IGBC) after cholecystectomy for presumed benign disease. IGBC often has a better prognosis due to earlier stage detection. However, limited access to high-quality imaging, especially in peripheral centres, contributes to missed preoperative diagnoses. Routine histopathological examination has improved detection rates. This study aims to compare survival outcomes and identify prognostic factors in IGBC patients treated at peripheral versus tertiary care centres.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed with IGBC following cholecystectomy for presumed benign disease between 2015 and 2022 at a North Indian tertiary hospital. Patients were grouped based on initial surgery site (tertiary versus peripheral centres). Management followed National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, with T1a patients advised follow-up and T1b or higher undergoing radical resection. Data on clinical, pathological and treatment parameters were analysed. Survival outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 39 IGBC patients reviewed, 30 were included in the final analysis. No significant differences were observed between tertiary and peripheral groups in demographics, symptoms or pathology. However, patients from peripheral centres had longer delays between surgeries and higher rates of metastasis. Overall survival was significantly better in the tertiary group (3- and 5-year OS: 88.2% and 72.8%) compared to the peripheral group (53.6% and 26.9%, <i>p</i> = 0.01). Multivariate analysis did not identify significant independent prognostic factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Patients undergoing cholecystectomy at peripheral centres for presumed benign disease and later diagnosed with IGBC have poorer survival, primarily due to delayed diagnosis, limited resources and late referral. In contrast, timely referral, standardised evaluation and specialised care at tertiary centres significantly improve survival outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2073"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006542/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147510515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The global cancer crisis: a review of growing burden, deepening inequality and initiatives for prevention and early detection.","authors":"Charles M Balch, Ning Liao, Dennis S C Lam, Jeffrey N Weitzel, Rui-Hua Xu, Gerhardt Attard, Paul A Bunn, Alexander M M Eggermont, Jie He, Yuko Kitagawa, Soon Thye Lim, Eduardo Cazap, Bernard Esquivel, Xianqun Fan, Louis W C Chow, Edward S F Liu, Hector Martinez Said, John E Niederhuber, Isabel T Rubio, Ashraf Saad Zaghloul, Oscar G Arrieta, Riccardo A Audisio, Geerard L Beets, Felipe J F Coimbra, Jorge E Gallardo, Judy E Garber, Alessandro Gronchi, Volker Heinemann, Allison W Kurian, Miriam Mutebi, Masaki Mori, Funmi I Olopade, Piotr Rutkowski, Mansoor Saleh, William M Sanchez, Raymond Sawaya, John F Thompson, Gerald Tumusiime, Carlos S Vallejos, David C Whiteman, YiLong Wu, King-David T Yawe, Nayef Awad Al Zahrani, Odysseas Zoras, Banu K Arun, Carol J Fabian, Jeffrey E Gershenwald, William J Gradishar, Jin He, V Suzanne Kimberg, Ronald M K Lam, Victor H F Lee, Domenica Lorusso, Tony S K Mok, N D Perrier, Hope S Rugo, Cornelia Ulrich, Chandrakanth Are, J Vignat, I Soerjomataram","doi":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2071","DOIUrl":"10.3332/ecancer.2026.2071","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer constitutes one of the most urgent global health crises, with over 20 million new cases diagnosed annually worldwide, claiming 10 million lives. This devastating burden disproportionately affects vulnerable populations: 75% of cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries despite these regions having lower reported incidence rates. Lung cancer leads the global toll, representing 12% of all cases but 19% of deaths, followed by breast cancer (12% of cases) and colorectal cancer (9.6%). A stark geographical inequity defines the cancer landscape-while wealthy regions such as North America, Northern Europe and Australia report the highest incidence rates, Africa and Latin America suffer the highest mortality rates. This disparity will intensify dramatically: cancer deaths in low-income countries are projected to surge 155% compared to just 56% in high-income nations by 2050. The financial devastation compounds this crisis, with 56% of patients worldwide facing catastrophic health expenditures extending beyond medical costs to include lost income and reduced productivity. Economic burden varies starkly by wealth: 75% of patients in low-income countries experience financial catastrophe versus 58% in middle-income countries and 26% in high-income nations. However, cancer prevention offers unprecedented opportunities to transform this crisis through interventions we already possess. From largely preventable infectious cancers like stomach and cervical malignancies, to lifestyle-driven epidemics including lung and colorectal cancers, to complex multifactorial diseases like breast cancer. Evidence-based prevention strategies can dramatically reduce suffering while generating massive healthcare savings. Emerging genetic technologies amplify this potential: universal genetic testing and pharmacogenomics now enable identification of high-risk individuals before disease develops, allowing targeted prevention while optimising treatments based on individual genetic profiles. Cancer prevention represents not merely a health opportunity but an economic imperative. The primary barrier is no longer scientific understanding but systematic implementation. Governments, policymakers, insurance companies and the public urgently need clearer evidence and education demonstrating proven successes to motivate decisive action toward creating healthier populations and reducing cancer burdens worldwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":11460,"journal":{"name":"ecancermedicalscience","volume":"20 ","pages":"2071"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13006544/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147510472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}