World Cancer Day 2024

World Cancer Day is celebrated on 4th February every year to raise awareness and improve education surrounding cancer, working towards a future of equitable access to life-saving treatment and care. This year, the theme is Close the Care Gap, highlighting the urgent need for action to reduce the global impact of cancer by reducing barriers.

We are taking the opportunity to support World Cancer Day 2024 by sharing a selection of articles, blogs, and other related cancer research.

SDG This work supports and amplifies research from the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and SDG10 (Reduced Inequalities).

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BMC Global and Public Health
Implementation of cancer strategies in primary care: Addressing global disparities
To capture global efforts and novel approaches in this multi-disciplinary area, BMC Global and Public Health is pleased to announce a call for papers for our upcoming collection entitled 'Implementation of cancer strategies in primary care: Addressing global disparities', guest edited by Dr. Tanimola Martins, from the University of Exeter and Professor Suzanne Scott, from the Queen Mary University of London. We envision that this work will inform future research, frameworks, intervention development, and policy.
Submission Deadline: 15 May 2024

BMC Oral Health A female doctor performing oral surgery
Early detection and prevention of oral cancer
This new Collection will compile dental, medical, and epidemiological research that will assist clinicians and decision-makers in identifying effective strategies to prevent oral cancer at both the patient and population levels, as well as detecting the disease, especially in "at risk" populations.
Submission Deadline: 31 May 2024

colourful ribbons around a globe Cross-journal collection
Cancer Disparities
This collection aims to bring together articles enhancing our understanding of cancer health disparities across the different dimensions of inequality research. There are many expanding fields of health inequalities research but this collection will include articles examining disproportionate cancer burdens in populations such as: rural-urban, gender/sexual, racial/ethnic, religious minority and socioeconomic status groups, and of course any group where health inequality needs to be addressed.
Submission Deadline: Ongoing

hand with lightbulb Journal of Cancer Education
Cancer Education Empowering Indigenous Populations
The death rate from cancer in the U.S. has continued to decline, but this is not true for all people in the U.S. or worldwide. Recognizing health care disparities and the rising need to make the advances in cancer care and prevention available to all has led to innovative educational programs, new strategies to reach those in need, and mechanisms to share the work of successful education programs globally. This topical collection of articles highlights cancer education programs aimed at empowering Indigenous populations.
Submission Deadline: Ongoing

Clinical and Translational Oncology
Sex and gender differences in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cancer
Precision medicine in oncology aims to identify the most beneficial interventions based on individual patient and disease characteristics. We found that although the impact of biological sex on the etiology of cancer has not been fully elucidated, there is clear evidence that the disease differs between men and women. Sex differences in cancer biology and treatment deserve more attention and systematic research that is equally representative of women and men. Therefore, it is important to analyze how sex and gender differences influence epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, disease progression and response to treatment in cancer patients.
Submission Deadline: Ongoing

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine HIV care and cervical cancer screening in North-Central Nigeria
Magdiel A. Habila, Mavis Obeng-Kusi, Maryam J. Ali, Francis A. Magaji, Iornum H. Shambe, Patrick H. Daru, Elizabeth T. Jacobs, Purnima Madhivanan, Atiene S. Sagay & Jonah Musa
Published on: 30 November 2023 in BMC Women's Health

Diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals among patients with cervical cancer attending care at the Uganda Cancer Institute: a cross-sectional study
Jackie Lalam Lacika, Henry Wabinga, Joseph Kagaayi, Ronald Opito, Christopher Garimoi Orach & Amos Deogratius Mwaka
Published on: 27 November 2023 in BMC Women's Health

Racial disparities in cancer genetic counseling encounters: Study protocol for investigating patient-genetic counselor communication in the naturalistic clinical setting using a convergent mixed methods design
Nao Hagiwara, Nadia Harika, Erin P. Carmany, Yongyun Shin, Susan Eggly, Shawn C. T. Jones & John Quillin
Published on: 16 October 2023 in BMC Cancer

Barriers and facilitators to palliative care for patients with non-curable cancer in Colombia: perspectives of allied health and social care professionals
Cindy V. Mendieta, Esther de Vries, Maria Elizabeth Gomez-Neva, Angela Maria Muñoz-Escudero, Jose Andrés Calvache & Tracey McConnell
Published on: 6 October 2023 in BMC Palliative Care

Socio-demographic and health-related determinants of patients’ overall rating and experiences of cancer care
Chantal Arditi, Manuela Eicher, Julien Junod & Isabelle Peytremann-Bridevaux
Published on: 29 September 2023 in BMC Cancer

Access to palliative care in patients with advanced cancer of the uterine cervix in the low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Francis Ooko, Tebogo Mothiba, Peter Van Bogaert & Johan Wens
Published on: 20 September 2023 in BMC Palliative Care

Addressing cancer care inequities in sub-Saharan Africa: current challenges and proposed solutions
Olabode Omotoso, John Oluwafemi Teibo, Festus Adebayo Atiba, Tolulope Oladimeji, Oluwatomiwa Kehinde Paimo, Farid S. Ataya, Gaber El-Saber Batiha & Athanasios Alexiou
Published on: 11 September 2023 in International Journal for Equity in Health

Economic burden of breast cancer: a case of Southern Iran
Faride Sadat Jalali, Khosro Keshavarz, Mozhgan Seif, Majid Akrami, Abdosaleh Jafari & Ramin Ravangard
Published on: 29 August 2023 in Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation

Cervical cancer screening and treatment for PLWHIV: experiences from an innovative program in Nigeria
Olabanjo Okunlola Ogunsola, Oluseye Ayodele Ajayi, Temitope Olumuyiwa Ojo, Emmanuel Osayi, Kucheli Wudiri, Babatunde Amoo, Rita Ayoka-Ikechukwu, Olufemi Ojuola Olumeyan, Chukwuemeka Ifechelobi, Prosper Okonkwo & Yewande Akinro
Published on: 26 August 2023 in Reproductive Health

Inequities in referrals to a breast cancer risk assessment and prevention clinic: a mixed methods study
Claire B. King, Brittany L. Bychkovsky, Erica T. Warner, Tari A. King, Rachel A. Freedman, Elizabeth A. Mittendorf, Fisher Katlin, Anna Revette, Danielle M. Crookes, Neil Maniar & Lydia E. Pace
Published on: 25 August 2023 in BMC Primary Care

Sexual orientation and gender identity inequities in cervical cancer screening by race and ethnicity
Emmeline Lin, Patrycja Sleboda, Bobbie J. Rimel, Jarvis T. Chen, Diana V. Hernandez & Geetanjali D. Datta
Published on: 21 August 2023 in Cancer Causes & Control

Addressing cancer care in low- to middle-income countries: a call for sustainable innovations and impactful research
D. Cristina Stefan & Shenglan Tang
Published on: 15 August 2023 in BMC Cancer

Effect of neighborhood deprivation index on breast cancer survival in the United States
Arya Mariam Roy, Anthony George, Kristopher Attwood, Sabah Alaklabi, Archit Patel, Angela R. Omilian, Song Yao & Shipra Gandhi
Published on: 5 August 2023 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment

The barriers to cervical cancer screening for urban and rural populations in Rwanda
Hallie Dau, Marianne Vidler, Maryam AboMoslim, Barbra Mutamba, Zoey Nesbitt, John Deodatha, Schadrack Danson Byiringiro, Charles Niyotwiringiye, Nadia Mithani, Varun Nair, Laurie Smith, Stephen Rulisa & Gina Ogilvie
Published on: 31 July 2023 in BMC Global and Public Health

Global disparities in patients with multiple myeloma: a rapid evidence assessment
Maria-Victoria Mateos, Sikander Ailawadhi, Luciano J. Costa, Shakira J. Grant, Lalit Kumar, Mohamad Mohty, Didem Aydin & Saad Z. Usmani
Published on: 18 July 2023 in Blood Cancer Journal

Implementation and scale-up of a single-visit, screen-and-treat approach with thermal ablation for sustainable cervical cancer prevention services: a protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial in Kenya
Michelle B. Shin, Lynda Myra Oluoch, Ruanne V. Barnabas, Colin Baynes, Harriet Fridah, Jesse Heitner, Mary Bernadette Kerubo, Kenneth Ngure, Leeya F. Pinder, Katherine K. Thomas, Nelly Rwamba Mugo & Sarah Gimbel
Published on: 26 June 2023 in Implementation Science

Supporting implementation science and health equity in cancer prevention and control through research networks
Prajakta Adsul, Stephanie B. Wheeler, Alexa L. Young, Rebecca J. Lee & Heather M. Brandt
Published on: 16 June 2023 in Cancer Causes & Control

A culturally informed model to enhance breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings:perspectives of American Indian adults and healthcare providers in rural New Mexico
Shiraz I. Mishra, Prajakta Adsul, Samantha Leekity, Joseph Rodman, Andrew L. Sussman, Keith Kelly, Judith Sheche, Thomas Faber & Vallabh Shah
Published on: 6 June 2023 in Cancer Causes & Control

Inequalities in cancer screening participation between adults with and without severe mental illness: results from a cross-sectional analysis of primary care data on English Screening Programmes
Robert Stephen Kerrison, Alex Jones, Jianhe Peng, Gabriele Price, Julia Verne, Elizabeth Alexandra Barley & Cam Lugton
Published on: 4 May 2023 in British Journal of Cancer

The impact of race and age on response to neoadjuvant therapy and long-term outcomes in Black and White women with early-stage breast cancer
Elizabeth Terman, Jori Sheade, Fangyuan Zhao, Frederick M. Howard, Nora Jaskowiak, Jennifer Tseng, Nan Chen, Olwen Hahn, Gini Fleming, Dezheng Huo & Rita Nanda
Published on: 29 April 2023 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment

Considering depression as a secondary outcome in the optimization of physical activity interventions for breast cancer survivors in the PACES trial: a factorial randomized controlled trial
Chad D. Rethorst, Thomas J. Carmody, Keith E. Argenbright, Taryn L. Mayes, Heidi A. Hamann & Madhukar H. Trivedi
Published on: 20 April 2023 in International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Cervical Cancer Knowledge and Screening Patterns in Zuni Pueblo Women in the Southwest United States
Kate Cartwright, Mikaela Kosich, Madison Gonya, Deborah Kanda, Samantha Leekity, Judith Sheche, Nicholas Edwardson, V. Shane Pankratz & Shiraz I. Mishra
Published on: 13 April 2023 in Journal of Cancer Education

Barriers to cancer treatment and care for people experiencing structural vulnerability: a secondary analysis of ethnographic data
Amber Bourgeois, Tara C. Horrill, Ashley Mollison, Leah K. Lambert & Kelli I. Stajduhar
Published on: 30 March 2023 in International Journal for Equity in Health

What factors shape quality of life for women affected by gynaecological cancer in South, South East and East Asian countries? A critical review
Belinda Rina Marie Spagnoletti, Linda Rae Bennett, Christina Keenan, Suman Surendra Shetty, Lenore Manderson, Barbara McPake & Siswanto Agus Wilopo
Published on: 19 March 2023 in Reproductive Health

Book: Global Health Essentials
Chapter: HPV Infection and Cervical Cancer

Cancer cases attributed to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) represent approximately 4.5% of all cancers. High-risk HPV types cause nearly 100% of cervical cancer (CC) cases, the fourth most frequent female cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The burden of CC is greater in low- and middle-income countries, reflecting global inequities in the access to vaccination and screening programs, health services, and high-quality treatments.

Book: Oncologic Surgical Emergencies
Chapter: Ethical Issues in Emergency Surgery

Beyond religious and political beliefs, a general code of morality and ethics is somehow innate in the human soul and must guide each and every action of any surgeon, in elective and emergency conditions. In emergency, the application of moral principles is often stretched and critical due to time-sensitive conditions and procedures. There is a growing interest in the medical community about bioethics and its application in the clinical practice, in particular with respect to law and guidelines, but also in relation to religious beliefs and social conventions, in our more and more multicultural society.

Book: Skin Disorders in Migrants
Chapter: Malignant Cutaneous Neoplasms

Skin cancer is an emerging public health issue, and despite many misconceptions, it encompasses all races and ethnicities. Although skin cancer is less common in dark populations than in light-skinned Western societies, it is often diagnosed at a more advanced stage leading to a worse prognosis and overall survival rate. This may be explained by cultural and socioeconomic factors (e.g., lack of knowledge, taboo) and less accessibility to appropriate medical healthcare.

Book: Pigmented Ethnic Skin and Imported Dermatoses
Chapter: Tumors in Pigmented Skin

In individuals with pigmented ethnic skin, the incidence of skin cancer is clearly lower as compared with white-skinned individuals, possibly as a result of the photoprotective effects of melanin, but skin cancer is often associated with greater mortality and morbidity in pigmented skin. It is important to further assess any differences of skin cancer between Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations and evaluate the etiology and risk factors in skin of color for developing cancer.

Book: Handbook of Quality of Life in Cancer
Chapter: Cross-Cultural Considerations in Health-Related Quality of Life in Cancer

With the world becoming a global village, it is imperative for healthcare providers (HCPs) to provide patient-centered care in a culturally competent way to improve patient’s health-related quality of life. Cancer care is no exception, with HCPs having to navigate through difficult topics of breaking the diagnosis, treatment options, pain management, and at times end-of-life care, not just with the patient but with their family as well.