The EUROMED CANCER network: state-of-art of cancer screening programmes in non-EU Mediterranean countries.

BACKGROUND: The EUROMED CANCER Network project aims to support non-EU Mediterranean countries in the development of cancer early detection and screening policies. METHODS: Through a structured questionnaire information from 15 countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia, Egypt, Jordan, UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestinian National Authority, Serbia, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey) were collected on cancer epidemiology and control. RESULTS: Large differences between countries are evident. Breast cancer (BC) is the commonest cancer among women, though the incidence rate is much lower in non-EU than in EU Mediterranean countries. Conversely, cervical cancer (CC) is much more common in the former than in the latter countries. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is more frequent in Northern than in Eastern and Southern Mediterranean shores. Population-based cancer registries are available in few countries but most of them lack information on disease staging. Opportunistic screening for CC and BC is unevenly spread across and within countries; organised screening programmes are rare and do not meet international recommendations. BC and CC early detection is extensively considered a priority, while a few countries included CRC into their agenda. CONCLUSIONS: Collected data witnesses inadequacy of health information system and, in general, of the strategies for cancer control in the involved countries. A uniform approach for strengthening cancer control is not realistic neither feasible. Tailored preventive actions for cancer early detection have to be started concurrently with the development of a reliable health information system and, specifically, with cancer registration.

Building capacity for sustainable research programmes for cancer in Africa.

Cancer research in Africa will have a pivotal role in cancer control planning in this continent. However, environments (such as those in academic or clinical settings) with limited research infrastructure (laboratories, biorespositories, databases) coupled with inadequate funding and other resources have hampered African scientists from carrying out rigorous research. In September 2012, over 100 scientists with expertise in cancer research in Africa met in London to discuss the challenges in performing high-quality research, and to formulate the next steps for building sustainable, comprehensive and multi-disciplinary programmes relevant to Africa. This was the first meeting among five major organizations: the African Organisation for Research and Training in Africa (AORTIC), the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation (AfrOx), and the National Cancer Institutes (NCI) of Brazil, France and the USA. This article summarizes the discussions and recommendations of this meeting, including the next steps required to create sustainable and impactful research programmes that will enable evidenced-based cancer control approaches and planning at the local, regional and national levels.