Message from the Director
Cancer is an enemy that does not recognize or respect geopolitical boundaries or socioeconomic classifications. The National Cancer Act of 1971 specifically directs that NCI support collaborative international research and international training. More has been learned about cancer over the last two decades than in all of previous human history combined. Over the next two decades, we must begin to apply what we have learned and continue to learn, if we are to win our battle against this terrible disease both nationally and internationally.
Currently, more than 90% of cancer cases lie outside the U.S., and the burden of cancer in countries of limited resources is projected to increase dramatically owing to growing and aging populations coupled with the adoption of “cancer-friendly” lifestyles most notably tobacco use. Given that 100 million persons were killed by tobacco in the 20th century and with projections of 10 times that number of deaths occurring in the current century, it is imperative that the capacity for research built throughout the world. If tobacco use were halved globally by 2020, more than 180 million lives would be saved by 2050, and this can be done by applying what we already know.
Breast cancer is but another example of where applying what we already know could result in the saving of lives. There are over 1 million women worldwide who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and approximately 400,000 deaths, with half occurring in developing countries. In the United States, 5-year breast cancer survival now exceeds 90% whereas the comparable number for Uganda, for example, is less than half that figure. If breast cancer survival rates in the U.S. could be achieved globally, more than 100,000 women per year in low-resource countries would be spared death from this disease.
More than forty years ago, then Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, John Gardner, said, “What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems.” Cancer is one of these opportunities disguised as an insoluble problem. The Office of International Affairs at NCI seeks to address the issue of cancer globally by catalyzing and facilitating research, capacity building for research, and international collaborations. The OIA website is intended to provide a window on these activities by highlighting our workshops and training activities. Much of NCI’s international portfolio finds its home in our divisions, and I invite you to visit the NCI divisional websites as well.
Joe F. Harford
Director, Office of International Affairs
