[Oncology--a common language, new perspectives. Lilly Oncology Global Medical Conference, Indianapolis, 1996].
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Global growth of the elderly population is requiring health care providers to cater to an expanding elderly cancer subpopulation. Surgeons are called upon to provide optimal cancer management for this heterogeneous group in par with care provided for younger patients, an ethical dilemma that is compounded by an ill-understood tumor biology. Delivery of suboptimal surgical cancer treatment due to ageist attitudes and personal beliefs is no longer acceptable. Cancer surgeons have to offer optimal surgery in consideration of individualized operative risk. The need for a tool to assess operative risk and predict postoperative outcome is obvious. This article wishes to raise awareness among surgeons about epidemiology, physiologic changes, performance status and comorbidities, and patterns of care and ways to improve them. We visit existing tools to assess operative risk, reveal interim results from the Preoperative Assessment of Cancer in Elderly (PACE) study, and discuss the future of oncogeriatrics.
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The new decade has given birth to a large number of new concepts in our approach to cancer. The progress in molecular technology that occurred in the 1980's is being transferred in the 1990's to the bedside. The practical clinical application of basic science innovations is aimed at prevention and curative treatment of cancer in all of its forms, and is becoming a central theme of cancer therapeutics. The progress to date reflects a climate that fosters a unity of basic and clinical investigations, for example, where an understanding of tumor genetics or molecular immunoregulation can translate into an innovative clinical approach such as gene transfer therapy. The challenges that we face in this new decade arise in part from progress in certain areas, such as the discovery of natural products that have important antitumor activity but a limited source, or the increasing incidence in AIDS-related lymphomas that has come about from antiretroviral therapy-induced prolongation of survival for AIDS patients. There are critical challenges from a lack of progress in other areas, as well. The challenge of developing curative therapies is surpassed by the need to prevent those cancers before they arise. The challenge of prevention, as exemplified by the link between lung cancer and smoking, is of paramount importance. The ultimate challenge placed before the global oncology community is to ensure that the fruits of modern technology are available to all who need them.
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AIMS: We assessed the scientific productivity in the field of cancer research of countries in the European Community (EC) and the most important non-EC countries by counting the number of papers published during the period 1988-1990 in 15 of the top scientific journals (as defined by the Journal Citation Reports, Oncology). The global and per capita data are presented for each country. METHODS: Qualitative parameters like the impact factor and the half-life were also considered in the analysis. The selection of cancer journals with a high average quotation rate gave significant results. Introducing the average impact factor and half-life of each journal modified the results only slightly. The per capita data for each country were not corrected for the number of investigators working in oncology (a datum difficult to obtain). The parameters thus do not define the performance of the average investigator but are more "economic" parameters specifically related to the field of cancer research. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Small, wealthy Western countries tended to have an advantage over large, less developed countries, as expected. However, additional individual differences that could be of interest were present in the group of developed countries.
UNLABELLED: At the first Global Urologic Oncology Congress--which was held in conjunction with the SIU meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, on October 2-3, 2004--a total of 250 urologists from nine regions throughout the world participated in working groups to develop consensus statements about the management of prostate cancer patients. The focus was on two areas of prostate cancer: first, screening and detection--including when to do a biopsy, and how to manage low-risk patients--and second, management of high-risk patients. CONCLUSION: Overall, there is marked global diversity of beliefs about optimal screening and management of patients with low- or high-risk localized prostate cancer. This diversity likely reflects regional differences in epidemiologic factors, resources, and treatment patterns. Participating in the process of trying to develop international practice consensus gives urologists the opportunity to broaden their perspective about handling common clinical scenarios.
Randomized controlled trials remain fundamental to evidence generation in oncology but are increasingly complex, costly, and often misaligned with real-world practice. Traditional explanatory trials, designed under ideal, controlled conditions, frequently enroll highly selected populations, limiting generalizability and underrepresenting key groups such as older adults, patients with comorbidities, and those from low- and middle-income countries. Pragmatic clinical trials offer an alternative by evaluating interventions under routine care conditions, with broader eligibility, simplified procedures, and patient-centered outcomes. To address these challenges, the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup convened an international brainstorming meeting in May 2025 with multi-disciplinary experts, patients, and advocates to define priorities and develop a roadmap for pragmatic trials in gynecologic oncology. Key discussions emphasized embedding trial design within routine care, aligning eligibility criteria and procedures with standard practice, minimizing non-essential data collection, and prioritizing outcomes meaningful to patients, including quality of life. Innovative designs such as registry-based randomized trials, trials-within-cohorts, and cluster randomization were highlighted as feasible approaches to improve efficiency while preserving internal validity. Integration of patient-reported outcomes and real-world data was considered achievable when carefully streamlined. Major challenges identified included regulatory heterogeneity, consent complexity, data interoperability, and funding limitations, particularly in multi-national settings. Proposed solutions include simplified consent models, centralized ethics processes, hybrid funding strategies, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence to enhance patient identification, recruitment, and potential development of synthetic control arms. Patient engagement was recognized as essential to ensure relevance, feasibility, and equity. Incorporation of patient-reported outcomes was discussed as key to informing acceptance and tolerability. In summary, pragmatic trials within Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup represent a critical pathway to generate efficient, inclusive, and practice-changing evidence in gynecologic cancers across diverse health care settings.
In this paper on "The Evolution of Paediatric Oncology Over the Years", a historical perspective is outlined regarding the subspecialty of paediatric oncology on a global basis. The evolution of paediatric oncology units and their role in the progress of cancer management in children is highlighted. It is noted that success in the management of cancer in adults has followed the footsteps of breakthroughs and success in paediatric oncology. The epidemiology of cancer in children in sub-Saharan African and the development of paediatric oncology are also highlighted. The development of a paediatric oncology unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya has been focused on, pointing out challenges, constraints and success that are associated in the initiation and nurturing of such units in developing countries. Lastly, Burkitt's lymphoma is singled out for discussion to illustrate problems that are abound in cancer management in children in sub-Saharan Africa.
PURPOSE: This paper summarizes the role of external advisors in oncology drug development and regulation from a global perspective. DESIGN: Recently, representatives from the United States Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration and Health Canada held a meeting in conjunction with the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. The role of external advisors in oncology drug development and regulation in each of these jurisdictions was presented and discussed. RESULTS: All regulatory bodies described have experience with two forms of outside expertise: advice from individual experts and advice from a group of experts assembled as an advisory group. Regulatory jurisdictions use individual experts variably. In some regions, individual experts provide advice based on knowledge and experience during the drug development phase or in the planning phase for the submission of a drug registration package. In other regions, these individuals serve as external evaluators with the primary responsibility for the review of a clinical trials package submitted for drug registration. Advisory boards have been formalized in all jurisdictions discussed. Advisory boards have a role in discussing specific applications as well as broad policy issues. A common theme is a composition of a core panel of experts with augmentation by additional expertise as needed for consideration of specific scientific questions. In all jurisdictions, advisory board recommendations are not binding on the regulatory body. CONCLUSIONS: Global oncology drug development and registration involves the use of experts by regulatory authorities. The types of experts needed, the expert's role and the transparency of the advisory process reflect the individual needs in different regions.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the face, content, and construct validity and the internal reliability of a tool for assessing the generic needs of patients with cancer (the Supportive Care Needs Survey). METHODS: A total of 1,492 consecutive patients attending the surgical, radiation, or medical oncology departments of 9 cancer treatment centers in New South Wales, Australia, were asked to participate. Of the 1,370 eligible patients, 1,354 (99%) consented to participate and 888 (65%) completed the survey. Eligible consenting patients were given a Supportive Care Needs Survey to complete at home and return by mail within 7 days. RESULTS: In the assessment of construct validity, the principal components method of factor analysis identified 5 factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, which together accounted for 64% of the total variance (patients' needs in the domains of psychologic, health system and information, physical and daily living, patient care and support, and sexuality). Face and content validity were found to be high following pilot tests and tests of reading ease. Internal reliability coefficients (Cronbach alpha) of all 5 factor-based scales were found to be substantial, ranging from 0.87 to 0.97. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the Supportive Care Needs Survey provides a reliable and valid index of the global needs of oncology patients. The standardized and widespread application of this instrument is recommended following further refinement and evaluation.