Low- and middle-income countries are increasingly bearing the brunt of the global burden of cancer. As much as 70% of global cancer deaths occur in these countries, despite having a lower incidence of cancer compared to higher-income countries. With limited health resources allocated to chronic diseases like cancer, low- and middle-income countries are struggling to respond to the challenges cancer places on already stressed national health systems.
To address this global health gap, the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) and ICAP at Columbia University have come together to form the ICAP-HICCC Cancer Initiative (IHCI), a platform for training, research, education, and programs focused on cancer prevention and management.
The HICCC, designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute since 1979, brings together leading experts across cancer care and basic, clinical, and population-based research to reduce the burden of cancer across the globe. Long a leader in population sciences and public health, the HICCC has extensive ongoing research in more than 15 countries dedicated to understanding and addressing the outsized burden of cancer that low and middle-income countries bear.
The HICCC leads several studies focusing on how HIV infection affects the care of patients who have epithelial cancers, or cancers that arise in the linings of organs such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer, which make up 80-90% of all cancer cases. At the HICCC, the new global initiative will be housed within the dedicated Cancer Population Science program, made up of nearly 50 top cancer researchers under the joint leadership of Dawn Hershman, MD, MS, Regina Santella, PhD, and Mary Beth Terry, PhD, focused on primary prevention, early detection, health outcomes, and the delivery of cancer care to diverse communities.
“We are committed to reducing the burden of cancer on patients and their loved ones not only in our local communities, but in communities across the globe,” says Anil K. Rustgi, MD, director of the HICCC and interim executive vice president and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “In partnership with ICAP, a leader in global public health, our new initiative will build on the expertise of our researchers and the enormous accomplishments of ICAP in creating better and more accessible health services in communities around the world.”
A major global health organization that has been improving public health in countries around the world for nearly two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 30 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges.
“A rise in cancer incidence is an emerging challenge that many of the countries where we work are ill-prepared to confront,” says Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA, founder and global director of ICAP and member of the HICCC. “Through this groundbreaking collaboration with the HICCC, we have the opportunity to bring the lessons of cancer prevention, early detection and effective management to settings where they are urgently needed.”
Working to address major gaps in cancer screening, prevention, and management in low- and middle-income countries, the IHCI will launch programs that draw on the HICCC’s expertise in cancer research and care and ICAP’s expertise in capacity building, laboratory science, implementation science research and training. The IHCI will span between the Columbia campus and key countries where ICAP works, with programs aimed at building global cancer research at Columbia as well as establishing a hub for cancer research, training and programming. The hub will provide opportunities for training and mentorship on cancer prevention and management for health workers, as well as expanding training opportunities at Columbia focusing on oncology and public health. The IHCI will also serve as a global launching point for multidisciplinary research studies on prevention and early detection of cancer.
“With the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a critical time for this new initiative,” says Dr. Rustgi. “The disruption of health services and delays in screening and other care because of COVID could significantly increase the burden of cancer, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The time to act is now.”
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About ICAP
A major global health organization that has been improving public health in countries around the world for nearly two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 30 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges. Through evidence-informed programs, meaningful research, tailored technical assistance, effective training and education programs, and rigorous surveillance to measure and evaluate the impact of public health interventions, ICAP aims to realize a global vision of healthy people, empowered communities, and thriving societies.
About the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) is the home for cancer research and patient care at Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The HICCC cancer center researchers and physicians are dedicated to understanding the complex biology behind cancer, from before it begins to its evolution and spread. The HICCC applies that knowledge to the discovery and design of innovative cancer therapies and prevention strategies that reduce the disease’s incidence and progression and improve the quality of life for all those affected – in the New York region and throughout the world. The HICCC is one of only 51 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, a designation that center has maintained since 1979. The HICCC has more than 200 members across six schools at Columbia University with more than $20 million in National Cancer Institute funding and nearly $100 million in cancer grants. Partnering with the top hospital and leading academic center in New York City, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University, the HICCC fosters a community of scientific excellence and outstanding patient care.
