Global Cancer Project Map: Platform that enables global collaboration

Inequities of cancer care and control are vast.  Though the majority of cancer deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), these countries receive a fraction of the global cancer resources.  Achieving equity will require collaborations across the cancer continuum and increased investment.  Access to information about cancer projects in LMICs is a first step in developing strategies to address inequities.

To meet the needs for an up-to-date central repository of global cancer projects, we created the Global Cancer Project Map (GCPM).  A publicly available Web site, the GCPM catalogs and visualizes cancer projects on an interactive world map.  The GCPM also provides overlays of cancer-specific epidemiological measures and public health indicators.

The GCPM was created through an alliance amongst a volunteer-based nonprofit, a public institution, academic institutions, and NGOs. The nonprofit developed the site based on the public institutions’ database expertise and content standards.

Users can search for projects by country, cancer type, project director, institution, and funding.  The user can then visualize this information on an interactive world map and drill down to the details of the project, including the abstract and project director contact information.

The site is designed for individuals and organizations involved with global cancer efforts to upload data to be displayed on the site.

The GCPM fulfills an unmet need. There is demand from organizations worldwide to learn about ongoing cancer control efforts and ultimately upload their data onto the GCPM.  

The GCPM has the potential to inform gaps in cancer control and research in LMICs.