Advancing Global Cancer Control

Feature Stories | 03 Apr 2024

Dr. Chris Booth, Dr. Timothy Hanna, Dr. Faboio Ynoe de Moraes — *Dr. Chris Booth, Dr. Timothy Hanna, and Dr. Fabio Ynoe de Moraes*

The moto of Queen’s University’s Global Cancer Control researchers is “achieving the achievable for cancer control.”

That means working to ensure that cancer care innovations that provide the greatest value are adopted (greatest benefit and lowest cost,), and equitably delivered with high quality care.

This Research Excellence Cluster (REC) is part of the Queen’s Cancer Research Institute’s Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology. Their research is focused on access to care, quality of care, and value of care for people with cancer, provincially, nationally, and globally. Queen’s Health Sciences interviewed the leads of this Global Cancer Control REC: the Department of Oncology’s Dr. Christopher Booth, Dr. Timothy Hanna, and Dr. Fabio Ynoe de Moraes. The following is an edited transcript of that conversation.

Q: What is the focus of your research in cancer control, and why is it important?

Dr. Booth: Our research in cancer control spans decades and involves understanding how the health system works and how it can be improved to deliver better care for patients with cancer. This involves a holistic view, addressing everything from prevention to palliative care. It's crucial globally as cancer affects millions of people – with a significant burden in low and middle-income countries.

Dr. Hanna: Cancer control, as defined by the World Health Organization, aims to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality while improving the quality of life for cancer patients. Our work involves systematic implementation of evidence-based interventions for prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care. This is vital as cancer is a major global health issue impacting both high and low-income countries.

Dr. Ynoe de Moraes: From a global perspective, despite progress in high-income countries, delivering affordable, equitable, and sustainable cancer care remains a challenge in low and middle-income countries. Our research seeks to reduce disparities across the cancer control spectrum globally, evaluating interventions and impacting care, education, and policies in various regions.

Q: How does your team approach cancer control, both locally and globally?

Dr. Booth: Our team has a long-standing legacy in cancer health services research, dating back to the late 1980s and early 1990s. We collaborate closely with partners, policymakers, and experts to provide rigorous methodologies and insights. The Global Oncology team, led by Dr. Ynoe de Moraes as Executive Director, extends our work beyond Canada, fostering organic collaborations and bidirectional learning with various health systems globally.

Dr. Hanna: Our approach involves a multidisciplinary team, including clinical experts, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians. The uniqueness lies in our extensive experience and real relationships across countries and regions. There's a bidirectional flow of learning within the team, with projects benefiting both Canadians and global populations.

Dr. Ynoe de Moraes: The uniqueness of our global oncology work is attributed to the people in our team and their expertise. We prioritize real collaborations with partners on the ground in different regions, ensuring our work is impactful and relevant. The bidirectional nature of learning, where experiences from one setting inform the other, adds depth to our approach.

Q: What makes your group and Queen's research in cancer control unique and special?

Dr. Booth: The Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology at Queen's has been a pioneer in cancer health services research for over 40 years. Our mentor, Dr. Bill Mackillop, laid the foundation, making us one of the largest and longest-standing units globally. The unique aspect is the combination of rigorous methodologies, policy relevance, and a global perspective, expanding beyond Canada.

Dr. Hanna: The uniqueness lies in the interdisciplinary nature of our work, involving clinicians, epidemiologists, and various experts. The bidirectional learning, both within the team and at the country level, sets us apart. We have a 30-year history of involvement in high-income countries – particularly here in Ontario – addressing issues of access, quality, and value in cancer care.

Dr. Ynoe de Moraes: Our Global Oncology initiative distinguishes itself through the collective strength and varied skills of our team members. It is the depth of our collaborative endeavors with partners across the globe that marks our approach as unique. Rather than merely extending our services to regions with limited resources, we prioritize establishing and nurturing authentic relationships. This method allows us to contribute in a manner that is not only impactful but also rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Our commitment to genuine collaboration over mere assistance ensures that our interventions create lasting and meaningful improvements in cancer care worldwide.

Q: Can you highlight some recent research milestones from your group?

Dr. Booth: We are excited about the launch and growth of Common Sense Oncology, which originated here at Queen’s. This initiative, focusing on solutions for health systems globally, had its planning meeting in April 2023, and was formally launched in July 2023. In another piece of work we recently partnered with colleagues at Cancer Care Ontario to analyze Ontario’s spending on cancer medicines over the last budget to understand budgetary trends and the magnitude of benefit these treatments offer to people with cancer.

Dr. Hanna: Our recent success stories include the bidirectional learning within our team and the impact of projects in low-middle income settings, which are now being considered in Ontario. The upcoming Common Sense Oncology meeting in Montreal in May reflects the continued growth and interest in this initiative.

Dr. Ynoe de Moraes: A major milestone is the growth of our Global Oncology team, emphasizing the importance of people in our unique approach. We focus on real collaborations and have ongoing projects in Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Equally significant is our scholarly contribution, which stands as a testament to our commitment to advancing oncology research. The breadth and depth of our academic work have not only augmented the global discourse on cancer care but have also played a crucial role in shaping health policies across various continents.

Q: Anything else you want to highlight?

Dr. Hanna: One project involves the global coalition of radiotherapy, where we're developing recommendations for countries setting up radiotherapy programs to bridge the international gap in guidance. Another project is focused on clinical quality for radiation oncology in Ontario aiming to streamline care and improve efficiency.

Dr. Ynoe de Moraes: I'd like to add that we have an exciting project with the World Health Organization to validate and develop a cancer workforce tool. We're also collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency on a radiation planning project and have a potential high impact paper coming up that prioritizes the needs of radiation machines globally.

Q: Where do you hope to see the long-term impact of your collective work in the next decade?

Dr. Hanna: We envision a future where decision-makers make informed and common-sense choices in cancer policy, leading to improved quality of life and longer survival for cancer patients globally. We hope to see independent research programs and healthcare systems worldwide working to enhance access to high-quality care.

Dr. Ynoe de Moraes: Our program is designed to impact the lives of people with cancer globally. Through capacity building, training, and supporting research, we aim to inform policies that enhance access to high-quality care and improve the lives of cancer patients.

Learn more about QHS Research Excellence Clusters.

Advancing Global Cancer Control

Related topics

Explore Our Stories