Of those who spend less than 10 percent of time on cancer, only 25 percent conduct research on cancer, compared with 57–83 percent of those who spend more than 10 percent of time on cancer-related activities. Diagnostic testing (60 percent) and access to medical care (52 percent) were the most frequently cited services provided by organizations. Of those who work on cancer less than 10 percent of their time, 46 percent provide services, compared to 62–67 percent who spent 10– 50 percent time on cancer and 83–87 percent who work on cancer more than 50 percent of the time. Advocacy efforts tend to focus on the general public (68 percent) and community leaders (48 percent). Only 30 percent of those who spend 10 percent of time on cancer work are engaged in advocacy, compared to 50–79 percent of those more engaged on the issue.
More than half (55 percent) of organizations working on cancer conduct research, 64 percent provide services and 50 percent are engaged in advocacy.
Compared to organizations not working on cancer, a greater proportion of organizations working on cancer were at research or academic settings, hospitals or health clinics, and nongovernmental implementing organizations. A substantial difference was found between organizations that do and do not work on cancer with regard to country: 37 percent of those working on cancer focus more on industrialized countries vs. 14 percent of non-cancer organizations. Similarly, 48 percent of cancer-related organizations focus more of their work in developing countries vs. 78 percent of non-cancer organizations. Those who focus more attention on cancer tend to be more focused on industrialized countries. In addition, 76 percent of cancer-related organizations have their headquarters in an industrialized country, compared to 58 percent of non-cancer organizations. Responding organizations that work on cancer tended to be larger—60 percent had more than 100 employees, compared to 48 percent of non-cancer organizations.
Setting the policy and research agendas: notes from the cancer working group The goal of the working group was to develop the research, policy, and advocacy agendas, and to begin to address the growing problem of cancer in developing countries. The sessions were a vehicle through which the global health community was able to discuss the work of organizations, agencies and corporations whose portfolio includes cancer in developing countries, and to formulate an agenda of common priorities for future cooperation. The working group convened monthly from January to May 2010 and examined the following topics: reproductive health and cancer, infectious diseases and cancer, lung and other cancers, defining the research agenda, and defining the policy and advocacy agenda. Working group participants included The Burden of Cancer in the developing countries: A Global Health Council Report on the Cancer Advocacy and Learning Institute, June, 2010 / 39