Global Oncology Research and Training Collaborations Led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI)–Designated Cancer Centers: Results From the 2018 NCI/ASCO Global Oncology Survey of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers

Abstract

The National Cancer Institute (NCI)–Designated Cancer Centers (NDCCs) are active in global oncology research and training, leading collaborations that contribute to the evidence to support global cancer control. To better understand global oncology activities led by NDCCs, the National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health (NCI-CGH) collaborated with ASCO to conduct the 2018 NCI/ASCO Global Oncology Survey of NDCCs. The 70 NDCCs received a two-part survey that focused on global oncology programs at NDCCs and non–National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded global oncology projects with an international collaborator led by the NDCCs. Sixty-five NDCCs responded to the survey, and 57 reported non–NIH-funded global oncology projects. Data were cleaned, coded, and analyzed by NCI-CGH staff. Thirty NDCCs (43%) report having a global oncology program, and 538 non–NIH-funded global oncology projects were reported. Of the NDCCs with global oncology programs, 17 report that trainees complete rotations outside the United States, and the same number enroll trainees from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In addition, 147 (28%) of the non–NIH-funded projects focused on capacity building or training, the second highest category after research. Of the 30 top project collaborator countries, 17 were LMICs. Compared with the NCI-funded international grant portfolio, non–NIH-funded global oncology projects were more likely to focus on prevention (12% NCI-funded v 20% non–NIH-funded); early detection, diagnosis, and prognosis (23% v 30%); and cancer control, survivorship, and outcomes research (13% v 22%). This survey shows that there is a substantial amount of global oncology research and training supported by NDCCs, and much of this is happening in LMICs. Results of the 2018 Global Oncology Survey can be used to foster opportunities for NDCCs to work collaboratively on activities and to share their findings with relevant stakeholders in their LMIC collaborator countries.