Publication

Potential Role of the Quality Assurance Review Center Platform in Global Radiation Oncology

Ngwa, Wilfred
Irabor, Omoruyi Credit
Laurie, Fran
Moni, Janaki
FitzGerald, Thomas J
Embargo Expiration Date
Abstract

The 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) Cancer Report describes an alarming growth in the cancer burden worldwide and underscores that, of the 14 million new cases of cancer and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths per year, 60% and 70%, respectively, occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). These countries are the least capable of dealing with cancer without some form of collaboration. The disparities in cancer-related deaths in part reflect poignant underlying inequalities in access to radiation oncology services; also, a majority of the population groups that experience disparities is significantly underrepresented in cancer clinical trials. One way to narrow this divide in cancer-related services is by including minorities, or populations from diverse backgrounds and resource-poor settings, in clinical trials. In recent publications, we have highlighted the enormous potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs)—technologies used in the transmission, manipulation, and storage of data by electronic means, including the internet, mobile phone systems, broadcast radio, and TV systems—in catalyzing high-impact international collaborations in global radiation oncology. Here, we describe the role of the ICT-powered Quality Assurance Review Center (QARC) platform in global radiation oncology care, research, and education, with the perspective of radiation oncologists at 8 institutions in East and West Africa.

Source

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2017 Nov 15;99(4):956-962. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.06.2461. Link to article on publisher's site

Year of Medical School at Time of Visit
Sponsors
Dates of Travel
DOI
10.1016/j.ijrobp.2017.06.2461
PubMed ID
29063855
Other Identifiers
Notes

Full author list omitted for brevity. For the full list of authors, see article.

Funding and Acknowledgements
Corresponding Author
Related Resources
Related Resources
Repository Citation
Rights
Distribution License