The Lancet: Tackling cancer: time for a global response
Franco Cavalli, scientific director of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland and chair of the Scientific Committee of the European School of Oncology

“…Huge efforts have … been made to encourage action on cancer in the global political agenda. … Despite these steps, there has been little coordinated global action on cancer. … But two recent developments offer a glimmer of hope. The first comes from the World Bank, which has published costings for an essential package of sustainable interventions that would enable low-income and middle-income countries to tackle cancer on many fronts … A second glimmer of hope comes on the political front. The pro tempore presidency of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is currently held by Tabaré Vázquez, the president of Uruguay, whose background is in radio-oncology. During his term of office he will lead a high-level meeting on tackling cancer, which could help generate the momentum needed to get a Global Cancer Fund up and running…” (2/3).