In times of limited economic resources, it is crucial to maximize the population impact of money spent. Investing in the collection of basic cancer information should not be considered a luxury for a population, but a cost-effective investment that will allow to determine where the real needs are, and spend the money where it matters to most people. Without these data, any strategy is based on a poor foundation and investment in interventions may well be ineffective.

The Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (GICR) is implemented through "hubs" - IARC regional resource centres capable of providing developmental support towards and for population-based cancer registries. The role of regional hubs is to:

• provide technical and scientific support to countries
• deliver tailored training in population-based cancer registration and use of data
• advocate for the cause of cancer registration in the region and facilitate the establishment of associations and networks of cancer registries
• coordinate international research projects and disseminate findings

The proposed regional approach will benefit cancer registries through:

• technical and scientific support better tailored to the specific conditions in the region
• increased access to training opportunities to address specific capacity-building needs
• recognition of the value of cancer registration through the regional advocacy work of the hub
• a mentoring role, which will, in time, enable registries to make full use of the data they produce

The success of GICR will lead to an increase in the number and quality of population-based cancer registries, and ultimately to national cancer control interventions guided by reliable data. This means saving lives and improving the situations of cancer patients and their families.