Main objectives
The overall aim of this collaboration is to improve the quality and availability of data on cancer in children, particularly in countries with limited resources. To attain this ambitious goal, scientists from IARC and St. Jude are developing three areas of action.
Implementation in countries
Four countries have been initially selected to join this initiative, namely: Georgia, Mexico, South Africa, and Vietnam. The ChildGICR teams support the implementation of international cancer registration principles and standards. Situational assessments and co-developed with the local teams have served as a baseline. Concrete activities to improve childhood cancer data, including the revision of existent ones when available, have been discussed with national stakeholders and are followed up regularly.
Education strategy
The educational programme of ChildGICR is designed to develop local capacity in registration of cancer in children. One of the first objectives was to train the trainers, during the Masterclass run from April to July 2021.
With support of senior advisors, the Masterclass participants have developed teaching material for seven topics which now constitute a basic course on childhood cancer registration. The selection of the topics was based on the perceived needs expressed by the GICR national experts and the representatives of the ChildGICR target countries. The Masterclass graduates have acquired knowledge and teaching skills needed in their countries, world region and globally.
The Masterclass design, outcome and impact was described in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Global Oncology.
ChildGICR educational and capacity-building activities are also described in an interview released on the occasion of the International Childhood Cancer Day 2023.
Research studies
Selected challenges will be analysed to strengthen the quality and availability of data on cancer in children. The initial areas of research are:
- barriers to data sharing and the development of best practices;
- classification of childhood central nervous system tumours, and registration of non-malignant central nervous system tumours;
- the financial burden borne by families affected by cancer in a child; and
- quantification of the cost of registration of cancer in children.
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