Advancing cancer research in resource-limited settings: perspectives from emerging voices across continents
Cancer is a global disease, yet a paradox persists: the most advanced research ecosystems are concentrated in countries with lower disease burden, whereas low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)-carrying 70% of the global cancer burden-face major constraints in research capacity. Closing this gap is essential for equitable progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Researchers in LMIC are creatively adapting established technologies, research pipelines, and collaborative models from higher-resource settings to local solutions. Here, twenty-five American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Global Scholar-in-Training Award's recipients from LMICs share how cancer research is advancing within resource-limited settings, focused on: (i) infrastructure and resources, (ii) training and talent retention, (iii) funding and sustainability, and (iv) cultural and social barriers. We identified shared challenges and cross-cutting solutions, discussed gaps and suggested steps to further advancing cancer research. We emphasized locally-led innovation, strategic partnerships, and community engagement. These perspectives offer a framework for inclusive, synergistic approaches to strengthening cancer research and accelerating impact where it is needed most.
Authors
- Rafat Malik
- Mutsa Takundwa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6547-8561)
- Annie Wai Yeeng Chai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8015-6050)
- Mariel Fusco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3201-3009)
- Senthilmani Rajendran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5601-0695)
- Agustina Sabater (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1412-3506)
- Hassan Abushukair (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0068-5201)
- Ankit Mathur
- Ozlem Yedier-Bayram (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0991-5819)
- Balachander Kannan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9630-7001)
- Diana Aguilar-Cortes
- Joaquín P. Merlo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4587-5164)
- Rocio Seniuk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3427-9527)
- Umer Majeed Khaja (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1826-0511)
- Hedda Michelle Guevara-Nieto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5618-6057)
- Letícia Ferro Leal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2200-3985)
- Bayan Abu Alragheb
- Mary Adewunmi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3727-5417)
- Pablo Sanchis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0243-8036)
- Divpreet Kaur
- Patience Pepra-Ameyaw
- Montana N. Manselle-Cocco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4910-6258)
- Alessandro Pascon Filho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1364-0889)
- Olunloyo O. Blessing (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6519-6444)
Institutions
- University of Delhi (IN)
- Koç University (TR)
- University of Kashmir (IN)
- Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (IN)
- Baylor College of Medicine (US)
- University of Ibadan (NG)
- Austral University (AR)
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (ZA)
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (AR)
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (US)
- Aravind Eye Hospital (IN)
- Fundación Instituto Leloir (AR)
- Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (GH)
- Charles Darwin University (AU)
- Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
- Cancer Research Malaysia (MY)
- Hospital de Câncer de Barretos (BR)
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (CO)
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine (CZ)
- Instituto Universitario de la Policía Federal Argentina (AR)
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (US)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (IN)
- Experimental Medicine and Biology Institute (AR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention
- Published
- 2026-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-26-0121
- Primary Topic
- Global Health and Surgery
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00