What does it take to change the odds in cancer care? Innovation? Yes. But also: persistence. Collaboration. The refusal to accept that some lives matter less because of where they’re born.
In this issue of CancerWorld, we focus not just on what’s new in oncology, but on what’s necessary.
Our dual cover stories frame that promise.
On one side: A call to action. Arnaud Lallouette of Servier lays out the case for ACT for Children—a bold initiative confronting the global inequities in childhood cancer care. In a world where 80% of children with cancer live in low- and middle-income countries, but less than 30% survive, ACT is proving that access is not a dream. It’s a strategy. One that’s already working.
Turn the magazine over, and you’ll meet a man who moved mountains in silence. Dr. Samvel Danielyan, who built Armenia’s pediatric cancer system from nothing, reminds us that real progress rarely starts with a budget. It starts with belief, and someone unwilling to walk away when the world says “no.”
These are the poles of this issue: a global vision, and a deeply personal fight. Between them, we dive into stories that challenge assumptions and push for change.
An exclusive profile of Professor Martine Piccart, a giant of modern oncology, tracing her journey from a Belgian clinic to global leadership, and her uncompromising commitment to scientific integrity.
An investigation into why patient-reported outcomes remain underused in drug development — and what it means when the patient’s voice is still treated as optional.
A major simulation study showing childhood cancer survivors face accelerated aging and chronic illness — and the need to rethink survivorship.
A hidden crisis in Africa: the deadly intersection of albinism and skin cancer, where sunlight becomes a slow killer and sunscreen can mean survival. From opensource formulas to local production, this is prevention reimagined
New evidence that SGLT2 inhibitors may protect cancer patients’ hearts.
Plus, insights from two global voices in action.
Adrian Gottschalk, the CEO of Foghorn Therapeutics, reflects on building a company at the frontiers of gene regulation. His story is one of humility, systems thinking, and what it means to lead through service.
HE Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, soon to become the first African president of the Union for International Cancer Control, shares how a paediatrician became a force in global health diplomacy. Her insight: policy is personal, and political courage is its own kind of medicine.
This issue isn’t just a reflection. It’s a reckoning. With what we know, and what we still fail to do.
Thank you to the readers who return to these pages with each issue—physicians, researchers, advocates, patients, policymakers, and changemakers. You are part of this. Your voices, your work, your questions—are what keep this conversation alive.
We’ll see you in the next issue.
Yeva Margaryan, Managing Editor, CancerWorld
