G7 leaders and partner countries, including India, on Tuesday issued a joint declaration aimed at accelerating cancer research, strengthening scientific cooperation and ensuring that advances in oncology benefit patients worldwide. The declaration was adopted during the G7 Summit in Évian, France.

Along with the G7 members, partner countries Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya and South Korea extended their support to the initiative, which seeks to improve prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer while promoting international collaboration.

Leaders Highlight Growing Global Cancer Burden

Emphasising the scale of the challenge, the declaration noted that cancer claims nearly 10 million lives every year and warned that the number of new cases could increase by 80 per cent globally by 2050.

According to the leaders, ageing populations and the interaction of environmental and behavioural risk factors are expected to place increasing pressure on societies, healthcare systems and economies in the coming decades.

The declaration stressed that improvements in cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment are achievable and must be pursued with greater urgency.

Focus on Prevention and Early Detection

The leaders acknowledged major scientific advances in oncology and stressed the need to accelerate progress through better alignment of research efforts and faster translation of discoveries into patient care.

They noted that recent developments have brought the elimination of cervical cancer within reach and pledged to intensify efforts to achieve that goal.

Reaffirming their commitment, the countries said they were determined to close persistent gaps in prevention and early detection and ensure that advances in oncology reach every patient.

Greater International Scientific Cooperation Planned

The declaration highlighted the importance of expanding international cooperation and strengthening research and development efforts through shared responsibility and coordinated financing.

Leaders welcomed progress achieved through existing international, regional and national initiatives, including closer collaboration among leading cancer institutes and advances in interoperable data standards for paediatric and adolescent cancers.

They also recognised that no single country possesses sufficient data to generate comprehensive evidence across the full spectrum of paediatric, adolescent and young adult cancers.

Push for Cross-Border Data Collaboration

To address this challenge, the G7 and partner nations proposed promoting collaboration between existing databases and research programmes to improve interoperability and enable responsible cross-border data cooperation.

The countries also pledged to support large-scale integration of clinical, genomic and imaging data while leveraging artificial intelligence where appropriate, without requiring direct transfer of sensitive data.

Leaders said the approach would build upon existing initiatives, avoid duplication and help bridge critical gaps in cancer research.

Tackling Aggressive and Poor-Prognosis Cancers

The declaration identified cancers with poor prognosis as one of the foremost scientific challenges facing the global community and called for intensified efforts to combat them.

The participating countries committed to supporting research aimed at developing a common international definition and research agenda for such cancers.

They also proposed ambitious targets for expanding screening programmes and increasing the diagnosis of cancers at stage one, with a particular focus on significantly reducing lung cancer mortality over the next decade.

Digital Technologies and AI to Support Clinical Research

The leaders said digital technologies, artificial intelligence and quantum research could play an important role in improving clinical trials and supporting innovative international research programmes.

These technologies are expected to contribute to better early detection, more effective treatment strategies and improved clinical decision-making.

The declaration underlined the need to ensure that such innovations are deployed securely and responsibly while protecting patient privacy.

Strengthening Access to Cancer Care

Recognising access to quality treatment as a major challenge, the G7 and partner nations committed to supporting country-led efforts to build resilient and self-reliant healthcare systems.

They also encouraged the development of comprehensive cancer centres that could serve as hubs for research excellence, high-quality care and medical education.

The leaders said they would continue to monitor progress on the commitments and remain engaged in advancing the global effort against cancer, describing the initiative as the outcome of extensive discussions and cooperation between G7 members and partner countries. (ANI)