Cancer Control

Cancer control is the term applied to the development of integrated population-based approaches to reduce the incidence and mortality from cancer and to minimize its impact on affected individuals and on the community. It covers a spectrum of prevention, early diagnosis, optimal treatment, andsupportive and palliative care. It emphasizes the application of new knowledge gained through research to achieve current best practice. Cancer control has become a political priority in many countries in recent years, with the evolution of both national and regional cancer control strategic plans.The integrated nature of cancer control, involving a wide spectrum of health care professionals, researchers, and health managers and planners, is reflected in this multi-disciplinary text, which is the first in this rapidly developing field.

Dr Mark Elwood is an epidemiologist and public health medicine specialist and currently Vice-President of Family and Community Oncology at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada. His varied career has included professorial positions at the University of Nottingham, England, and the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; and being Director of the National Cancer Control Initiative in Australia. He has been extensively involved in research and programme development in cancer prevention and screening, including the development of screening programmes for breast cancer in New Zealand and for colorectal cancer in Australia and Canada. His major research has been on melanoma, as well as on other cancers and birth defects. He has committed to evidence-based health care and the use of scientific knowledge in policy development. Dr Sutcliffe graduated with honours from St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, in 1970. Following training positions at St Bartholomew's, Hammersmith (Royal Postgraduate Medical School) and Oxford in the areas of internal medicine and medical oncology, he completed his Doctoral thesis at London University. He was a staff oncologist and member of the senior scientific staff of the Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital 1982-1989, the Vice President Oncology Programs 1989-1993, Professor of Radiology, University of Toronto (1989-1996), and the President and CEO of OCI/PMH 1994-1996. Between 1996 and 2000, Dr Sutcliffe was Vice President at the BC Cancer Agency with responsibility for the Vancouver Cancer Centre, academic development in oncology with the University of British Columbia and leadership of the Provincial Tumour Groups. Dr Sutcliffe was appointed President and CEO of the BC Cancer Agency (October 2000 - March 2009).