Joint Network

Updated on: Monday, December 26, 2011

It is estimated that by 2020, 70% of all cancer cases will be in low or middle-income countries, and approximately one-fifth of these will be in India, with its (still increasing) population of over a billion. The incidence of cancer in India is approximately 60% lower than North America but mortality from cancer is considerably higher in India because of late presentation and lack of treatment. Currently, cancer is the second leading cause of death in India after cardiovascular disease and the number of cases is expected to double in the next 10 years to two million cases a year.

India is experiencing changes in lifestyles and habits, particularly in urban areas, leading to an alarming rise in the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. As the epidemiological transformation gathers pace, there is an urgent need for clinical research into their treatment and prevention. Suitable training opportunities for principal investigators, junior doctors and research nurses have also been lacking.

Why the partnership with India?

There are many regional cancer centres in India conducting important and high quality research. However, before the INDOX network was established, there was very limited collaboration between them. India is a large country with varied demographics, so by working together and pooling our knowledge we can achieve much more. By conducting research across all the regions of India we can look at risk factors that are specific to the Indian population. If we can understand the causes of cancer in India better, we can hope to take steps to change some of these factors and prevent an epidemic of cancer.

Does the initiative have a timeline?

It is an ongoing initiative and we have formed a strong network of cancer researchers who are committed to continuing to work together to reduce death and suffering from cancer in India.

How long have you been heading the initiative? How does the collaboration between Oxford and the Indian clinics work?

I have been the director of INDOX since its establishment in 2005. We have a coordinating centre in Oxford and in Delhi. We arrange telephone conferences and network meetings for our members to present and discuss their research ideas and protocols. Through the combined expertise of the specialists in our network, we can ensure that projects are developed effectively and ethically. All our 12 centres can then participate in the studies, providing more comprehensive and useful results. There is a dedicated Site Coordinator, funded by INDOX at each site, who helps avoid practical problems of staff retention and ensures the smooth running of research projects.

We also offer a programme of training and professional development for junior doctors, providing training in various aspects of oncology and clinical research delivered by the University of Oxford (in the form of short residential courses), online and in India.

This fellowship programme has proved invaluable to centres in India and has helped to reduce the turnover of junior doctors, encouraging them to develop their expertise, and expand their research opportunities within clinical research.

Times of India

Joint Network

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