More
Researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) launched a new Cancer Screening in Five Continents (CanScreen5) Training of Trainers learning programme for countries in the Asia–Pacific Region during a webinar on 21 May 2025. The webinar was attended by 28 health professionals and international experts who contribute to cancer screening programmes, from 16 countries in the region.
After the launch, Dr Julia Brotherton, Professor of Cancer Prevention Policy and Implementation at the University of Melbourne, Australia, gave the first public keynote lecture, on the World Health Organization (WHO) Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative and the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative – Progress in the Asia–Pacific region. This event was attended by about 100 participants and marks the first of a series of webinars open to the public on the principles and the quality of cancer screening.
The next keynote webinar will take place on 11 June 2025 at 8–9 am CEST. Dr Cherian Varghese, Professor and Director of the Prasanna School of Public Health, India, will present about challenges in cancer screening implementation in the Asia–Pacific region.
The 16 countries that were represented at the initial launch were Brunei Darussalam, the Cook Islands, Japan, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tuvalu, and Viet Nam.
The CanScreen5 project aims to collect information on the characteristics and performance of cancer screening programmes across the globe in a harmonized manner and to disseminate the information for improved programme management and informed policy-making, with the support of WHO. The core objective of CanScreen5 is to encourage and support countries to collect and use cancer screening data for effective programme evaluation and quality improvement.
View the recording of Dr Brotherton’s keynote lecture and Q&A
Register for the next keynote session on 11 June 2025 at 8–9 am CEST
More information about the CanScreen5 webinar series
Register for the CanScreen5 self-paced learning programme, Improving the Quality of Cancer Screening
