Overview
The Affordable Cancer Technologies (ACTs) Program supports innovative research on key scientific issues in global cancer control and leverages unique scientific opportunities afforded by the global collaboration of NCI’s Center for Global Health (CGH).
Prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are vital to successful cancer control.
Unfortunately, many established cancer control technologies are not suitable for use in low-resource settings, either globally or in the United States, due to expense or dependency on extensive medical infrastructure. The ACTs Program supports resource-appropriate translational technology research and development for cancer, while ensuring affordability and potential impact in low-resource settings as essential design components.
The ACTs Program develops technology through every stage, from prototype to clinical implementation studies. Technologies are validated in real-world health settings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), leading to additional innovations. Examples of important elements include technologies that can be used by minimally trained health workers, are appropriate at the clinical point of need, or are adaptable to diverse environmental conditions and health systems.
Over the course of the two day Principal Investigators meeting, ACTs investigators will share their progress developing context-dependent, resource-appropriate technologies for global cancer control. The annual meeting of Principal Investigators funded through the ACTs program provides a forum for investigators to discuss research progress and forge new collaborations. The meeting also gives ACTs programmatic staff the opportunity to showcase complementary programs and resources and solicit feedback from investigators.