ecancermedicalscience author and Editorial Board member Richard Sullivan recently featured in a Cancer World cover story on controversies within international cancer policy.  Prof Sullivan, who is Professor of Cancer Policy and Global Health at the King’s Health Partners Integrated Cancer Centre, calls for more debate and open-mindedness in the cancer world: “We need to challenge policy in cancer that masquerades as public health when it’s really being utilised to leverage commercial advantage”.  A large part of his career has been involved in changing the fact that cancer policy is still led by opinion, not evidence. 

Prof Sullivan believes that the cancer world needs to be less exclusive with regards to global cancer policy and resourcing issues and should collaborate more with other disciplines. He and his team are now working on plans for sustainable cancer service development in low income countries through the King’s Global Health Centre. He visited Chile recently in order to help the country establish research management and planning policies and structures. “I’m hoping this could also act as a template for other Latin American countries.”

Read Richard Sullivan's articles covering these topics in ecancermedicalscience for free The state of research into children with cancer across Europe: new policies for a new decade, The Role of Funding and Policies on Innovation in Cancer Drug Development, Policy challenges for cancer research: a call to arms

Watch Prof Sullivan discuss these issues here The value of cancer care and society