Innovations Teams
Cancer Inequalities Team (CIN)

Starting date: March 2021

Work Programme

Social inequalities in cancer incidence, survival, and mortality are large and affect all populations, although to a variable extent. The social gradient in cancer is characterized by complex patterns between and within countries, which are driven by a multifaceted and concurrent interplay of different factors.

The aim of the Cancer Inequalities Team (CIN) is to measure, understand, and reduce social inequalities in cancer. CIN compares social inequalities in cancer across populations and within the wider context of the global epidemiological transition of cancer and considers the inefficiencies in the provision of health-care services (e.g. overdiagnosis).

Details of the programme are available at https://cancer-inequalities.iarc.who.int/.

The programmatic areas of CIN are shown in the diagram.

These are structured into three main domains: (1) human development and cancer transitions, (2) underuse of health care, and (3) overuse of health care. This includes examining how disadvantaged groups face barriers to care while more affluent populations may be exposed to overdiagnosis and overtreatment – both of which contribute to inefficiencies and wasted resources.

Zoom image

CIN also aims to clarify the mechanisms (e.g. structural determinants of health) behind social inequalities in cancer, across all levels (e.g. individual and contextual, proximal and distal) and along the cancer continuum (e.g. risk factors, prevention, early detection, and treatment).

Websites:
Cancer Surveillance Branch – Research
Cancer Inequalities

Team Composition

Team Leader: Dr Salvatore Vaccarella, Cancer Surveillance Branch (CSU), IARC
Email: VaccarellaS@iarc.who.int

Team members:
Dr Olga Trusova (Visiting Scientist, CSU)
Dr Serra Kerman (Postdoctoral Scientist, CSU)
Dr Margherita Pizzato (Visiting Scientist, CSU)
Dr Sébastien Lamy (Visiting Scientist, CSU; INSERM, Toulouse, France)
Dr Valentina Lorenzoni (Visiting Scientist, CSU; Sant’Anna University, Pisa)
Dr Mohamed El Amine Youcef Ali (Postdoctoral Scientist, CSU)
Dr Komodo Matta (Postdoctoral Scientist, NME)
Dr Heinz Freisling (Scientist, NME)
Dr Freddie Bray (Branch Head, CSU)

Events and media highlights

• Presentation to the Italian Senate: Members of CIN presented a new report on thyroid cancer care in Italy, highlighting inequalities in access to quality care. Read more
• Coverage by Euronews (Italy): On the occasion of World Cancer Day 2023, Euronews Italia featured an interview with members of CIN, emphasizing the need for more equitable cancer prevention efforts. Read article
• Coverage by The Guardian: The Guardian highlighted CIN research findings showing that women in more deprived areas of the United Kingdom have some of the highest cancer death rates in Europe, drawing attention to stark socioeconomic disparities. Read article
• Feature in Le Monde: The French newspaper Le Monde reported on CIN research linking educational inequalities to disparities in cancer mortality across Europe. Read article

Key publications

1. Vaccarella S, Li M, Bray F, Kvale R, Serraino D, Lorenzoni V, et al. (2024). Prostate cancer incidence and mortality in Europe and implications for screening activities: population based study. BMJ. 386:e077738. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077738 PMID:39231588
2. Malagón T, Franco EL, Tejada R, Vaccarella S. (2024). Epidemiology of HPV-associated cancers past, present and future: towards prevention and elimination. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 21(7):522–38. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-024-00904-z PMID:38760499
3. Ali MEAY, Nusselder W, Weiderpass E, Corbex M, Bray F, Vaccarella S (2023). Inequities in cancer outcomes. Bull World Health Organ. 101(9):550. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.23.290661 PMID:37663873
4. Singh D, Vignat J, Lorenzoni V, Eslahi M, Ginsburg O, Lauby-Secretan B, et al. (2023). Global estimates of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in 2020: a baseline analysis of the WHO Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. Lancet Glob Health. 11(2):e197–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00501-0 PMID:36528031
5. Vaccarella S, Georges D, Bray F, Ginsburg O, Charvat H, Martikainen P, et al. (2022). Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality between and within countries in Europe: a population-based study. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 25:100551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100551 PMID:36818237
6. Vaccarella S, Ginsburg O, Bray F (2021). Gender inequalities in cancer among young adults. Lancet Oncol. 22(2):166–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(21)00001-2 PMID:33539738
7. Li M, Zheng R, Dal Maso L, Zhang S, Wei W, Vaccarella S (2021). Mapping overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer in China. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 9(6):330–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(21)00083-8 PMID:33891886
8. Lortet-Tieulent J, Georges D, Bray F, Vaccarella S (2020). Profiling global cancer incidence and mortality by socioeconomic development. Int J Cancer. 147(11):3029–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.33114 PMID:32449164
9. Vaccarella S, Lortet-Tieulent J, Saracci R, Fidler MM, Conway DI, Vilahur N, et al. (2018). Reducing social inequalities in cancer: setting priorities for research. CA Cancer J Clin. 68(5):324–6. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21463 PMID:30152865
10. Vaccarella S, Franceschi S, Bray F, Wild CP, Plummer M, Dal Maso L (2016). Worldwide thyroid-cancer epidemic? The increasing impact of overdiagnosis. N Engl J Med. 375(7):614–7. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1604412 PMID:27532827

 

Landmark publication

Vaccarella S, Lortet-Tieulent J, Saracci R, Conway DI, Straif K, Wild CP, editors (2019). Reducing social inequalities in cancer: evidence and priorities for research (IARC Scientific Publication No. 168). Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Available from: https://publications.iarc.who.int/580.