KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
important in order to solve complex knowledge gaps7. Without
collaboration between research communities and regional The internet has transformed access to
knowledge, the research picture is incomplete and may result cancer information. Developing
in the wrong conclusions. It is likely that some effective countries may have more technology
treatment for cancers in developed countries may not work in barriers to overcome than the
developing countries because of environmental and genetic developed world, but advances are
factors, and vice-versa. New innovations in cancer treatments being made on a monthly basis and
are becoming more tailored; the idea of “personalized costs keep falling
medicine” where the individual genomic profile of the patient
and the tumour plays a part in treatment decisions continues
to advance. Other areas of medicine have demonstrated how
important molecular profiling can be, for example in the Indonesia for example is a nation of more than 17,000 islands,
treatment of tuberculosis; the Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) with many areas lacking high-speed cable broadband
vaccine developed in Europe for combating tuberculosis is of connections, DSL lines or even regular phone lines for dial-up
limited efficacy in China and India, the countries hardest hit. service. Many people have turned instead to accessing the
Molecular typing studies demonstrated that the Indian internet with their mobile phone in the past year as falling
tuberculosis strains are different from those in Western costs, increased bandwidths and improvements in browser
countries8. It is imperative for cancer researchers to share technology have made it quicker to surf from a cellphone. For
knowledge and build a global research picture for advances in many, browsing on a handheld device is a cheaper alternative
treatment to be made quickly. to buying a PC or paying for home Internet service11. With the
advent of 4G mobile technology that will see comparable
mHealth speeds to wireless networks mHealth will continue to grow.
The explosive growth of mobile phones and mobile voice
services in developing countries has led to increased uptake of Training and education
the mobile web. Data usage is rising rapidly, and will continue The training of health care professionals is also important for
to do so9. Widespread adoption of mobile technology in health improving cancer care in developing countries12. The
care, or “mHealth”, is now viewed as inevitable in all markets development and access to free educational content from
around the world. A recent study on “Emerging mHealth: universities and non-profit organizations can help fill the
10
paths for growth” found that 35% of patients in the training and educational gaps in developing countries.
developed world use at least one mHealth application or Although not specific to cancer, Yale University has Open
service. As patients embrace a new way of accessing Yale Courses (OYC) that provide free, open access to courses
information it is imperative that health care professionals keep taught by their scholars. Subjects covered include:
up with the demand, and that companies develop applications biochemistry, molecular biology and chemical biology; cellular
that can support this need. and developmental biology and genetics. Ecancer, another
Accessing the latest cancer information on a mobile phone, not- for-profit organization, is currently working with the BMS
at low cost, will accelerate communication and dissemination Foundation to develop an Open Access oncology nursing
in the cancer community, especially for those countries with education portal that will support educational materials in five
restricted access to the internet or low bandwith connections. languages for Eastern European countries that will be free to
access. Ecancer also includes its educational materials in
iTunes U, where free content from universities such as
Accessing the latest cancer information Stanford, Yale and Oxford can be created and distributed
on a mobile phone, at low cost, will around the world. Ecancermedicalscience was the first peer
accelerate communication and reviewed , fully Open Access (no author or subscription fees)
dissemination in the cancer community, cancer journal in PubMed, this is reflected in 40,000 unique
especially for those countries with visitors from 191 countries accessing the website via the free
restricted access to the internet or low App or a PC each month. The site also hosts educational videos
bandwith connections with key opinion leaders at the major cancer conferences
which have been watched two million times in three years, all
at no cost.
CANCER CONTROL 2013 161