Cancer Think Tanks

What’s missing?

Cancer Think Tanks are missing, that’s what. They are desperately missing.

There are over 200 different types of cancer and each one of these deserves it’s own specific Think Tank.

For example, take the cancer I’ve got, Head and Neck. A Think Tank devoted to this type of cancer would  operate as a centre for critical thinking, creativity and challenge, drive innovation and act as an advocacy organisation devoted to advancing Head and Neck research and supporting all those impacted by the disease.

It would catalyse a multi-investigation and multidisciplinary approach and be a place to  bring together researchers, radiation and clinical oncologists, clinicians, translational scientists, working groups and patients to identify gaps, challenges, key themes, opportunities and make key recommendations.

Each type of cancer has the same need for precision thinking and for collaborating on specific challenges where diverse perspectives and ideas can thrive and professionals can engage, discuss, and learn from each other.

What we have instead are generic cancer research organisations that try to cover too many bases and this isn’t effective enough. Their remit is simply too wide and unmanageable with particular cancers side-lined and overshadowed. And whilst there are many patient organisations that do a remarkable job advocating for specific cancers, they don’t operate as Think Tanks.

Each cancer deserves it’s own Think Tank focused on the specifics so that priorities can be identified and defined and brilliant minds can come together within a culture of responsibility focused on solutions. These Think Tanks need to make data, research and activities accessible to all, build participation and collaborations and focus on solutions that make impact and can prolong and improve people’s lives.

These Think Tanks would all share the same mission and that is to improve diagnosis and treatment and make waves. They would crucially help improve national conversations about cancer and advance research to find better treatments.

A cancer-specific Think Tank offers the space to interact and discuss problems and priorities and this can lead to novel approaches to cancer prevention or treatment.

Cancer-specific Think Tanks would go further than that though and help to increase public awareness about certain cancers, advance research, and provide educational and support services for cancer-specific communities. They would be the go-to destination to access expertise and for a range of professionals to share their research and insights.

Think how empowering that would be.