Science AI Journal
Medicine · Research topic

Open research questions in Global Cancer Incidence and Screening

80 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,193 Global Cancer Incidence and Screening papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Associations of social conditions, preventive care, behavioral risk environments, and rurality with CRC mortality remain incompletely characterized in analyses addressing state-level clustering and spatial dependence.

    County-level social, preventive care, and behavioral correlates of colorectal cancer mortality in the United States: a nationwide ecological analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Elevated NHHR levels were positively associated with cancer prevalence in US adults, suggesting that NHHR may be a potential biomarker warranting further investigation.

    The association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and cancer prevalence among US adults: A cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • Lipid metabolism is recognized as a key player in carcinogenesis, but the association between the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and overall cancer prevalence remains unclear in the US population.

    The association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and cancer prevalence among US adults: A cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • SUPPLEMENTARY FILE DISCLAIMER The content has been provided by the author(s) and has not been reviewed, verified, or endorsed by European Publishing.

    Global, regional, and national burden of acute myeloid leukemia attributable to tobacco from 1990 to 2021, with future forecasts to 2050: A secondary dataset analysis of the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study · 2026 · DOI

  • Strengths and limitations This study has several strengths. Second, limited by the GBD framework, there was no analysis of gender differences and details such as the amount of cigarettes smoked per day, smoking duration and whether they had quit were not included, so it was impossible to explore dose-response relationships25,26. SUPPLEMENTARY FILE DISCLAIMER The content has been provided by the author(s) and has not been reviewed, verified, or endorsed by European Publishing.

    Smoking-Attributable Gastrointestinal Cancer Burden in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) and Associated Economies (1990-2023): A Global Burden of Disease Study Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Clinical trialists Record and report harmonised ethnicity data along with intersectional and clinical characteristics. Add clear IPD-sharing language to consent and publish a short data dictionary. Meta-analysts Define and register thresholds for when AD is insufficient (sample size, missingness, timing). Register harmonisation rules and show AD versus IPD results with sensitivity checks.

    Beyond the publicly available data: A philosophical case for IPD in understanding race and ethnic differences in cancer treatment effects · 2026 · DOI

  • The research team concluded that the DA could be used in its current form, as the suggestions for impro- vement put forward by users and professionals were minor. However, to encourage its adoption, support for healthcare professionals remains necessary, par- ticularly considering time constraints and doubts re- garding its effectiveness compared with established standard practices30. Designed to be consulted prior to the consultation, the DA thus minimises its impact on the duration of the consultation, whilst reinforcing patients’ essential knowledge31. As information needs vary from person to person, the DA cannot replace a personalised discussion with a healthcare professional, who is able to tailor the information to each patient’s preferences and circumstances6,26,28. An update to the data in the DA will be carried out shortly, incorporating, in particular, the concept of overall mortality32 . Finally, a study is currently un- derway to examine the implementation of shared decision-making between healthcare professionals and patients using the DA33.

    Organised breast cancer screening: the acceptability of a French decision-aid tool among women and Health professionals · 2026 · DOI

  • Although bootstrapping was used to account for uncertainty and small numbers within strata, the projections may not capture the effects of future changes in risk factor prevalence, screening participation or diagnostic criteria. In particular, they do not incorporate the planned extension of BSA eligibility to women aged 70–74 years, which is expected to increase detection in this age group and raise overall case numbers by up to 150 annually.6 Consequently, true future incidence may lie towards the upper end of the projected UIs. The UIs presented alongside our projections incorporate both statistical variation in model estimates and uncertainty in future population projections; however, they cannot fully account for all sources of potential error.

    Projected breast cancer incidence in Aotearoa New Zealand to 2045: national, regional and ethnic patterns with implications for equity and risk-based screening · 2026 · DOI

  • The projected rise in case numbers will place increasing pressure on national and district-level screening infrastructure, which already faces workforce shortages.8 Radiologist training, quality assurance systems and integration between screening, diagnostic and treatment services remain essential to maintain programme accu- racy and timeliness, and patient experience as volumes increase. These aspects are emphasised in the recent BSA quality and safety review that identifies workforce sustainability as a key chal- lenge to the future of equitable breast screening in Aotearoa New Zealand.8 Geographical variation in cancer detection routes and treatment pathways were also highlighted as an issue, pointing to potential variation in screening access and access to treatment services. Future planning and ser- vice design will need to consider the regional and district variation in how services are currently delivered. Local research has highlighted the importance of communication, cultural responsiveness and tailored support when navigating cancer care.20 Embedding culturally grounded approaches, such as whakawhanaungatanga (building rela- tionships and connection) and supporting tino rangatiratanga (self-determination),21 alongside initiatives to improve access, needs to remain a high priority so that the benefits of early detection and treatment advances can be equitably real- ised. As breast cancer case numbers rise across all groups, there are opportunities for screening and treatment service development to build in cultural safety, community-led engagement and system responsiveness as core components of cancer control.6 Addressing the projected rise in breast cancer cases includes service capacity considerations as well as improvements to how screening is delivered, with particular opportunities in breast density reporting and personalised risk-based approaches.6 One practical avenue for improve- ment is in the integration of breast density into routine screening and risk assessment. Breast density is both a recognised risk factor and a limitation of mammography, as cancers are more 2026 May 29; 139(1635). ISSN 1175-8716 ©PMA https://www.nzmj.org.nz/ New Zealand Medical Journal Te ara tika o te hauora haporiarticle 35 easily missed in denser tissue. Dense breasts appear to be more common among Māori and Asian women,22,23 yet density is not currently routinely collected and reported in Aotearoa New Zealand. Several international programmes now inform women of their density and in some cases provide supplementary imaging such as tomo- synthesis, contrast enhanced mammography or magnetic resonance imaging.24,25 Incorporating breast density into BSA would make screening more responsive to risk, improve early detection for high-density groups and offer the potential for improvements in stage at diagnosis, particu- larly if accompanied by improved screening rates. However, incorporation of breast density report- ing will come with potential future service implications, particularly consideration of cost, modality and approach for supplementary screening. Personalised approaches to screening may also offer a way to respond to the projected growth in cases while making better use of limited resources. International trials, including MyPeBS in Europe, are assessing how tailoring screening frequency and modality to individual risk is both feasible and acceptable.26,27 For Aotearoa New Zealand, this approach could be particularly relevant given that Māori and Pacific women are more likely to be diagnosed at younger ages and with aggres- sive tumour subtypes.3 A move towards risk- based screening would allow higher-risk women to receive earlier or more intensive surveillance, while avoiding unnecessary investigations for those at lower risk. If designed with a focus on equitable implementation, such strategies could help to manage growing screening demand, improve early-stage detection among high-risk groups and support more equitable improve- ments in survival.

    Projected breast cancer incidence in Aotearoa New Zealand to 2045: national, regional and ethnic patterns with implications for equity and risk-based screening · 2026 · DOI

  • A substantial gap exists in understanding why a system leaning heavily on urgent referrals and incidental findings remains reactive rather than preventive, with USC referral conversion rates around 6-7% highlighting tensions between sensitivity and specificity.

    Cancer control is not a one-time event: why screening must become a life-course system · 2026 · DOI

  • Current screening programmes in England demonstrate clear benefit but participation remains below optimal levels in breast, bowel, cervical and lung screening, with a substantial proportion of cancers continuing to be diagnosed outside screening and USC pathways.

    Cancer control is not a one-time event: why screening must become a life-course system · 2026 · DOI

  • Although there is a growing body of evidence on the problems and unmet needs of cancer survivors,22 little is known about their actual numbers and characterisation, especially in the long term.

    Complete cancer prevalence in Europe in 2020 by disease duration and country (EUROCARE-6): a population-based study · 2024 · DOI

  • Conclusions: Despite limited data availability for this age group in certain recent publications with extended follow-up periods, raised questions about the design and reported results in some trials, the comprehensive findings of this meta-analysis suggest that mammography screening retains its effectiveness in reducing breast cancer mortality among women aged 40–49 years.

    Efficacy of mammography screening in women aged 40–49 years: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. · 2024 · DOI

  • Despite the use of well-established and validated models, sev- eral caveats should be considered. First, we did not model sev- eral cancers with high mortality rates (eg, liver, pancreatic, and ovarian) because population models for these cancers are less mature and challenging to validate. We did not include rare can- cer sites, which, when combined, represent 25% of all cancer- related deaths.13 Our results for the overall population may not be generalizable to groups experiencing cancer disparities.14 We did not consider harms of interventions (eg, false- positive screening) or the available resources/capacity to provide services. Mortality measures fail to consider mean- ingful outcomes for cancer survivors, such as quality of life. Early diagnosis and prevention may reduce or eliminate treat- ment, minimize harmful adverse effects of the cancer or treat- ment, and reduce the financial burden of cancer. Finally, our analysis focused on the burden of cancer in the US, which does not reflect the burden worldwide.

    Estimation of Cancer Deaths Averted From Prevention, Screening, and Treatment Efforts, 1975-2020 · 2024 · DOI

  • For breast cancer many individual risk factors have been well understood for a long time, but the development of a fully comprehensive risk model has not been straightforward, in part because there have been limited data where joint effects of an extensive set of risk factors may be estimated with precision.

    Risk Models for Breast Cancer and Their Validation · 2020 · DOI

  • Such individuals tend to be members of groups that advocate for PSA screening, and those who point out the lack of evidence, including Raffle & Gray and myself, find themselves at the receiving end of great hostility.

    Screening: evidence and practice · 2008 · DOI

  • Algorithms should be applied cautiously to insurance claims databases to assess health care utilization outside SEER-Medicare populations because of uneven misclassification of subgroups that may be understudied already.

    Evaluation of Three Algorithms to Identify Incident Breast Cancer in Medicare Claims Data · 2007 · DOI

  • The study found that there was a clear lack of consensus in terms of the stated lifetime risk of breast cancer; while most agreed that being a woman and increasing age were the major risk factors, there was far less agreement about other risk factors, and the specific representation of symptoms was one of the areas of greatest inconsistency.

    A review of the consistency of breast cancer screening pamphlets produced by health authorities in Australia · 2003 · DOI

  • Despite the promise of geocoding and use of area-based socioeconomic measures to overcome the paucity of socioeconomic data in US public health surveillance systems, no consensus exists as to which measures should be used or at which level of geography.

    Geocoding and Monitoring of US Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality and Cancer Incidence: Does the Choice of Area-based Measure and Geographic Level Matter?: The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project · 2002 · DOI

  • While reductions were evident overall, particularly among White individuals, women, and those in the Northeast, imprecise estimates limited evidence of benefit for racial/ethnic minorities, men, and other regions, where disparities are more pronounced.

    Long-term Effect of the Medicaid Expansion Program on Cancer Mortality by U.S. Region, Gender and Race/Ethnicity · 2026 · DOI

  • ABSTRACT Background Civic engagement may influence health behavior, but little is known about its relation to the use of preventive care services like cancer screening.

    Civic engagement and breast cancer screening participation among US citizens · 2026 · DOI

  • However, if transportation is a significant limitation, patients may be unable to travel to seek specialized assistance, even if they were able to be referred to one.

    Geographic disparities in gastrointestinal cancer care in the United States · 2026 · DOI

  • Obtaining data from cancer registries is, therefore, preferable for future cancer studies, although nationwide registry structures for mortality data are still lacking.

    Mortality data collection by local authorities compared to a cancer registry · 2026 · DOI

  • Research on risk behaviours (RBs) clustering linked to upper gastrointestinal cancer (UGC) is scarce.

    Clustering characteristics of upper gastrointestinal cancer risk behaviours and their association with social determinants of health: a latent class analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to determine whether navigation improves completion without increasing inappropriate investigation, a potential unintended consequence that requires evaluation.

    Cancer control is not a one-time event: why screening must become a life-course system · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Global Cancer Incidence and Screening

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Global Cancer Incidence and Screening sub-topic

This page shows what the Global Cancer Incidence and Screening literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Medicine

Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
989 open questions
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
607 open questions
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
448 open questions
Physical Activity and Health
436 open questions
Smoking Behavior and Cessation
402 open questions
Innovations in Medical Education
364 open questions
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
363 open questions
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
342 open questions
80 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,193 Global Cancer Incidence and Screening papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.