World Cancer Day

by Madison Green | Feb 4, 2021 | Cancer, FDA, Healthcare, Medicine, Pharmaceuticals

World Cancer Day, established by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in 2000, is observed every year on February 4^th. Over 10 million people die each year from cancer, more than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.¹ This makes cancer a leading cause of death with a global impact; cancer is not specific to any one geographic region or any one demographic. Cancer can affect anyone of any age, but we are moving towards extraordinary medical breakthroughs in the fight against cancer.

Breakthrough technology like proton/photon therapy, coupled with advances in surgical interventions and chemotherapy, are leading the charge in global cancer treatment. These treatments are allowing people to live longer with a higher quality of life. Despite this, access to early detection healthcare continues to be an obstacle. The UICC estimates that more than one-third of cancer cases can be prevented, and another third are curable if detected early. The UICC states that prevention and early detection strategies could save up to 3.7 million lives annually.²

Many nations are tackling cancer head-on, in the United States the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence was established with the mission to “…create a unified and collaborative scientific environment to advance the development and regulation of oncology products for patients with cancer.”³ This center created the Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) program, led by some of the world’s leading names in Oncology, to actively improve the way cancer-specific drug treatments were developed, regulated, and distributed to patients. The PFDD’s key focus areas are engaging with patients, promoting research on patient experience, and improving regulatory policy by leveraging science-based recommendations.⁴

The effects cancer has on patients and their families can not be overstated. EMMA International has worked hand-in-hand with several organizations across the life-science industry to ensure their ground-breaking cancer treatment products were compliant with all applicable quality and regulatory requirements. Through this, we have also had the privilege of being a part of a global community of healthcare providers working every day to cure and prevent cancer.

EMMA International is available 24/7 to support your quality and regulatory needs. Contact us at 248-987-4497 or email info@emmainternational.com to get in touch with our team of experts today.

¹CDC (Feb 2021) Cancer Resource Center retrieved on 02/02/21 from: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/index.htm

²UICC (Feb 2021) Why Cancer? Retrieved on 02/02/21 from: https://www.worldcancerday.org/why-cancer

³FDA (n.d.) Oncology Center of Excellence retrieved on 02/02/21 from: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-organization/oncology-center-excellence

⁴FDA (Nov 2020) Patient-Focused Drug Development retrieved on 02/02/21 from: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/oncology-center-excellence/patient-focused-drug-development

Madison Green

Director of Technical Operations - Mrs. Green serves as EMMA International’s Director of Technical Operations. She has experience in technical writing, nonconforming product management, issue evaluations, and implementing corrective and preventative actions in the pharmaceuticals and medical device industries. She has experience cross-functionally between R&D, lean manufacturing operations, and RA compliance. Mrs. Green also has academic and work experience with human health-risk engineering controls, physiological biophysics, and clinical research. Mrs. Green holds a Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering from Michigan State University. She is also a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), and is currently pursuing her M.S. in Quality Management.