Introduction: The Importance of Data in Cancer Research
Peace be upon you. This segment is important for colleagues interested in scientific research, particularly cancer research (Cancer Research).
Typically, when a researcher wants to conduct research on this topic, they need to know what the most significant cancers are in a specific country, a group of countries, or a particular geographic region. This information helps you choose the appropriate research question and prioritize cancers with the highest incidence or mortality rates.
This is also crucial when applying for funding from donors to convince them of the topic's importance, as well as when writing a scientific paper in the introduction and discussion sections, where understanding the significance of a particular type of cancer is essential.
Researchers usually need to visit many websites and scientific papers to extract this information, but there is a site that simplifies and saves a lot of time. We noticed this site while working with colleagues on research related to missed cancer diagnoses within the research supervision program at "Madwan Academy," and we found it very useful.
How to Access and Use the Cancer Today Website
The best way to learn how to use the site is to formulate specific research questions and attempt to answer them.
Step 1: Accessing the Website
- Go to the Google search engine and type: Cancer Today.
- Select the first option that appears.
- Various sections of the site will appear; we choose Data Viz, which stands for Data Visualization. This is the best way to view data in a visually appealing and clear manner.
Practical Examples and Research Questions
Research Question 1: What are the most common cancers in Egypt, Jordan, and Syria?
Let’s assume this is our research question. Follow these steps:
- Go to the site and select Pie Chart.
- From the Display menu, choose Cancer.
- Clear the default countries and enter the ones we want: (Egypt, Jordan, Syria).
- You will observe that the most common cancer among these three countries combined is breast cancer (18.2%), followed by liver cancer (15.4%), and then bladder cancer (7.8%).
Research Question 2: What are the most common cancers in children in these countries?
- Go to the Age Groups option.
- Adjust the scale from 85 years to, for example, 14 years.
- You will notice that the types of cancer have changed because childhood cancers differ from those in adults. The most common will be leukemia, followed by brain cancer, and then non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Research Question 3: Display a map showing global cancer rates
- Return to the main page of Data Visualization.
- Navigate to the Map option (or heatmap metaphorically).
- The map displays the number of cases per 100,000 people. Darker colors indicate higher rates.
- If you go to the Ranking option, it will rank countries by cancer rates. You will notice that darker colors indicate higher ranks (e.g., Poland in first place, Canada in third, Egypt in fifth). Clicking on any country will provide detailed cancer rate information for that country.
Research Question 4: Which countries have the highest rates of liver cancer?
- Return to the Map option.
- Click on Most Common.
- Select Liver Cancer specifically and remove the other options.
- You will notice, for example, that Egypt is among the countries with high rates of liver cancer.
Research Question 5: Mortality from bladder cancer
- From the Data Visualization menu, select Map.
- Choose Mortality instead of Incidence.
- Select the cancer type: Bladder Cancer.
- A map will appear showing mortality rates. You will observe that Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq have high mortality rates from bladder cancer.
Research Question 6: Comparing incidence vs. mortality for lung cancer in Algeria
- Select the Incidence vs Mortality option.
- From the Populations menu, choose Algeria only.
- Select the cancer type: Lung Cancer (which includes lung and tracheal cancer).
- A precise comparison will appear, showing that the incidence rate in Algeria is slightly under 12 per 100,000, while mortality is slightly over 10 per 100,000.
Research Question 7: Comparing colorectal cancer between Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan
- Select Simple Bars.
- Choose the cancer type: Colorectal Cancer.
- Select the countries: (Egypt, Jordan, Palestine).
Note: Unfortunately, the site lists "Israel" instead of Palestine. We ask God to relieve the Muslims and liberate their lands.
- You will observe that the rate of colorectal cancer is higher in Palestine and Jordan than in Egypt, which may be due to genetic factors or specific mutations common in the region.
Extracting Precise Numbers and Detailed Reports
Displaying cancer incidence numbers in Gulf countries
If you want to display the exact numbers in descending order:
- Select Tables by Population.
- Choose the Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain).
- Click on Numbers to sort cases in descending order. It will provide the total number of cases (e.g., 33,814 cases), then break it down by type (e.g., breast cancer: 7,900 cases, etc.).
Obtaining global statistics (World) or country-specific reports (Fact Sheets)
- If you want general information about the world, select World from the main menu, and it will provide global incidence and mortality figures for 2022.
- If you want a detailed report for a specific country (e.g., Iraq):
- Go to Population Facts.
- Select Countries, then search for Iraq.
- A detailed fact sheet will appear, including mortality, incidence, and distribution by gender.
Truly, dear colleagues, this site is very useful for every researcher in the field of cancer. We wanted to benefit you with it, hoping it may be a form of charity for knowledge, God willing. We look forward to meeting you in other segments. Peace be upon you.