Cooperation partners in information sharing within the context of an Asian cancer network.

It would be a great mistake to analyze the health situation in Asia relying on the focus on individualism inherent in the sense of values of Europeans and Americans. Cooperation across fields is indispensable for effective control of the epidemic of disease we are facing in the 21st century. We need to concentrate efforts on bringing together specialists, not only within the various areas of medical practice, but also across such fields as economics, politics and information technology (IT). Asia differs from Europe and America in that it does not have any group political structure and therefore we must rely on voluntary integration of our efforts if we are to achieve the most effective application of our combined resources. Non-intervention in internal affairs is naturally a very important condition for success. Sharing of information while abiding by national regulations regarding medical data confidentiality does pose difficulties, but gentle persuasion to standardize processes with a shared commitment to overcoming problems should reduce opposition. Our common purpose in maintaining healthy societies, whether we be scientists, medical staff, economists, computer specialists or politicians, provides the bond. Ways and means by which this bond can be strengthened deserve our attention.

The importance of clinical epidemiology for development of appropriate treatment modalities for Asian populations.

The Asian countries with their own particular cultural background and risk factors differ from the Western world regarding their disease burden, including the incidences of different cancers. The lack of awareness and effective screening programs in many parts of Asia means that the stage at presentation with a neoplasm is often more advanced than is typical elsewhere, with all the inherent associated problems in cancer control. In addition, the presence of racial variation in genetic polymorphisms may mean that different populations in Asia may not respond to chemotherapy or other treatment modalities in the same way as their counterparts in Europe or the United States. Therefore it is essential that research be conducted into the clinical epidemiology of efficacy of drug protocols in Asian groups, with an appropriate focus on influencing factors.