Mali-Northwestern University Breast Cancer Prevention Research Training Program (MN-BCP) - While breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer and death in women worldwide, there is substantial heterogeneity in disease burden between high-income - (HICs) and low and middle-income countries (LMICs).1 In many LMICs, breast cancer incidence is rapidly increasing, suggestive of the so-called “late” phase epidemiological transition to increased incidence of all types of cancer and non-communicable diseases, although absolute rates are still lower in LMICS than HICs. In Mali, the 8th largest African country, located in West Africa, breast cancer recently became the second most frequent after cervical cancer in women. In addition, breast cancer affects Malian and African women a decade earlier (mean age: 27.1 ± 11.7 years) than women in HICs, and disease progression is aggressive with high mortality. In Mali, the majority of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a late stage when treatment is less effective, which contributes significantly to high mortality rates. We propose a new program, Mali-Northwestern University Breast Cancer Prevention (MN-BCP) Research Training Program with these specific aims: Aim 1: Train two (2) PhD-level cancer epidemiologists, one (1) master’s-level molecular pathologist, one (1) biostatistician with a focus on breast cancer prevention; Aim 2: Create an hybrid Master of Science in Applied Design and Implementation Science in Healthcare at USTTB; Aim 3: Enhance knowledge, skills, and expertise in breast cancer screening, prevention, and outcomes research among existing public health scientists, clinicians, and stakeholders through short- and medium-term. This new model of training is innovative and will have significant implications for advancing public health not only in Mali but across Africa and, potentially, for many other low-resource settings including those in the United States (U.S.). The insights and innovations generated through this project will have direct relevance for U.S. populations, particularly those in rural and underserved communities. By integrating findings generated into prevention frameworks and health policies, this work will strengthen precision prevention strategies and improve access to screening and follow-up care in resource-limited settings in the U.S. and globally. In doing so, the project will reduce health disparity, advance implementation science capacity, and provide scalable, adaptable models that can be applied to other low-access populations across the U.S. and globally.
