Abstract:
Imaging plays many essential roles in nearly all aspects of high-quality cancer care. However, challenges to
the delivery of optimal cancer imaging in both developing and advanced countries are manifold. Developing
countries typically face dramatic shortages of both imaging equipment and general radiologists, and efforts
to improve cancer imaging in these countries are often complicated by poor infrastructure, cultural
barriers, and other obstacles. In advanced countries, on the other hand, although imaging equipment and
general radiologists are typically accessible, the complexity of oncologic imaging and the need for
subspecialists in the field are largely unrecognized; as a result, training opportunities are lacking, and
there is a shortage of radiologists with the necessary subspecialty expertise to provide optimal cancer care
and participate in advanced clinical research. This article is intended to raise awareness of these
challenges and catalyze further efforts to address them. Some promising strategies and ongoing efforts are
reviewed, and some specific actions are proposed.
