PITTSBURGH, PA AND CHALFONT ST. GILES, UK -- With more than 10 million new cases every year, cancer has become one of the world's most devastating diseases, killing an estimated 20,000 people each day. To help meet the growing demand for treatment, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has announced collaboration with GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, to develop cancer centers internationally. This effort will provide UPMC's world-renowned cancer expertise to patients now lacking such care. GE Healthcare will provide and service all the medical equipment that it is capable of supplying to these facilities.

The agreement between UPMC and GE Healthcare leverages UPMC's strength in developing and operating oncology centers that offer advanced diagnosis and radiotherapy treatments close to patients' homes and GE's expertise and presence in international markets as a global provider of medical equipment. UPMC already operates one of the largest cancer programs in the U.S., serving 30,000 newly diagnosed patients annually through more than 40 centers in western Pennsylvania. UPMC also manages two cancer centers in Ireland.

As part of this collaboration GE Healthcare will conduct assessments to determine which markets are most appropriate for cancer centers. Key factors will include the availability of a suitable local partner, regulatory requirements and patient volumes. Once a market is selected, UPMC will negotiate definitive agreements and take responsibility with local partners for the construction, ownership and operation of the centers.
These new facilities are expected to be comprehensive cancer centers that include medical and surgical oncology, radiation, and ancillary radiology and laboratory services. "By working with global partners such as GE Healthcare, UPMC will be able to bring the most advanced cancer care more quickly to more patients internationally, who now often wait months for access to advanced treatments," said Charles Bogosta, president of the International and Commercial Services Division of UPMC. "We expect to develop at least 25 cancer centers in Europe and the Middle East over the next decade. At the community level, cancer poses considerable challenges for the healthcare systems in poor and rich countries alike."

In 2050, there will be 27 million new cancer cases and 17.5 million cancer deaths "simply due to the growth and aging of the population" around the world, predicts The American Cancer Society. According to the Society's first "Global Cancer Facts & Figures" report, lack of access to medical care is one reason for the gap in cancer survival between economically developed nations and developing countries. Lifestyle factors also play a role.

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