Pediatric Cancer Data Improvement National Consultant

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1. Purpose of the Consultancy

Provide technical support for the pediatric oncology data generation within the Cancer registry at the MOPH, with the objective to:

- Improve data quality of the national cancer registry, in particular for the pediatric cases

- Support the production of a first report on survival analysis for pediatric cancer

2. Background

The National Cancer Registry (NCR) in Lebanon, established around two decades ago, aims to measure cancer incidence and describe cases by disease, time, place and person. The NCR also aims to maintain and update national cancer database for further epidemiological studies related to survival and risk factors. The current NCR database includes cases from 2005 to 2025. The available outputs are descriptive epidemiology of cancer incidence. While it is able to generate basic statistical data, the pediatric oncology data needs special coding and additional information that is not readily available. This is one main recommendation made through all Cancer Impact assessment missions supported by IARC.

Several bottlenecks have been identified, including data quality and timeliness, underreporting and incomplete data (particularly regarding diagnosis, staging and treatment outcomes), coding issues, limited training, data collection method, etc. Moreover, survival analysis for cancer patients is not available, neither for adult nor for pediatric cases.

Lebanon is at an early stage of implementing the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC), and strengthening national surveillance systems is a critical next step. Under the GICC, WHO proposes to provide technical support through recruiting a national expert to support the NCR team, to improve pediatric oncology data generation.

In parallel, a Cancer Impact mission is currently ongoing; it will be supporting the overall cancer registry review, with a technical support mission being under preparation. The national expert who will be recruited will be remotely technically backed up by IARC experts.

3. Planned timelines

TBC

21 Working Days over a period of 10 Months

4. Work to be performed

The national expert will support the MOPH team in the following:

Output 1: Provide technical support to identify areas of improvement in the NCR data processes

- Deliverable 1.1: Desk review of all forms and lists of reporting sites/ oncologists

- Deliverable 2.1: Direct review of the MOPH database, and coding principles

- Deliverable 3.1: Direct review of SOPs for pediatric oncology cases reporting and coding

- Deliverable 3.4: Draft needed forms and relevant SOPs

Output 2: Engage pediatric oncologists in NCR data improvement processes

- Deliverable 2.1: Support the NCR team in conducting meetings with pediatric oncologists to discuss feasibility and mechanisms for improving pediatric oncology data generation

- Deliverable 2.2: Conduct meetings with the MOPH Vital data Observatory to triangulate mortality data available

- Deliverable 2.3: Draft roadmap for pediatric oncology data improvement

Output 3: Provide technical support for the pediatric survival analysis exercise

- Deliverable 3.1: Conduct workshop for relevant stakeholders on the methodology for survival analysis

- Deliverable 3.2: Support in preparing a protocol for active surveillance for pediatric cancer cases

- Deliverable 3.3: Train relevant stakeholders on required data generation and analysis methods

- Deliverable 3.4: Support the NCR team in analyzing data generated and drafting of the survival analysis report for pediatric oncology cases

- Deliverable 3.5: Support the NCR team in organizing a consensus workshop to validate the pediatric cancer cases survival analysis report

5. Specific requirements

Qualifications required:

- Essential: First university in PH, with advanced training in NCD/Cancer epidemiology

- Desirable: medical degree, training on medical coding for oncology using the International Classification for diseases on Oncology (ICD-O-3)

Experience required:

Essential: at least 2 years in NCD/cancer epidemiology

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

- Good communication

- Research and analytical capacity

- Familiarity with ICD-O-3, canreg5 and issuing cancer registry report with publications

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