Cancer research: why focus on prevention and measurability

Oncological research, today a crucial field of global medicine, is supported by a constellation of public, private, and non-profit actors, yet it remains marked by deep imbalances. Investments, in fact, do not always reflect the epidemiological weight of different cancers or the real priorities of public health. 

In their Alle fonti della ricerca. Una mappa dei finanziamenti per la ricerca oncologica in Italia (At the sources of research. a map of funding for cancer research in Italy , EGEA, 2025, in Italian, available in print or downloadable Pdf), Amelia Compagni and Giulia Broccolo propose a unified and transparent governance model, based on shared data, impact assessment, and closer collaboration between institutions and industry. Only a coordinated approach, they argue, can ensure that cancer research generates concrete and lasting benefits for collective health. 

The book alternates a global perspective with an in-depth analysis of the Italian case. After a comparative overview of funding flows worldwide, with data on the United States, Europe, and Asia, it explores the key issues of resource allocation and introduces the increasingly strategic question of measuring research impact. The second part focuses on Italy in detail: it reconstructs the contributions of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Universities and Research, the Regions, European programs, and non-profit organizations, for an estimated total of €2.47 billion between 2016 and 2023. Each chapter combines data, tables, and interpretive summaries, offering a clear yet well-documented account. 

The authors, respectively Director and Researcher at CERGAS, the Centre for Research  on Health and Social Care Management at SDA Bocconi, emphasize two emerging issues: the need to increase funding for prevention, still marginal compared to research on treatments, and the importance of introducing evaluation criteria based not only on publications and impact factor, but also on actual outcomes for patients and the healthcare system. Among their operational proposals: the creation of a multi-agency national observatory, the introduction of earmarked quotas for underfunded areas, greater transparency regarding contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, and targeted support for collaborations with low-income countries. 

Conceived as a practical tool, Alle fonti della ricerca is useful for those who shape health and science policies, for public managers and scholars of health economics, as well as for professionals involved in the design and evaluation of research. The clarity of its language and the solidity of its data make it a reference point for anyone seeking to understand where and how cancer research funding is directed—and, above all, how to improve its effectiveness in a system striving to become more equitable and transparent. 

• Publisher: EGEA 

• Publication date: 2025 

• ISBN/EAN: 9788823847972 

• Pages: 132 
• Format: Print, Pdf