Más Datos Cáncer 2024: An open knowledge model for territorial equity in cancer in Spain

Cancer represents a major public health challenge due to its high incidence, mortality and complexity across the care continuum. In Spain, territorial differences in healthcare organization, geography and population distribution contribute to inequities in access, diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, cancer data are often fragmented, non-standardized and not comparable across regions, limiting evidence-based decision-making. This initiative aimed to develop an integrated, indicator-based knowledge model to assess territorial inequalities in cancer care. A consortium led by the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, including scientific societies, professionals and patient organizations, conducted a structured process. From an initial list of 155 indicators, 69 were selected based on relevance, completeness and quality, and validated by patient associations. Indicators were built using official public data and organized following Joint Research Centre methodological criteria to ensure comparability and robustness. The final model includes 69 standardized indicators across six pillars: prevention, diagnosis, healthcare, follow-up and end-of-life care. It enables consistent comparison across regions with different demographic structures. The process identified key data gaps, particularly in follow-up, end-of-life care and access to innovation. Results are available through an open-access dashboard (www.masdatoscancer.es), supporting visualization of disparities and prioritization of actions. This initiative seeks to address existing gaps and fragmentation in oncological information to improve the monitoring of cancer care and territorial inequities. It demonstrates how civil society participation and multi–stakeholder collaboration can support the development of a robust, policy‑relevant integrated data model. The initiative ultimately serves as a practical use case adaptable to other contexts and territories facing similar challenges.

Key messages

• A standardized system enables monitoring of territorial equity in cancer care across Spain, supporting systematic comparison of access and care delivery between regions.

• Civil society engagement and multi stakeholder collaboration enable the development of an integrated data model that enhances transparency and supports evidence based policy making in cancer care.