Cancer, Chronic Disease and Health Equity: Translational Oncology in the Era of Multimorbidity and Systems Innovation
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 556
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cancer biology; cancer biomarkers; pancreatic cancer; gastric cancer; lung cancer; B-cell lymphoma; transcription regulation; epigenetics; DNA methylation; microRNAs; neural differentiation; genetic diseases; extracellular matrix proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: breast tumor kinase (BRK) and two other BRK family members; FRK and SRMS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer and chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension represent an increasingly interconnected global health burden characterized by shared biological mechanisms, multimorbidity patterns, and overlapping social determinants of health. These conditions frequently coexist and are linked through inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, cardiometabolic risk, and systemic inequities that influence prevention, treatment access, and long-term outcomes.
Despite major advances in oncology, chronic disease research, and health systems innovation, global efforts remain largely siloed across disciplines, diseases, and sectors. This fragmentation limits translational impact, equitable access to care, and the development of integrated prevention and treatment strategies for complex, co-occurring diseases.
This Special Issue is developed in direct scientific alignment with the Global Conference on Cancer, Chronic Disease & Equity (GC3E 2026), the inaugural international conference convened by the Association for Hypertension Diabetes Cancer in Canada (AHDCC) and hosted at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. GC3E 2026 represents the first global conference dedicated specifically to the convergence of cancer, chronic disease, and health equity within a unified systems innovation framework and will rotate annually across international host cities.
Reflecting the core pillars of GC3E 2026, this Special Issue aims to advance interdisciplinary scholarship that bridges discovery science, clinical translation, implementation, and policy.
We particularly seek contributions that move beyond disease-specific silos to address convergence science, equity-informed care models, and scalable health system solutions that improve outcomes for patients living with cancer and chronic comorbid conditions.
We invite original research articles, systematic reviews, reviews, perspectives, and implementation studies that advance knowledge at the intersection of oncology, chronic disease, and health equity.
Priority topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Molecular mechanisms in chronic diseases and cancer;
- Cancer metabolism, inflammation, and systemic disease interactions;
- Biomarker discovery in cancer and chronic diseases;
- Biological mechanisms in cancer and chronic diseases;
- Neuroimmune responses in cancer and chronic diseases;
- Epigenetic events in cancer and chronic diseases;
- Translational oncology and precision medicine;
- Artificial intelligence and digital innovation in oncology and chronic disease care;
- Cancer and cardiometabolic disease intersections;
- Multimorbidity management strategies in oncology care;
- Integrated screening, prevention, and survivorship models;
- Implementation science in cancer and chronic disease care;
- Health systems innovation and coordinated care models;
- Equity-driven and community-engaged research;
- Social determinants of health and disparities in cancer outcomes;
- Global, Indigenous, and population health equity approaches;
- Policy-informed and translational research
Strategic Alignment with GC3E 2026
This Special Issue is strategically aligned with the Global Conference on Cancer, Chronic Disease & Equity (GC3E 2026) (November 27–30, 2026, University of Saskatchewan, Canada), the inaugural global forum dedicated to convergence science, equity, and health systems transformation.
As the founding edition of a rotating international conference series, GC3E 2026 will bring together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, public health leaders, and industry partners from across the world, creating a strong pipeline of high-quality manuscripts and fostering sustained global collaboration.
By integrating cancer innovation, chronic disease research, and equity-centered health systems perspectives, this Special Issue aims to establish a high-impact interdisciplinary collection that reflects emerging global priorities in oncology, multimorbidity, implementation science, and equitable health care delivery.
Dr. Giorgio Malpeli
Prof. Dr. Kiven Erique Lukong
Dr. Marco Feligioni
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
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Keywords
- molecular mechanisms in chronic diseases and cancer
- cancer metabolism, inflammation, and systemic disease interactions
- biomarker discovery in cancer and chronic diseases
- biological mechanisms in cancer and chronic diseases
- neuroimmune responses in cancer and chronic diseases
- epigenetic events in cancer and chronic diseases
- translational oncology and precision medicine
- artificial intelligence and digital innovation in oncology and chronic disease care
- cancer and cardiometabolic disease intersections
- multimorbidity management strategies in oncology care
- integrated screening, prevention, and survivorship models
- implementation science in cancer and chronic disease care
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