Introduction: People, Place, Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and represents a significant global health crisis. Over the next 25 years, the number of cancers worldwide is predicted to increase by 77%, with an estimated 35 million people diagnosed with cancer in 2050 compared to 20 million in 2022. It is well recognised that medical treatment alone will not solve the global cancer crisis. Tackling the rapidly increasing global cancer burden requires a transdisciplinary approach that places an emphasis on cancer prevention. Many cancer risk factors are inherently spatial in nature, or they are behaviours impacted by built and natural environments. Therefore, geography—the setting and context for much of our lives—has an important role in developing and implementing equitable cancer prevention action. Understanding contextual and place-based factors is essential if we are to tackle the global, regional and local inequities in cancer that currently exist and are widening. Preventing cancer before it develops is the key to impacting the global cancer challenge. Geospatial science enables researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to put people, and the places where they live, work and play, at the centre of cancer prevention.