A related commentary discusses this research. High-income countries spend substantial amounts on cancer control and research, yet the resources dedicated to enhancing capability and capacity in partner low to middle income countries remain poor. Delivery of affordable, equitable, and high-quality cancer care demands the alignment of policy, politics, and solutions for cancer control. To achieve the sort of cancer intelligence systems that countries and patients need, a new international, long-term vision must urgently be found for sustainable support of national registries and transnational studies such as CONCORD-3. National and regional governments must recognise that population-based cancer registries are key policy tools, both to monitor the impact of cancer prevention strategies and to evaluate the effectiveness of the health system for all patients diagnosed with cancer.