About the World Cancer Congress
The World Cancer Congress aims to strengthen the participants' actions and impact on national, regional and international scales through a multidisciplinary programme featuring the latest successful cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care interventions.
What is its purpose?
Committed to working together, sharing knowledge, and forging international partnerships to improve health equity and reduce the burden of cancer around the world.
Organised every two years by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the World Cancer Congress (WCC) is the leading international conference in cancer control. It brings together a a community of professionals from different fields in the cancer control – researchers, clinicians, advocates, policymakers, and people with lived experience – from over 120 countries.
Each edition is hosted in a different country by a local UICC member organisation, WCC is a unique gathering where people from around the world connect in person to exchange knowledge, spark new ideas, and drive real change – so that cancer prevention, treatment, and care are more accessible, innovative, and effective for all.
Why attend?
Whether it’s shaping national policies, providing cancer treatment and care, researching innovations, or advocating for more equity in cancer care, the World Cancer Congress supports these efforts by offering unmatched opportunities to:
Connect globally
Network with professionals and decision-makers from around the world.
Learn collaboratively
Participate in a diverse programme developed with and for the global cancer community.
Be heard
Share personal expertise, experience, and insights to a global audience.
Create impact
Forge partnerships that drive sustainable change in cancer control.
A holistic and collaborative programme
Addressing all aspects of cancer control – from prevention, early detection and treatment to supportive care and survivorship – the WCC programme is curated by an international Programme Committee of over 30 renowned experts. It is built in collaboration with UICC members and cancer leaders worldwide.
Speakers on stage at the plenary at the 2024 World Cancer Congress
OVER THREE DAYS, THE CONGRESS FEATURES:
SPOTLIGHT TALKS, SUPPORTIVE CARE SESSIONS, AND MAJOR DEBATES
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES, PARTNER EVENTS, AND PRIVATE MEETINGS
Watch the World Cancer Congress 2024 wrap-up video to learn more
A driver of global collaboration
The WCC offers more than education – it builds bridges. Attendees reflect the many roles, regions, and perspectives that shape cancer control worldwide, including:
UICC members and partners
UN agencies and international organisations
Ministries of health and policymakers
Research centres, hospitals, and palliative/supportive care providers
Patient advocacy groups and survivor networks
Academia, communication experts, funders, and philanthropies
This diversity creates fertile ground for new ideas, partnerships and solutions that endure long beyond the event.
The first International Cancer Congress was held in Madrid in 1933, paving the way for the creation of UICC in 1935. Since then, the Congress has evolved into a globally recognised event, awarded ‘Best Conference Development’ and ‘Best Use of Social Media’ by the International & European Associations Awards.
Today, WCC acts as a key gathering for the global cancer community – bringing fresh momentum, fostering knowledge exchange, and strengthening collective efforts to reduce the global cancer burden.
