PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
Heather Bryant
Expert Advisor to the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
Clinical Professor, Department of Oncology, University of Calgary.
She initially joined the Partnership in January 2008 as its first Vice President, Cancer Control. In that role, she developed and led a portfolio of pan-Canadian cancer control programs throughout the cancer continuum, including population-based prevention and cancer screening, diagnosis and care, patient-centred reporting and palliative care, and research (including the launching of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project).
Heather has led in the development of cancer system performance reporting in Canada. Prior to joining the Partnership, she was Vice President, Population Health and Information at the Alberta Cancer Board for many years.
Dr Bryant was elected to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) Board of Directors in 2012 and served as a Board member until 2018. She is also the chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Program, an international comparison of cancer survival and its antecedents carried out by Cancer Research UK. She has chaired many national cancer or research committees, including being the inaugural chair of the Institute of Cancer Research’s Advisory Board (Canadian Institutes for Health Research), the Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Initiative and the National Colorectal Cancer Screening Network.
Dr Bryant studied medicine at the University of Calgary, followed by a fellowship in community medicine and a PhD in epidemiology. She is a Clinical Professor in the departments of Community Health Sciences and Oncology at the University of Calgary. In 2015, she was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network.
Anil D'Cruz
Director at Oncology Apollo Hospitals, Ex-director at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, researcher, administrator and currently serving as President of UICC.
He has held leadership positions both nationally and internationally on the Board of Directors/ governing council/ executive committee of numerous hospitals, governmental organisations, cancer care organisations, advocacy groups & professional bodies.
Anil has served on the UICC Board of Directors (2 terms) including its membership, governance and finance committees. Some of his other UICC related appointments include Programme Committee co-chair for the 2016 World Cancer Congress in Paris and member of the World Cancer Congress Organising Committee for the Melbourne conference in 2014. Anil also served as Editor of Manual of Clinical Oncology (MCO), a UICC publication.
He is an active researcher with pivotal contributions and over 200 peers reviewed publications. Delivered over 300 lectures, 50 named orations, plenary lectures and keynote presentations around the globe. His main areas of interest apart from his clinical responsibilities are in tobacco advocacy, cost-effective treatment and health economics.
Pierre-Yves Dietrich
Dr Pierre-Yves Dietrich is full professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva and chairman of the Department of Oncology at the Geneva University Hospitals. He is co-director of the Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL).
Pierre-Yves Dietrich obtained his Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Medicine from the University of Geneva in 1982, and his doctorate in 1986. After training in internal medicine, he decided to specialize in haematology-oncology in Geneva and at the Institut Gustave Roussy (IGR) in France. In 1991, he obtained a degree in immunopathology at the Institut Pasteur in France and became co-head of the IGR Unit of Immunotherapy. In 1993, he returned to the Geneva University Hospitals and founded the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology with a focus on brain tumor immunology. His research group is providing innovative work in this area, paving the way for the clinical development of therapeutic vaccines and T-cell therapy for patients suffering from brain tumours. For more than 30 years, he has been active both as a clinician and researcher, promoting interactions between biologists and physicians to build translational medicine.
At the Geneva University Hospitals, Pierre-Yves Dietrich became head of Medical Oncology in 2010. Under his input, the Cancer Centre was built in 2012 as one of the HUG Centres of Excellence, a cross-functional entity bringing together activities from different departments. The creation of this Centre enabled the development of a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care. Pierre-Yves Dietrich’s efforts also led to the establishment of the Department of Oncology in 2017, bringing together Medical Oncology, Haematology and Radio-Oncology under one roof.
The recipient of many national and international awards in oncology, he was named Cancer Researcher of the Year by the Gateway for Cancer Research in the USA in 2013. He is the author and co-author of over 230 scientific articles.
Prof. Dietrich teaches oncology in a way that is humanistic, integrative and person-centred. He is very involved in raising awareness with authorities about social problems linked to cancer and currently focuses on the development of the Swiss Cancer Center Léman, a lemanic concept of comprehensive cancer care and research.
2022 World Cancer Congress Themes & sessions CO-CHAIRS
1. PREVENTION, screening & early detection
Partha Basu - view bio
Head, Screening Group, Early Detection & Prevention Section, Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), France
Ophira Ginsburg - view bio
Senior Advisor for Clinical Research, National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Center for Global Health (CGH), United States
In this room, the programme will explore primary prevention, including health promotion, examples of best practices in new evidence-based prevention strategies, and vaccines. Exposure to environmental risk factors unhealthy environments will be included, as well as new areas of development in policy, programme management, communications, and education.
Successful health promotion and cancer prevention
- Advocacy and partnerships
- Economics of prevention
- Media and Communications
- Regulation
- Programs
Major Cancer risk factors
- Alcohol and cancer
- Diet, weight and physical activity
- Role of sugar and sugary drinks
- Latest on the biology of unhealthy weight and cancer
- Sugar and obesity impact on cancer
- Effective strategies to reduce sugar consumption
- Physical activity and cancer
- UV and cancer
- Environment and workplace
- Tobacco and cancer (please refer to the theme tobacco control)
Prevention and cancer inequalities
- People with mental illness
- Indigenous populations
- Culturally diverse populations
- Low-income populations
- Health literacy
- Access to information and programs
2. cancer research & Progress
Lisa Stevens - view bio
Director, Division of Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Austria
David Collingridge - view bio
Editor-in-chief, The Lancet Oncology, Publishing Director, The Lancet Group, United Kingdom
The programme in this theme will be curated to highlight recent scientific and clinical advances in aetiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, with a particular focus on post-pandemic recovery. What lessons were learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and what research was done to help cancer health systems regain lost ground and strengthen provision to address the cancer burden in the future? What practices were implemented during the pandemic and what evidence was collected to support modifying the delivery of care? What new modalities or treatment algorithms were proven to have greater efficacy or effectiveness and could have an enduring legacy to overcome inequalities and inequities in cancer care. Topics in these sessions will showcase scientific, translational, clinical, and technological advancements alongside Implementation science and behavioural research.
- Artificial intelligence/deep learning/big data/modelling
- Genomics/epigenetics/proteomics/metabolomics
- Infectious diseases/microbiome
- Clinical trial results/new protocol methodologies
- Oncogeriatrics and healthy longevity
- Cancer therapeutics (including chemotherapy/immunotherapy/biosimilars/hormone-based therapies/drug-drug interactions/polypharmacy)
- PROs/QoL
- Imaging/radiomics/radiopharmaceuticals
- Treatment-related adverse events and management
- Radiation therapy
- Palliative care and end of life research
- Cancer surgery
- Telemedicine and remote medicine
- Implementation science and advancing evidence-based projects to scale
- Behavioural research (including planetary health)
3. healthcare systems & policies
David Currow
Professor of Palliative Medicine at ImPACCT, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
James Hospedales - view bio
Chair, Defeat-NCD Partnership Executive Committee, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
The programme of this room adds value by channelling intellectual effort, collaborations, access to shared resources to stimulate dialogue about implementing global commitments at a national level, as well as strengthen national, regional and local health systems and guiding quality improvement across different aspects of sustainable development, policy and planning, infrastructure, measurement, reporting and performance.
- UHC and making cancer care affordable
- Using technology to drive access
- Building the cancer workforce
- Delivering quality cancer services
- Cancer and sustainable cities
- Political systems of cancer
- Health systems research
- Building cancer information systems
- New models of care
- Health Financing
- Partnerships for the Goals: advancing SDG17
- Legal and Regulatory systems
4. cancer treatment & palliative care
Stephen R.Connor - view bio
Executive Director, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA), United Kingdom
Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo - view bio
Director and Executive President, International Outreach Program, St Jude Children's Hospital, United-States
The programme of this room should examine novel interventions to support patient engagement and survivorship in a variety of cancer care delivery settings. It focuses on patient experience and quality of outcome, exploring patient and family engagement, wrestles with rights and expectations of cancer patients and their families and the challenges of access, fairness and consistency of experience and care. It will explore the role of complimentary therapies, identify experiences with alternative treatments and invite challenging discussions about balance of investment and patient power. It invites exploration of measurement issues, prioritisation of service delivery, communication skills of health care professionals, tools to drive health care facility culture and survivorship. Fundamental questions around palliative care, pain relief and end of life issues are invited.
- Overcoming barriers to palliative care globally
- Universal Health Coverage & advocacy for palliative care
- Measuring outcomes in Palliative care (clinical, organizational, utilization, national progress)
- Access to essential palliative and cancer treatment medicines
- Integration of palliative and oncology care for adults and children
- Improving and standardizing education and training in palliative care
- Health workforce issues in Palliative care
- Clinical guideline development in oncology and palliative care for improved symptom management
- Policy development in Palliative care
- Palliative care in primary care
- Implementation of palliative care in resource-limited settings
- Sustainable financing for palliative care
- Patient and caregiver perspectives on palliative needs
- Building Capacity in Oncology and Palliative Care for Adolescents and Young Adult
- Resilience and Self-Care for health care workers
5. tobacco control
Todd Harper - view bio
Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Council Victoria, Australia
Leslie Rae Ferat - view bio
Executive Director, Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control (FCA), Switzerland
The programme of this room should examine The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and its guidelines providing the foundation for countries to implement and manage tobacco control.
Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
Data are necessary to implement and evaluate effective tobacco control policies. Only through accurate measurement of the tobacco epidemic and of the interventions to control it can those interventions be effectively managed and improved. Good monitoring provides policy-makers with information about the extent of the epidemic in a country and how to tailor policies to the needs of different groups. Disseminating the information broadly and effectively gives all stakeholders a clearer picture of the epidemic and provides advocates for tobacco control with important evidence to bolster the case for stronger policies.
Protect people from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke
All people have a right to breathe clean air. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, which causes heart disease, cancer and many other diseases. Even brief exposure can cause serious damage. Smoke-free legislation is popular wherever it is enacted, and these laws do not harm business. Any country, regardless of income level, can implement effective smoke-free legislation. Only a total ban on smoking in public places, including all indoor workplaces, protects people from the harms of second-hand smoke, helps smokers quit and reduces youth smoking. Guidelines to Article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control help countries know exactly what to do to protect their people from second-hand smoke.
Offer help to quit tobacco use
The more than one billion smokers worldwide who are addicted to tobacco are victims of the tobacco epidemic. When informed of the risks, most tobacco users want to quit, but few get help and support to overcome their dependence. Health-care systems have primary responsibility for treating tobacco dependence. Programmes should include tobacco cessation advice incorporated into primary health-care services, easily accessible and free telephone help lines (known as quit lines), and access to low-cost medicines. All health-care workers should become advocates for tobacco control. Governments can use some tobacco tax revenues to help tobacco users free themselves from addiction.
Warn about the dangers of tobacco
Few tobacco users understand the full extent of their health risk. Health warnings on tobacco packaging reach all smokers and cost governments nothing. As laid out in guidelines to Article 11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, warnings should appear on both the front and back of the packaging and be large and clear and describe specific illnesses caused by tobacco. Pictures of disease have a greater impact than words alone. In addition, anti-tobacco advertisements can publicise tobacco’s dangers. Use of graphic images demonstrating the harm of tobacco use can be especially effective in convincing users to quit. In addition to paid advertising, reaching out to the news media can effectively and inexpensively disseminate anti-tobacco messaging.
Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
The tobacco industry spends tens of billions of dollars worldwide each year on advertising, promotion and sponsorship. A total ban on direct and indirect advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as provided in guidelines to Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, can substantially reduce tobacco consumption and protect people, particularly youths, from industry marketing tactics. To be effective, bans must be complete and apply to all marketing categories. Otherwise, the industry merely redirects resources to nonregulated marketing channels. The tobacco industry strongly opposes such comprehensive bans because they are effective in reducing tobacco use.
Raise taxes on tobacco
Increasing the price of tobacco through higher taxes is the single most effective way to encourage tobacco users to quit and prevent children from starting to smoke. Taxes on inexpensive tobacco products should be equivalent to higher-priced products, such as premium-brand cigarettes, to prevent substitution in consumption. Taxes need to be increased regularly to correct for inflation and consumer purchasing power. Tobacco taxes are generally well accepted by the public and raise government revenues. Allocating tax revenues for tobacco control and other important health and social programmes further increases their popularity.
6. people living with cancer
Jacqueline Daly - view bio
Secretary to the Board, European Cancer Patient Coalition, Ireland
Kwanele Asante-Shongwe - view bio
Lawyer, and Former Chairperson, Ministerial Advisory Committee on Cancer Prevention and Control, South Africa
The programme of this room aims to; integrate the patient voices through experiences and best practices sharing, examine the critical role of patient support programmes, and the organisation of patient support groups including the specific challenges met in developing and maintaining their activities for patients, their relatives and caregivers.
Patient voices
We are looking for case studies highlighting experiences and best practices sharing regarding the engagement of patients and caregivers and the representation of their perspectives in all phases of the cancer control process, from advocacy and awareness-raising to patient-centred healthcare systems. The case studies can also cover community-based interventions, mobilisation of patients and survivors as well the representation of the diversity of patient voices as a critical aspect of the improvement of cancer prevention and control at the local, regional and global levels.
Examples:
- Patient advocacy – guidelines
- Patient communication, data & medical information, including in the digital era
- Educational needs of the patient community
- Opportunities for collaboration amongst patients (programmes, online platforms...)
- Cultural sensitivities & stigma
- Disparities & prevalence of cancer in racial/ethnic minorities
- New models for community mobilisation and engagement
Survivorship and patient support
Patient support programmes are playing a critical role in assisting cancer patients and ensuring the quality of care along the cancer continuum. We are looking for sessions integrating the practical and psychosocial accompaniment of patients and caregivers to ensure access to adapted care and improve patient outcomes, the quality of life and experience during and after the cancer journey. It also includes interventions dedicated to rehabilitation programmes for survivors.
Examples:
- Access to care
- Quality cancer care
- Patient navigation programmes
- Value in cancer care
- Drugs shortages, especially in LMICs
- Quality of life – when do we stop treating?
- Life after cancer
- Sexuality and cancer treatment
- Patients’ financial considerations, including health insurance concerns
- Definition and measurement of patients’ care expectations (service features, accessibility of information, environmental factors, equipment availability and functionality, etc.)
- The cancer journey for families of cancer patients
Organisational development
As organisations, patient support groups are facing specific challenges in terms of developing, maintaining and increasing their activities with a view to achieving their objectives and improving their impact on patients and caregivers. While patient groups are gaining in professionalism and expertise, they are also facing specific challenges such as a higher dependence on volunteerism, access to qualified support providers and increasing needs for expertise in fundraising and advocacy. We are looking for sessions integrating the successes and challenges of organisational aspects of patient support groups.
Examples:
- Organisational development of patient support groups – how does it work?
- Impact of shrinking health care resources
- Innovative sustainable funding models within today’s limited budgets
- Navigating the legal and policy environments for patients and patient support groups
- Peer to peer support especially at the leadership level
- Educational needs and training opportunities for patient support groups
- Educational needs of the professional oncology community
- Collaboration across patient support groups, across regions and across diseases
ABSTRACT COMMITTEE
David Hill
Professor David Hill PhD, MD (hon), DSc (hon) is a behavioural scientist who served as CEO of the Cancer Council Victoria (Australia) from 2002 to 2011, and as President of UICC from 2008 to 2010.
He has professorial appointments at the University of Melbourne and University of Newcastle (Australia) and was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for his contributions in the field of cancer control.
JEAN KING
Jean King has worked for Cancer Research UK (CR-UK) for twenty-four years: first as scientific secretary where her role was in science policy and Institutes’ funding; then as CRC Director of Education.
While Director of Education, she completed a post-graduate diploma in Medical Education at the University of Dundee by distance learning. Her next role was Director of behavioural research and tobacco control holding overall responsibility for the population and behavioural research portfolio, and for promoting effective tobacco control policies and policy research, both within the organisation and externally at the UK and international level. Finally, as Director of tobacco control, she has continued to work on tobacco policy at UK and EU levels. She developed the Code of Practice on Tobacco Industry Funding for Research, which prohibits those in receipt of tobacco funds from receiving CR-UK grants and established the Tobacco Advisory Group that supports research and advocacy in key policy areas. With the American Cancer Society, she set up the FCTC advocacy awards and the Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative.
In May 2012, she was awarded a WHO World No Tobacco Day award for her work to prevent tobacco industry interference, and in November 2012 she was honoured with an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling in recognition of her contribution to the research output of the university and her commitment to international cancer prevention and to fighting the tobacco epidemic.
2022 World Cancer Congress abstract CO-CHAIRS
1. PREVENTION, screening & early detection
Robert Smith - view bio
Senior Vice President, Cancer Screening, American Cancer Society (ACS), United States
Vanessa Gordon-Dseagu - view bio
Research Interpretation Manager, World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRF), United-Kingdom
2. cancer research & Progress
Dauren Adilbay – view bio
Head and neck surgeon, and researcher, Kazakhstan
Anna Dare
Complex Generical Surgical Oncology researcher, University of Toronto, Canada
3. healthcare systems & policies
Arnaud Bayle - view bio
Assistant Professor, Drug Development Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, France
Maira Caleffi - view bio
Breast Surgeon and President Federação Brasileira de Instituiçóes Filantrópicas de Apoio à Saúde da Mama (FEMAMA), Brazil
4. cancer treatment & palliative care
Neha Tripathi - view bio
Director, Cancer Aid Society, India
Allan Relecom - view bio
Chief of Clinic, University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland
5. tobacco control
Rachel Devotsu - view bio
Senior Tobacco Advisor, Mc Cabe Centre for Law and Cancer, Kenya
Mark Parascandola - view bio
Branch Chief for Research and Training in the Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, United-States
6. people living with cancer
Mayse Nababteh - view bio
Head of International Fundraising & Development Department, King Hussein Cancer Foundation, Jordan
Melissa Lim Siaw Han - view bio
Pharmacist and researcher, and member of the Committee, Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness Kuching, Malaysia
Thank you to all the health experts who supported with the second review tour of the abstracts programme. See who they are here
2022 World Cancer Congress European sessions committee
Thomas Dubois - view bio
Head of European and International Affairs, French National Cancer Institute (INCa), France
Per Wahlstedt - view bio
Expert health and cancer care, Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden), Sweden
John Kirknes - view bio
Head of Department at Kreftforeningen (Norwegian Cancer Society), Norway