2024 Programme Committee & Themes

• Building cancer information systems
• Monitoring and evaluation of efficiency and quality of cancer care
• Using technology to drive cancer control and access to care

• Patient navigation system

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

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.

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, date and medical information - including in the digital era
Educational needs of the patient community
Opportunities for collaboration amongst patients (programmes, online platforms...)
Cultural sensitivities and stigma
Disparities and prevalence of cancer in racial/ethnic minorities
New models for community mobilisation and engagement
 

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
 

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