2018 World Cancer Congress convenes 3,000 public health experts to share best practices in the global fight against cancer

Taking place 1-4 October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the 2018 World Cancer Congress (WCC) is bringing together 3,000 cancer control and public health experts from 150 countries to share knowledge and best practices in the global fight against cancer. This is the first time the WCC is taking place in Southeast Asia.

Organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and hosted by local member organisation, the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), under the theme ‘Strengthen, Inspire, Deliver’, the Congress will host a full four days of multidisciplinary plenary discussions, networking and social events, debates, and master courses with the aim to strengthen participants’ understanding of the current state of cancer control globally and how to accelerate progress at the national and regional level.

Media session highlights:

• Christopher P. Wild, International Agency for Research on Cancer, will be presenting the 2018 GLOBOCAN data which shows there will be 18.1m new cancer cases and 9.6m cancer deaths this year

• Dr Frank Chaloupka, University of Illinois at Chicago, will be discussing the economic impact of cancer and other chronic diseases as well as how to attract government funds for cancer control using economic analysis

• Dr MR Rajagopal, Pallium India, is a 2018 Nobel Peace Prize nominee described by the New York Times as ‘the father of palliative care in India’, who will be offering his thoughts on making healthcare systems more sustainable to improve cancer outcomes

• Bettina Reinboth, UN Principles for Responsible Investment, will be discussing how responsible investment can be used to improve cancer outcomes

• Dr Panagiota Mitrou, World Cancer Research Fund International, will be presenting the latest independent scientific evidence in relation to diet, nutrition, physical activity, weight and the prevention of cancer

• Professor Richard Sullivan, King’s College London, will be discussing the use of augmented and virtual reality to train cancer surgeons in low-resource settings and will be presenting policy recommendations to improve access to cancer care in conflict zones and refugee settlements

• Dr Rob Moodie, Nossal Institute for Global Health, will be outlining the seven most utilised tactics by industry to undermine public health policies as well as presenting on the transferability of prevention strategies from high resource countries to low resource countries.

• Dr Diana Sarfati, Cancer Control and Screening Research Group, will be presenting strategies to reduce cancer incidence and improve cancer outcomes amongst indigenous populations

• Thomas Cueni, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Association, will be offering his thoughts on transforming public-private partnerships to strengthen health systems

This year’s WCC will also introduce the first-ever UICC Awards, which aim to recognise outstanding leadership and innovative practices from across the UICC membership in supporting greater access to cancer services around the world. UICC members will be awarded for their exceptional contributions in the categories of Advocacy with Impact, Fundraising, Collaboration, CEO, and World Cancer Day Spirit. Awardees will be announced on 2 October, during the UICC General Assembly.

UICC President, Prof. Sanchia Aranda, said:

“We’re very excited to be recognising our members for their fantastic work at the national and local level to help increase access to cancer services for everyone. We know that it is only through the kind of collaboration and best practice sharing that we see here during World Cancer Congress that our members can continue to do the crucial work they carry out every day in supporting patients, their families, local communities, healthcare systems, and societies overall.”

UICC Chief Executive Officer, Cary Adams, said:

“The World Cancer Congress brings together the most amazingly talented and committed individuals who in their day to day work impact the health of the people of their country. Their collective efforts reduce the chances of someone developing cancer and, if they do develop cancer, improve their chances of survival. At the Congress, we have the opportunity to share what works around the world.”

Also taking place during the UICC General Assembly, the new UICC Board of Directors will be elected for the next two years to serve alongside the incoming UICC President HRH Princess Dina Mired who will commence her Presidency on 4th October.