Geneva, Switzerland—2024 World Cancer Congress The conference opened in Geneva on Tuesday, bringing together more than 2,000 delegates from over 120 countries, and organisers said it would highlight global efforts to combat the growing burden of cancer.
Organizer: Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the conference aims to foster collaboration between cancer and health professionals through a diverse range of discussions, presentations and networking opportunities over three days.
UICC President, Professor Jeff Dunn, welcomed the delegation and stressed the importance of international collaboration in the fight against cancer.
“We are here to learn, bond and share a common goal: to control cancer,” he said.
He said the high turnout, despite global turmoil, reflected the urgency of addressing the growing burden of cancer around the world.
Dan, a cancer survivor himself, shared his experience battling mantle cell lymphoma and highlighted the role of community support in recovery. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and various cancer associations.
The opening ceremony featured speeches from prominent global health leaders. Dr Elisabeth Weiderpass, Director General of IARC, highlighted the alarming increase in cancer cases, predicting that new cancer cases could increase by 77% by 2050, especially in low- and middle-income countries. She stressed the importance of preventive measures such as tobacco control and HPV vaccination, as well as addressing environmental and lifestyle risk factors, to curb this trend.
Addressing the meeting in a video message, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged the progress made in implementing national cancer control programs but called for more political leadership and faster action. He also stressed the need for countries to work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals on non-communicable diseases, including cancer. European Union Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides also sent a message outlining Europe’s efforts through the EU End Cancer Plan, which includes a wide range of initiatives from cancer prevention to improving the quality of life of cancer survivors.
The global impact of cancer orphans and mortality disparities
New research will play a key role in the conference and be featured throughout the event, with some highlights already announced at the opening press conference on Tuesday.
For example, researchers have looked at how many children around the world have lost their fathers to cancer and become orphans. Losing one or both parents can put children at a lifelong disadvantage in terms of health, support and education.
The study, conducted by France’s IARC, follows a 2022 report that said one million children lose their mothers to cancer each year. The new study aimed to estimate the global number of children who lose their fathers due to cancer-related deaths in men. The research team concluded that 5.5 million men died from cancer in 2020, resulting in approximately 1.4 million new paternal orphans, 75% of which were due to the death of a father aged 45 or older.
The latest findings also highlighted the disproportionate impact on regions such as Asia and Africa, and showed a significant link between levels of development and the number of new orphans.
The study also highlighted the urgent need for strategies to reduce preventable cancer deaths and provide better support for children affected by cancer.
Another first study presented at the conference quantified the socio-economic burden of ovarian cancer in 11 countries, highlighting large disparities between countries and income groups.
“If all countries performed as well as the best performing countries in cancer control, an estimated 3.4 million cancer deaths could be averted annually. Deaths from stomach, lung, breast and colorectal cancer were the most common preventable causes of death,” the UICC said in a statement about the study. “The largest disparities in cancer mortality rates are found in sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia.”
The researchers also published an IARC assessment of the impact of the pandemic on cancer diagnosis and stage distribution. The study, based on population-based cancer registry data from seven countries, found that there were significant decreases in the incidence of melanoma, breast, prostate and lung cancer, especially during the first months of lockdown. According to the UICC, these trends highlight the importance of preparing for future pandemics and the need to address disruptions to screening and healthcare access.
AI and other advances
Artificial intelligence and other new technologies in healthcare that could transform patient care and enhance diagnosis and treatment are also being studied both in terms of the advances they bring and the challenges they pose, such as data privacy.
A prospective five-country observational study on the performance of a new artificial intelligence-based tool for cervical cancer pre-screening in the African region (Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe) was announced for publication on Wednesday. The study involved more than 24,000 women and evaluated the performance of an AI-based tool, Automated Visual Evaluation (AVE).
AVE demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity (60.1%) than other tools compared.
“The study concludes that AVE may enhance detection of pre-stages of cervical cancer in resource-limited settings and, despite a trade-off in specificity, support broader cervical cancer elimination efforts,” UICC said.
Challenges of Cancer Treatment in Conflict Areas
Another focus of the event was cancer treatment in humanitarian crises, with key sessions, including one on Tuesday, addressing the challenges of providing treatment in places like Sudan, Gaza and Haiti.
Andre Ilbawy Signs of Cancer During one session, WHO Gaza director painted a grim picture of the situation facing cancer patients in the Strip, saying that as the conflict escalates, an already fragile health system is struggling to cope, leaving cancer patients in a precarious position.
“In conflict zones, preparation is key,” Ilbawi explained, stressing that proactive measures such as having funds and protocols in place to evacuate seriously ill patients are crucial in such a volatile environment.
Last week, the WHO evacuated about 100 patients from Gaza to medical facilities in the United Arab Emirates in one of its largest efforts to date.
Ilbawi said the recent conflict in Gaza has exposed the fragility of health systems in conflict zones, arguing that cancer patients in Gaza face significant barriers to accessing treatment, from shortages of essential medicines to disruptions to care pathways.
“Cancer is one of the complex issues in NCDs and humanitarian crises,” said Ilbawi, highlighting the compounding impact of war, displacement and systematic neglect on cancer treatment.
The need for a coordinated international response was reiterated in a session titled “Leaving no one behind: promoting equality for refugees, displaced, and disadvantaged communities.” Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital discussed how the global oncology community can and must mobilize quickly in times of crisis. He drew parallels with response efforts in Ukraine and Gaza, where international and regional oncology groups are working together to ensure continuity of care for cancer patients.
“In Gaza, having troops on the ground made a huge difference,” Rodriguez Galindo explains. “St. Jude had dedicated staff tracking every cancer patient, knowing their name, their diagnosis and their treatment needs, and coordinating with local and international agencies to make sure they got the care they needed.” This rapid response helped manage patient care during a chaotic and dangerous time, and has become a model for helping other conflict zones.
But Ilbawi stressed that the situation in Gaza is very different from other crises due to its protracted nature and the severe restrictions on movement.
“What worked in Ukraine doesn’t necessarily work in Gaza,” Ilbawi said. For example, the evacuation of patients there was relatively smooth, but Gaza’s complex political and security situation makes the same effort much more difficult.
Ilbawi stressed that the solution to these challenges lies in emergency responses and building sustainable, long-term health solutions that integrate cancer care into the broader health system. Parallel health systems, where refugees and locals receive different levels of care, are not sustainable and serve no one’s interests, he stressed.
“Ultimately, cancer care must be fully integrated into a country’s health system,” Ilbawi argues. “The humanitarian response should no longer be seen as a temporary solution; it needs to be part of a broader strategy to strengthen the entire health infrastructure.”
He noted that continued international cooperation and investment is needed to build resilient health systems that can withstand the pressures of conflict and provide equitable healthcare for all.
The panelists called for a united global effort to address the medical needs of cancer patients in conflict zones. They stressed the importance of multilateralism and adhering to international agreements that protect health workers and patients during crises.
“We must respect decades of international laws and agreements that provide for the protection of medical care in conflict situations,” Ilbawi said. “These are not just policies, they are lifelines.”
The UICC has announced that the next World Cancer Conference will be held in Hong Kong in 2026. Future summits are planned to be held in Australia and other potential locations in low- and middle-income countries.
Image credits: WHO/G. Lebou, Paul Adepoju.
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