ABOUT UICC AND THE 2014 WORLD CANCER CONGRESS

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) invited a large range of organisations to contribute to the programme of the 2014 World Cancer Congress by submitting a session proposal.

This next World Cancer Congress will be held in Melbourne, Australia, from 3 - 6 December 2014 and will be hosted by Cancer Council Australia.

Building on the success of the 2012 World Cancer Congress in Montréal, Canada, UICC wanted to reach a large pannel of experts in various domains to help building a top-quality programme highlighting collaboration, interactivity and innovative thinking.

The World Cancer Congress is the opportunity to involve all players in the global cancer community and to contribute collectively towards achieving UICC’s mission: eliminating cancer as a life-threatening disease for future generations.

One of the key objectives of the 2014 World Cancer Congress will be to equip delegates with the tools and implements needed to effectively apply knowledge, take action at all levels and address priorities efficiently.

It is in this spirit that the event’s theme has been chosen – Joining Forces – Accelerating Progress.

UICC – a visionary campaign

UICC is committed to delivering the targets of the World Cancer Declaration through strategic partnerships involving members and other institutions interested in fighting cancer. Together we aim to save millions of lives by focusing on what needs to be done by taking the lead in:

• Convening the global cancer control community
• Advocacy and putting cancer on the global health agenda
• Coordinating high-impact global programmes

UICC’s purpose is to unite the cancer community, reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity and integrate cancer control into the world health development and agenda.   All of which should be reflected in the Congress’ programme.

Congress audience

• Approximately 3,000 delegates representing the entire spectrum of the global cancer control community from over 100 countries participate.
   

2014 WORLD CANCER CONGRESS - PROGRAMME OUTLINE

The programme is divided into four tracks as described below:

Track 1 – Cancer prevention and screening

The standard definition of primary and secondary prevention sets the scope for this track; methods targeting behavioural risk factors as well as underlying factors such as social and economic disadvantage will be explored in these sessions. Tobacco control is a vital and specialised aspect of cancer control, and is an established field with knowledge and experience that can be transferred to other risk factors. Including tobacco control in a broader sense will facilitate an important exchange between participants with the goal of improving prevention outcomes for all risk factors.

Track 2 – Cancer diagnosis and treatment

There are common themes in cancer diagnosis and treatment throughout the world. In any context, there is work underway to ensure that delays to diagnosis are minimized. There is also a common need to create the best patient experience possible, including measures to minimize the negative side-effects of treatment, and consideration of patients' social, spiritual, and psychological needs throughout the cancer journey. There are also unprecedented scientific and clinical advances in the understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In high resource contexts, careful consideration needs to be given to how to prioritize the new diagnostic tests and treatments. In addition, there are many affordable and feasible treatment options that remain under-utilized in the developing world because adequate systems for delivery have not been put in place. 

Track 3 - After active treatment: cancer survivorship and palliative care 

This track will explore in depth what ‘survivorship’ means to people affected by cancer, what they want and need, how the health system can meet those needs, and what survivors themselves can contribute. It also recognizes that over one third of patients die within 5 years of a diagnosis (even in the most advanced health systems), dying, and thus humane methods to ease the psychological and physical burden of impending death will be explored, as well the challenges (and benefits) of an early introduction of palliative care into the patient’s journey. In terms of equity, giving palliation and pain control importance helps address the inequity arising in resource-constrained countries where end of life interventions are often all that can be offered.

Track 4: Cancer control systems

Systems solutions are a priority for those who wish to make an impact at a community level to improve the access to care. A broad definition of the term ‘system’ will be used to allow for the discussion of issues, and solutions for improving national, regional and local health systems including an understanding of system performance. Surveillance systems, including cancer registries, and population risk factor monitoring will be a key focus, as will how to advocate for the cancer cause, creating an infrastructure around fundraising and the distribution of resources. Health delivery systems, including primary, acute and post acute services and how these can be reshaped to meet the growing cancer burden or be adapted to translate to new environments will also be of interest.