Looking back to look forward: 90 years of unity towards winning the fight against cancer

If you work in cancer control, you will know how it feels to see your efforts make a difference – to prevent those in your community from developing cancer, to ensure it is diagnosed early if they do, and to create a world where those we love receive timely and effective treatment and psychosocial care, towards remission and a cure.

Each year, around 19.3 million new cancer cases are diagnosed around the world. It touches all corners of the planet, impacting all families. Looking back to 1933, when UICC was founded, relatively little was known about the disease, and many died as a result.

As we celebrate this year the 90th anniversary of UICC, I'm filled with a sense of pride and gratitude for the progress we've made in improving cancer control around the world. I'm honoured to serve as the President of a community-based movement, working alongside so many dedicated people and organisations who share our vision of a world where cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease.

For me, this work is deeply personal. Late last year, I was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, undergoing intensive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant – therapies that were not even imagined in 1933. Had I been diagnosed back then, I would not be here today. My prognosis without treatment was six weeks. I have recently passed the six month milestone since hearing those words, "You have cancer." I hope in time to hear the words, "Your cancer is gone and will never come back." We are working, frenetically, and in unity, to bring that dream to life. 

Without a doubt, my experience has only strengthened my resolve to ensure that all people – irrespective of where they live or what they believe – can access the services and care they need to survive, and to survive well, enjoying dignity and a quality of life free from the practical and painful burdens of what can be a merciless chronic disease. 

Over the past 90 years, we, as members and affiliates of UICC, have played a pivotal role in creating a future free from the pain of cancer. Our work bridges every great divide, bringing together organisations and individuals to collaborate and share knowledge, to inspire policies and programmes, and ultimately to improve cancer prevention, early detection and treatment. At the same time, we have raised up a vision of survivorship, where quality of life is recognised as being at the core of all care – to treat the whole person and not just the clinical disease. 

In the past decade, we have made tremendous progress in promoting cancer prevention and awareness, particularly in reducing the very serious harms of tobacco use. Our World Cancer Day campaign has flourished into a global movement, inspiring individuals, communities, and governments to take joint action in the fight against cancer. 

We have also enshrined the World Cancer Declaration in global dialogue, feeding into the WHO’s Global Strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, leading a review of the WHO Essential Medicines List, and establishing a worldwide task force on antimicrobial resistance and its impact on cancer care. 

Reflecting on our achievements, it’s impossible not to feel motivated to reach even higher, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access barriers linger, contributing to an avoidable burden of disease that we can only address as one community, supporting each other. And that’s why we have launched initiatives such as the City Cancer Challenge and the Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) Coalition. The new areas of focus continue the work we started in creating esteemed agencies such as the NCD Alliance, the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, and our International Cancer Control Partnership (ICCP).

When I face forward to the future, I see the challenge, and I accept it. I ground myself in a sense of determination to make a difference, and I imagine what we might achieve if we redouble our efforts. 

As we celebrate UICC’s 90th Anniversary, I extend my hand in solidarity and give you my word that I am as committed as you are to ensuring we prevail. Thank you for supporting our work, for standing up with us, and for making it count. 

When the UICC comes together in 2033 to celebrate our 100-year centenary, I hope to be standing strong, looking back at this moment, knowing our efforts mattered. You can bet my life I’m not giving up.