The 2012 World Cancer Congress: connecting for global impact

2011 has become a critical year in the international health arena, as it is the first time we have seen a global concerted effort in the fight against cancer. Many worldwide conferences and events took place: the historical UN High-level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in New York, the 2011 World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Dublin and the Canadian Cancer Research Conference in Toronto, to name a few.

The 2012 World Cancer Congress (WCC), to be held in Montreal on August 27-30, 2012 at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal is the next big milestone for cancer professionals from around the world and registrations are now open. “There will never be a more important time for collaboration across the cancer community to help find better solutions for cancer control” says Dr Eduardo L. Franco, Professor and Interim Chair, McGill Department of Oncology and Co-Chair of the Prevention and Early detection Track of the World Cancer Congress. “The WCC will allow the international cancer community to look at the resolutions emanating from past events while evaluating the actions required for a more effective cancer control agenda for the world.”

Organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and hosted by Fondation québécoise du cancer, McGill University and the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, the WCC is expected to attract more than 3,000 participants and world leaders in the fight against cancer from over 120 countries.

An increasing number of people globally are being diagnosed with cancer and many of these cases are due to preventable factors. The number of people diagnosed with cancer every year worldwide is expected to increase from 12 million in 2008 to more than 21 million by 2030.¹

“We must act now to reduce the human suffering and social and economic impact of cancer. Canadians are actively involved in the creation of the WCC programme and I am pleased to announce that the response rate for the call for sessions hit a record high. We received many suggestions for excellent symposia than we could possibly accommodate over a few short days – but by blending a number of them together, we will have an excellent program with Canadian and world leaders presenting on a wide range of critical topics in cancer control,” says Dr Heather Bryant, Vice-President, Cancer Control, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Co-Chair of the Executive Scientific Committee. “It’s wonderful to see Canadian experts from the cancer community working shoulder to shoulder with colleagues from around the world to present the best in cancer control in Montréal in 2012.”

Prominent international and Canadian specialists

The Congress governance is composed of an impressive range of international specialists from leading cancer organisations and international health institutions from around the world, including many prominent figures from Canada.

Eminent plenary speakers

The 2012 World Cancer Congress will offer a chance to hear some eminent speakers such as:

• Sir George Alleyne born in Barbados, currently serves as United Nations Secretary- General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region. He was made Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II and has received the Science of Peace Award from the Inter American Heart Foundation.
• Dr. Elizabeth Helen Blackburn, an Australian-born American biological researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, and 2009 Nobel Prize winner for her work on Telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes the telomere, a structure that protects the chromosome.
• Dr. Haik Nikogosian, Head of the Convention Secretariat, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The WHO FCTC is the first global treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization and provides new legal dimension for international health cooperation.

About the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

A membership organisation guided by the World Cancer Declaration, UICC exists to help the global health community accelerate the fight against cancer. Based in Geneva, the organisation’s network spans over 120 countries and includes influential policy makers, researchers and experts in cancer prevention and control. Founded in 1933, UICC’s growing membership of 465 organisations features the world’s major cancer societies, ministries of health and patient groups. Together with the World Health

Organization (WHO), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and other key stakeholders, UICC and its partners are tackling the growing cancer crisis on a global scale. http://www.uicc.org/

About the Local Host Committee (LHC)

The Local Host Committee is composed of Canadian volunteers and individuals with strong beliefs in the fight against cancer. They are responsible for facilitating the task of UICC in organising the event in Canada and to promote this event to the Canadian delegates and potential partners. Members of this committee include: Dr. Michel Gélinas, President and Co-Founder Fondation québécoise du cancer and President of the LHC 2012 World Cancer Congress; Dr Eduardo L. Franco, Professor and Interim Chair, McGill Department of Oncology and Dr Jean-Paul Bahary, Radio Oncologist, University of Montreal Hospital Centre. www.fqc.qc.ca, www.mcgill.ca, and www.umontreal.ca.

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Notes

¹ WHO Global Status Report on NCDs 2010.