The World Cancer Congress 2024, held in Geneva, Switzerland, brought together Over 2,000 medical specialists, scientists, NGO and civil society representatives, Ministers of Health, high-level United Nations representatives, and people living with or affected by cancer.
Our team, led by Principal Investigator, Professor Bernard Rachet, made significant contributions alongside ICON researchers, Assistant Professor, Dr Suping Ling and Research Degree Student Nourah Alsheridah.
During WCC2024, the Highlight session, co-organised by ICON and the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and chaired by Professor Richard Sullivan, focused on the theme “Leaving no one behind: advancing equity for refugees, displaced people, and underprivileged communities.”
This session brought together experts to address challenges, strategies, and solutions for achieving cancer care equity in diverse settings, including humanitarian crises and resource-limited countries. It also emphasised collaboration between organizations, the impact of prioritization, and the ethical decisions required to deliver quality care during crises.
Dr Suping Ling represented our team in a session featuring Award Nominees for the Best Scientific Study, hosted by The Lancet Oncology’s David Collingridge. Her research on socioeconomic inequalities in second primary cancer incidence garnered attention for its depth and impact.
Dr Suping said: Using data from cancer registries, this is the first study that reports socioeconomic inequalities in second primary cancer incidence in women with breast cancer in England, accounting for all-cause death as the competing event. Of 55,000 new breast cancer cases every year, we could have reduced more than 600 cases of second primary cancer if inequalities were eliminated. Strategies to monitor, prevent and identify second primary cancer should be in place to minimise disparities.”
Nourah’s e-poster presentation explored screening engagement and the stage of breast cancer diagnosis in Kuwait. Supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, her research underscored the importance of screening programme in improving cancer outcomes for women in the Kuwait.
Nourah said: “This population-based study, the first conducted in Kuwait, showed that increased engagement in Mammography Screening leads to earlier detection of breast cancer. This early detection decreases the chances of diagnosing cancer at advanced stages (stages III and IV) for women, whether they are Kuwaiti or not. The results of this study provide the necessary evidence to back screening initiatives aimed at boosting participation in breast cancer screening and improving the outcomes of breast cancer on a large scale. “
The contributions of Bernard, Suping, and Nourah at WCC2024 reaffirmed ICON’s commitment to advancing equity and innovation in cancer research.