Cancer Organizations from Around the World Meet to Reduce Cancer Risk and Mortality

American Cancer Society
Thursday, 20 May 1999

Representatives of cancer organizations from 110 countries gathered here today for the 2nd World Conference for Cancer Organizations, an event aimed at strengthening the global fight against cancer. The event runs through May 23rd, and concludes with a presentation by Richard Klausner, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute, and a luncheon visit from former President George W. Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush.

The conference, called "Shaping the Future," is designed to help voluntary cancer agencies work more effectively to reduce cancer risk and mortality. "We recognize that in many cases the best hope for eliminating this disease lies not only in the hands of scientists and researchers who strive for new knowledge, but with lay and medical groups that actually bring established cancer interventions and programs to the public," said Eliezer Robinson, president of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), one of the conference's co-sponsors.

Building on the success of the 1st World Conference held in Melbourne, Australia in 1996, "Shaping the Future" is bringing together more than 1,100 volunteers and staff from community-based cancer control organizations representing countries from every corner of the world. The Atlanta meeting will continue the strong focus of sharing the best practices in the areas of cancer control programs, fundraising, human and financial resource management.

The conference is hosted by the American Cancer Society and co-sponsored by a number of not-for-profit and public sector organizations , including the UICC, Association of American Cancer Institutes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Canadian Cancer Society, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Leukemia Society of America. Corporate sponsors include SmithKline Beecham consumer healthcare, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and Kellogg.

At a media briefing held this morning, speakers highlighted two of the key issues to be addressed at the conference: the changing trends in cancer and the efforts by both emerging and developed countries to combat the activities of the tobacco industry.

Worldwide cancer trends show both a decrease in cancers caused largely by infectious diseases and other factors such as poor food preparation, and an increase in cancers more common in industrialized countries, such as breast and prostate cancers, as people in emerging countries develop a more westernized lifestyle. Participants also pointed out that many fewer people would develop cancer and die from it if early detection tests were more readily available.

Organizations fight back against tobacco

Also discussed at the briefing was the effort by both industrialized and emerging countries to combat the tobacco industry and its encroachment into less developed countries as the industry becomes less able to sell its products elsewhere. The speakers unveiled a proclamation that indicts tobacco companies worldwide and urges participants' respective governments to "create responsible laws and programs to end the death and suffering caused by the scourge of tobacco." Conference leaders hope that by the end of the conference on Sunday most of the 1100+ delegates will have signed the document.

Topics to be addressed by the more than 400 presenters include:

- A public education program in Australia, where two out of three citizens will get skin cancer in their lifetime, has succeeded in changing policies and behavior to keep young people safe from the sun's damaging rays

- In Denmark, a study has shown that an increase in physical activity can significantly reduce one's risk of colon cancer

- A pilot study looks at the quality of life for cancer survivors

- Sexuality and cancer: the taboo subject

- In Kashmir, India, the preparation of a tea that local people drink has been identified as a major cause of the high rate of esophageal and gastric cancer among this population

- Male cancer patients: what do they want and need?

- Ethical issues concerning genetic testing for cancer

"We know a lot more about how to reduce cancer risk than what we're actually accomplishing," said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. "If we could implement more of what we already know - in terms of early detection and compliance with and access to treatment - we could save countless lives lost to cancer each year."

The next world conference is scheduled for the year 2001. The location will be announced during the conference this week

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org