Geneva, Switzerland—The 2024 World Cancer Congress opened Tuesday in Geneva, bringing together more than 2,000 delegates from more than 120 countries. Its convener said the congress underscores a global commitment to combating the growing burden of cancer.

Hosted by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the congress aims to foster collaboration amongst cancer and health experts through a diverse three-day program of discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities.

UICC president, Prof Jeff Dunn, welcomed the delegates and highlighted the importance of international collaboration in the fight against cancer.

“We are here to share, learn, and strengthen our bonds in this shared quest to control cancer,” he said.

Despite global disruptions, he said the participants’ turnout reflects the urgency of addressing the rising cancer burden worldwide.

Dunn, a cancer survivor himself, spoke of his personal journey with mantle cell lymphoma, emphasising the role of community support in his recovery. He praised the congress partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and various cancer societies.

The opening ceremony featured addresses from notable global health leaders. Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, director-general of IARC, highlighted the alarming increase in cancer cases, projecting that new cancer cases could rise by 77% by 2050, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. She stressed the importance of preventive measures, such as tobacco control and HPV vaccination, and addressing environmental and lifestyle risk factors to curb this trend.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, addressing the congress via video message, acknowledged the progress made in implementing national cancer programs but called for more political leadership and faster action. He emphasised the need for countries to work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to non-communicable diseases, including cancer. European Union Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides also delivered a message outlining Europe’s commitment through the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan, which includes initiatives ranging from cancer prevention to improving the quality of life for cancer survivors.

Global Impact of Cancer Orphaning and Mortality Disparities

New research plays a significant role at the congress and will be showcased throughout the event, with some highlights already shared during Tuesday’s opening press conference.

Researchers, for example, explored how many children worldwide have been orphaned by losing their father to cancer. Losing one or both parents can leave children at a lifelong disadvantage in terms of health, support, and education.

The study, conducted by the IARC in France, follows a 2022 report that found one million children lose their mother to cancer each year. This new research aimed to estimate the global number of children who become fatherless due to cancer-related deaths amongst men. The team found that in 2020, 5.5 million men died from cancer, leading to around 1.4 million new paternal orphans, amongst which 75% were due to paternal deaths occurring above 45 years old.

The latest findings also emphasised the disproportionate impact on regions such as Asia and Africa, showing a significant link between development levels and the number of new orphans.

The research also underscored the urgent need for strategies to reduce preventable cancer deaths and provide better support for affected children.

A separate first-of-its-kind study shared at the congress quantifies the socioeconomic burden of ovarian cancer across 11 countries and highlights the significant disparities between countries and income groups.

“An estimated 3.4 million cancer deaths could be avoided annually If every country had the same success in addressing cancer as the best-performing countries, with stomach, lung, breast, and colourectal cancers having the most potentially avoidable deaths,” the UICC said in a statement on the study. “The highest disparities in cancer mortality occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.”

Researchers are also releasing an IARC assessment on the pandemic’s impact on cancer diagnosis and stage distribution. The study, based on data from population-based cancer registries in seven countries, found significant reductions in melanoma, breast, prostate, and lung cancer incidence, particularly during the early months of lockdown. These trends highlight the importance of preparing for future pandemics and the need to address screening and healthcare access disruptions, according to the UICC.

AI And Other Advancements

Artificial intelligence and other new technologies in healthcare that can transform patient care and enhance diagnostics and treatments are also being explored—both from the standpoint of the advancements they can provide and challenges like data privacy.

A prospective five-country observational study of the performance of a new artificial intelligence-based tool for cervical pre-cancer screening in the African region—Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — was announced to be released on Wednesday. The study involved more than 24,000 women and evaluated the performance of an AI-based tool, Automated Visual Evaluation (AVE).

AVE showed significantly higher sensitivity (60.1%) than the other tools it was compared to.

“The study concludes that AVE could enhance cervical pre-cancer detection in resource-limited settings, supporting broader cervical cancer elimination efforts despite some trade-offs in specificity,” the UICC said.

Challenges of Cancer Care in Conflict Zones

Another focus of the event was cancer care during humanitarian crises. Key sessions, including some on Tuesday, addressed the challenges of providing care in places such as Sudan, Gaza and Haiti.

Andre Ilbawi, a cancer lead at the WHO, painted a stark picture of the challenges faced by cancer patients in Gaza in one session. He said that as conflict rages, the already fragile health system struggles to cope, leaving cancer patients in a precarious position.

“The first step in areas of conflict is preparedness,” Ilbawi explained, emphasising that proactive measures, such as setting up funds and protocols for evacuating critically ill patients, are crucial in these volatile environments.

Just last week, the WHO evacuated around 100 Gaza patients in one of its most significant efforts to date to the United Arab Emirates medical treatment.

Ilbawi noted that the recent conflict in Gaza has laid bare the vulnerabilities of healthcare systems in conflict zones. From a lack of essential medicines to disrupted care pathways, he argued that cancer patients in Gaza face enormous barriers to accessing treatment.

“Cancer was one of the complicated issues in NCDs and humanitarian crises,” Ilbawi said, underscoring the compounded effects of war, displacement, and systemic neglect on cancer care.

The need for coordinated international responses was a recurring theme in the session labelled “Leaving No One Behind: Advancing Equity for Refugees, Displaced People, and Underprivileged Communities.” Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital discussed how the global oncology community can and must mobilise rapidly in crisis situations. He drew parallels between the response efforts in Ukraine and Gaza, where international and regional oncology groups have worked together to ensure continuity of care for cancer patients.

“In Gaza, having boots on the ground made a significant difference,” Rodriguez-Galindo explained. “St. Jude’s had staff dedicated to tracking every cancer patient, knowing their names, diagnoses, and treatment needs, and coordinating with local and international bodies to ensure they received the necessary care.” This immediate response was instrumental in managing patient care during a chaotic and dangerous time, providing a model for supporting other conflict zones.

However, Ilbawi highlighted that the situation in Gaza differs significantly from other crises due to its protracted nature and the severe restrictions on movement.

“What worked well in Ukraine did not necessarily translate to Gaza,” Ilbawi pointed out. For example, while patient evacuations were managed relatively smoothly in Ukraine, Gaza’s complex political and security landscape has made similar efforts much more challenging.

Ilbawi stressed that the solution to these challenges lies in emergency response and in building sustainable, long-term healthcare solutions that integrate cancer care into the broader health system. He emphasised that parallel health systems—where refugees and local populations receive different levels of care—are not sustainable and do not serve anyone’s interests.

“Eventually, cancer care must be fully integrated into national health systems,” Ilbawi argued. “The humanitarian response can no longer be seen as a temporary fix; it needs to be part of a broader strategy that strengthens the entire health infrastructure.”

He pointed to the need for ongoing international collaboration and investment to build resilient health systems that can withstand the pressures of conflict and provide equitable care for all.

The panellists called for a united global effort to address the healthcare needs of cancer patients in conflict zones. They stressed the importance of multilateralism and upholding international agreements that protect health workers and patients in times of crisis.

“We must honour decades of international law and agreements that govern the protection of healthcare in conflict,” Ilbawi said. “These are not just policies—they are lifelines.”

The UICC announced that the next World Cancer Congress will be held in Hong Kong in 2026. Future leaders’ summits are planned in Australia and other potential locations in low- and middle-income countries.

Image Credits: WHO/G. Reboux, Paul Adepoju.