1st International Congress on Cancer Control (ICCC)

The first ICCC meeting took place in Vancouver, Canada, from 23rd to 26th October. The 325 delegates came from 65 countries to attend educational sessions and to participate in a broad range of workshops, including one on Cancer Control in Developing countries. The main message of the congress was the importance of sharing knowledge and working together if the growth of the world-wide cancer epidemic is to be slowed. INCTR participated in the steering committee responsible for planning the meeting.

Training Course for Data Managers

Four African data managers attended a training course in Brussels from 7th to 10th November. The course covered basic skills and use of the data base that will be used for INCTR’s clinical trial in African Burkitt lymphoma.

5th AORTIC Conference

The African Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer took place in Dakar, Senegal, from 14th to 16th November. Four hundred persons participated from many African countries and several societies were represented, including the International Psycho-Oncology Society, INCTR and AMCC, INCTR’s French branch. Conclusions of the meeting were that the participating organizations should work together as closely as possible and that palliative care should be given more emphasis in Africa.

ESO Advanced Course in Malignant Lymphomas, Cervical Cancer and Gastric Cancer

A course organized by the Latin American chapter of the European School of Oncology was held in Lima, Peru, at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas on 24th to 25th November. The course chairmen were Dr. Santiago Pavlovsky and Carlos Vallejos and participants attended from many Latin American countries. INCTR participation included discussions of the evolution of the control of cervical cancer and the epidemiology of lymphomas. INEN serves as an INCTR regional training school in cervical cancer detection.

INCTR USA
Board Meeting

The US Branch Board of Directors met in Washington DC on 7th December. In view of the resignation of the President, Dr. Elmer Huerta who has become President-Elect of the American Cancer Society (he will remain a member of the Board), a new President, Dr. Richard Pestell (formerly Vice-President) was elected. Dr. Aziza Shad was appointed to a newly created post of Director, and two new Board Members were also elected – Fred Rooney and Dr. Vinay Jain. The branch will continue to play a major role in pediatric oncology education, but Board Members plan to identify other priority areas for the Branch in the coming months.