Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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"Summary of Workshops and Cross..."
  • Summary of Workshops and Cross Cutting Issues in the Working Groups
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Meeting Summaries
  • Chris Williams
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Opening
  • Congratulations for another successful meeting
    • Reactivation of AORTIC, initiated in 2000 in San Francisco, continues on course
  • A few comments about this meeting may be of value for the ones to follow
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How Did We Do?
  • Venue: Excellent
  • Hotel facilities: Close to perfect
  • Hospitality: Excellent
  • Academic Program: Fabulous
    • Rapporteurs’ role: needs improvement
  • Security: Good
  • Networking Opportunities: Extraordinary



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How Did We Do?
  • Organization: Could be better
    • Difficulty with assignment of meeting rooms
  • Secretarial facilities: inadequate
    • Business centre facilities are very good
  • Meals: Timing of lunch: could have been more internationalized
  • Touring opportunities: Deficient


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How Did We Do?
  • A Very Successful Meeting
  • AORTIC and Meeting Organizers have every reason to be proud
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Etiology of Breast Cancer
  • Disproportionately excessive mortality risks in women of African ancestry
  • Heterogenous disease: subclassification now possible on the basis of ER status, Her-2 status
  • DNA microarray analysis identifying Luminal A, Luminal B, Basal-cell types, differential p53 expression
  • P53+/Her-2+/ER- disease: A>AA>CA
    •  contribute to the biological behavior of the disease
  • Africa likely to help the international community in resolving the problem of breast cancer
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Etiology of Breast Cancer
  • Unique sequences with 90%-98% homology to env gene of MMTV identified by PCR in human br.ca. tissue:
  • Named HMTV
  • Serological evidence of its association in 38% USA; 60%-75% in West Africa, 1%-10% in China, Japan, and Vietnam
  • Suggestion: Most br. cancers in Africa caused by an infections agent carried by house mice.


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Etiology of Prostate Cancer
  • Risk factors -> family history and race
    • Incidence/mortality 34%/123% higher in AA vs CA
  • Disparity in outcome likely the result of complex gene-environment interaction
  • Relatively little information available worldwide to predict outcomes
  • Research opportunity for AORTIC


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Etiology of Prostate Cancer
  • Prostate Genetics Research in Senegal (PROGRÉS) Study
    • Aim: To understand the factors that could explain the nature of CaP in Senegal
    • Variation by ethnicity in the frequency of certain high-risk genes (CYP3A4 and SRD5A2 – [testosterone metabolism]) -> SEN>AA>CA
    • Dietary history of SEN being evaluated by questionnaire
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Screening
  • With the possible exception of cancer of the uterine cervix, cancer screening in Africa appears to be controversial
    • Lack of treatment facilities
  • There appears to be consensus that methodologies for early detection should be promoted
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Treatment Advances
  • New knowledge of breast ca. biology translating to novel treatment approaches
    • Trial of Capecitabine (Xeloda) plus Trastuzumab (Herceptin) à ÎÎ of  Her-2/neu overexpression in br.ca case of A/AA women
    • Neoadjuvant approach to locally advanced/inflammatory breast ca. may allow for rapid testing of novel agents and treatment tailoring
    • New opportunity for collaboration for AORTIC
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International Atomic Energy Agency and Cancer in Africa
  • Through Its Program of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT), IAEA:
  • Has since 1974 spent $180+ for 170 projects in developing countries
  • Today: $12 million/year for cancer therapy projects
  • Tomorrow: Needs at least 10 times this much to meet spiraling demand
  • 2006-07 Focus: Tanzania Pilot
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Recommendation on Radiotherapy
  • AORTIC should collaborate with the IAEA  as an “anchor to build the ship” of populating Africa with much needed radiotherapy units
  • AORTIC should work together with IAEA, IACR, ACS, UICC, WHO, and others to define an irresistible funding proposal to place cancer on the global health agenda – and save millions of lives and ameliorate suffering.
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Advocacy
  • Strategic use of power, persuasion and people to achieve positive change in government policies related to cancer
    • Example: Mary Woodard Lasker, the Nixon Presidency and the “War Against Cancer”
    • Main instrument for change by ACS
    • Global and African cancer burden is intolerable and will only get worse without effective advocacy
    • Need to mobilize African nation for change to influence the morbidity and mortality of cancer in the region.
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Advocacy
  • AORTIC should ensure that African people SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE when it comes to speaking for cancer control
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Advocacy - Recommendation
  • Make AORTIC more visible to enhance its capacity to influence policy on cancer care, attract funding for training and research
  • Set advocacy goals for education and awareness programs towards prevention and early cancer detection
  • Activate political support through the African Union (AU) and establish within this body a cancer specific mechanism
  • Build linkages with health training institutions and major umbrella colleges, e.g. CPS, Medical and Nursing Schools


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Advocacy - Recommendation
  • 5. Network with major cancer organizations worldwide
  • 6. Advocate the creation of AU Cancer Awareness Day
  • 7. Promote a “Cancer Walk Day”, facilitated by prominent cancer survivors
  • 8. Stimulate activities, such as:
    • Anti-tobacco award winning essay competition
    • Grants for research students for MPhil, MMed, and PhD
    • Grants for medical and nursing students in the area of prevention and palliative care


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Advocacy - Recommendation
  • 9. Establish a Scientific Advisory Committee
  • 10. Establish an African Cancer Society as an umbrella for national cancer societies
  • 11. Develop an AORTIC Advocacy Policy


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Conclusion
  • It has been a tremendously exciting four days
    • Our bilingual collaboration at this meeting is a far cry from the experience of 22 years ago, when AORTIC was almost a stillborn because of language differences.
  • Je suis absolutement comment!
  • AORTIC is on the move
  • Please, let us keep the momentum