SOCRON, ASCO plan multidisciplinary cancer management course

In a bid to stem the rise in cancer mortality and morbidity, the Society of Oncology and Cancer Research of Nigeria (SOCRON) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) are set to hold a Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course (MCMC) in Lagos from Thursday, Saturday 11 to July 13, 2019.

The theme of the workshop scheduled for Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, is “Implementation of Resource Level Appropriate Breast and cervical Cancer Prevention, Diagnostics and Management”, while the subtheme is “Emerging Cancer Diagnostics and Care Technologies.”

SOCRON in a statement said: “Based on available data, it is obvious why SOCRON is focusing on breast and cervical cancer prevention and management. SOCRON is partnering with the ASCO for robust clinical and scientific discussion on current trends in the prevention and management of breast and cervical cancer in Nigeria.

“ We are aware that there are limited resources for healthcare at personal and institutional levels in Nigeria and other developing countries, we would therefore be exploring the dissemination and implementation of resource-level appropriate guidelines for optimum prevention and management of cancer patients in Nigeria.”

According to the statement, international resource persons for the workshop include but not limited to: Prof. Benjamin O. Anderson, Chair and Director, Breast Health Global Initiative and Professor of Surgery and Global Health Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle. United States (U.S.); Prof. Cosette Wheeler, Regent’s Professor, Departments of Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Health Sciences Center, New Mexico. U.S.; and Prof. Clement Adebamowo, Director, Global Health Cancer Program and Associate Director (Population Science), Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, U.S.

It noted: “We are inviting all medical and health professionals, students and policy makers at institutional, state and national levels all over the country especially those involved/interested in combating this cancer menace to please endeavour to be at that conference as it shall be a great time of education, collaboration, training, empowerment and enlightenment. There will be a special session on the last day of the conference with stakeholders to discuss specific implementation approaches developed from the conference.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is one of the top ten leading causes of death worldwide and the number of new cases keep rising. The WHO estimates that 116,000 new cases of cancer and 41,000 cancer-related deaths occurred in Nigeria in 2018. Though significant progress has been made in diagnostics and treatment of cancers in high-income countries, sadly, most cancer patients in Africa are diagnosed at a late stage and the prognosis for a positive outcome is lessened, even in cases where treatment is available and affordable. It is a bid to stem this menace of cancer that the Society of Oncology and Cancer Research of Nigeria (SOCRON) was established. SOCRON organizes a myriad of workshops, symposia, seminars and conferences to achieve this aim.

The five commonest cancers in Nigeria are: breast cancer, found 99 per cent in women, with 26,310 cases occurring every year and 11,564 deaths; cervical cancer found only in women, with 14,943 cases and 10,403 deaths; prostate cancer, found only in men, with 13,078 cases and 5,806 deaths; colorectal cancer, found in men and women, with 6,692 cases and 4,059 deaths; and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, found in both sexes, with 5,367 cases and 3,726 deaths.