Lung cancer is a never-ending struggle to prevent disease, to diagnose and treat disease early when it does occur, and to help patients maintain the best quality of life possible through the duration of their treatment and beyond. Today’s Opening Plenary of the 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer, “Equity and Access to Appropriate Clinical Care in Lung Cancer—Pathway Towards Effective Global Implementation,” will focus on improving access to tobacco control and effective treatments. The session will take place from 18:15-20:00 SGT today, Saturday, September 9, in room 406 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Center. The session will be live streamed and available on-demand via the virtual platform.
“There have been advances in the treatment of lung cancer—immunotherapy, targeted and novel therapies—and many people are living longer,” said Opening Plenary speaker Gary Rodin, MD, Director of the Cancer Experience Program and the Global Institute of Psychosocial, Palliative and End-of-Life Care at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and University of Toronto. “However, the increasing emphasis on biology and technology and growing clinical volumes have often meant that there is less time and attention for the person with cancer and their family. This imbalance is also evident in the relatively limited allocation of resources for the psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of cancer care in almost all parts of the world, despite evidence for the effectiveness of such approaches.”
At the same time, anti-cancer treatment continues to be delivered to a substantial minority of patients in the last weeks of life, even in low-resource settings. The global lack of resources and inattention to the psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of care for patients with lung and other advanced cancers constitutes what has been called the “Humanitarian Crisis in Cancer.”
During the Opening Plenary, Dr. Rodin will discuss the drivers of the present imbalance in cancer care between biomedicine and “the soul of medicine” across diverse resource settings and potential solutions to rectify it. The aim of such initiatives is to ensure that effective cancer care is delivered, with equal attention to the quality of life and personhood of those affected.
Opening Plenary: Equity and Access to Appropriate Clinical Care in Lung Cancer—Pathway Towards Effective Global Implementation
18:15-20:00 SGT, Saturday, September 9, Room 406
Lung Cancer Treatment Divide—Breathtaking Inequity
Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired, Jordan
The Humanitarian Crisis in Cancer: Challenges and Solutions
Gary Rodin, Ontario, Canada
There are similar gaps in tobacco control. Tobacco use is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for lung cancer, yet access to tobacco control varies dramatically between and within populations by geography, income, education, and other social factors.
Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired of Jordan will discuss the practicalities of improving tobacco control in her address during the Opening Plenary. Princess Dina will present “Empowering Patients and Families: Improving Access to Tobacco Control Strategies, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment.”
Princess Dina is the Honorary President of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and Past President of the Union for International Cancer Control. She is a passionate global advocate for cancer and noncommunicable disease control and the mother of a cancer survivor.
The Opening Plenary will also include the presentation of the 2023 Distinguished Service Awards as well as welcoming remarks from WCLC 23 Conference Chairs: Fiona Hegi-Johnson, MD, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, Melbourne, Australia; Professor Pyng Lee, MD, National University Singapore, Singapore; and Chee Lee, MD, National Health and Medical Research Council at Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
