The conference program included sessions on the clinical and pathological features of breast, colorectal, and hematological malignancies in south Egypt. Emphasis was made on highlighting the epidemiology, patient populations, and available resources for treatment and cancer prevention and control of those cancers. Sessions also addressed the ongoing multidisciplinary treatment protocols concerning surgical, oncological, and radio-therapeutic approaches for the most common cancers in Egypt. Other sessions highlighted recent advances in biological agents for cancer treatment, immunotherapy, and the possibility and implications of tailored therapy for cancer treatment in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East. Patient navigation and early detection sessions focused on local patient and professional education programs in Luxor and other parts of Egypt. Survivorship and quality of life sessions focused on recent achievements in onco-plasty and reconstructive breast surgeries for low-income women in Egypt. Finally, sessions were assigned to presenting and discussing the results of the Egyptian national initiative for early detection of breast cancer, the outcomes of the national program for the treatment of Hepatitis-C 1 and its impact on reducing the incidence of liver cancer in Egypt, the new program of national health insurance in Egypt and its implementation in Luxor, and the existing datasets available from hospital 2- and population-based cancer registries 3,4 in Egypt. The last session highlighted the importance of utilizing local registry data for research, training, and developing programs for capacity building for cancer prevention and control in Egypt and dissemination to LMICs.

Faculty members from the USA, including members of the AACE, moderated sessions and presented on topics relevant to cancer prevention and control in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East. These sessions focused on the economics of cancer management, the impact of the control of Hepatitis-C infection in Egypt on reducing the incidence of liver cancer, the need for investigating community transmission of Hepatitis-C, the psycho-social impact of cancer, and developing evaluating cancer support groups for patients and their families, and malnutrition and nutritional needs and therapy of cancer patients.