Two internationally recognized oncology leaders and mentors of the OncoDaily community, Matti Aapro and Hesham Elghazaly, are among the 24 candidates for the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term.
Representing Switzerland and Egypt, respectively, both leaders bring decades of experience in oncology, international cancer policy, scientific collaboration, and efforts to improve access to cancer care. Their candidacies reflect a shared commitment to advancing cancer prevention, strengthening health systems, and addressing inequalities in cancer outcomes worldwide.
Both have also maintained close connections with OncoDaily, contributing to its mission of connecting oncology professionals, supporting education, and encouraging collaboration across generations and regions.
UICC Board Elections 2026: What to Know
The UICC General Assembly will take place virtually on October 20, 2026, bringing together member organizations to elect the Union’s leadership for the next two years.
A total of 24 candidates are competing for 14 seats on the Board of Directors, while one President-elect will be chosen from three candidates: Gilberto Lopes (USA), Asem Mansour (Jordan), and C. S. Pramesh (India).
Electronic voting opened on October 13, 2026, and will close during the General Assembly on October 20.
The newly elected Board will serve during the 2026–2028 term, helping guide UICC’s strategic priorities, international partnerships, and advocacy efforts to reduce the global cancer burden.
Matti Aapro: Decades of Leadership in International Oncology
Matti Aapro is a medical oncologist at the Genolier Cancer Center in Switzerland, a member of its Board, and President of Sharing Progress in Cancer Care (SPCC). He is also a current member of the UICC Board of Directors and Past-President of the European Cancer Organisation.
His international career has included leadership positions across several major oncology organizations. He helped establish the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), served as President of the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), and held roles within the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
Dr. Aapro’s work has focused particularly on breast cancer, cancer care for older adults, supportive oncology, and improving access to effective treatment. He has consistently emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary approaches and ensuring that advances in cancer care reach patients across different healthcare settings.
His involvement with UICC spans several decades. He chaired the scientific and organizing committees of the 2008 World Cancer Congress in Geneva and has continued contributing to international cancer policy and collaboration through his service on the UICC Board.
Beyond his clinical and international leadership, Dr. Aapro serves as Chair of the Editorial Board of OncoDaily Medical Journal, contributing to its scientific direction and commitment to high-quality oncology education and research communication.
As a longstanding mentor and collaborator of OncoDaily, he has supported the exchange of expertise across the global oncology community, helping connect established leaders with emerging professionals and encouraging wider access to scientific knowledge.
Matti Aapro was named among OncoDaily’s 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025.
His Priorities for the UICC Board
In his candidacy statement, Dr. Aapro highlighted the importance of comprehensive cancer control, from prevention and early detection to treatment accessibility and patient-centered care.
“UICC is a leader in the international cancer area. To be a Board member of UICC has been an opportunity to help so many who work to prevent cancer, detect it early, permit access to all treatments, and above all, listen to the person’s diverse needs in a constantly changing world.”
He identified breast cancer, supportive care, access to surgical, radiation, and medical treatments, and cancer prevention as areas where he hopes to continue supporting UICC’s work.
Dr. Aapro also emphasized the value of international cooperation in addressing increasingly complex political, humanitarian, and healthcare challenges.
“Together, joining forces to speak loud and clear to those who take crucial decisions, we should be able to strengthen the work of UICC in the next years.”
His candidacy builds on his previous two terms on the UICC Board and his experience working with international oncology organizations to strengthen cancer control policy and collaboration.
Hesham Elghazaly: Connecting Cancer Research, Public Health, and Equity
Hesham Elghazaly is Professor of Clinical Oncology at Ain Shams University in Cairo, President of the Egyptian Cancer Society, and Chairman of Egypt’s Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health.
He also serves as Director of the Medical and Scientific Research Institute (MASRI) at Ain Shams University and is the Founder and Chair of the Breast–Gynaecological International Cancer Conference (BGICC), one of the largest specialized oncology conferences in Africa and the Middle East.
Internationally, Prof. Elghazaly is an elected member of the Scientific Board of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) Global Alliance.
His work bridges clinical oncology, public health, scientific research, and cancer policy, with a particular focus on expanding equitable cancer care in low- and middle-income countries.
One of Prof. Elghazaly’s major contributions has been his leadership of Egypt’s Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health, a large-scale national program focused on expanding breast cancer screening and strengthening pathways from early detection to diagnosis and treatment. The initiative has contributed to improving screening coverage, reducing diagnostic delays, and increasing access to timely care across Egypt.
Prof. Elghazaly is a mentor within the OncoDaily community and was named among OncoDaily’s 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025.
His leadership in breast oncology, international scientific cooperation, and population-level cancer control offers valuable perspectives for oncology professionals, particularly those working to improve cancer outcomes in resource-limited settings.
His connection with OncoDaily reflects a shared emphasis on education, collaboration, and making expertise accessible to oncology professionals worldwide.
His Priorities for the UICC Board
In his candidacy statement, Prof. Elghazaly identified cancer equity, evidence-based policy, and stronger representation of low- and middle-income countries as central priorities.
“I strongly believe in its mission to reduce the global cancer burden through equity, collaboration, and evidence-based action.”
He emphasized the need to strengthen cancer control strategies that can be implemented within different healthcare systems, including resource-stratified guidelines, early detection programs, access to quality treatment, and survivorship care.
Drawing on his experience leading large-scale national cancer initiatives, he explained:
“I believe my work uniquely combines national cancer policy leadership with sustained international governance roles, with a strong focus on equity and women’s health.”
If elected, Prof. Elghazaly aims to contribute to cancer control policy and advocacy, capacity building, and efforts to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes while strengthening the connection between scientific evidence and national healthcare implementation.
Two OncoDaily Mentors, a Shared Commitment to Global Cancer Control
Although their careers have developed across different healthcare systems and regions, Matti Aapro and Hesham Elghazaly bring complementary perspectives to the UICC Board elections.
Dr. Aapro contributes decades of experience in international oncology governance, supportive care, cancer education, and improving access to multidisciplinary treatment. Prof. Elghazaly brings expertise in national cancer screening programs, women’s health, health policy implementation, and addressing the challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries.
Both have also contributed to the OncoDaily community through mentorship, professional collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, demonstrating the importance of connecting experienced oncology leaders with the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Their candidacies highlight how clinical expertise, scientific leadership, and public health advocacy can contribute to stronger international cooperation in cancer control.
As UICC members prepare to elect the 2026–2028 Board of Directors, OncoDaily recognizes the contributions of both leaders to global oncology and wishes Matti Aapro and Hesham Elghazaly success in the upcoming elections.
The complete list of candidates and their statements is available on the official UICC website.
Read further on OncoDaily: OncoDaily Senior Vice President Shushan Hovsepyan Named Candidate for UICC Board of Directors 2026–2028
