Miriam Mutebi: AORTIC Best of ASCO Africa – Reflections from Addis

Miriam Mutebi, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Reflections from Addis | Best of ASCO Africa

What happens when you gather Africa’s brightest oncology minds around the latest science and ask, “What does this mean for your patients?”

You get something more powerful than a conference.

You get a movement.

From real-world solutions to raw, honest reflections, what unfolded in Addis reminded me: our continent is in excellent hands.

Read my full reflection on the 3 Cs that framed this past weekend moment.

Reflections from Addis: AORTIC Best of ASCO Africa

The premise of the meeting was simple, but powerful.

We brought together a group of brilliant, mostly young African oncologists and gave them the space to engage deeply with the latest data and abstracts presented at ASCO.

But it wasn’t just about reviewing the science. We asked one essential question: “How does this translate to your practice, your patients, your setting?”

What followed were some of the most vibrant, practical, and inspiring conversations I’ve witnessed. Oncologists from across the continent, spanning different countries, age groups, and levels of experience, sat together, engaging deeply with real challenges in African cancer care.

We tackled issues such as:

• Access to care in low-resource settings
• Rethinking procurement models, including pooled procurement
• Collaborative data collection to build evidence across regions
• Contextualizing innovation to fit our local health systems

The ASCO abstracts weren’t just academic. They were a spark, a springboard into powerful conversations around system design, regional collaboration, and what truly African-led solutions could look like.

I left the meeting not only energized but reminded of the enormous potential we unlock when we bring our lived experiences and expertise to the table.

However, what truly stood out to me was the lived experiences that were shared with such clarity, passion, and honesty.

And the energy? You could feel it in every corner of the room. Everyone, regardless of role, specialty, or country, was united by a shared question: How do we make things better? How do we move the needle, now?

Our theme for the meeting was Improving Access to Innovations and Technologies in Cancer Care. What we witnessed was not just problem-sharing. It was solution-building. Participants offered what was working in their settings, pushed ideas forward, and explored how collaboration could scale local successes regionally. There was a deep sense of community and collegiality throughout.

The 3 C’s

In my opening remarks, I said:

“No one is coming to solve our problems for us. We must be the ones to lead.”

And that message framed the entire meeting, anchored by what I like to call the 3 Cs:

1. Community

We must build strong, resilient oncology ecosystems across Africa. That means:

• Investing in research
• Engaging directly with our communities
• Ensuring patients understand their diagnosis and feel supported through their cancer journey

We discussed everything from reducing stigma, to culturally respectful communication to the role of exercise in improving outcomes. And through it all, the patient remained at the center.

2. Culture

We need to change how we talk about cancer. That means:

• Normalizing conversations, especially around reproductive cancers
• Breaking the intergenerational silence and culture of shame
• Encouraging early dialogue and early care-seeking

Let’s make it not just okay, but expected, to talk about cancer in our homes, our clinics, and our health systems.

3. Collaboration

This is how we move forward:

• Joint studies
• Shared data
• Comparing patient experiences across countries
• Learning from one another’s models, failures, and successes

This is where AORTIC shines, as a convening platform that brings together Africa’s oncology voices and drives continental momentum.

A Quiet Confidence

A special shout-out to our International Cancer Research Scholars (ICRS) whose presence and contributions at this meeting were deeply impactful. Their voices, along with those of our other young oncologists, were thoughtful, grounded, and solution-oriented.

And honestly? I left with one overwhelming feeling: Our continent is in excellent hands.

There’s a hunger for knowledge. A hunger to make an impact. And a shared refusal to accept the status quo. The room didn’t ask: Can we do this? The question was: How do we do it—together?

And that clarity, that urgency, gave me real hope. A quiet confidence that yes, we’ll figure this out. And we’ll make a difference for every patient.

My heartfelt thanks to:

• Our partners and organizers
• Our hosts, the Ethiopian Society for Hematology and Oncology
• Our Vice President for North America, Dr. Abiola Ibraheem
• AORTIC Council members Dr. Isaac Alatishe and Dr. Sitna Mwanzi and our secretariat
• And the entire team that made this gathering possible

What we experienced in Addis wasn’t just a conference. It was a movement

And I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it.”