Hesham ElGhazaly, Elected President of the Executive Board at Egyptian Cancer Society, Professor of Clinical Oncology at Ain Shams University, and the Founder and CEO of Alfa Cure Oncology Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“After months of planning and preparation, it was truly heart-warming and deeply moving to witness the global cancer community come together in one of the most meaningful scientific celebrations in our field: the 60th Anniversary of the IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer / World Health Organization, held in Lyon from 19-21 May 2026.
This was far more than an anniversary. It was a powerful milestone marking six decades of impact during which science has shaped policy, prevention efforts have saved lives, and global collaboration has remained the cornerstone of progress against cancer.
I was profoundly honored to be selected to deliver the opening speech as the Scientific Council representative, alongside Dr Elisabete Weiderpass and Professor Youngwoo Kim, Chair of the Scientific Council. Standing on that stage was a moment of pride and responsibility, reflecting not only personal trust but also the growing contribution of our region to the global cancer agenda.
It was also a great privilege to share Egypt’s experience during the session ‘Improving survival worldwide: towards the Global Breast Cancer Initiative.’
Presenting the results and impact of the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health as one of the largest population-based breast cancer programs in the region with more than 23 million women screened through primary healthcare units across Egypt, sharing the PIWH result in decreasing the time to diagnosis and increasing early detection, with more than 70% now discovered and treated in early stages of breast cancer, demonstrating how evidence-based prevention, early detection, and health-system strengthening can translate into real, measurable population-level impact with comprehensive economic evaluations showing a positive return on investment, billions of pounds saved, thousands of life-years gained, and substantial improvements in quality-adjusted life years.
The scientific discussions throughout the meeting-from GLOBOCAN 2024 and cancer surveillance to prevention research, equity, and implementation-were truly inspiring. They reaffirmed the critical role IARC continues to play globally, particularly in supporting LMICs to translate science into action.
My sincere thanks and deep appreciation go to Dr Elisabete Weiderpass, Valerie McCormack, Partha Basu, Clement Chauvet, and all colleagues at IARC, as well as the Scientific Council and organizing teams, for their exceptional leadership, dedication, and hard work. Your commitment made this anniversary not only scientifically outstanding, but truly memorable and meaningful.”
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