The Global Fight Against Cancer

Championing the Fight Against Cervical Cancer

Ann McMikel, Vice President, Global Partnerships and Policy, American Cancer Society

Despite the fact that cervical cancer is preventable and treatable, every two minutes a woman dies of cervical cancer around the world. Close to one in 26 women will develop cervical cancer in their lifetime, and one in 40 will die from the disease in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Atlas. It is critical that we close deadly gaps in cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment for women and girls by making this disease a top health and development priority for global leaders. This was the clarion call issued in July at the 9th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer in Africa Conference that was held in Nairobi, Kenya, which convened more than 20 African First Ladies and their high-level representatives around the theme of “Investing to Save Lives: The Role of Public-Private Sector Partnerships.”

I have often traveled to Africa, a region that is battling the double burden of communicable diseases like HIV, tuberculosis and malaria and noncommunicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but never before have I witnessed the sense of urgency to combat Africa’s growing cancer threat for women. President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta presided over the conference program and shared their personal commitment to reducing the cancer toll on their country and region by strengthening policies, reducing stigma and advocating for increased funding. The conference brought together more than 4,000 delegates, including First Ladies, Parliamentarians, Ministers of Health, health professionals, NGOs, survivors and the corporate sector.

The president expressed his strong commitment for cancer control, including plans to open four regional cancer centers and a strong National Cancer Institute presence. He spoke of Africa’s unprecedented opportunity to leverage the public health gains and significant human and financial investments in the war against HIV/AIDS by ensuring that women’s cancers do not undermine the region’s forward economic progress and bright future for women and girls. The First Lady, who has a reputation of being humble, gracious and community-driven, spoke of the Beyond Zero campaign she leads, which focuses on providing maternal health services via mobile clinics. She recently integrated cervical cancer screening into the campaign’s offerings and pledged to address cancer stigma and making access to cervical cancer prevention and screening a major focus of her platform. The Beyond Zero campaign has reached more than 30 counties and was recently recognized by the United Nations.

The First Lady is a powerful role model who champions the fight against cancer. The Society is committed to supporting this special kind of leadership and we were proud to pilot a special pre-conference Cancer Champions training program for the offices of First Ladies in conjunction with this conference. The training provided evidence-based information and advocacy tools for cancer campaigns and messaging opportunities.  More than 80 technical advisors and media assistants from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, and Rwanda as well as our partners participated in the two-day training. Our speakers and partners included WHO, IAEA, Merck, Harvard, CITED, Roche and staff from the Kenya Health Ministry and Office of the First Lady. The key issues that were discussed and addressed were stigma, resource mobilization, framing messages, grassroots engagement, patient empowerment, and targeted advocacy opportunities around the post 2015 development agenda.  We captured poignant video footage from participants who briefly shared why they are cancer champions. During the training, one of the survivors, who lives with HIV, bravely shared that when she got diagnosed with cervical cancer, she thought it was a death sentence and she contemplated suicide. She feared that she would be rejected by her husband and ostracized by her community. She somehow marshalled the strength and resources to seek treatment and today is committed to sharing her story in the hope that she can make a difference in reducing the stigma of this disease.   

It is stories like hers that serve as powerful reminders that we must raise our collective voices around the world to demand accelerated access to the public health programs that we know can finish the fight against cervical cancer, including the HPV vaccine along with cost-effective screening and treatment services. Let’s spare our sisters, mothers, wives, and loved ones in developing nations like those in Africa from succumbing to this disease which can be conquered.

KENCASA at First Ladies Officers training at 9th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer in Africa Conference.

Meet The Targets: Grantee Profile - Mathiwos Wondu-YeEthiopia Cancer Society

Through our Meet The Targets grants-based program, the American Cancer Society supports national advocacy efforts to include NCD targets and indicators in government policies to help with addressing the cancer burden in developing countries.

MWECS was established in 2004 as a nongovernmental (NGO) and nonprofit organization dedicated to the national control of cancer. The society began its quest by focusing on pediatric cancer and has now started working on women’s cancers.

Cancer in Ethiopia: In 2008, four percent of deaths in Ethiopia were due to cancers (World Health Organization (WHO), 2010). There were an estimated 60,749 cancer cases in 2012, 19,654 male and 41,095 female (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2013). 

Under the American Cancer Society Meet the Target grant, MWECS and its partners have helped to create an environment conducive to the implementation of the UN Political Declaration on NCDs by engaging members of parliament, policy professionals, and journalists. A few years ago, NCDs were not even in the top 20 health priorities of Ethiopia. Now, the government of Ethiopia lists NCDs as one of its top three health priorities. As a result, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has established an NCD unit with five staff members, and the WHO Ethiopia Office has recruited a full-time professional.

Advocacy work is being conducted at the highest level.  For example, World Cancer Day 2014 was commemorated by the prime minister’s office and led by the First lady of Ethiopia, Her Excellency Mrs. Roman Tesfaye, who formed a National Cancer Control Committee. In May 2014, FMoH and the First Lady briefed the parliamentarians on how to prevent and control cancer. At the end of the briefing, the parliamentarians agreed to contribute their fair share to challenge the growing cancer burden in Ethiopia.

MWECS has invited national stakeholders including government, academia, researchers, NGOs, health professionals, donors, and others to a series of meetings to translate the UN Political Declaration on NCDs into reality. A major consultative workshop took place in 2013 with the goal of introducing the political declaration to more than 71 national stakeholders.

MWECS conducted a media blitz to educate the population on the threat of NCDs. It published five articles in major national newspapers. Also, one of the founders and general manager, Wondu Bekele, went on a media tour, appearing on local radio and TV. He gave a live, two-hour radio interview and also appeared on Diaspora TV, Ethiopian Broadcasting Service, broadcast from Washington, DC.

The process of developing a national program to prevent and control cancer has begun. In June 2014, Wondu Bekele and two FMoH officials attended a training program in Zambia on cancer control planning at which the Ethiopia country team agreed to develop a national cancer control plan soon.

MWECS has greatly stepped up its collaboration as a way of pushing NCDs higher on the agenda of civil society:

• It participates in the Consortium of Christian Relief & Development Associations, the largest gathering of civil society organizations in Ethiopia.
• It is one of the founding members and executive committee member of the Ethiopian Civil Society Health Forum, which consists of 134 health NGOs and is still growing.
• It is strengthening the new Consortium of Ethiopian NCD Associations and is in the process of forming a Consortium of Ethiopian Cancer Associations.

The work of MWECS is contributing to the WHO Global Monitoring Framework goal of a 25 percent reduction in risk of premature mortality from cancer. Wondu Bekele was selected by the Union for

International Cancer Control as one of two leaders to represent Africa at the African regional meeting held during the World Cancer Congress in Melbourne, Australia, in December 2014.

“Although we can’t change all NCD-related problems in Ethiopia in a short period of time, thanks to our Meet the Targets grant, we are able to change something today,” said Wondu Bekele. “Our partnership with our government and NGOs has helped change dramatically the socio-political environment for preventing and controlling NCDs.”

French version of 'The Cancer Atlas, Second Edition,' launches in Ivory Coast

 

The French language version of The Cancer Atlas, Second Edition, was launched at a ceremony in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on April 10. The Atlas, published by the American Cancer Society, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), provides a comprehensive global overview of information about the burden of cancer, associated risk factors, methods of prevention and measures of control. In addition to the print version of the publication, a companion website offers interactive maps and infographics to further explore the Atlas data.

The launch event for the French language version of The Cancer Atlas took place during the Fourth Meeting of the Alliance of African and Mediterranean French Speaking Leagues (ALIAM), in the presence of representatives from 23 francophone countries. Joannie Lortet-Tieulent, senior epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, joined other global health leaders for the launch, including Madame Dr. Raymonde Goudou Coffie, Minister of Health and Fight against AIDS of the Ivory Coast, Professor Serigne Magueye Gueye, President of ALIAM, and representatives from the UICC and French League Against Cancer.

During the event, Ms. Lortet-Tieulent gave a presentation on cancer trends in Africa. The presentation showed how the cancer burden in Africa will continue to grow and  why preventive and treatment measures are to be taken now throughout the continent.

The launch was covered by local print and radio media outlets.  A local radio station broadcast a recording of the launch the following day, and an article on the launch appeared in a journal published in Ivory Coast.

Ms. Lortet-Tieulent received enthusiastic feedback from launch participants for the availability of the French version of The Cancer Atlas. They explained that it was important for them to have the information available in French because English can be an obstacle for them in accessing the information.

The French version (and Spanish version) of The Cancer Atlas, Second Edition, can be downloaded at http://canceratlas.cancer.org/more-languages. For more information on the Atlas in print and online, visit http://canceratlas.cancer.org.

 

Meet The Targets: Grantee Profile - Healthy Caribbean Coalition

Through our Meet The Targets grants-based program, the American Cancer Society supports national advocacy efforts to include NCD targets and indicators in government policies to help with addressing the cancer burden in developing countries.

The Caribbean: Launching a Revolution Against Cervical Cancer

A trained outreach worker in the Cayman Islands promotes the cervical cancer petition.

Cancer in the Caribbean: The Caribbean region sees 91,000 new cancer cases and 53,200 cancer deaths every year (GLOBOCAN 2012). The Caribbean is among the four highest sub-regions in the world with respect to incidence of cervical cancer (Strategic Plan of Action for the Prevention and Control of NCDs for countries of the Caribbean Community 2011-2015, CARICOM).

Under the American Cancer Society’s Meet the Targets grant, HCC developed a Civil Society Strategic Plan of Action for Prevention & Control of NCDs for Countries of the Caribbean Community 2012-2016 with four strategic approaches — building capacity, advocacy, enhancing communication, and promoting mobile health and electronic health. This plan guides all of HCC’s work during the 2012-2016 period. A logframe in the plan is the basis for the annual work planning exercises and, so far, HCC is on track to meet the targets laid out in that logframe.

In March 2013, HCC conducted an advocacy workshop for 21 Caribbean cancer societies that resulted in the formation of the Caribbean Cancer Alliance (CCA) and the development of a CCA Facebook group to allow for real-time communication between members. This is a prime example of harnessing social media to advocate for health. HCC also developed advocacy plans, an advocacy handbook, and a social media guide for civil society.

Emerging from the 2013 meeting, the HCC, supported by the CCA, implemented a Caribbean cervical cancer awareness and advocacy campaign called End Cervical Cancer Now, which called on the heads of Caribbean governments to increase women’s access to affordable cervical cancer screening. A petition was launched with a video and a Facebook page on June 11, 2013, which as of September 2014 had more than 13,000 signatures, including the prime ministers of Jamaica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The End Cervical Cancer Now campaign attracted global attention during the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York in 2013 when the Pan-American Health Organization highlighted the campaign and how it has spurred Caribbean governments to take action. HCC used the international Globe-athon, a walk to end women’s cancer, as a platform to promote the campaign.

The coalition’s work under this grant supports the World Health Organization Global Monitoring Framework on NCDs and its recommendation that women between the ages of 30 and 49 be screened for cervical cancer at least once. The grant fosters an approach in which all the key stakeholders are involved, and in which donors support government-led strategies for a collective approach to the fight against NCDs. 

HCC says the success of the Meet the Targets initiative led to a grant from the Australian Direct Aid Program in support of cervical cancer capacity building in five Caribbean cancer societies. The grant was successful and resulted in the screening of almost 2,000 Caribbean women, including vulnerable women in indigenous populations who live in extreme poverty.

The organization’s achievements in the area of cervical cancer advocacy and service provision were featured during a side event at the 2014 United Nations NCD Review. “The HCC has been able to use this relatively small grant as the catalyst to create significant impact and add tremendous value to the cervical cancer advocacy movement in the Caribbean,” said Professor Trevor Hassell, president of HCC.

American Cancer Society is a Leader at World Conference on Tobacco or Health

On March 17-21, the American Cancer Society participated in the World Conference on Tobacco or Health, a triennial conference serving as a platform for discourse and advocacy, as well as a learning and sharing opportunity for organizations around the world. The conference theme of “Tobacco and Non-Communicable Diseases” highlighted the fact that tobacco use is the most alarming risk factor for diseases, causing millions of deaths every year and contributing to the enormous burden of noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, all over the world.

Luther L. Terry Awards

The American Cancer Society hosted several activities at the conference. The Luther L. Terry Awards Ceremony recognized outstanding global achievement in the field of tobacco control, in six categories: outstanding individual leadership, outstanding organization, outstanding research contribution, exemplary leadership by a government ministry, distinguished career, and outstanding community service.

The awards are named for the late United States Surgeon General Luther L. Terry, MD, who led the landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s report that connected tobacco use to lung cancer and other illnesses. The awards are presented triennially – the initial awards were presented during the 2000 World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Chicago.

Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, from the United States - Distinguished Career award. The United Kingdom Department of Health’s Tobacco Program - Exemplary Leadership by a Government Ministry. Eduardo Bianco, MD, from Uruguay - Outstanding Individual Leadership. The Smoke Free Partnership, in Belgium -  Outstanding Organization award.Ÿ Geoffrey Fong, PhD, from Canada and Frank Chaloupka, PhD, from the United States - Outstanding Research Contribution. Patti White, from the United Kingdom, and Tariana Turia, from New Zealand - Outstanding Community Service.

 

The Tobacco Atlas, Fifth Edition

Additionally, the American Cancer Society, in collaboration with the World Lung Foundation, hosted a press conference to launch The Tobacco Atlas, Fifth Edition, the most comprehensive, informative, and accessible resource on important and current issues in the evolving tobacco epidemic. The new edition tackles some of the field’s most pressing issues including tobacco’s role in noncommunicable diseases, genderinequality, environmental devastation, and the rapidly growing use of e-cigarettes and waterpipes. Moreover, the Atlas presents solutions and illustrates how governments’ relatively small investments in tobacco control reap enormous rewards for societies. For the first time, the Atlas has an exciting companion website, tobaccoatlas.org, which provides new and timely content and resources.

 

American Cancer Society to Recognize International Tobacco Control Leaders at World Conference on Tobacco or Health

Eight Leaders to Receive Distinguished 2015 Luther L. Terry Awards

The American Cancer Society announces the recipients of the 2015 Luther L. Terry Awards for Exemplary Leadership in Tobacco Control.

The Luther L. Terry Award recognizes outstanding global achievement in the field of tobacco control in six categories: outstanding individual leadership, outstanding organization, outstanding research contribution, exemplary leadership by a government ministry, distinguished career, and outstanding community service.

The awards will be presented during a special evening ceremony on Thursday, March 19, in Abu Dhabi, as part of the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. The awardees are:      

Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, from the United States will receive the Distinguished Career award.

The United Kingdom Department of Health’s Tobacco Program will receive the award for Exemplary Leadership by a Government Ministry.

Eduardo Bianco, MD, from Uruguay will receive the award for Outstanding Individual Leadership.

The Smoke Free Partnership, located in Belgium, will receive the Outstanding Organization award.

Geoffrey Fong, PhD, from Canada and Frank Chaloupka, PhD, from the United States will receive awards for Outstanding Research Contribution.

Patti White, from the United Kingdom, and Tariana Turia, from New Zealand will receive awards for Outstanding Community Service.

“Tobacco-related diseases are the most preventable cause of death worldwide, responsible for the deaths of approximately half of all long-term tobacco users,” said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. “We are pleased to recognize these exemplary individuals and organizations who carry on the noble and incredibly important work of ending the deadly spread of tobacco around the globe.”

The awards are named for the late United States Surgeon General Luther L. Terry, M.D., who led the landmark 1964 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, which identified tobacco use as a cause of lung cancer and other illnesses. This report, coupled with the UK Royal College of Physicians Report in 1962, marked a turning point in addressing the global threat of tobacco use and disease, and has ushered in an era in which smoke-free environments, higher tobacco taxes, more tobacco dependence treatment, severe restrictions on tobacco advertising, and even graphic warning labels on tobacco packages are becoming more commonplace.

The award nominations were reviewed by an international selection committee of previous Luther L. Terry Award winners, including: Dileep G. Bal, MD, MS, MPH, United States; Beatriz M. Champagne, PhD, Mexico; Hatai Chitanondh, MD, FICS, FRCS, Thailand; Michael Cummings, PhD, MPH, United States; Stanton A. Glantz, PhD, United States; Professor Mike Daube, Australia; Deborah Arnott, MBA, United Kingdom; Martin Raw, PhD, United Kingdom, Yussuf Saloojee, PhD, South Africa; Prabhat Jha, MD, DPhil, Canada; Melanie Wakefield, PhD, Australia; Mira Aghi, PhD, India; and Stan Shatenstein, Canada.  The effort was chaired by Jacqui Drope, and Andrea Lancaster, MPH, as executive director.

Meet The Targets: Grantee Profile

Through our Meet The Targets grants-based program, the American Cancer Society supports national advocacy efforts to include NCD targets and indicators in government policies to help with addressing the cancer burden in developing countries.

Brazil: Successful Campaign for Implementation of Anti-tobacco Law

ACT (Tobacco Control Alliance, in English) is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) focused on reducing the health, social, environmental, and economic impact generated by the production and consumption of tobacco products and the exposure to tobacco smoke. It is composed of NGOs, medical associations, scientific communities, and activists. The Alliance has emerged as the strongest NGO working in tobacco control in Brazil.

Cancer in Brazil: Almost 22 percent of the male population smoked in 2009, and 15 percent of male deaths and 6 percent of female deaths can be attributed to tobacco, according to The Tobacco Atlas Fourth Edition, a publication of the American Cancer Society and the World Lung Foundation. Lung cancer is the second most frequent cancer among men, and Brazil has 437,600 new cancer cases each year (GLOBOCAN 2012).

After strong advocacy work by tobacco control proponents, including ACT, President Dilma Rousseff signed tough anti-tobacco measures into law in 2011. The law called for higher taxes, smoke-free places, advertising restrictions, and stronger warning labels. However, government did not initially issue the decree for the implementation of the law, so it did not go into effect right away.

In 2012, ACT received a two-year American Cancer Society Meet the Targets grant to advocate for regulation, implementation, and enforcement of the new federal legislation in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

It took another year and a half of intense efforts by a civil society coalition pressuring government, generating media coverage, and running online petitions before the government finally issued the decree on May 31, 2014. This was a major victory for anti-tobacco forces in Brazil, and it would not have happened without the strong role played by civil society, including ACT. This was a major victory for anti-tobacco forces in Brazil, and it would not have happened without the strong role played by civil society, including ACT.

ACT was able to work with its partners to achieve an increase in tobacco taxes, establish a minimum price for cigarettes, and have the price posted at the point of sale. The annual tax increases scheduled through 2015 have been successful both in terms of a decrease in consumption and an increase in tax revenue. Also, contrary to industry claims, there was no increase in the size of the illicit market. For the ­first time in many years in Brazil, consumption among low-income populations has decreased more than among high-income groups.  

Critical to the Brazil success was ACT’s increased use of media advocacy to increase public awareness, placing articles in the mass media, developing and disseminating campaign materials, running social media campaigns, and conducting a petition. For example, ACT launched an online petition campaign on change.org that produced almost 25,000 signatures. The petition was delivered to the government in December 2013 to mark the “unbirthday” of the unregulated law. This helped put pressure on the government to act.

ACT supports the WHO Global Monitoring Framework on NCDs, which includes a voluntary target of a 30 percent reduction in prevalence of current tobacco use in people aged 15 and older by 2025.

“Although the successes of the tobacco control measures are responsible for a reduction of the NCD burden, we need to implement further the remaining effective measures and apply the lessons learned with tobacco control to other areas,” said Paula Johns, executive director of ACT.

Anti-tobacco demonstrators in 2013, in front of Civil House in Brasilia, ask for implementation of the national Tobacco Control Law.

At home or across the globe, learn how you can fight back against cancer!

Thanks in part to the lifesaving work of the American Cancer Society efforts, we’re making tremendous progress against cancer here in the U.S. Unfortunately, the world’s most vulnerable people – those living in low- and middle-income countries – aren't benefiting
from those advances.

On World Cancer Day on February 4, the Society will join with cancer advocates around the globe in an effort to highlight solutions and explore how we can implement proven strategies that will help us prevent cancer, save lives, diminish suffering, and fight back against the worldwide cancer pandemic.

There are several ways you can join this global movement:

• Share the news. The Empire State Building is lighting up on Feb. 3 in honor of World Cancer Day. Be sure to share the American Cancer Society’s photo on Facebook. If you live in the New York/New Jersey metro area, take a photo and share it on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag ##WorldCancerDay.

• Learn more at a World Cancer Day panel. From 10 to 11:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, I will take part in a World Cancer Day roundtable discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. I’ll be joined by Nobel Prize winner Harold Varmus, director of the National Cancer Institute, to discuss actionable strategies for fighting cancer around the globe. Visit www.smartglobalhealth.org/live to watch.

• Tune in to the webcast. On Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. ET, we’re hosting a webcast for all staff that will provide an overview of World Cancer Day, offer details on the PBS documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, and outline the structure of the Twitter chat. Go to www.cancer.org/worldcancerday to watch.

• Join our Twitter chat. During and after the webcast, until 2 p.m. ET, Dr. Otis Brawley and I will be on Twitter to answer questions about the global fight against cancer. We’ll be joined by special guest Barak Goodman, director of Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, and Dr. William Nelson from the American Association of Cancer Research. You can participate by using the hashtags #FightWorldCancer and #CancerFilm.

We know we won’t truly finish the fight against cancer until everyone, everywhere is benefiting from the progress we’re making. The good news is, we know how to make progress – we've done it here in the U.S. The solutions are within our reach.

I hope you’ll join us around the globe to raise the profile of cancer and help make this century cancer’s last. Because where you live shouldn't determine if you live.

 

Ambassador Sally Cowal - Senior Vice-President, Global Health

 

 

American Cancer Society Announces Global Relay For Life® Heroes of Hope

Today, the Relay For Life movement is the largest and most successful community fundraising activity in the world, and that is thanks in no small part to every single one of the more than 4 million participants who join us around the track each year. Survivors and caregivers around the world come together every year to spread the message of hope – a message that can be understood in any language. It is hope that brings strength and courage to survivors, knowing they are not alone in the cancer journey and that one day, together, we will finish the fight against cancer once and for all!

A highly visible symbol of a personal victory over cancer, the Global Relay For Life Heroes of Hope and their stories encourage support of and participation in the programs of each global cancer organization.

More than simply inspiring us, cancer survivors and caregivers reaffirm the missions of our organizations and reinforce, in a personal way, the need for all of us to continue to fight back against cancer. The Global Relay For Life Heroes of Hope survivorship initiative involves the selection of Heroes of Hope from Global Relay For Life participating countries.

The initiative has three primary goals:

• Give each Global Relay For Life member country an opportunity to recognize one or more cancer survivors who have impacted their community.

• Give one or more cancer survivors the opportunity to serve as a voice for their country’s cancer organization.

• Encourage other cancer survivors to actively share their own cancer story and give hope to others.

Heroes of Hope are extraordinary cancer survivors who represent courageous voices of hope. In telling their stories, they will encourage others to support their cancer organization and to get involved in Relay For Life events. As ambassadors of their countries’ cancer organizations, these Heroes of Hope will inspire other survivors and expand the whole world of cancer survivorship.

Congratulations to our 2015 Global Relay For Life Heroes of Hope!

AUSTRALIA

• James Garlick

• Junette Harris

• Rob Stanley-Jones

 

BELGIUM

• Viviane Vantournhoudt

 

CANADA

• Paul Cescon

• Nicole Lang

 

DENMARK

• Trine Lützen

 

HONDURAS

• Cesar Manzanares

• Marielena Martinez

 

IRELAND

• Noelle Clancy

• Siubhan Gillespie

• Yvonne Jones

 

JAMAICA

• O’Dell Lewis

 

JAPAN

• Kiyoko Karasawa

• Shinichi Nakamura

• Makiko Suzuki

 

MALAYSIA

• Lena Abdullah

 

PHILIPPINES

• Maria Teresa Baniquet

 

SOUTH AFRICA

• Cheryl de Wit

• Charl Pretorius

• Yoliswa Fatima Sherazi

• Nellie Snyman

 

THE NETHERLANDS

• Mirelle Jacobs

• Petra Otten

 

UNITED KINGDOM

• Lauren Brown

 

UNITED STATES

• Glen Brooks

• Cynthia Dickson

• Ronnie Trentham

• Julie Turner

 

ZAMBIA

• Rebecca Siambwati

Dr. Seffrin and leaders in the Americas show political commitment to change the history of women's cancer at UN

Each September in New York City, the world gathers at the United Nations Headquarters for a most unique global event. The UN General Assembly convenes 193 of the world’s leaders to deliberate important questions such as peace and security. This year, the American Cancer Society, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and other regional partners from the Americas, took advantage of this gathering to highlight an important issue for all of humanity: women’s cancers. We did so by inviting first ladies and other prominent global health leaders to the UN Headquarters to speak on this issue. Against the backdrop of the East River, the first ladies of Belize Honduras, gave impassioned personal testimony on the issue, along with a call to action.

For several years now, the Society has been engaged in a regional partnership with a multi-sector coalition of government agencies, corporations, and other nongovernment organizations to raise awareness of women’s cancers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Women´s cancers have a devastating personal, social, and economic impact on families and societies in our hemisphere. Breast and cervical cancers are the most common among women, with every year bringing 490,000 new cases and 128,000 deaths in the Americas.

Too often, women receive these diagnoses in the prime of their lives, while caring for their families and participating in the labor force. Many of these cancers, especially cervical cancer, can be prevented, or more successfully treated, if detected early.

In addition, social determinants such as poverty, low education, or ethnicity make some populations more vulnerable and lead to a disproportionate burden of cancer on women. Because of inequality of access to health services, this is true even in countries with high incomes.

However, positive news is stemming from our regional partnership. Some remarkable examples in the Americas demonstrate how to improve the prevention and control of cancer. Currently, more than 80% of adolescents in the Americas have free access to the HPV vaccine. This is because 20 countries include the HPV vaccine as part of immunization plans to protect girls from developing cervical cancer in the future. All countries have screening services for this type of cancer, and five  of them have started using HPV testing as a more effective method.

Civil society engagement and governmental cooperation serve to improve the prevention and control of women’s cancers and the elimination of inequities regarding access to health services. Continued improvement requires a major commitment to strengthening health policies, financing comprehensive plans and programs that prevent cancer, and the support of society to further empower women. This was the message at the event by Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society, and Dr. Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization.

 Among the highlights of the event:

• The first ladies of Belize and Honduras called for mobilizing all of society in the fight against women’s cancer. It’s not just a women’s issue.
• The authorities of Brazil, Jamaica, and Peru presented their advances in designing and implementing policies for comprehensive care of women’s cancers in their respective countries.
• PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne stated that universal health coverage can provide the necessary conditions to improve cancer prevention and control, and give people equal access to comprehensive and quality services throughout their life course without financial hardship. "No woman should become impoverished as a result of a cancer diagnosis," she said.

Dr. Seffrin closed with this: “The ultimate conquest of cancer is as much a public policy issue as it is a scientific and medical challenge, and civil society must be at the decision-making table to ensure that community needs and patient voices are appropriately represented. We know how to save more lives – right now. We simply have to come together to implement proven strategies and find new ways to break down barriers that hinder our progress.” 

Carolina Herrera Puts On a Pink Smile for Breast Cancer Awareness

 

The Global Health department of the American Cancer Society and Antonio Puig, SA (the parent company of the Carolina Herrera brand) have collaborated since 2008 to provide breast cancer support activities in various countries in Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Nicaragua).  These funds have been used to support broad capacity building activities of civil society cancer organizations as well as to provide small grants to organizations to implement programs focused on patient navigation, breast cancer education, and breast cancer screening promotion.  In addition, Mrs. Herrera was honored by the American Cancer Society as their 2006 Mother of the Year for her continued efforts and commitment to the fight against cancer.

In 2014, the Society and the Carolina Herrera brand together made a commitment to expand their patient support endeavors in the coming years across Latin America by developing and promoting programs that will provide emotional support, promote positivity, involve the family, and increase humanity around the breast cancer experience. And ideally their work will eventually touch other countries worldwide.

“Though the cultural and environmental context in which women across Latin America are facing breast cancer may be different from women in the US, the need for targeted emotional support is not,” said Kristie McComb, Global Capacity Development Director for ACS.  “Sadly, women across Latin America face ever greater barriers to care and well-being due to societal stigma around cancer. Cancer is often perceived as a death sentence and as such, a culture of silence prevents patients from receiving the support they need.”

The Society, which has more than 45 years of experience providing emotional support for women facing breast cancer, is able to provide supervision and expertise to organizations helping women throughout Latin America.

This year, under the slogan “Support with a Smile”, the Carolina Herrera brand has created the Pink Smile icon, a symbol of emotional support for women with breast cancer. CHPink is Carolina Herrera’s official campaign to fight against breast cancer. Carolina Herrera de Baez, the Creative Director of Fragrances and the driving force behind this project, has been giving emotional support to breast cancer patients with the Support with a Smile campaign and fundraising activities for more than 5 years.

The aim of the 2014 campaign is to highlight the importance of a smile, an alternative way of facing the disease, to offer the strength and emotional support that patients and their families really need. By downloading the CHPink Smile app free of charge, people will be able to share their Pink Smile with all their circles of contacts on social networks, getting the message to as many people as possible. Once they have downloaded the app, users can take a selfie, either on their own or in company, add a Pink Smile and share their photo on social networks with the hashtag #chpinksmile. Moreover, they can also use the app to make a donation to help associations working with the American Cancer Society to support women fighting breast cancer in Latin America.  The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and is the main tool to be used in raising funds for the cause. The idea is to share this collective smile via as many downloads as possible, in order to show breast cancer patients that there are a great many people worldwide that support them and stand with them in their fight.

The Fight against Tobacco Continues

By Sharryl Spence, youth tobacco control advocate, Jamaica Cancer Society

From birth, I have had the esteemed privilege of being raised in Jamaica, a small Caribbean nation with a strong global presence. Each year, millions of tourists from around the world  flock to the home of reggae icon Bob Marley and sprint legend Usain Bolt to revel in the warm climate, visit the spectacular white sandy beaches, rock to our vibrant music or to partake in our sumptuous cuisine. However the pervading fallacy, “Jamaica? No problem man!” has unfortunately masked the unrelenting struggles faced by locals, in particular the chronic abuse of tobacco-related products by our youths. The reality is 1 in every 23 in-school adolescents smoke (Jamaica’s National Council on Drug Abuse, Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2010) as a result of unrestricted access to the products which are carelessly sold to minors.

In the very same year of the survey, the Jamaican Cancer Society collaborated with Ms. Kathryn Stewart, who served as my sixth form (equivalent to a grades 11-12 cf. American high school) supervisor at my alma mater, Campion College. Under her guidance, a committee of five students and I staged the inaugural local version of the American Kick Butts Day, a day reserved for youth advocacy against tobacco smoking using creative props and activities to inform the public about the dangers associated with the habit.

The event was a remarkable success. Three anti-smoking petitions addressing the need for laws: (i) prohibiting smoking in communal areas (ii) increasing the circulation of graphic warnings and (iii) enforcing protective tobacco control measures – were drafted with each having over 400 signatures. Owing to the work we had done as well as the strides made by stalwarts in the fight, the Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson, announced the ban on smoking in public places in Jamaica on July 15, 2013, a date forever etched in my mind.

Even though I am currently attending the region’s premier tertiary institution, The University of the West Indies, the ardour to be a part of the movement for change is perpetual. Subsequently, I unreservedly accepted an invitation from the Jamaica Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society to be a speaker at the NCD Child 2014 Conference.

In March, I made the journey along with other delegates from my country to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where I addressed and sought to inform multinational health organizations about the triumphs and mounting challenges we face as young individuals living in the developing world, which is the principal target of tobacco companies desiring to replace consumers dying from the habit. I returned home more enriched and empowered after listening to noteworthy speeches delivered by the different speakers. Additionally, the conference permitted me to forge friendships with the multiplicity of individuals who, like me, seek to revolutionize the approach taken to eliminate noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Despite the highlights of progress being made, it was quite sobering to learn that the incidence of NCDs is projected to rise drastically over time. Despite the commendable work done, the onus now falls on us to be our brother’s keeper and to articulate on behalf of persons whose voices have been muted. I am not daunted by the work ahead. Instead, I now search for innovative ways to disseminate the facts which are often repressed by executives of tobacco companies.

I encourage you to get proactive and join us in the fight against tobacco and other causes of NCDs! Alone we can do so little but together we can do so much. Please get involved, be a part of the change you wish to see in the world around you. Your voice counts!

A New Hope: Relay For Life in Kenya

Iris Pendegrast, Managing Director, Global Relay For Life

In early March, I visited Kenya with several staff members from the American Cancer Society Global Health department and a Society volunteer to determine how the American Cancer Society can best support cancer treatment and prevention efforts in this country.  As part of this trip, we trained volunteers for the country’s first Relay For Life, which will be hosted by KENCASA (Kenya Cancer Association) in June 2014.  

The cancer situation in Kenya is pretty bleak for patients without financial means.  In a country of 40 million, 60% make less than $2 per day. Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Kenya –after infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease. The leading cancers in Kenya are cervical and breast cancer for women and prostate and esophagus for men. Over 80% of cancer cases in Kenya present late and 80% come from the rural areas. Currently, the Kenyatta National Hospital, the only public hospital that treats cancer patients, has an extreme backlog and isn’t scheduling appointments for newly diagnosed patients who need radiation until February 2015.

We met with several organizations and key stakeholders during our visit who explained that late presentation and management of cancer is due to multiple factors:
- Lack of awareness
- Inadequate diagnostic facilities
- Lack of treatment facilities
- High cost of treatment – the public hospital charges for treatment
- High poverty index

We heard throughout the trip about the lack of a facility for patients to stay if they were lucky enough to actually get an appointment for treatment in Nairobi.  We had the chance to meet with the executive leadership of the private hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, and they gave us a tour.  It is indeed a fine hospital, in stark contrast to the public hospital where they have one used radiation machine and patients may have to wait a year or more for radiation. 

It is at this crossroads between the cancer science, treatment, and fundraising where our Global Relay For Life fits. The mission for Relay For Life through KENCASA is to fund the treatment of at least 30 patients in each of the 54 counties across the country.  These are people that currently have no resources, no transportation to Nairobi hospitals, and nowhere to stay when they get to the city. It is the sincere hope of the American Cancer Society Global Health Department that in partnership with Global Relay For Life, KENCASA will begin to generate the funds required to provide the basic resources needed in this growing country. 

While there, we hosted a reception to officially kick off Relay For Life in Kenya, and we had over a 100 VIPs attend.  Among them was the Chairman of KCB bank, who not only publicly stated the bank's support of Relay by committing multiple teams, but they also made a commitment of 250,000 Kenyan shillings (about $3,000). 

The highlight for the Relay team was the Relay For Life training.  Laura McCormick, ACS Global Relay For Life volunteer from the New England Division, did an outstanding job showcasing the importance of the volunteer role in Relay, and the Kenyan volunteers connected with her as a role model instantly. Ann McMikel, Vice President of Global Partnerships and Planning, and Jacqui Drope, Managing Director of Global Cancer Prevention, shared our collective global planning and how to leverage the goals and partners of both organizations in the global fight against cancer. We had the opportunity to meet with the Kenyan Relay leadership committee and helped prepare them for the all-day training.  The training was originally was planned for 35 people, but in fact 180 people attended! Many had traveled over 300 km to get there and they were one of the most engaged groups in my history with our Global Relay For Life program.

It is evident that Relay For Life is going to make an incredible difference in Kenya, and it is definitely going to give a voice to the people in most need.  I believe that the volunteers that attended our training will make the difference and they will do it quickly.  They were very verbal about the plight of cancer patients and one after one pledged their commitment to make Relay For Life a success in their country.  Relay will bring much needed education to debunk the myths surrounding cancer in the rural counties, it will provide critical prevention information, and it will bring much needed funds to help 1,470 Kenyans get the treatment they need. Above all, Relay will mobilize these communities, which will in turn force policy change at the highest level - the only way the cancer landscape will change over the long-term.

 

One of the highlights of the week was meeting with the Governor of Nairobi, Dr.Evans Kidero, who lost his wife a few years ago to cervical cancer.

 

 

Luminaria Ceremony training with Relay For Life of Kenya volunteers.

NY Giants Player Mathias Kiwanuka "Treats the Pain" in Uganda in New Documentary

By Jenna Kohnke, Program Manager, Treat the Pain

Each year, February 4, World Cancer Day is an opportunity to increase awareness and knowledge about the global burden of cancer and dismiss misunderstandings about the disease. Around the world, there are several myths about cancer, including the belief that cancer patients in resource-limited settings are less sensitive to cancer-related pain than patients in high-income countries. This misguided perception often keeps patients from receiving palliative care or treatment for pain related to their illness.  
I work for Treat the Pain, a program of the American Cancer Society that works to expand access to essential pain medicines in low and middle-income countries. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet up with New York Giants defensive end, Mathias Kiwanuka, to show him what we’re doing for cancer patients in Uganda. We were joined by Mathias’ wife Tessa and his mother Deodata and also by filmmakers Casey Neistat and Oscar Boyson who created a short film about the trip.
Mathias’ paternal grandfather, Benedicto Kiwanuka, served as Uganda’s first Prime Minister and first Chief Justice in the 1960s and 70s. Mathias was born and raised in the United States, but he still has family in Uganda.
Our first visit was to the Uganda Cancer Institute’s pediatric ward, where we visited with patients and their families, nurses, and clinicians. The New York Giants generously donated some Giants gear and we also brought along some toys, books and stickers for the children. Mathias took the time to read stories and take instant photos with the kids and their parents, which were a huge hit! He also got to see low-cost oral morphine is helping to relieve unnecessary suffering in the ward. We have been working with the government and a local hospice to improve access to this essential medicine and to make sure that children in pain receive appropriate treatment.
We also spent time with the staff at Hospice Africa Uganda and visited patients and families receiving -home visits. Mathias learned about the services that the hospice provides and the impact that pain relief has for the patients and families who receive it. He also had the opportunity to spend time with each of the patients and discuss their experiences.
On our final day together, Mathias took us to Konge, where his mother grew up. Mathias recently funded the expansion of St. Joseph’s School and they were having a special ground-breaking ceremony. We were totally unprepared for the warm welcome that we received, which is featured at the beginning of our short film. The entire village came out to greet Mathias and his family, waving palms and chanting “Kiwi, Kiwi, Kiwanuka!”
This film highlights the problem of untreated pain and the important work that is being done to improve availability and create a world with less suffering. Narrated by Mr. Neistat, it focuses on Mathias’ experiences and impressions in Uganda while learning about access to pain relief and the Treat the Pain program.
To watch the film, click here. To learn more about this important work, you can visit the Treat the Pain website, www.TreatThePain.org.  

Launch of Cancer Survivors Forum in Japan

By Lauren S. Rosenthal, Global Health Program Manager, American Cancer Society

Cancer has been the leading cause of death in Japan for more than three decades. However, the mortality rate attributable to cancer is gradually decreasing thanks to medical advancements and various awareness raising initiatives. This makes it the ideal time to think about how we can create a society where cancer survivors can live life fully.

The American Cancer Society and Livestrong Foundation, along with the Health and Global Policy Institute in Tokyo, Japan, supported the implementation of the grass roots patient empowerment support campaign, “Over Cancer Together” (OCT). This Campaign is aimed at encouraging and training cancer survivors to talk about their own experiences. In this Campaign, “Cancer Survivor” includes anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer as well as family, friends and caregivers.

One of the highlights of this campaign was the launch of the Over Cancer Together Survivors Forum in Tokyo on December 7, 2013. This Forum helped bring visibility to cancer survivorship by empowering survivors to become cancer control advocates and to utilize their voices to engage in the policy making process. This Forum showcased a dynamic group of survivors, government representatives, medical experts, and community leaders who shared their experiences at this landmark event. The auditorium was filled with 180 guests and the event was live-streamed over Ustream.

The Over Cancer Together Survivors Forum was a wonderful success. Survivors shared their experiences and raised awareness among policymakers, healthcare providers, the media, and the general public about the challenges that cancer survivors face. The three main challenges raised by cancer survivors include: community around the survivor (family and work), concerns around treatment, side effects and life planning, and stigma in society. Common themes were access to accurate information and support, communication among survivors and the general public, and promotion of survivor's stories. The personal stories and experiences presented throughout the campaign culminate in a call to action where these key messages are carried forward to achieve positive change in Japan.

The OCT Campaign, which is based in Japan, aims to achieve a society in which all citizens, including cancer patients, know about, confront and don’t give in to cancer. This Campaign will be key in helping raise the profile of cancer in Japan and helping cancer survivors stand up to the stigma that faces them.

The American Cancer Society and Livestrong Foundation have been working collaboratively on this program since 2009, and have implemented similar trainings and have supported similar Campaigns and Forums in South Africa and Mexico.

Brazilian cancer advocates take fight to lawmakers on country’s first-ever “Lobby Day”

By Patty Avery, Indiana's first State Lead Ambassador from 2007-2010 for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). She currently serves as a member of the National Ambassador Team for ACS CAN.

Dozens of volunteers lined up for registration, trading stories of their trip to the nation’s capital and hugs for friends from around the country. Suitcases packed into a corner. A session that brought everyone up to date on the progress of a new law to increase funding that will help fight cancer. Time to practice the legislative ask. Small groups in matching shirts huddling in the hallway before their next legislative visit. And stories of positive conversations with staff and legislators.

Sounds like a Lobby Day in the United States, right?

Absolutamente right – Brazil’s first-ever national "Lobby Day" for a patient advocacy group.

For the last three years, the American Cancer Society’s Global Health team, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), has worked to build relationships with organizations that are working to fight cancer in Brazil and around the world. It was time to advance the fight through advocacy. FEMAMA, a coalition of 53 breast cancer organizations that serve one million women and their families, accepted the challenge of planning and carrying out a Brazilian Lobby Day and succeeded in equipping more than 120 survivors, volunteers, and organizational staff to take their message to their nation’s 502 federal representatives and senators in Brasilia, the nation’s capital.


FEMAMA cancer advocates gathered in Brasilia, with a banner calling on the government to increase funding to expand access to health care.


The Society’s Global Health staff, in collaboration with ACS CAN staff, worked with the FEMAMA team for more than a year to create the event. I was privileged to join them and the FEMAMA team on their training day and participate in some of their Lobby Day activities in Brasilia.

I’d lived in Brazil for more than eight years in the 1990s, but hadn’t been back to my adopted country for nearly a decade. As my flight broke through the clouds, I saw the red soil and deep green countryside that were once so familiar to me – and hoped my rusty Portuguese would be enough to help me serve and encourage the FEMAMA team and Lobby Day ambassadors.

I shouldn’t have worried. The instant I saw the matching Lobby Day shirts, the folders full of information on their ask and the planned activities, and overheard the excited conversations in the registration line, I knew I was going to be part of an event that any ACS CAN ambassador would recognize.

And like our ACS CAN volunteers, the women who made their way to Brasilia have been touched in some way by cancer. They work every day to prevent breast cancer and ensure that women have access to screening and treatment – and FEMAMA brought them together to take the fight to their elected officials.

Lobby Day kicked off under increasingly cloudy skies with an event on their equivalent of our National Mall in front of the Brazilian Congress. Volunteers shared their stories with the radio, TV, and print reporters who gathered, and just ahead of the rain, the group made its way to the congressional offices.

During the rest of that morning and early afternoon, the group divided into small teams and succeeded in visiting most of the representatives’ and senators’ offices. They met with staff, explaining their ask for dedicated funds in the federal budget to expand access to health care for the nation’s 200 million citizens. As they did, they told their stories of survivorship and caregiving, demonstrating the importance of these life-saving resources.

FEMAMA cancer advocates meeting with staff at a lawmaker's office.

The afternoon finished with a presentation hosted by a representative who left a career in nursing to run for office. She spoke of the progress Brazil has made in advancing cancer awareness, screening, and treatment. Throughout the meeting, nearly half a dozen representatives and senators came by to address the gathered volunteers.

The Lobby Day participants beamed as their legislators thanked them for inviting them to the event and shared their commitment to fighting cancer.

We finished the day with a celebration dinner and by asking the group to share their experiences at Brazil’s Capitol. I will never forget the words of one participant:

“I learned today that voting is just a small part of my responsibility as a citizen. I learned the importance of coming where our representatives are and taking the fight against cancer to them…”

And whether it’s in Washington, DC, a state capital, or in Brasilia, isn’t that what Lobby Day is all about? 

As a volunteer representing ACS CAN ambassadors, I’d shared in my talk that I will soon have a Brazilian grandson – and that I had joined their fight because I don’t want him to ever hear the words, “You have cancer" in any language.

As Lobby Day Brasiliero ended, I reflected on the passion, dedication, and sheer determination I’d seen in FEMAMA, its partners, and volunteers. I knew that I’d bring back with me a renewed passion for advocacy and a new hope that the amazing women I met will create a future with less cancer and more birthdays for Brazil – and for my grandchildren who will live there.

(More photos of the event can be found at:  http://www.femama.org.br/novo/fotos-detalhe.php?menu=fot&id=65)

 

Saving More Lives in Africa – We Have Time

By John R. Seffrin, PhD Chief Executive Officer, American Cancer Society

I’m gathered this week in Cape Town, South Africa, with more than 220 leaders in the global cancer fight. We’re talking a lot this week about what we can do to help move the cancer agenda forward. We’re talking about how we can intervene, based on proven practices. And we’re talking about how we can help make cancer a worldwide priority, before the disease needlessly kills more people around the globe.

But perhaps what’s most interesting about this important annual meeting is not what we’re discussing, but where we’re discussing it. This is the first-ever World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Africa, a continent that is poised to become the “future epicenter of the tobacco epidemic,” according to a new American Cancer Society report released last week. This unique publication for the first time combines African smoking rates, cigarette consumption, population projections, and economic forecasts into one report.

Based on this new analysis, we know the number of Africans who smoke could increase to a staggering 572 million by 2100, from 77 million today, unless we act now. Interestingly, this tobacco pandemic threatens an Africa that today has lower tobacco use rates than any other region in the world. But we’ve already seen tobacco consumption rise aggressively in Africa in the past two decades, as economies are growing rapidly, populations are increasing, and people are living longer.

Yet the great thing is, this is a problem we know how to stop. Tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of death worldwide, and we have the knowledge and know-how to significantly curb this problem in Africa and to save millions of lives, with tailored prevention and intervention policies.

We can help solve this problem before it spirals out of control, saving lives not just from cancer but from all chronic diseases. Tobacco use is the only risk factor common to all four of the main types of chronic disease, causing 1 in 6 deaths from noncommunicable disease.

I’m glad we’re meeting in Africa this week. Because we have time here to prevent so much needless suffering and death and we have growing momentum among key government and health care leaders. Africa is still in the early stages of the tobacco epidemic. If we can make tobacco control and the fight against chronic diseases a priority in Africa, we will see a very different continent in another 100 years than if we do not. With the right steps taken, the region could avoid 139 million premature deaths by 2100.

As world cancer leaders gather in Africa this week, I hope leaders across the region and around the world are paying attention. Because we have time. We know what to do. And together we can prevent needless suffering and save so many lives.

Strengthening Tobacco Control in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

By Thomas J. Glynn, PhD, Director, Cancer Science and Trends and Director, International Cancer Control, American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is participating this week in an important international workshop, 'Toward Strengthening Tobacco Dependence Treatment in the Eastern Mediterranean Region,' being held in Amman, Jordan. The Society is a co-sponsor of the Workshop, with the King Hussein Cancer Center, the Jordanian Ministry of Health, Global Bridges (a joint initiative of the Society and the Mayo Clinic), WHO-Geneva, and WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office. Thomas Glynn, PhD, Director, Cancer Science and Trends and Director, International Cancer of the American Cancer Society will be addressing the Workshop on a variety of issues, including cancer control advocacy, e-cigarettes, youth and young adult tobacco use, and combating the tobacco industry.
 
The goal of the workshop is twofold. First, to complete the development of a national tobacco dependence treatment guideline for Jordan, in keeping with its obligations as a signatory of the U.N. treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and to serve as a model for use by other countries in the region. And, second, to present the latest scientific data on tobacco control and treatment issues to representatives of more than 20 Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries, in order to provide them with the necessary information to establish or strengthen tobacco control programs in their countries. Tobacco control issues in the EMR are distinguished by exceptionally high prevalence rates of traditional cigarettes by males and extensive waterpipe/hookah use by both men and women.

HRH Princess Dina Mired delivers the keynote address

HRH Princess Dina Mired, Director General of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, gave the keynote address at the Workshop. Princess Dina Mired, an international cancer control advocate who has had a long-term collaboration with the Society, emphasized that we know what to do to reduce the terrible toll of tobacco use, but need the political will to take the necessary actions that can prevent the premature deaths of more than one billion people worldwide during this century.

Follow-up to the Workshop will include the formal endorsement of the national tobacco dependence guideline by the Jordanian Ministry of Health, distribution of the guideline to the other countries in the EMR, and follow-up workshops on how to develop a similar guideline in their countries. These workshops will be conducted by the King Hussein Cancer Center, a grantee of the Society and of Global Bridges.

Co-sponsorship of the EMR Workshop and the grant to the King Hussein Cancer Center represent the Society's continuing commitment to collaboration and support for cancer control and tobacco control with a wide range of global partners.

"We are One Team, One Family, One Army and One Hope!"

By Lynne Garner, Cancer Research UK

Relay For Life^® of Cambridge, United Kingdom is a first year event and to have a Global Hero of Hope on-site...what an opportunity!

 

Lynne Garner

I first met Amanda Power, a volunteer and a  Global Hero of Hope from the Cancer Council Queensland in Australia, in Nashville during my American Cancer Society Nationwide Relay For Life^® Leadership Summit experience in 2012. The feeling that I had of walking into that huge auditorum full of almost 1,000 likeminded "Relay Bonkers" people had immeidately immersed me into the most amazing family party!  It's truly an experience that will live with me forever, knowing that I am not alone in this fight, that there are millions around the globe Relaying to find a cure!

Lynne Garner with Global Hero of Hope from Australia, Amanda Power

When Amanda said she wanted to travel to the United Kingdom to participate in Relay, I was absolutely amazed! Walking around the track with Amanda over the weekend and listening to her speak from the heart, created a roller coaster ride of emotions for all involved! 

She reached out to new Relayers and shared their passion, while sharing her story of survivorship with the newly diagnosed to demonstrate the power of hope! Amanada has such great presence and we felt incredibly honored to have her on our turf. Amanda fell in love with the United Kingdom and Relay For Life^® of Cambridge. In her words, "they just get it" and have such strong foundations on which to grow and develop!

For me, being part of the global fight is what it is all about. Relay breaks down barriers, no matter where we are, the color of our skin, the language we speak - cancer is the same the world over and  cancer-fighting Heroes are everywhere!  To be part of this movement completes me. I know that one day cancer will be beaten. I know that all over the world, Relay has joined us with this bond of friendship, love, and determination.

Through Relay we learn and grow, not only as staff members and volunteers, but as individuals. Cancer can not break us, it simply strengthens us. As Amanda put it, "We are One Team, One Family, One Army, and One Hope! Look Cancer, we are coming to get you..and we're coming in 20 different (Relay Country) directions!"

How many cigarettes are smuggled? Fewer than the tobacco industry claims

By Michal Stoklosa, MA, Economist, International Tobacco Control Research, American Cancer Society

Tobacco use is set to claim one billion lives around the world this century, and many governments are actively taking steps to protect their citizens from the deadly effects of tobacco. One such step is the revised European Union Tobacco Products Directive, which the European Parliament will vote on next week.

The key provisions of the new directive require graphic health warnings on all smoking tobacco product packages and text warnings on all other products that contain nicotine, including electronic cigarettes. In addition, the directive bans the sale of menthol cigarettes.

It is no surprise that the proposed regulations have been strongly opposed by the tobacco lobby. In the past, tobacco companies countered policy proposals supporting the control of tobacco use by arguing that cigarettes were not harming the health of smokers. Few people would believe those arguments today. That is why tobacco lobbyists use economic arguments when trying to persuade policy makers and the public. Currently, the public debate about tobacco control laws is dominated by discussions about industry profits, government revenues, job creation, and cigarette smuggling.

In the case of the new tobacco products directive, the primary argument that the tobacco industry uses to oppose the regulation is that new tobacco control measures will cause a massive increase in cigarette smuggling. What the tobacco industry doesn’t say, however, is that the smuggling estimates used in their lobbying efforts are commissioned by the industry itself – an obvious and important conflict of interest.

As data on cigarette smuggling have become ever more crucial to the shaping of public health policy, Hana Ross and I, who are economists at the American Cancer Society’s Intramural Research department, decided to take a closer look at the industry’s studies. In 2011, Society researchers conducted two surveys using transparent and rigorous academic methods to estimate the scale of cigarette smuggling in Warsaw, Poland. The surveys were conducted at the same time as a study commissioned by the four largest tobacco companies in Europe. The Society surveys used two methods: collecting littered cigarette packs, a technique similar to the one used by the tobacco industry, as well as face-to-face interviews that asked smokers to show the researchers their cigarette packs.

The Society’s study results were definitive. While both academic methods produced identical estimates of the scale of cigarette smuggling, the tobacco industry commissioned estimate was higher by nearly half compared to what the Society researchers found (15% versus 23% of all cigarettes were smuggled). The reason for this difference is unknown because the tobacco industry refuses to disclose the details of their study’s methods.

The Society’s study calls into question the credibility of the tobacco industry estimates. It demonstrates that the industry’s economic arguments, just like their health claims in days past, cannot be trusted and policy makers should not rely on industry studies when shaping tobacco control policies, especially the new European Union Tobacco Product Directive.

The Society’s study gained a lot of attention in my native Poland. Findings were presented to the head of Customs and the vice-minister of Health, and many articles about the study appeared in the country’s most influential newspapers and Web portals, as well as in an interview on Polish national public radio.

The study was published last month in the prominent peer-reviewed journal Tobacco Control and can be found here.