World Cancer Leaders' Summit 2021

Driving innovation to advance cancer control equitably

25-26 October 2021

Innovation and equity were the central themes of the 2021 World Cancer Leaders’ Summit, both in terms of the focus of discussions and in their delivery, as this year the event was held virtually for the first time. Despite everyone’s best efforts, it was not possible to host a face-to-face meeting in Boston, USA, yet the Summit still offered global health leaders the chance to meet online in October 2021. Over the course of the Summit, a record number of more than 600 cancer leaders from 104 countries connected with UICC and each other through 47 different sessions. In total, 107 speakers shared their expertise in a range of discussion formats, including regional perspectives shared by UICC Board Members. The event was presented by journalist Hannah Vaughan, who seamlessly steered participants and speakers through a packed two days of highly interactive exchanges. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus officially opened the Summit, followed by EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who shared how the EU Beating Cancer Plan is taking innovative approaches to improve cancer control. Dr Atul Gawande from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston addressed the mismatch between investments in breakthrough innovations and in implementation.

World Cancer Leaders’ Summit 2021

Dr Blair Holladay, CEO of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the host organisation of the 2021 Summit, shared his perspective on health inequities in the United States. Other sessions tackled how patients’ perspectives can help guide innovation, how digital innovations can support equity and the role of new media in improving equity. Investing in innovation and the role of partnerships were key topics that brought together high-level experts from different sectors. Lessons learned from the pandemic and how to build back from it more equitably provoked much conversation, as did sessions covering cancer in women and in older adults.

All speakers noted that innovation affords the cancer community the opportunity to address global inequities, but only if the implementation is carefully planned to avoid innovation that widens inequities.

For the 2021 Summit, four unique live rap performances by Baba Brinkman summarised the discussions and engaged the virtual audience.

Thank you to ASCP for being an outstanding host for the Summit. Their flexibility, resilience and commitment to the Summit and its participants was very much appreciated under challenging circumstances. UICC would also like to thank the 21 partners and sponsors who supported this first-ever virtual Summit, including the US National Cancer Institute at the Platinum level. “Collaboration is an integral part of ASCP’s work, as we have seen that the only way to address the challenges that cancer inflicts on individuals and communities is to work together. The World Cancer Leaders’ Summit is the ultimate expression of the value and impact of collaboration. These few days of continuous networking and interactions, which have followed a month of vibrant online interactions, have refreshed and renewed our organisation’s vigour around efforts to defeat cancer, wherever it is.”

Dr Blair Holladay, CEO, American Society for Clinical Pathology - 2021 World Cancer Leaders’ Summit Host

“Unprecedented times stir the innovators in all of us. We have witnessed the dramatic impacts on cancer services that have stretched healthcare workers to their limits and increased reticence from patients. But cancer centres, societies, patient groups and others have demonstrated their creativity in continuing to support patients and keep their own organisations effective.”

Professor Anil D’Cruz, President, UICC

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