Dr. El-Minshawy Praises the Conference’s Outstanding Organization and Its Role in Discussing the Latest Scientific Research in Oncology.

The 16th International Conference of the Department of Oncology at Assiut University Faculty of Medicine concluded its activities in Luxor under the title "New in Oncology Treatment (2024)", under the patronage of Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy, President of the University, and under the supervision of Dr. Alaa Attia, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Chairman of the Board of Directors of University Hospitals, and Dr. Samir Shehata, Professor of Oncology and Chairman of the Conference.

The conference witnessed the participation of more than 200 researchers and doctors specialized in oncology from Egypt, Arab and European countries, in addition to a number of prominent figures, including Dr. Ahmed El-Kassid, President of Menoufia University, Dr. Yousry Rostom, Chairman of the Higher Committee for Oncology at University Hospitals, Dr. Amany Omar, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Postgraduate Studies at Assiut University, Dr. Hoda Makhlouf, Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development, Dr. Hussein Khaled, former Minister of Higher Education, and a group of consultants and experts in the field of oncology.

Dr. Ahmed El-Minshawy emphasized that the conference recommended the urgent need to unify treatment protocols for cancer patients across all university oncology centers and healthcare institutions in Egypt. This initiative aims to ensure equal treatment opportunities for all patients. Additionally, the conference called for the establishment of an electronic platform linking all oncology departments in university hospitals, facilitating patient follow-ups and data sharing between medical centers.

The conference also called for activating the role of the multidisciplinary committee in the treatment of oncology patients to ensure that they receive the best medical care, while saving time and cost. Participants emphasized the importance of the role of businessmen and community associations in supporting patients by providing the necessary medicines and medical devices.

Dr. El-Minshawy further explained that the conference sessions focused on the latest scientific research in oncology, with a special emphasis on immunotherapy and targeted therapies for breast cancer, gastrointestinal tumors, and liver cancer. Treatment and diagnostic protocols were also updated to align with the capabilities of Egypt’s healthcare system.

For his part, Dr. Samir Shehata stated that the conference featured 21 scientific and medical sessions, in addition to two workshops on radiation therapy and oncology nursing, with a review of new immunotherapies, especially for triple-negative breast cancer, which showed remarkable improvement in results.

He noted that early breast cancer detection has contributed to improve survival rates and cure rates, as the percentage of cases detected in the late stages decreased from 96% to 29%, increasing the cure rate to 68%.

The conference was organized under the supervision of Dr. Maha Al-Naggar, Professor of Oncology and Conference Secretary-General, alongside Dr. Heba Bakry and Dr. Asmaa Abdel-Tawab, both Assistant Professors at the Oncology Department and Conference Coordinators.

Participants praised the good organization and high scientific level of the conference, which provided an important platform to discuss modern advances in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors.