KARACHI, July 6: The 3rd International Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Conference and the first international conference on paediatric oncology will be held at a local hotel from July 8 to 10. The conference is being organized by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and the Children Cancer Foundation. The Cancer Society of Pakistan, the Pakistan Society of Nuclear Medicine, the Pakistan Society of Paediatric Oncology and the Brussels-based International Network on Cancer Treatment and Research have joined hand together to make the conference highly educative and comprehensive.

This was announced at a press briefing here on Wednesday at Karachi Press Club, which was addressed by Cancer Society of Pakistan President Dr Shahid Kamal, Paediatric Oncology’s Organizing Committee Chairman Dr Shamvil Ashraf and INCTR Director Dr Aziza Shad.

The doctors said that aim of the conference was to provide a platform to oncologists from all over the region to share their experiences and analyze the advancements and techniques in their respective fields focusing on transfer of knowledge and expertise. They disclosed that there would be pre-conference workshops on oncology nursing, research methodology, conformal radiotherapy and osteoporosis.

The scientific programme with parallel sessions would include state-of-the-art lectures by leading experts from home and abroad covering major topics of paediatric and medical oncology, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine.

Lectures would be delivered by 50 experts including those coming from the UK, Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Singapore, India, the USA, Hungary, Oman, Canada, Switzerland and Italy. A combined adult and paediatric tumour board with interesting case discussion as well as session on adolescent cancer and the role of NGOs in cancer care were some of the other highlights of this conference, they said.

A number of cancer specialists would also be attending this meeting, which was a first step towards the development of paediatric oncology group and beginning of collaborative and formal training programme in paediatric oncology in the country, they added. —PPI