About this Event
Over this century, cancer is set to become the leading cause of premature death worldwide, being the biggest barrier to increasing life expectancy. IRAC estimates that the global cancer burden will rise from 19.3 million new cases in 2020 to 30.2 million in 2040. This is despite up to half of all cancer cases being avoidable. This rise will disproportionately impact low-and middle-income countries with a low Human Development Index.
To combat this impending personal, societal, and economic loss, prevention is vital to tackling the cancer epidemic.
The concept of cancer prevention hinges on several factors including describing the burden, identifying risk factors, and evaluating and implementing preventive interventions. It also must reflect that most cancers are, directly or indirectly, linked to environmental factors.
In this lecture, Dr. Weiderpass will illustrate the great potential of prevention to invert the predicted trends in the future global cancer burden to reflect her vision of: “a world where fewer people develop cancer”.
To register to attend this event online please click here
SPEAKER
Dr Elisabete Weiderpass
Director, International Agency for Research on Cancer
Elisabete Weiderpass, MD, MSc, PhD, expert in cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention, is the Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO).
CHAIR
Professor Robert Steele
Clinical Research Professor in Surgery and Health Screening, University of Dundee
Professor Robert Steele was appointed Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Dundee in 1996 and as Professor of Surgery in 2003. As a Senior Research Fellow, his main interests continue to be the treatment of and screening for colorectal cancer. Having led the UK demonstration pilot that was used to inform the decision to introduce national colorectal cancer screening programmes throughout the United Kingdom, he is at present the Clinical Director of the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme. He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the Scottish Cancer Foundation. In 2016, he was appointed as Independent Chair of the UK National Screening Committee. In 2017 he was awarded an Honorary Membership of the Faculty of Public Health and was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 2018 he was elected to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences and was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The Scottish Cancer Foundation
The Scottish Cancer Foundation was founded by two dedicated Cancer Researchers, Professor Sir Patrick Forrest, and Professor John Evans CBE, in 1997.
Their vision was to create a charity that would facilitate research aimed at addressing the high incidence of cancer in Scotland, and the poor outcomes in patients who develop the disease. Although there have been many improvements, a lot of work is still required, as cancer remains one of the major causes of premature death in the Scottish population.
Important points to note
- This event is suitable for age 16+
- Accessibility Statement: We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or any questions about how we can support this event, please contact the RSE Public Engagement team on [email protected]
- Covid-19: In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 we kindly encourage participants to continue to wear face masks if they feel comfortable to do so; use the hand sanitisers provided at the venue; and to stay at home if they have Covid symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Royal Society Of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00