Prof. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, witnessed the launch of the 17th International Conference on Breast and Gynecological Tumors and Immunotherapy, and the 5th International Conference on Chest Tumors at the Faculty of Medicine, at Ain Shams University, under the auspices of Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din, Advisor to the President of the Republic for Health and Prevention, and Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University.

Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, stressed that the political leadership pays great attention to the health file, placing health care for cancer patients, especially breast cancer patients, at the top of this system. The state spares no effort to provide the best medical service to Egyptian women according to international standards, in the belief that the Egyptian woman is a basic shield and security for her family and for the advancement and sustainability of societies.

This came in the presence of Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, Prof. Ali Al-Anwar, Dean of Ain Shams Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Tarek Youssef, Executive Director of University Hospitals, Prof. Hala Sweid, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, Prof. Rania Salah, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education and Students Affairs, and a number of leaders of the Ministry of Health and Population, and representatives of the authorities concerned with the cancer file, to discuss the latest scientific findings and global trends and exchange modern ideas and visions on this vital file.

He stressed that this conference is a pioneer in Africa and the Middle East, as it has proven to be a true proof of the power of unity and innovation to combat breast cancer as one of the challenges of this era, appreciating this conference that includes more than 200 Egyptian and Arab scientists, 150 international experts, and representatives of leading organizations such as the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the American and European Cancer Societies, thanking them for this strong attendance, which is a collective commitment to the file.

He added that genetics and immuno-oncology continue to play a pivotal role in reshaping the future of cancer treatment, and a core platform within the conference has been dedicated to covering all aspects of these fields from diagnosis to future specializations across all cancers. In addition, recommendations sessions on immuno-oncology in practice will be hosted, ensuring that the latest developments are translated into actionable strategies for patient care.

He added that the main goal of the teamwork in this conference is to provide a comprehensive, stimulating and high-level educational scientific experience for everyone through a distinguished group of scientific and educational seminars, special sessions and educational lectures.

The conference witnessed the announcement of prominent medical and scientific achievements in the field of cancer control, including the launch of a new vaccine that is a scientific revolution in the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer, and the elimination of chemotherapy through targeted therapies and the second generation of hormonal therapy to treat triple-positive breast tumors, in addition to the discovery of an effective immunotherapy for uterine and triple-negative breast tumors that is used before surgeries and achieves impressive results.

It was also announced that artificial intelligence techniques will be used to predict breast cancer, analyze patients’ response to treatment, and develop innovative plans to combat the disease.

The conference also witnessed a review of new genomic discoveries that have turned into successful treatments for lung cancer, in addition to highlighting the revolution in advanced genetic sequencing to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis.

As part of global efforts to combat breast cancer, the Cairo Declaration was launched in collaboration between the World Health Organization and the Presidential Initiative for Women's Health, which aims to develop comprehensive mechanisms for prevention and treatment. The increasing incidence of breast cancer among young age groups and developments in innovative treatments to address this challenge were also discussed.

For his part, Dr. Hesham El-Ghazaly, Chairman of the National Committee for the Presidential Initiative for Women's Health and President of the Conference, praised the efforts of the Egyptian state in improving the health of its citizens and working to provide and bring the latest global treatment protocols to advance public health, adding that combating breast cancer is a battle for equality, dignity and a better future.

He added that the conference will witness important scientific discussions on immunotherapy and tumor-destroying treatments, noting that for the first time, the topic of "the first Egyptian vaccine for tumor prevention" will be addressed, which was developed in cooperation with Oxford University, and is a scientific achievement that is a major precedent in the field of combating cancer.

Al-Ghazali pointed out that the conference will host Professor Ahmed Ashour, Professor at Oxford University and Director of the Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, who will present the latest scientific developments in developing a therapeutic vaccine for ovarian tumors using personalized medicine techniques. This research aims to open new horizons for treating tumors, allowing preventive surgeries to be avoided in hereditary cases suffering from genetic mutations. Al-Ghazali stressed that the success of preventive vaccines in reducing the incidence of cervical tumors enhances hopes for the possibility of achieving similar success through therapeutic vaccines for some tumors such as ovarian and lung tumors, especially when detected early.

Regarding artificial intelligence, Dr. Hesham El-Ghazaly stressed the integration of this technology into multiple fields, which enables early diagnosis of tumors, prediction of the possibility of recurrence, and the extent of patients' response to treatment, which contributes to improving treatment plans. He also pointed out that the international conference has trained more than 300 doctors annually on the use of artificial intelligence techniques in the fields of diagnostic radiology and pathological analysis.

He also highlighted hosting the scientist Fabrice Andre, President of the European Society of Oncology, who will present the latest applications of artificial intelligence in the early detection of breast cancer, the most common disease, as it affects more than 5,000 women annually in Egypt, and two million cases worldwide.

He stressed that recent research has succeeded in developing molecular blood tests for several types of cancer, which enhances the chances of early diagnosis and improves survival rates.

Regarding immunotherapy, His Excellency pointed out the amazing development in the treatment of cervical tumors, as the results showed a response rate exceeding 80% in the late stages, with a reduction in death and complications rates by a third compared to traditional treatments. Immunotherapy has also proven effective in endometrial cancer, as it contributed to preventing the development of cases at a rate twice that of traditional chemotherapy. He explained that the conference discussed the integration of immunotherapy with targeted and gene therapy to achieve the best results.

He added that the conference will witness important scientific discussions on immunotherapy and tumor-destroying treatments, noting that for the first time, the topic of “the first Egyptian vaccine to prevent tumors” will be addressed, which was developed in cooperation with Oxford University, which is a scientific achievement that is a major precedent in the field of cancer control. In addition, the conference will also review how to integrate targeted therapies and hormonal therapies, in addition to using artificial intelligence in detecting tumors and analyzing medical data.

The conference also highlighted efforts to provide the latest treatments in developing countries, while reviewing the Egyptian experience that has achieved great success through presidential initiatives to provide advanced treatments to all patients without discrimination. It also pointed to the challenges related to the increasing incidence of breast tumors among young people, and the importance of developing innovative treatments to confront this phenomenon.