ASCO's efforts to improve global cancer care through the years

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Published: 9 Jun 2023
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Dr Carlos Santiago Vallejos Sologuren - Oncosalud, Lima, Peru

Dr Carlos Santiago Vallejos Sologuren speaks to ecancer at ASCO 2023 about his experience attending ASCO since 1972 and how the meeting itself and cancer care has evolved since then.

He also gives his perspective on the future of cancer care, particularly in LMIC's, and highlights the need to prioritise prevention.

For me, this is a very important ingredient for my development and my update in all the knowledge of the development of clinical oncology. I have come to this meeting since 1972 and I always remember that at that meeting that was the first that I did assist, it was in San Francisco and we were not more than 300 assistants in the session. Now it’s really very emotional to see that this participation has evolved so much and clinical oncology is not the future, it’s the present. We have to be absolutely sure that this speciality will give us even more than what it actually has given us.

What is your take home message?

We cannot forget that, especially people from developing countries, we cannot forget that the best treatment for cancer is prevention. We cannot forget that is the cheapest and the best in order to try cancer. But in case we develop this disease, fortunately, at this moment, here in 2023, we have many, many resources to fight against this disease once it is installed. We have to be very proud that now we can cure cancer. It’s the only chronic disease that is able to be cured with medical treatment.

The other hope that people have to have is that treatments are more expensive but are better and less toxic. This is something that all the governments around the world have to work in order to be able to provide these types of medications to abroad, to all the populations in the world.