The Breast Center of Excellence at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) organized its Annual Beirut Breast Cancer Conference (BBCC6) at the Gefinor, Rotana-Beirut for the sixth year in a row. The conference, which was conducted on February 8 to 10, held several didactic and research sessions in addition to three multidisciplinary tumor board sessions with case presentations and discussions.
The opening ceremony was held with the participation of the president of the Lebanese Order of Physicians in Beirut, Dr. Raymond Sayegh, President of the Lebanese Order of Physicians in Tripoli, Dr. Omar Ayyach, and the President of the Order of Nurses, Dr. Nouhad Doumit, as well as Journalists Roula Mouawad from @Annahar and Rolla Safa from @MTV.
Over 350 attendees including medical oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, faculty, fellows, residents, pharmacists and nurses came from all over Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, as well as Belgium, Switzerland, and the United States. BBCC-6 also included three major sessions in Oncology Nursing, Oncology Pharmacy, Breast Imaging and an NGO workshop.
The conference focused on Modern Medicine and Advanced Treatments for Breast Cancer. Speakers discussed the latest treatments related to the disease, diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted anti-HER2 therapy, targeted CDK4/6 inhibition therapy, immunotherapy and management of cancer in pregnancy and pregnancy after treatment of breast cancer in young women. They also stressed on the importance of early detection of breast cancer, and the start of treatment for recovery.
Two conference public debates, one with physicians and healthcare authorities, and another one with nurses, NGOs, pharmacists and physicians, were part of BBCC6. Issues from access to care, appropriate diagnostic algorithms, breast conservation, sentinel lymph node biopsy availability and training, breast reconstruction, expensive drugs, and multidisciplinary tumor board enforcement at all hospitals, small or large, in major cities or peripheral hospitals, were discussed.
Dr. Nagi El Saghir said, “Cancer cases are on the rise and breast cancer is increasing, yet diagnosis and treatment are in progress as well as prevention and detection. Cancer cure has become possible in 90 percent of early breast cancer cases. Smoking and lung cancer are on the increase in both men and women. Since the increase in the cost of treatment is on the rise, the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation, in partnership with the Breast Center of Excellence at the Naef K. Basile Cancer Institute at the American University of Beirut Medical Center is increasing its awareness campaigns and support activities for patients to support them for covering their treatment expenses,” he added.
The conference also included presentation of research posters and abstracts by fellows and residents in training from the American University of Beirut and Saint Joseph University of Beirut. Awards were given for Best Abstracts of which one study led by Dr. El-Saghir showing long term 10-year survival of 92% and cure of patients with early stage breast cancer at AUBMC.