Cancer Issues Worldwide

Dr André Ilbawi is a medical doctor, specialized and double-board certified in surgical oncology. Dr Ilbawi joined the World Health Organization in 2015 and now serves as the focal point for the cancer programme at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. In his current position, Dr Ilbawi is responsible for implementation of the 2017 World Health Assembly resolution on cancer prevention and control. He was executive editor of the 2020 WHO Report on Cancer and has supported additional WHO publications on broad topics ranging from guidance on cancer prevention to access to cancer health products. Dr Ilbawi also led the development of the WHO/IARC priority setting tool for cancer control, workforce optimization strategies and other tool to support capacity building. He led the launch of supports WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (2018) and now being implemented in 30+ countries as well as supported the launch of WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative (2021) and implementation of WHO Cervical Cancer Initiative (2019).

30 years as an oncologist, current Director of Oncology at Apollo Hospitals, Ex-director at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, researcher, administrator and crusader in the field of cancer control and now President of UICC for the 2020-2022 term. Anil has held leadership positions both nationally and internationally on Board of Directors/ governing council/ executive committee of numerous hospitals, governmental organisations, cancer care organisations, advocacy group & professional bodies. Anil has served on the UICC Board of Directors (2 terms) including its membership, governance and finance committees. Some of his other UICC related appointments include Programme Committee co-chair for the 2016 World Cancer Congress in Paris and member of the World Cancer Congress Organising Committee for the Melbourne conference in 2014. Anil also served as Editor of Manual of Clinical Oncology (MCO), a UICC publication. He is an active researcher with pivotal contributions and over 200 peer reviewed publications. Delivered over 300 lectures, 50 named orations, plenary lectures and keynote presentations around the globe. His main areas of interest apart from his clinical responsibilities are in tobacco advocacy, cost effective treatment and health economics.

Anita Kienesberger is the Chair of CCI Europe Committee. Through her past role as Board Member of Childhood Cancer International (2003 – 2014), she put international collaboration high on the national as well as on the European agenda. Mrs. Kienesberger was also a CEO of the Austrian Childhood Cancer Organisation for 20 years. By training, Mrs Kienesberger is a paediatric nurse with specialisation in oncological diseases. She was Head of the Intensive Care Unit at the St. Anna Children´s Hospital in Vienna, Austria for over 10 years. Through her past experiences, she developed a multi-disciplinary approach to childhood cancer care. Anita holds a master’s degree in international Gender Studies and Feministic Politics.

Cindy Perettie joined Molecular Diagnostics as the new Head of Molecular Lab Solutions based in Pleasanton, California on April 6, 2021. Prior to that she was at Foundation Medicine starting in February 2019 as its Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Perettie is passionate about improving the care of cancer patients and brings more than two decades of scientific and commercial experience with global biopharmaceutical organizations. Prior to joining Foundation Medicine, Ms. Perettie served as senior vice president in global oncology product strategy for Roche’s Oncology unit, where she led one of the largest global oncology portfolios in the industry. Ms. Perettie began her tenure at Genentech as a program team leader for bevacizumab, and she led several successful therapy launches in the U.S. and abroad for Roche and Genentech across the oncology portfolio, including in lung cancer, breast cancer and hematology. Since joining in 2004, she held roles of increasing responsibility at Genentech, including vice president of global regulatory operations and regional head of Europe, Middle East and Africa operations and global development. In 2012, Ms. Perettie took a hiatus from Genentech to join Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) as President, Global Development Innovations where she gained invaluable insights into the day-to-day care of people living with cancer. During her tenure, she was responsible for leading and growing SCRI’s contract research organization globally, driving critical oncology clinical trials to further expand options for cancer patients and access precision medicine. Before joining Genentech, Ms. Perettie lead portfolio management at IVAX Pharmaceuticals and was the director of global program management at Élan Corporation. Her pharmaceutical experience began as a research scientist associate director role at Chiron Corporation. She started her career as a senior research associate at Johns Hopkins University following her continuing education program there. Ms. Perettie holds an MBA in marketing and finance from St. Mary’s College of California and received her bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry from State University of New York College at Potsdam.

Dr. Vokes is an internationally renowned expert in the treatment of head and neck and lung cancer. Dr. Vokes was educated in West Germany, receiving his medical degree from the University of Bonn Medical School. He served his residency in internal medicine at Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center in Chicago and at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He arrived at The University of Chicago as a hematology/oncology fellow in 1983 and was promoted to professor in 1995. For eleven years he served as Chief of the Section of Hematology/Oncology, before his appointment as Chair of the Department of Medicine in March 2009. In October 2009, Dr. Vokes was named Interim Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine and Interim Vice President for Medical Affairs at The University of Chicago where he served in these roles for one year.

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge is the WHO Regional Director for Europe. His term began on 1 February 2020, following his nomination by the WHO Regional Committee for Europe and appointment by the WHO Executive Board. Throughout his career, beginning as a family doctor in Belgium, along a journey to Somalia, Liberia, the prisons in Siberia, former Soviet Union countries, Myanmar and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and most recently leading the Division of Health Systems and Public Health at WHO/Europe for a decade, Dr Kluge has always been committed to achieving better health for all with a focus on the vulnerable. As Regional Director, Dr Kluge’s vision for the WHO European Region is “United action for better health”, working in partnership to achieve universal health coverage, address health emergencies and promote healthier populations. Dr Kluge is from Belgium. He is married and has two daughters.

Immediate Past-President, European Cancer Organisation (ECO) Matti Aapro is member of the Board of Directors of the Genolier Cancer Center, Genolier, Switzerland and Immediate Past-President of the European Cancer Organisation. He received his medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland and was a fellow at the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, Arizona, USA. He was the founding chair of the Medical and Radiation Therapy Department at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. Dr. Aapro is presently Executive Board member of the European School of Oncology (ESO). He leads the Sharing Progress in Cancer Care (SPCC) not-for-profit association. He serves the International Society for Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) as Executive Board Member. He is past-President of the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC). He is President of Honour of the French-speaking Society for Supportive Care (AFSOS), as well as Advisor to the Japanese Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (JASCC). He has been member of the Board of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and of the Board of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO). Dr. Aapro chaired the scientific and organizing committees of UICC’s (International Union against Cancer) World Cancer Congress of 2008 in Geneva, and 2010 in Shenzhen (China). He is a member of the ESMO Faculty and chaired the ESMO 2018 Supportive/Palliative Care track. Dr. Aapro is Honorary Editor of Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, and editor of the Journal of Cancer Policy as well as Associate Editor for the geriatric section of the Oncologist. He is also founding editor of the Journal of Geriatric Oncology. He is past Associate Editor for Annals of Oncology, continuing on its editorial board, and member of several other editorial boards including CancerWorld. He has authored more than 350 publications and his major interests are new drug development, breast cancer, cancer in the elderly, and supportive care. Dr. Aapro is Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Tampere (2013) and Honorary Member of the Russian Society for Clinical Oncology (RUSSCO)(2016). He has received the 2010 Acta Oncologica Award, the 2012 ASCO B.J. Kennedy prize and the MASCC Distinguished Services Award (2016).