About EAFO

Eurasian Federation of Oncology (EAFO) is an autonomous professional organization uniting oncologists, other healthcare professionals, anti-cancer & anti-tobacco advocates, patients, survivors, journalists, policy makers, oncology & anti-cancer organizations and others interested in combating cancer from all parts of Asia, Europe and beyond. The organization has its focus on long-term initiatives dedicated to the health and well being of cancer patients, cancer survivors, healthy individuals, initiatives that foster innovations, collegiality, cooperation and professional development primarily through educational programs.

EAFO Mission

EAFO’s mission is reflected in its motto "Uniting Continents in Fighting Cancer", which emphasizes the need for global cooperation in combating cancer. The core purpose of the organization is to provide and facilitate cancer education by making knowledge accessible to all sections of the society. Though the name of the organization denotes a confined region, its activities and out-reach are not restricted to the Eurasian continent thereby making it an inclusive organization open to collaborations and partnerships from all parts of the world.

WHAT IS EAFO?

EAFO provides a unique platform for interaction as equals in the field of Oncology & Cancer Control.
It involves a diverse geography of speakers and participants covering all continents.
Participation in EAFO events is very affordable, even for representatives from developing nations and low-income groups in developed nations thereby making latest knowledge accessible to everyone at an affordable cost.
Equal access is given to representatives from any part of the world, for sharing their knowledge and experience, irrespective of institutional affiliation, nationality, caste, religion, financial background or sex.
Bi/trilingual (English, Russian, Chinese) translation is provided in most of the events.
EAFO offers live transmission of events through the official website www.eafo.info for participants and members who are unable to attend any meeting.

EAFO EDUCATIONAL & OTHER ACTIVITIES

Eurasian Federation of Oncology activities have focused the following target audience so far:

Most EAFO events are focused on particular target-audience. The speakers and participants in EAFO events include Medical, Surgical & Radiation Oncologists, Diagnostic & Interventional Radiologists, Pathologists, Genetists & Molecular Biologists, Basic Researchers, Family Physicians, Anti-Cancer & Anti-Tobacco Advocates, Patients, Survivors, Policy Makers, Journalists and Politicians.

Study/Clinical Trials

EAFO is involved in conducting and coordinating pre-clinical, clinical and epidemiological studies.

COUNTRIES – EVENT VENUES

EAFO has conducted its Scientific, Educational, Awareness and Policy events in the following countries:

Belarus
China
Egypt
India
Kazakhstan
Russian Federation
Ukraine

EAFO HISTORY

In year 2009, understanding the need for Eurasian interaction and integration in the field of oncology, two Eurasian oncology events were conducted.

1. Eurasian Seminar on Supportive Care in Cancer Patients
(Chair: Matti AAPRO (Switzerland), Vladimir SELCHUK (Russia), Liudmila MANZYUK (Russia);

27–28 April 2009, Yekaterinburg – A Russian city on the border of Europe & Asia)

2. Eurasian Head & Neck Cancer Congress
(Chair: Fausto CHIESA (Italy), Iosif ZALUTSKIY (Belarus), Subramania IYER (India)
EASHNO 2009, 16–19 July 2009, Minsk, Belarus)

These two events were conceptually very different from the absolute majority of international oncology events conducted worldwide. In spite of minimal or no funding from the industry, the cost of participation per participant was incomparably affordable in contrast to events of similar scientific content in EU or United States. In addition, the events had simultaneous translation of absolutely all sessions from English to Russian and vice-versa. This was made possible with the commitment of a team of young oncologists and students led by Somasundaram SUBRAMANIAN, a Surgical Oncologist, clinical researcher, Educationalist, Anti-tobacco and Cancer Control Advocate and also a Cancer Survivor from Moscow, Russian Federation who had proposed the idea of Eurasian integration in the global fight against cancer in the year 2006.

Following the success of these events, Dr. Somasundaram SUBRAMANIAN proposed to create an international professional organization to take the initiative ahead. This was supported by world-renowned cancer specialists working in different sub-specialties including Professors Matti AAPRO (Switzerland), Alexander EGGERMONT (France), Subramania IYER (India), Laszlo UNGAR (Hungary), Mikhail DAVYDOV (Russian Federation), Fausto CHIESA (Italy), Mahmood SHARHAN (Jordan), Vladimir SELCHUK (Russian Federation), Tak Hong CHEUNG (Hong Kong, China) and others from over 35 nations.

In 2010, leaders in oncology from more than 35 counties in the Eurasian Continent were invited to Moscow for the first Board Meeting of the new organization. The leaders gathered in Hotel Ritz Carlton in Moscow on 06 March 2010 for the meeting and the Eurasian Federation of Oncology was first announced on this date. The financial support for running the organization comes from Cancer Survivors including Dr. Somasundaram Subramanian himself.

From 2010–2013, about 70 Scientific, Educational, Awareness, Early Detection and Policy events were conducted by EAFO in six countries namely: Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, China and India.

EAFO also awards fellowships to competitively selected young specialists and students from various countries annually to undergo oncology and sub-specialty training in leading centers of the world.

In 2010, EAFO, in collaboration with the WHO office in Moscow, launched the EAFO Oncopathology Seminar Series. In four years, 17 dedicated Oncopathology seminars have been conducted in various countries with lectures, slide and clinico-pathological interactive case discussions. A series of oncopathology webinars have also been conducted with cases discussed online. The HistoLogica project in collaboration with Eli Lilly, was launched in coordination with this series to improve lung cancer pathologic diagnostics in the Russian Federation. This led to drastic improvement of the quality of lung cancer diagnostics in the Russian regions involved in this project in less than three years.

In 2011, the Eurasian Live Surgery Master Class series was launched. This enables world-renowned surgeons in an oncology sub-specialty to visit selected institutions and perform surgeries together with the local faculty, supported by live transmission and interactive discussions.

The EAFO Basic Oncology Course was also launched in year 2011. This is a two weeks full immersion basic course for medical students, non-oncology specialists and medical industry professionals. The course encompasses more than 25 faculty covering all aspects of oncologic science and practice including lectures, interactive sessions and projects presented by participants. Participation is based on competitive selection. The winners at the exit of the course are awarded with fellowships in various specialties.

In 2012, the Eurasian Oncology Seminar for journalists was also started, apart from other seminars for Journalists, Policy Makers, Patients and Survivors usually conducted during multidisciplinary EAFO events.

EAFO conducted the EAFO Global Oncology Forum and the EAFO Global Cancer Leaders’ Summit in year 2012 in Moscow, commemorating the Centennial of Academician Nikolay Nikolaevich BLOKHIN, who was a renowned Soviet Cancer Surgeon and Leader, Chairman of Lenin’s Prize Committee, President of USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, President of UICC and Founder of one of the world’s largest Comprehensive Cancer Centers that bears his name today: The N. N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research

Center which comprises of four Research institutes namely:

Clinical Oncology Research Institute (950 bedded Adult Cancer Hospital)
Pediatric Oncology Research Institute (150 Bedded Pediatric Hospital)
Carcinogenesis Research Institute (Basic Research)
Institute of Experimental Diagnostics and Treatment of Tumors (Basic & Translational Research)

In year 2012, The Eurasian Anti-Tobacco Forum, Hematology Forum, Cytogenetic Seminar, Palliative Care & Healthy Life Style Round tables were also started.

In year 2013, The Eurasian Supportive & Palliative Care Forum, Eurasian Cancer Control Forum and Eurasian Oncology Seminar for Non-Oncologists (on Prevention & Early Detection) were started. The same year, in collaboration with the Department of Family Medicine of M. F. Vladimirskiy Moscow Regional Clinical Research Institute, JPS Health Network (Texas, USA) and Agape Unlimited, EAFO launched the Cancer Prevention and Early Detection awareness program for family physicians and other non-oncologists.

EAFO will continue to expand its coverage to newer topics and larger audience to cover all aspects of the problem and all sections of the society in more regions of the world until humankind conquers cancer.