Africa HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancer Consortium

About Africa HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancer Consortium

Hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers are a group of rapidly fatal malignancies with poorly understood etiology and biology. These cancers are often diagnosed at a late stage, after the primary tumor has spread to adjacent or distant organs, precluding curative therapy. Africans have higher incidences of these cancers than Americans, Asians, or Europeans. Africans are also more likely to be diagnosed with these cancers at younger ages and have a higher mortality from these cancers than many other racial/ethnic groups worldwide. Significant limitations to the advancement of hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancer research in Africa are limited continuous training in emerging research among clinicians and scientists, limited diagnostic capabilities, and the modest resources allocated to the liver, biliary and pancreatic cancer research despite the growing public health burden attributable to these cancers. To address the increasing problem of higher incidence and mortality of hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers in Africa, there is a pressing need to: (1)identify and empower emerging cancer researchers and clinicians with the most current knowledge and research skills in the field to contribute meaningfully to understanding the etiology and prognostic factors associated with these cancers, and (2)help develop sustainable, practical actions for early diagnosis and to reduce the incidence and mortality of these cancers in Africa. There is an urgent need to harness our collective expertise and resources in the United States with African investigators to advance the science of hepatopancreatobiliary cancers in Africa.

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