LAHORE – The 23rd Shaukat Khanum Cancer Symposium (SKCS), Pakistan’s largest oncology meeting, successfully concluded. The three-day hybrid event brought together 116 speakers from leading hospitals and universities worldwide, including 69 international experts from 14 countries. Over 5,700 delegates attended the symposium, of whom approximately 3,050 attended in-person. The event is a unique forum for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and networking. It was accredited by the American Association of Continuing Medical Education, providing up to 33 Category I CME points.
The plenary talk was delivered by Dr Muzaffar H. Qazilbash from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA on Evolution of Cell Therapy for Blood Cancers. Dr Aasim Yusuf, Chief Medical Officer of the Shaukat Khanum Hospitals, gave an overview of Pakistan’s oncology landscape and how Shaukat Khanum is bridging the gap in cancer management in the country. Professor Nick Maynard from the Oxford University Hospitals, UK, spoke on Gaza–a War on Healthcare.
The symposium featured research presentations on a variety of subjects, with awards given to outstanding submissions in different categories, including the Ahsan Rashid Memorial award, the Bashir-Alavi award, the Begum Mir Nursing award, and awards for the best free papers. These awards aim to recognise and encourage oncology research in Pakistan. The symposium covered talks on all the major cancer diagnostics and treatment related topics. This year, sessions on paediatric palliative medicine and Young Investigators Forum were also included for the first time.
“The Shaukat Khanum Cancer Symposium has established itself as a leading forum for professionals to share knowledge, advance research, and improve patient outcomes in oncology care in Pakistan,” said Dr Aasim Yusuf. He congratulated the Chair of the organising committee, Dr Usman Ahmad and the Co-Chair, Dr Muhammad Faisal and added, “We are grateful to our international and national speakers and delegates for their participation and support. Planning is already underway for the next Shaukat Khanum Cancer Symposium to be held in Lahore from the 24th to the 26th of October 2025, with options to attend in person or virtually.”
