The 2nd Africa HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancers Consortium (AHPBCC) Annual Conference will convene a global, multi-disciplinary audience of the scientific, medical, and academic communities; industry partners, advocates and patients who represent a diversity of perspectives.

 The Conference programming has been designed to harness resources and expertise across the African Continent, Europe, and the United States to inform strategies for improved survival of patients with cancers of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas by:

• Increasing the knowledge and understanding of attendees about key issues central to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure for HPB cancers in Africa
• Identifying gaps and gathering consensus on rapidly changing advances in research
• Stimulating international, multi-disciplinary, cross-cooperation and sharing of best practices
• Fostering dialogue and inspiring innovation

On the first day of the event, there will be 7 Pre-conference Workshops on a variety of topics. Each session will have a diverse team of facilitators and presenters from within Africa, Europe, and the United States to provide multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural perspectives. Topics include:

• Clinical Tools and Skills to Diagnose and Monitor HPB Related Cancers – Abdominal Ultrasounds and Fibro Scan
• Advanced Endoscopy: ERCP and EUS
• Pathology
• Surgical Skills and Techniques for HPB Surgeons
• Conducting and Interpreting Genomics Studies in Africa
• Patient Advocacy
• Mentoring and Career Development Initiative

Attendees will then participate in an interactive dinner session to discuss successes and barriers in establishing biospecimen repositories, cancer registries, biomedical research, and clinical trials.

In addition, Conference programming has been designed with 5 themes for participants to share and discuss past, current, and future efforts to develop ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat HPB cancers:

• HPB Cancer Epidemiology, Risk, and Prevention
• HPB Cancer Detection and Diagnosis
• Building Collaborative Teams, Identifying Funding Mechanisms, and Publishing Research in Africa
• Clinical Treatment and Palliative Care in HPB Diseases
• Implementing Liver Transplantation Programs in Africa

There will be cross-disciplinary oral and poster presentations focused on HPB cancers. Established investigators and clinicians, early career physicians and scientists, graduate students, and women in science from institutions in Africa, Europe, and the United States will be represented. Efforts have been made to ensure geographic and gender balance in the oral presentations. The Poster Session Planning Committee will select three poster presentations for recognition and certificate awards.

Programming will also include a Mentorship Program for early career researchers. This forum will provide them with opportunities to develop and expand their education with mentorship from a global community of renowned experts. Through oral abstracts, poster sessions, speaker presentations, and group discussions, a dedicated team of young investigators will forge new alliances, stimulate dialogue, and inspire innovation in the study of HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancers; all with the common goal of improving the quality of life for those affected by these devastating cancers and ensuring that a pipeline of young investigators is recruited, cultivated, and encouraged to make this research their life’s work.