It is our privilege to welcome you to Lahore for the 18th Shaukat Khanum Cancer Symposium being held from the 1st to the 3rd of November, 2019. This symposium is the largest oncology meeting in Pakistan, attracting more than 3000 delegates and over a hundred guest speakers this year. It is a gathering of experts, researchers and practitioners involved in delivering cancer care. This year’s event is being held in collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and we are honoured to have the President of the College, Professor Derek Bell, participating together with a number of other colleagues from the College.
It is a very special honour to also welcome Dr Abass Alavi, Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, as our plenary speaker. He is a distinguished physician, scientist and a pioneer in molecular imaging.
We have received a record number of abstracts covering all aspects of cancer care, from basic science research to day-to-day oncology and precision medicine. From amongst these, a number have been selected to be presented as free papers or as posters. The best six submissions will compete for the Ahsan Rashid Memorial Gold Medal, instituted in 2017, named in honour of a great supporter and benefactor of our institution.
Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan is over 2,000 years old. It has been mentioned in the travel logs of the silk route from around 630 AD. The oldest authentic description of Lahore can be found in a rare anonymous work preserved in the British Museum titled Hudud-al-Alam (the boundaries of the world) from the 10th century. The book refers to Lahore as a small town with "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards". We welcome you to the beautiful 21st century city of Lahore, a city rich in history, architecture, traditions and cuisines added over the centuries by the great Mughals, the British and by countless generations before and after the creation of Pakistan in 1947.
We look forward for your participation in what will be a rich academic and cultural experience.