World Kidney Cancer Day 2023: online symposium

In an online symposium for World Kidney Cancer Day (15 June 2023), Dr Mahdi Sheikh, a scientist in the Genomic Epidemiology Branch of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), will lead a panel of patients, carers, and experts from around the world in a discussion about maintaining quality of life when living with kidney cancer.

The discussion topics will include talking with family and friends, joining a patient support group, lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking, maintaining physical activity, and healthy nutrition, which affect the physical and mental well-being of people living with kidney cancer.

The panel discussion is organized by the International Kidney Cancer Coalition, an independent international network of patient organizations that either focus exclusively on or include a specific focus on kidney cancer. The symposium will take place from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm CEST on Thursday 15 June 2023. Registration is free of charge.

People who are not able to attend are nonetheless invited to register if they have questions for the panellists. A recording of the event will be made available.

Each year, more than 430 000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer and almost 180 000 people die from the disease worldwide. Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for developing kidney cancer. There is strong evidence that quitting smoking can decrease the risk of developing kidney cancer. Dr Sheikh led a recent study on the benefits of quitting smoking after a diagnosis of kidney cancer. The study showed that quitting smoking after being diagnosed with kidney cancer significantly improved survival and reduced the risk of death and disease progression by 50%.

Register to attend the symposium or submit a question 

Read the article “Smoking cessation after diagnosis of kidney cancer is associated with reduced risk of mortality and cancer progression: a prospective cohort study”