Pandas and Friends Go Global to the World Colorectal Cancer Congress
Thanks to the impactful work of Pandas and Friends in the colorectal cancer field, we were warmly invited by the GCCA (Global Colorectal Cancer Association) to attend the World Colorectal Cancer Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. I was honored to attend the event as an assistant to Mr. Han Kai, founder of the Pandas group.
Prior to the conference, the GCCA thoughtfully and frequently communicated with us via email to confirm our itinerary and agenda. On October 16, I departed from London, met with Director Han in Dubai, UAE, and we flew together to Cape Town.
At 8:00 AM on October 18, we arrived at the venue. Seeing the national flags of the participating organizations already displayed at the GCCA registration desk, I was immediately struck by the high standard and meticulous attention to detail of this conference.
The GCCA organizing team warmly welcomed us, guided us through registration, and issued our conference badges. They thoughtfully prepared several "identity tags" for attendees: Survivor, Caregiver, Supporter, Staff, Patient Advocacy, and Problem Solver. As the founder of our organization, Director Han chose Patient Advocacy, Problem Solver, and Caregiver; I selected Caregiver and Patient Advocacy.
On the day of the event, representatives from over 20 colorectal cancer organizations worldwide attended, spanning Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Europe.
GCCA founder Andrew opened the conference by sharing his original motivation for establishing a colorectal cancer patient organization. Twenty-five years ago, his mother was unfortunately diagnosed with colorectal cancer. At that time, the US had no colorectal cancer screening programs, and the only chemotherapy drug available was fluorouracil. Realizing the public's lack of awareness, he decided to create this patient organization after connecting with a few individuals with similar experiences online. He has since dedicated himself to raising public awareness in the US and advocating for widespread government-supported screening.
Over these 25 years, he has connected with many representative colorectal cancer organizations across different countries. In early 2024, he and his colleagues traveled to Beijing to meet with Director Han, exchanging ideas and discussing numerous visions and suggestions for the development of patient organizations.
Several organization representatives delivered speeches at the conference, followed by in-depth discussions on their past achievements and current challenges.
The first speaker was a representative from the Cancer Statistics Department of South Africa's Department of Public Health. He shared data on colorectal cancer diagnosis and mortality rates in Africa over the years, along with the challenges they face and corresponding solutions. Due to a shortage and uneven distribution of medical resources in Africa, many colorectal cancer patients pass away without ever receiving a diagnosis. Lacking funds for colonoscopies, some must wait months for their salary or borrow money from friends and family.
This directly results in a significant number of patients being diagnosed at the terminal stage, when effective treatment options are already limited. Influenced by certain religious beliefs, some tend to view the illness as a demonic curse, casting an unnecessary "veil of mystery" over cancer treatment. This leads more people to believe that a diagnosis is futile because the disease is incurable.
The second speaker was the founder of a local South African patient organization. Diagnosed at age 35, she is now eight years into her journey. She has grown from the initial confusion and helplessness of her diagnosis into a confident advocate who travels to give speeches and actively seeks partnerships to promote public understanding of cancer. All her efforts aim to gather accurate colorectal cancer data in South Africa and urge the government to implement changes.
Given the local socioeconomic conditions, corporate donations were nearly impossible to secure. Instead, she persuaded companies, including Microsoft, to provide free services and support. By integrating these resources, she gradually built her own data system at virtually zero cost.
The story of Tumi, who lives in South Africa, was deeply moving. In the early days of her diagnosis, she spent her days in tears and prayed to God every night for good fortune. When symptoms first appeared, she had planned to wait until her next paycheck to afford a colonoscopy. Fortunately, friends pooled money to help her get the procedure done quickly, followed by timely surgery. She was subsequently diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
When she learned she needed chemotherapy, her doctor did not explain what it entailed or its potential side effects. She turned to the internet to connect with patients from other countries, which led her to the GCCA. There, she received their attention and invaluable support.
After completing her treatment, she chose to join the organization and actively launched the "Blue Hat, Blue Bow Tie" campaign in South Africa. Through this "Blue Action," she hopes to educate more people about colorectal cancer and the importance of screening.
Initially, due to the stigma surrounding cancer, no one attended her events. Undeterred, she went door-to-door to raise awareness, placing a blue hat on everyone willing to listen. By organizing one event after another, she gradually gained recognition in her community. Patients and families began to support her, and today, she serves as the GCCA's lead representative in South Africa.
Candace was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 35 and is also a Lynch syndrome patient. After her diagnosis in the US, she lost her job and found herself homeless while raising five children alone. Through her own perseverance and the support of patient organizations, she successfully overcame the tumor. She later became the head of GCCA's outreach department, helping many patients in similar situations.
Another speaker was a stage 1 colorectal cancer patient from South Africa with low rectal cancer. Due to limited local medical capabilities, sphincter-preserving surgery was not possible, leaving him with a permanent stoma. In South Africa, stoma patients are only allocated four ostomy bags per month, a quantity most cannot afford to supplement. Facing this reality, he proactively founded a patient organization to negotiate with ostomy bag manufacturers for patient benefits. Today, his organization has successfully assisted 250 patients.
A young man from Nigeria, initially diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer, also attended representing his own patient organization. Now nine years into his treatment, he is no longer the lost and helpless young man he was at 26. He is dedicated to collaborating with the GCCA and engaging with the Nigerian government to advocate for more hospitals and better-trained doctors. In a country of 200 million people, Nigeria has only six cancer treatment centers, highlighting a severe shortage of medical resources.
We also introduced the Pandas group, a massive patient organization with over 50,000 members. We systematically categorize groups by genetic markers and cancer types, and consistently host doctor-led educational sessions while sharing the latest clinical information. Other patient organizations were deeply impressed by our professionalism and strongly encouraged us to continue sharing our organizational experience at the next conference.
Another representative from Malaysia, who is uniquely a surgeon, also attended. Other volunteers from his patient organization had met Director Han at a conference in Singapore in July. With Director Han's assistance, they partnered with Zhende Medical to secure more cost-effective ostomy supplies for their members. At this South African conference, he expressed his profound gratitude to Director Han and hopes to maintain contact and share resources in the future.
We also met a fellow attendee from Taiwan, representing a youth cancer patient association he founded. During the dinner banquet, we sat at the same table and learned that his motivation to start the organization came from a young friend's illness. Witnessing the hardships his friend faced in work and daily life made him realize that society must acknowledge that young people can also get cancer. Their organization focuses on sharing patient stories and advocating for legislative changes with the government. Interestingly, their social media account is named "We All Have Illnesses"; eliminating the stigma of disease is a priority that every patient organization should value and promote.
Over these three days, what touched me most was the vibrant passion and strength within every patient organization representative. Advocating for patients is the greatest driving force behind their daily efforts.
They all firmly believe: "Together we are stronger." Illness is no longer faced alone, but confronted hand in hand as a community.
Beyond the conference sessions, we explored Cape Town's blue skies and oceans, interacted closely with adorable penguins and seals, and enjoyed passionate, relaxed African drum performances played spontaneously by locals. The powerful rhythm resonated deeply within us: millions of years ago, on this continent where humanity originated, it was the instinct to care for and help one another that gave our ancestors the courage to leave Africa and thrive across the globe. Today, facing the same illnesses, regardless of skin color, nationality, or faith, we stand together, using fearless courage to overcome disease and hardship.
Finally, I would like to share a quote from former South African President Nelson Mandela: "In the face of illness, all are equal."
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