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IGCS Welcomes the Pan-Arabian Research Society of Gynecological Oncology as a Strategic Alliance Partner

The Pan-Arabian Research Society of Gynecological Oncology (PARSGO) is the newest IGCS Strategic Alliance Partner. PARSGO includes sixty-one members with a professional interest in the prevention, treatment, and research of gynecological cancers from centers across the Arab world. We were fortunate to have a signing ceremony immediately following the IGCS Council meeting in Vienna, Austria, where a portion of the IGCS Council was present for the occasion.

This is the first Strategic Alliance Partnership that includes a multi-country membership in areas where IGCS has typically had a low penetration. PARSGO members are from centers within the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Oman, UAE, Palestine, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi, Egypt, Iraq, Djibouti, Somalia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya and Comoro Islands. Members also include gynecologic oncology professionals of Arabic heritage who practice in other parts of the world but are committed to the PARSGO mission.

PARSGO was established only a year ago on Oct. 30, 2016. As a new society, IGCS is looking forward to assisting PARSGO with their primary goals. As a non-political and not-for-profit association, PARSGO’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of women with gynecological cancers, to promote and facilitate collaborative research and to achieve high standards of professional care in gynecologic oncology.

Gynecologic Oncology research is a priority for PARSGO in the areas of healthcare services, prevention, early detection and screening, diagnosis, management and cancer care. Aligning PARSGO’s research focused mission with IGCS education and training will be a benefit for members along with the potential to publish their work in the International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer (IJGC). PARSGO will benefit from access to our online education portal, a web page specific to the PARSGO group, admin and meeting support, and a network to allow an exchange of ideas and communicating the benefits of membership to the PARSGO clinicians.

This partnership was cultivated through meaningful conversation with Prof. Dr. med. Jalid Sehouli, President of PARSGO and Director, Department of Gynecology with Center for Oncological Surgery, Head, European Competence Center for Ovarian Cancer, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin (Germany). Prof. Sehouli says, “At PARSGO we are proud of our partnership with IGCS. Together, through research and education we will make a bigger impact on healthcare for women with gynecological cancers in the Arab world. We are confident that this partnership will allow us to grow and create dialogue on a truly global level”.

We owe an enormous thank you to Dr. Sara Nasser, Executive Officer of PARSGO and Gynecologic Oncologist, Imperial College NHS Truts, London (UK) Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin (Germany), and Dr. Nadeem Abu-Rustum, a long standing leader at IGCS and Chief, Gynecology Service; Vice Chair for Technology Development, Department of Surgery; Avon Chair in Gynecologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, for providing seamless facilitation to foster this partnership.

PARSGO will host their first International Focus Workshop on Ovarian and Cervical Cancer on April 6-7, 2018 in Marrakech, Morocco.

Please join me in congratulating PARSGO on the formation of what will be a very impactful organization and for joining forces with the IGCS. Together we can continue to improve the care for women in the Pan-Arabic region.

Sincerely yours,

Mary Eiken, RN, MS
IGCS CEO