The field of clinical cancer genetics, also known as oncogenetics, has revolutionized our understanding of genetic and non-genetic risk factors for cancer. The study of the human genome has identified gene variants linked to cancer, such as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 or Lynch Syndrome variants that put people at higher risk of developing breast, ovarian, prostate, endometrial, colorectal, and other cancers.
When oncogenetics is incorporated into clinical practice, it can guide decisions in reducing risk or determining the best treatment or prevention strategies—all goals of precision medicine. However, not all healthcare systems throughout the world are equipped to implement oncogenetics programs.
For example, there is growing evidence that inherited genetic mutations represent a significant proportion of cancer cases among young people in Africa, but genetic testing, counseling, and clinical management protocols have largely not been developed in these countries.
That means the continent has a unique opportunity to “leapfrog” by developing infrastructure to close gaps in cancer diagnostics and treatment across its healthcare systems.
A group of leading experts in cancer genetics from the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and Africa convened at the 2025 Paris Colloquium recently to put these ideas into real-world solutions.
The colloquium took place Friday, February 28 – Saturday, March 1 at the International Institute of Research in Paris, part of the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris, the university’s teaching and research hub in Europe that supports an intellectual community of students, faculty, alumni and partners from around the world.
The two-day program consisted of sessions on the genetic origins of inherited cancers; different approaches to genetic counseling and testing; an international community offering a global perspective on oncogenetics; and an ethical framework to build skills for effective leadership in healthcare.
The program was organized by one of the world’s leading experts in cancer genetics, Olufunmilayo (Funmi) I. Olopade, MD, the Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Professor of Human Genetics, and director of the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health at UChicago.
Funmi Olopade and her husband, Sola Olopade, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Biological Sciences Division at UChicago, brought seven students to Paris for the colloquium as part of a course they teach on global health. The students took part in the discussions, asking questions that stimulated more conversation about ethics, economics, AI, and the environment’s impact on health, among other topics.
“Knowledge is not unidirectional,” Funmi Olopade said. “By bringing everybody together, we can amplify the voices of innovation that are already forming.”
The international dialogue that ensued provided an opportunity to learn how different countries approach oncogenetics, while forming a new “African Oncogenetics Network.”
The shared vision for the network is to establish a robust, equitable, and sustainable cancer clinical genetics infrastructure in Africa. This infrastructure will be supported by the pillars of research, education, collaboration, and accessible genetic services, enabling early detection, personalized treatment, and improved outcomes for patients.
The network is being directed by co-chairs Achille Manirakiza from the King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda, and Yosr Hamdi from the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia, and steering committee members including:
- Prisca Adejumo (University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria)
- Temidayo Fadelu (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA)
- Wijden Mafoudh (Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunisia)
- Rokhaya Ndiaye (Université Chiekh Anti Diop, Dakar, Senegal)
- Olufunmilayo Olopade (University of Chicago, USA)
- Timothy Rebbeck (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA)
- Julie Torode (King's College, London, UK)
- Mohamed Zahir Alimohamed (Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)
“The successful launch of the African Oncogenetics Network was an impressive display of the University of Chicago’s commitment to solving the most intractable human problems,” said Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, AbbVie Foundation Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dean for Oncology, and director of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. “I was honored to be invited and speak at the meeting, and I felt proud of how we are having a major impact not just locally and regionally, but globally.”
Support for the African Oncogenetics Network was made possible by a grant from the US National Cancer Institute (R01-CA207365).
