Al-Ahmad, Radwan

e23211 Background: The Syrian conflict, ongoing since 2011, has significantly disrupted healthcare delivery, particularly in oncology. With the destruction of many regional cancer centers, access to care has become centralized in Damascus, home to Al Bairouni University Hospital—the nation’s primary cancer referral facility. This study examines the geographic distribution and stage at diagnosis of prostate cancer patients, highlighting post-conflict disparities in access and outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all prostate cancer patients diagnosed at Al Bairouni University Hospital between January 2022 and December 2024. Data on age, residency, and stage at diagnosis were extracted and analyzed descriptively. Results: A total of 859 patients were included, with a mean age of 69 years (SD 9). Only 47% (n = 405) of patients resided in Damascus or its suburbs (Rif-Dimashq), while the majority (53%, n = 462) traveled from other governorates—most notably Aleppo (8.5%), Hama (9.1%), Homs (8.4%), and Al-Hasakah (6.2%). This geographic pattern reflects the collapse of regional oncology services due to prolonged conflict.Alarmingly, 65% of patients (n = 507) were diagnosed with metastatic disease (stage IV), while only 16% and 19% presented with localized and regional stages, respectively. This contrasts sharply with global trends and suggests systemic gaps in early detection. Contributing factors may include the absence of structured screening programs, weak insurance system and primary care infrastructure, low prostate cancer awareness, fear of cancer diagnosis, financial barriers, and limited healthcare access in rural areas. Conclusions: This study reveals the deep, lingering effects of war on prostate cancer care in Syria. The centralization of oncology services places undue burden on patients traveling long distances for care, while the predominance of advanced-stage diagnoses underscores the need for robust early detection efforts. These findings support urgent investment in rebuilding regional cancer infrastructure, expanding community-based health services, and improving access to timely diagnosis and treatment as the country enters a phase of reconstruction.

e13635 Background: Melanoma is an aggressive skin malignancy with rising global incidence, for which checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) and BRAF-targeted therapies are standard of care in advanced disease. However, access to molecular diagnostics and CPI remains limited in conflict-affected regions such as Syria. Real-world data describing melanoma management in this setting are scarce. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with melanoma between 2022 and 2024 at Al-Bairouni University Hospital (ABUH), Syria’s primary oncology referral center. Demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed for the entire cohort, and patients with advanced disease were evaluated for molecular testing and treatment patterns. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a mixed advanced cancer subset (N = 35) to explore barriers to immunotherapy access. Results: Among 115 patients with melanoma, the median age at diagnosis was 57 years (IQR 44.5–67), and 54.7% were male. At presentation, 18.3% had stage I disease, 1.7% stage II, 2.6% stage III, and 40.9% stage IV disease; staging was unavailable in 36.5%. Among patients with advanced melanoma (n = 47), BRAF testing was performed in 17 (36.2%), with targeted therapy administered to 5/16 BRAF-positive patients. Only 7/47 patients (14.9%) received CPI, primarily as monotherapy. In the qualitative subset (predominantly lung cancer), five major barriers to immunotherapy access emerged: financial toxicity (n = 22), limited drug availability (n = 9), limited patient awareness (n = 8), geographic/logistical challenges (n = 5), and system delays (n = 4). Conclusions: Despite a substantial burden of advanced melanoma, access to molecular testing, targeted therapy and CPI in Syria remains limited. Qualitative findings highlight financial and structural barriers as primary drivers of limited access, underscoring the need for improved drug availability, diagnostic infrastructure, and patient education in conflict-affected settings.

1557 Background: Immunotherapy is now a standard-of-care treatment for lung cancer across most stages. Access to immunotherapy and molecular diagnostic tests in conflict-affected countries such as Syria remains poorly described. As the principal cancer center in Syria, Al-Bairouni University Hospital (ABUH) provides care for nearly three-quarters of all cancer cases nationally. We conducted this study to evaluate access to immunotherapy and molecular diagnostic services at ABUH. Methods: A mixed-methods study was performed between 2022 and 2024 at ABUH. This study included a retrospective cohort of all patients diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. Quantitative data included disease stage at diagnosis, molecular testing rates, and immunotherapy utilization. In addition, a qualitative patient survey was thematically analyzed to explore barriers to treatment access in a separate cohort of patients with mixed tumor types. Results: Among 2,920 patients diagnosed with lung cancer, 1,393 (47.7%) had lung adenocarcinoma. The median age at diagnosis was 61 years; 79.7% of patients were male. Smoking history was as follows: Current 792 (56.9%), Former 268 (19.2%), never smoked 318 (22.8%) At presentation, 3 patients (0.2%) had stage I disease, 40 (2.9%) stage II, 174 (12.5%) stage III, and 778 (55.8%) stage IV disease, staging was unknown for the rest of the patients. EGFR mutation testing was performed by ABUH for 226/1393 patients (16.2%) only, with positive results identified in 124 cases (8.9%). PD-L1 testing was conducted by ABUH in only 32/1393 patients (2.3%) and was positive in 23 (1.65%). Of all patients with lung adenocarcinoma, only 5 patients (0.6%) with stage IV disease received immunotherapy. All were treated with nivolumab. Thematic analysis of qualitative data (35 patients) revealed that high treatment costs and limited drug availability are the primary barriers to accessing immunotherapy. Conclusions: This study represents the first evaluation of access to immunotherapy for patients with lung cancer in Syria. Even at ABUH, the country's main cancer center, access to immunotherapy and molecular testing remains markedly limited. International collaboration is necessary to expand diagnostic infrastructure, standardize data reporting, and enhance financial protection mechanisms. These are critical steps toward achieving better cancer care in Syria.

813 Background: Epidemiological data on gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in conflict-affected regions such as Syria are severely limited. Our study aims to fill in significant gaps in data by evaluating the demographics of Syrian patients diagnosed with new GI malignancies over a three-year period. Methods: This is a retrospective epidemiological study conducted at Al-Bairouni University Hospital – Syria’s national cancer center serving 60-70% of the country’s cancer patients. We included all patients diagnosed with GI malignancies (esophagogastric [EG], hepatocellular [HCC], biliary tract [BTC], pancreatic [PC], colorectal [CRC] cancers, and others) between Jan 2022 - Dec 2024. Data extracted from hospital records included sex, age at diagnosis, cancer stage, smoking status, and governorate of residence. Patients were grouped by disease group and year to assess annual trends. Institutional ethical approval was obtained to perform the study. Results: A total of 3,493 patients were diagnosed with GI cancers during the study period: 1,220 in 2022, 905 in 2023, and 1,368 in 2024 (Table 1). Across all years, a consistent male predominance was observed (60.1%). The average age at diagnosis was 59 years, 37.8% of patients were smokers, and 48.3% of all cases had advanced/metastatic disease at diagnosis. CRC (1,779) and EG (830) were the most common GI cancers. The highest patient loads originated from Damascus (17.6%) and Rural Damascus (17.5%), followed by central governorates such as Homs (9.7%) and Hama (9.3%). Notably, patients from more distant and underserved governorates such as Deir ez-Zor (7.0%), Aleppo (6.58%), and Al-Hasakeh (6.79%) accounted for a significant proportion of the GI cancers presenting to our center. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study provides the first comprehensive multi-year dataset of GI cancers in Syria, with representation from all 14 governorates in the country. More than a third of our cohort were smokers and nearly half were diagnosed with advanced disease, demonstrating a need for public heath efforts to tackle tobacco use and improve screening & early detection. This dataset offers a foundation for future public health planning and research efforts in the region. Demographics of GI cancers diagnosed 2022-2024. Diagnosis 2022 Cases 2023 Cases 2024 Cases Total Cases Average Age Male Sex (%) Smokers (%) Advanced/Metastatic at diagnosis EG 311 217 302 830 56.1 519 (62.5%) 379 (45.7%) 370 (44.6%) HCC 88 46 61 195 59.2 134 (68.7%) 82 (42.1%) 116 (59.5%) BTC 34 43 54 131 58.4 69(52.7%) 40 (30.5%) 79 (60.3%) PC 118 122 160 400 58.4 249 (62.3%) 180 (45%) 247 (61.8%) CRC 620 444 715 1779 57.6 1008 (56.7%) 582 (32.7%) 805 (45.2%) Others (anal, small intestine, unknown primary) 49 33 76 158 55.5 75 (47.5%) 59 (37.3%) 69 (43.7%)