
2026 ADVOCACY SUMMIT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2026 | 09:30 - 17:00
The Summit is free to attend, however, registration is required.
Please only complete registration if you will be attending the Summit in person.
IGCAN PATIENT & CAREGIVER SUMMIT
The IGCS-IGCAN 2026 Advocacy Summit is a global gathering dedicated to educating, empowering, and connecting individuals affected by gynecologic cancers. Held in conjunction with the International Gynecologic Cancer Society's Annual Global Meeting, the Summit provides a collaborative forum where patients, survivors, caregivers, advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers, and community organizations can come together to share knowledge, inspire action, and improve outcomes that impact patients worldwide. The 2026 Summit will be held in Montreal, Canada on October 3, 2026.
Through interactive educational sessions, patient-led discussions, and networking opportunities, participants will strengthen support networks, learn collaboratively, and become effective advocates for equitable, patient-centered care. The program highlights the lived experiences of patients and caregivers while showcasing potential solution building in survivorship, research, clinical trials, prevention, policy, and community engagement-related topic areas. Summit segments align with key advocacy priorities including patient-centered care, survivorship, health equity, awareness and education, research participation, and strengthening support networks.
The Summit also celebrates the impact of patient advocacy through poster presentations featuring community-driven initiatives from around the world, fostering the exchange of innovative ideas and global practices across a diverse range of healthcare settings. By bringing together voices from every stage of the cancer journey, the Summit creates a powerful platform for collaboration, learning, and inspiration.
SUMMIT CO-CHAIRS

DR. TRACEY ADAMS
South Africa
IGCS/IGCAN Advocacy Vice Chair

DR. SHANNON SALVADOR
Canada
Associate Professor at McGill University and President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada
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CIDALIA SLUCE
Canada
National Manager for the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada
Read bio

ALVINA NADEEM
Canada
Stage 1 ovarian cancer survivor and Ovarian Cancer Canada Board Member
Read bio
Alvina Nadeem is a professional engineer (P.Eng.), change management consultant and certified executive coach whose work focuses on healthcare transformation, systems thinking, and human-centered design. With more than 15 years of experience across engineering, digital transformation, and organizational change, she brings a systems perspective to complex challenges in healthcare and other sectors.
Following her ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2023, Alvina began integrating her professional background in systems change with her experience navigating cancer care. This shift led her to become involved in research, advocacy, and governance efforts aimed at improving how cancer systems are designed and experienced.
Alvina serves on the Board of Directors of Ovarian Cancer Canada and the Quebec Cancer Coalition, and is a member of the Public Advisory Council of Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada). She also collaborates with researchers as a patient partner in research with Ovarian Cancer Canada, contributing to projects focused on strengthening patient–researcher collaboration in ovarian cancer research.
PROGRAM DETAILS
IGCAN Update – Why we’ve gathered
Abhishek Shankar, Advocacy Committee Chair (India)
Tracey Adams, Advocacy Committee Co-Chair (South Africa)
Advocacy Committee Chairs welcome participants and outline what to expect from the Summit. They will also share IGCAN achievements over the past year and priorities that will shape the future of the network.
EDI Grant Presentation - Harvesting Life - Women Coffee Growers Towards a Future Without Cervical Cancer
Harold Salamanca, Fundación Salamanca Borrero SalBo (Colombia)
Showcases the 2026 IGCAN EDI Grant recipient, highlighting the advocacy work achieved since receiving the grant. For this year’s grant recipient, this presentation will highlight the organization “SalBo,” a a cervical cancer survivor family foundation leading a screening and prevention campaign in Huila Department, Colombia.
Same Cancer, Different Postal Codes
Ovarian Cancer patients
Moderator: Cidalia Sluce (Canada)
Through personal journeys from ovarian cancer patients, this session will explore how geography, healthcare access, and social determinants influence the cancer journey. The session will emphasize the need for equitable access for quality treatment and support.
Empowering Patients and Caregivers as Agents of Change
Alvina Nadeem (Canada)
Thomas Hofmarcher (Sweden)
This segment hosts a patient-facing platform to educate, mobilize, and inspire the audience in various methods of engaging in policy mobilization and reform efforts. Reviewing the findings of Bridging the Gap in Women’s Cancer Care: A Global Policy Report on Disparities, Innovations, and Solutions, written by the Institute for Health Economics in collaboration with IGCAN leadership, this session will engage the audience in interactive breakout discussion segments to brainstorm ways to actionize the four key recommendation areas in bridging gaps in women cancer care disparities.
Patient Reported Outcomes 101
Alison Ross (Canada)
Italo Fernandes (Canada)
Moderator: Shannon Salvador
Learn the fundamentals of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and the increasing role in clinical care, research, and quality improvement. This introductory session will explore how PROs capture the patient perspective and inform more patient-centered decision-making.
ORAL ABSTRACT & POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Discover innovate gynecologic oncology advocacy initiatives from global advocates through showcasing their work and efforts to improve awareness and drive meaningful change.
IGCAN AWARD PRESENTATION
AFTERNOON INTERACTIVE ACTIVITY
Interactive opportunities for participants to engage, network, and collaborate together as they are led through a collective art therapy segment, with option to engage in this activity at each of their tables.
COFFEE AND LUNCH BREAK INCLUDED





ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
Abstract submissions for the IGCS-IGCAN 2026 Advocacy Summit are now closed. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit — we're excited to review your work. Accepted abstracts will be featured as e-posters, with a selection chosen for oral or featured printed poster presentations. Notifications will be sent in early July.

Abstract topics:
- Patient Advocacy & Community Engagement
- Awareness & Education
- Global Health, Equity, and Access
- Patient-Centered Care & Survivorship
- Research & Clinical Trial Involvement
- Prevention & Screening
- Support Networks & Community Organizations
- Policy Development
- Tumor-Specific Advocacy
SPONSORS



Previous Patient Summits
Previous Patient Summits:
2025 IGCS-IGCAN Gynecologic Cancer Survivor-Caregiver Summit
Virtual Event
September 27, 2025
2024 IGCS-IGCAN Gynecologic Cancer Survivor-Caregiver Summit
Dublin, Ireland
October 15, 2024
Click here to view advocacy posters
2023 Virtual Advocacy Survivor Caregiver Summit
Virtual Event
September 25, 2023
2022 Advocacy Survivor Caregiver Summit
New York City, USA
September 28, 2022
2021 Virtual Advocacy Survivor-Caregiver Summit: Connected & Empowered
Virtual Event
September 25, 2021
2020 Survivor-Caregiver Public Summit: Women4Women
Virtual Event
September 26, 2020
Yes to Empowerment: Survivor-Caregiver Symposium
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
September 21, 2019
Eriko-Aotani Patient-Caregiver Symposium
Kyoto, Japan
September 13, 2018
Ovarian Cancer Patient Summit
Lisbon, Portugal
October 28-29, 2016
Knowledge is Power Gynaecological Cancer Forum
Melbourne, Australia
November 8, 2014
Ovarian Cancer Symposium
Vancouver, Canada
October 14, 2012

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