With the addition of Globe-athon to End Women’s Cancers into the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), we are pleased to announce that the IGCS has assembled an Advocacy Committee. The committee’s goal is to advance gynecologic cancer awareness in alignment with the IGCS mission by guiding, supporting, and overseeing the International Gynecologic Cancer Advocacy Network (IGCAN), as well as other advocacy initiatives, programs, and events.
The committee recently held their first call and will begin to guide the work within the three pillars and areas that support IGCAN:
- Patient Education and Awareness
- Advocacy Research and Science
- Collaboration and Network Building
The programs and initiatives include:
- Annual Survivor-Caregiver Advocacy Summit
- Patient Perspectives Roundtable Series
- Advocacy and Research Program
- Uterine Cancer Survivorship Program
- Cervical Cancer Survivorship Program
- World Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s Every Woman Study™ Low- and Middle-income Edition
- Formation of the International Gynecologic Cancer Advocacy Network
Advocacy Committee Members
Committee Chair: Daniela Luvero, MD (Italy)
Gynecologic Oncologist, University Campus Bio Medico of Rome
Committee Vice Chair: Rosalind Glasspool, MD (UK)
Medical Oncologist, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and University of Glasgow
Mukhtasar Alkali (Nigeria)
Coordinator II at Medicaid Cancer Foundation Monitoring & Evaluation Officer on the Kebbi State Cervical Cancer Secondary Prevention Pilot Program
Adrienne Moore (USA)
Research Coordinator, University of Washington, Seattle
Respiratory Therapist
Patient Adviser & Ambassador, Endometrial Cancer Action Network African Americans (ECANA), Endometrial Cancer Survivor
Geetu Bhandoria, MD (India)
Gynecologic Oncologist & Obstetrician, Indian Armed Forces
Nefa-Tari Moore (USA)
Outreach & Uterine Cancer Coordinator, SHARE Cancer Support
Two-time Uterine Cancer Survivor & Ovarian Cancer Survivor
Nicoletta Cerana (Italy)
President, ACTO - Alliance Against Ovarian Cancer
Maggie Nicholas-Alexander (USA)
Senior Director of Gynecologic Cancer Patient Support and Education, SHARE Cancer Support
Michele Collins (USA)
Board Member, Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundation
Ovarian Cancer Survivor
Angélica Nogueira-Rodrigues, MD, PhD (Brazil)
Oncologist
Founder, Brazilian Group of Gynecology Oncology, EVA Group
Director, Brazilian Society of Medical Oncology
Researcher and Professor at Federal University, MG Brazil
Diane Crawford (USA)
Founder and Executive Director, The Crawford Crew
Cervical Cancer Survivor
Sandra Rosati (Italy)
President, Un Lago di Donne per la Prevenzione Oncologica
Cancer Survivor
Noriko Fujiwara, MS, RN, CRN-BC, OCNS, CCRP (Japan)
Research Nurse & Oncology Nurse, IMSUT Hospital of the Institute of Medical Science,
The University of Tokyo, Japan
Abhishek Shankar, MD (India)
Radiation Oncologist
Secretary, Indian Society of Clinical Oncology
Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive Oncology, AIIMS, New Delhi
Milicent Kagonga (Kenya)
Founder, Symbol of Hope Warriors
HPV Vaccine Ambassador
Cervical Cancer Survivor
Eva-Maria Strömsholm, MA, RN (Finland)
Co-Founder & Vice Chair, Gynecological Cancer Patients in Finland
Practical Nurse, Rare Ovarian Cancer Survivor
The committee members are breaking into workgroups to tackle each project including a network building group to brainstorm best strategies to build our noncompetitive network. The main goal is to link gynecologic cancer advocacy organizations and individual patient advocates—from every region, income, and resource setting—and create the opportunity for them to collaborate in achieving best outcomes for all gynecologic and breast cancer patients. Information regarding how to officially join the network is forthcoming.
We look forward to sharing more updates and information with you regarding our advocacy programs and how to officially join the IGCAN. There are a lot of exciting programs in development. Stay tuned!