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Environmental impact Each year on April 22, the world pauses to reflect on our relationship with the planet we share. As cancer professionals, we are trained to think carefully about harm — how to minimize it, how to prevent it, and how to weigh the costs and benefits of every intervention. It is time we apply that same rigor to the environmental impact of the care we deliver. Modern cancer care is among medicine's greatest achievements. It is also among its most resource-intensive. The energy demands of imaging and radiation technologies, the volume of single-use instruments and materials, the carbon footprint of clinical travel and supply chains — these are not incidental features of our work. They are embedded in how we practice, and they deserve our attention. This is not a simple problem, and I am not here to prescribe simple solutions. What I do believe is that awareness is where change begins — and that our community is well-positioned to lead this conversation.
Learning from each other Across the global gynecologic oncology community, I see reasons for genuine optimism. In many resource-constrained settings, clinicians already practice with a remarkable degree of efficiency — doing more with less, maintaining quality, and demonstrating daily that sustainable care is not a future aspiration but a present reality. These perspectives are not a footnote to this conversation; they are central to it. Wealthier systems have as much to learn as they have to offer. At the same time, promising approaches are emerging across our field: reducing reliance on disposable materials, improving energy efficiency in clinical environments, expanding telemedicine to reduce unnecessary travel, and investing in prevention — including early detection and vaccination — to reduce the long-term resource demands of cancer care. These efforts are happening in institutions, regional societies, and technology companies around the world. IGCS intends to be part of that conversation, not a bystander to it.
Conscious and sustained effort This Earth Day marks the beginning of a sustained effort. In the months ahead, IGCS will engage our global membership in exploring what sustainability means for gynecologic cancer care. This work will culminate in a dedicated focus at the 2026 Annual Global Meeting in Montréal — a moment to bring our community together around a shared commitment to this challenge. But I do not want to wait until Montréal to hear from you. I ask you to consider this: If you could make one change toward more sustainable care in your setting, what would it be? Please share your perspective. Join the conversation on our Earth Day posts across IGCS social media channels, or email igcs@igcs.org with your thoughts on this subject. Your experiences and insights will shape how we move forward — together. With gratitude for your work, Prof. Greta Dreyer President, International Gynecologic Cancer Society
Read more Presidential messages from Professor Dreyer.