President’s Message: IGCS Declaration on Palliative & Supportive Care in Gynecologic Oncology

I am proud to announce that today, on World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, the International Gynecologic Cancer Society is making a formal declaration to affirm the critical importance of palliative and supportive care in the comprehensive management of gynecologic cancers globally.

Recognizing that, as health care providers charged with the care of patients affected by gynecologic malignancies, it is our duty to do everything possible to reduce serious health-related suffering and foster open and compassionate communication among care teams, patients, and their families to work towards a future where every patient in every circumstance receives the support, comfort, and dignity that palliative and supportive care can provide.

Read the IGCS Declaration on Palliative & Supportive Care in Gynecologic Oncology

I feel so strongly about this topic, which is often overlooked during scientific conferences focusing on the latest research, discoveries, and novel therapeutics that I decided to dedicate my Presidential Plenary to palliative and supportive care, calling for IGCS Members and delegates to turn their attention to learning how we can work to close the gaps between curative and compassionate care.

The Presidental Plenary, titled Relieving Serious Health-Related Suffering for Women with Gynecological Cancers: The WHO Public Health Model will leave our delegates with actionable steps, conversation starters, and the tools to incorporate the principles of palliative and supportive care into their practice.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Stephen R. Connor will share data on health-related suffering in gynecologic cancers, help us define terms and better understand the new WHO Public Health Model. Dr. Connor is the Executive Director of the London, UK based Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA), an alliance of over 450 hospice and palliative care organizations in over 100 countries.

Following the keynote, Dr. Connor will moderate a panel of international experts, representing perspectives from different parts of the word. They will share their insights on the need for gynecologic cancer care providers to advocate for and integrate palliative care principles and supportive services into the holistic care of their patients.

IGCS 2023 Keynote Speaker and Presidential Panel Moderator

Presidential Plenary Panelists

Join me at my Presidential Plenary and this esteemed panel on November 6 in Seoul and make the decision to work towards a future where every patient affected by gynecologic cancers under every circumstance receives the support, comfort, and dignity that palliative and supportive care can provide.

Sincerely,

Keiichi Fujiwara, MD, PhD
IGCS President