Significant advances in cancer care and treatment have led to a steady increase in survivorship—currently, more than 15.5 million cancer survivors are living in the United States. This number is only expected to grow, with an estimate of more than 20 million American cancer survivors in 2026.¹ A sustained focus on highly-coordinated care delivery—including surveillance for cancer recurrence, screening for new cancers, and management of long-term effects of treatment—will be increasingly important to ensure that survivors maintain the best quality of life possible.

To address the growing need for survivorship-specific care education and collaboration among the oncologists, primary care providers, and various specialists who care for survivors, ASCO, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Physicians (ACP) will cosponsor the second Cancer Survivorship Symposium in San Diego, California, taking place on January 27 and 28, 2017. 

Kevin C. Oeffinger, MD

“We are excited to convene the second Survivorship Symposium, building upon the tremendous success of the inaugural symposium and expanding into new areas including community-based and international models of care, as well as adding breakout sessions to focus on specific areas of need,” said Kevin C. Oeffinger, MD, Symposium Program Committee Chair and Director of the Cancer Survivorship Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Building on Success

The inaugural symposium received nearly 300 abstract submissions, drew over 800 attendees, and was met with overwhelming success. Popular sessions included a session on multidisciplinary treatment approaches; oral abstract presentations of practice-changing research; and a keynote lecture on the long-term and late effects of cancer treatment delivered by Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The program also included formal networking opportunities such as faculty roundtable discussions and poster walks. An impressive 90% of attendees stated that they would make at least one practice change as a result of their attendance.

Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH

What’s New for 2017

The 2017 meeting will feature popular activities from the inaugural meeting, including poster walks, faculty roundtable discussions, and guided rejuvenation exercises during session breaks. Session topics will include innovative community-based models of survivorship care, integrating genetic findings into clinical care, and models of care in countries outside of the United States.

In response to attendee feedback, the 2017 program will also incorporate more oral abstract presentations of the latest research in general sessions, as well as two dedicated oral abstract sessions. These sessions will feature abstract presentations by researchers and discussions led by experts who will place the results into clinical context.

Concurrent breakout sessions, which will enable attendees to tailor their learning based on their experience level and interests, will delve into specific topics such as survivorship care for special populations, education and training, and common challenges in survivorship care. Additional new features include dedicated networking opportunities for trainees and early-career attendees, a session that features health-care professionals who are cancer survivors, and a panel featuring prominent leaders from ASCO, ACP, and AAFP highlighting each organization’s initiatives to improve survivorship care.

The symposium will also include the presentation of the inaugural ­Ellen L. Stovall Award and Lecture for Advancement of Cancer Survivorship Care. The award recognizes and promotes the work of pioneers and leaders in the field and honors the legacy of Ellen Stovall, who dedicated more than 30 years to patient advocacy and public service and served as President and CEO of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. ■

Reference

1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures, 2016-2017. Available at http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@research/documents/document/acspc-048074.pdf. Accessed September 13, 2016.

© 2016. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.