Please note that this program is subject to change.

Wednesday 12 November

This opening plenary explores the ingredients of truly personalised cancer care—from tumor-agnostic drug development and pharmacogenomic prescribing to addressing inequity in access. International and Australian leaders will examine how biology, therapeutics, systems, and social context intersect to deliver precision oncology that is scientifically robust, clinically actionable, and equitable.

Prehabilitation is an adjunct process in modern cancer care, with growing evidence that multimodal interventions aimed at enhancing functional capacity and physiological reserve can improve cancer outcomes. This session will explore the evidence-base for prehabilitation, it’s implementation in the oncology setting and future directions for people with cancer.

Precision exercise medicine tailors exercise prescriptions for individuals, recognising that different exercise doses (frequency, intensity, time, type, volume and progression) elicit distinct physiological and functional benefits for cancer survivors. This session will explore the evidence-base for precision exercise medicine and provide recommendations to optimise personalised cancer care.

Existential distress in cancer involves threats to meaning, identity, one’s relationship with mortality, and is associated with reduced quality of life in advanced disease. This session brings together experts in psycho oncology, palliative care, and death anxiety to examine the assessment, key therapeutic frameworks, and emerging clinical approaches to managing existential distress.

Early menopause caused by cancer treatment can significantly affect younger women’s physical and emotional wellbeing. This session brings together experts across oncology, endocrinology, nursing, psychosocial care, and a lived experience consumer to discuss evidence based, multidisciplinary strategies for supporting women experiencing medically induced menopause.

Learn about the latest multidisciplinary updates in thoracic oncology. From precision liquid biopsy to minimising cardiotoxicity from radiotherapy. Learn how exercise oncology and novel nurse-led models of care can be implemented to optimise the care of patients with thoracic cancers.

Smoking remains the major known cause of cancer but smoking cessation is no longer the whole preventive story. First nation, CALD and cancer patients are vulnerable not only to smoking but to misinformation about vaping safety.

Lung cancer in never-smokers and never-vapers is attributable to exposure in the workplace and also to atmospheric pollutions. Such cancer is totally preventable, but remains a challenging as to what action should be taken to reduce the burden and exclude unnecessary anxiety.

Showcasing innovations in personalised oncology care in primary and secondary brain cancer, this session spotlights pre-existing and ongoing trauma in those affected. The key role of rehabilitation, including supportive care and functional interventions, as well as practical aspects including return to work and driving, and emerging treatments will be highlighted.

Various aspects of cancer screening from high risk individual identification, liaison with GPs and recognition of barriers to personal participation are explored by speakers variously engaged in breast, lung, cervical and bowel screening.

Evidence-based nutrition care optimises cancer outcomes when aligned to individual risk, treatment phase and patient priorities. Spanning prehabilitation to palliative care, this session explores multidisciplinary, system-integrated approaches to malnutrition and muscle health that improve survival, treatment tolerance, functional recovery and quality of life.

Cancer -related anxiety influences decisions, behaviours, communication, and relationships throughout the cancer trajectory. This session explores how worry about cancer shapes prevention, screening, inherited risk communication, family dynamics, fear of recurrence, and clinical care. Presenters will offer insights into when anxiety is potentially helpful and activating, when it becomes harmful, and how clinicians can support patients and families experiencing cancer related worry.

Thursday 13 November

Recent progress in the treatment of many advanced cancers has led to improvements in survival and growing numbers of metastatic cancer survivors. This session explores advances and challenges in metastatic survivorship care, from the perspectives of clinicians, consumers and researchers, and strategies to support survivors to live longer and stronger.

How can health data drive real change? This plenary explores how evidence becomes impact, from research findings shaping policy, to real-world clinical data improving care, to dashboards translating insights into action at the point of care. Speakers share practical lessons, challenges, and opportunities for influence across systems and settings.

Why is it so hard to implement cancer care interventions that we know work? This session brings together national leaders who have tried (and sometimes been challenged) to embed effective models of care and interventions into real-world practice. Across precision oncology, lung cancer screening, and exercise oncology - speakers will share their candid “warts and all” reflections on what helps, what hinders, and the practical lessons we can all use as researchers, clinicians, and consumers.
COSA x (3 TED style talks, speakers TBC)