Gynecologic cancer patients and advocates unite at FWC Forum in San Diego

Feb 15 2024

The Foundation for Women's Cancer (FWC) is pleased to host a Patient and Advocate Education Forum on​​ Friday, March 15, 2024, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. PT, in San Diego, CA, at the San Diego Convention Center the day before the start of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer. The organization welcomes all gynecologic cancer (cervical, endometrial/uterine, ovarian, vaginal, and vulvar) patients, advocates, family members, and providers. The Forum is complimentary, and attendee registration is now open. This event will provide an opportunity for the creation of meaningful connections among patients, advocates, and healthcare professionals, all centered around a community learning experience where participants will: explore recent developments and breakthroughs in gynecologic cancer from renowned experts, share health and wellness best practices through a cancer journey, and join together in group movement activities.  

The FWC's Patient and Advocate Education Forum is important to gynecologic cancer patient advocates like Rachel Miller Garcia as the event provides an opportunity to meet and connect with others in a similar journey. Originally diagnosed in 2018, Garcia now serves as an active patient advocate for organizations like SGO and FWC and as the Co-Chair, alongside Lori Cory, MD, MSCE, University of Pennsylvania, of the FWC Patient and Advocate Education Forum Planning Committee.  

"I'm happy to be working with a smart, informed team of doctors and advocates wanting to share some amazing new developments and trends in our disease categories," Garcia shared about planning for the Forum. "Turning pain into purpose or lemons to lemonade has been my goal and focus," she added. "These diseases are deadly, but working closely with others is very rewarding, and I look forward to coming together in community in San Diego at this event." 

"Gynecologic cancers are on the rise in the United States, and we are committed to raising awareness of the new prevention and treatment options now available. As the FWC, we work to advance large-scale opportunities to address unmet needs for patients, and to ultimately eliminate the burden of ovarian, uterine/endometrial, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers among all patients and communities," said Ginger J. Gardner, MD, Chair, Foundation for Women's Cancer, Gynecologic Cancer Surgeon and Vice Chair of Hospital Operations at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "This work starts with making information available. When patients and caregivers join together in common space with dedicated health providers and researchers, we all gain greater understanding, and together we build the promise of tomorrow. With the power of shared purpose, we support the patient journey and each other...and we passionately extend the opportunity for health, wellness and community outreach to make a meaningful difference for all."

Agenda for the Patient and Advocate Education Forum 

Time session details 

9 a.m.: Registration Opens; Networking 

10 a.m.: Forum Welcome; Meditative Moment 

10:30 a.m.: Disease Site (Cervical, Endometrial, Ovarian, Vaginal, Vulvar) Speed Rounds; Q & A 

11:15 a.m.: Precision Medicine Presentation; Q &A 

12:15 p.m.: Clinical Trials Panel 

12:40 p.m.: Lunch; Networking Opportunity 

1:25 p.m.: Wellness Presentation; Q & A; Movement Minute 

2:40 p.m.: Break; Networking Opportunity 

3 p.m.: Side Effect Management Presentation; Q & A 

3:45 p.m.: Survivor Panel 

4:10 p.m.: Mini Move4Her Moment 

4:25 p.m.: Closing Ceremony; Post-Event Networking  
 

Forum presenters – Gynecologic cancer survivors and their associated organizations 

Debbie Janes 

Rachel Miller-Garcia 
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance 

Adrienne Moore 
Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African-Americans 

Kimberly Richardson
Black Cancer Collaborative; Special Commission on Gynecologic Cancer 

Jackie Smith 
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance; Ovarian Cancer Alliance of San Diego 

Angelica L. Thomas 
Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African-Americans  

Forum presenters – Health providers and/or researchers in gynecologic oncology and their associated institutions 

Ginger J. Gardner, MD 
Chair, Board of Directors, Foundation for Women's Cancer 
Memorial Sloan Cancer Center, New York, NY 

Angeles Alvarez Secord, MD, MHSc 
2023-2024 President, Society of Gynecologic Oncology 
Duke University, Durham, NC 

Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS 
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 

Joshua Cohen, MD 
City of Hope, Irvine, CA 

Ramez Eskander, MD 
University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 

Lynn Parker, MD 
Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY 

Premal Thaker, MD 
Washington University, St. Louis, MO  

Jessica Walchonski, PA-C, MMS 
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 

Christina Washington, MD 
University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 

Additional learning opportunity 

Registration is also open for the full Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer. Patients, their care partners, and gyn cancer survivors may register here with code AM24SGOPA to receive a special patient and advocate rate of only $150. Learn more about FWC events happening at the Annual Meeting here.