Liza Lundgren, OCRA Director of Education
This September, more than 2,180 people from 83 countries, including patients, survivors, loved ones, advocates, and members of the gynecologic cancer community, came together for OCRA's 2026 International Gynecologic Cancer Conference®. Attendees learned from experts, explored the latest advances in gynecologic cancer care, and found resources, support, community, and hope.
This year's conference featured sessions across ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and rare gynecologic cancers, along with conversations focused on survivorship, clinical trials, wellness, and navigating life with and beyond cancer. The first day featured Ask the Expert sessions for each cancer type, giving community members the opportunity to hear directly from specialists and have their questions addressed.
Several sessions stood out for offering valuable insights, practical information, and engaging discussions.
In Navigating Survivorship, Dr. Jill Alldredge explored survivorship as an ongoing and deeply personal part of the cancer experience. Survivorship is about more than cancer surveillance, and can include emotional well-being, cognitive health, physical recovery, preventive care, sexual health, and finding ways to move forward after treatment.
The Bench to Bedside Panel brought together experts and patient voices to explore the clinical trial experience. Panelists emphasized that clinical trials are not simply a last resort; they can be meaningful options at many points during treatment, offering close support and careful monitoring while providing access to promising therapies.
In Managing Ovarian Cancer Recurrence, Dr. Sarah Adams explored how treatment decisions are guided by factors including where the cancer returns, previous treatments, time since platinum therapy, overall health, symptoms, and personal preferences. The session also highlighted advances that are expanding treatment options, including targeted therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, immunotherapy, and clinical trials, while emphasizing the importance of balancing cancer treatment with quality of life.
In Managing Endometrial Cancer Recurrence, Dr. Yvette Williams-Brown explored how recurrence is identified and how treatment can vary based on where the cancer returns, tumor biology, previous treatment, and individual goals. The session emphasized the importance of recognizing and reporting new symptoms and highlighted the growing role of molecular testing in identifying personalized treatment options, including immunotherapy, targeted therapies, hormone therapy, and clinical trials.
In Talking Through Tough Moments: Navigating Difficult Conversations, Rachel Montague, a nurse practitioner specializing in psycho-oncology, shared practical tools for communicating with loved ones and care teams with honesty, hope, and self-advocacy. The session explored how to express personal needs, ask clear questions, prepare for uncertainty, and openly share symptoms while recognizing that hope and honesty can coexist throughout the cancer experience.
If you weren't able to join us live, or would like to revisit a session, most of the expert sessions from OCRA's 2026 International Gynecologic Cancer Conference® are now available on OCRA's YouTube channel. We invite you to explore the recordings, learn from the conversations, and share these valuable resources with others in the gynecologic cancer community.
OCRA is deeply grateful to the experts who shared their time and knowledge, our conference sponsors who helped make the event possible, and everyone who participated and brought their questions, experiences, and perspectives to the conversation.
From Research to Real-World Care: Highlights from OCRA's 2026 International Conference
More than 2,180 participants from 83 countries joined Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) for its 2026 International Gynecologic Cancer Conference® in September, bringing together patients, survivors, advocates, clinicians, and the broader gynecologic cancer community.
Across ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and rare gynecologic cancers, the conference highlighted advances in precision medicine, emerging therapies, clinical trials, and survivorship, with an emphasis on translating scientific progress into meaningful improvements in patient care.
Selected sessions included:
- Bench to Bedside Panel: Researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates explored the clinical trial experience, emphasizing the importance of patient perspectives in advancing research and treatment innovation.
- Managing Ovarian Cancer Recurrence: Emerging treatment strategies, including targeted therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, immunotherapy, and individualized treatment decisions.
- LGSOC and BOT Updates: Advances in targeted therapies and evolving approaches to managing low-grade serous ovarian cancer and borderline ovarian tumors.
- Managing Endometrial Cancer Recurrence: The growing role of molecular profiling, immunotherapy, and personalized treatment strategies.
- Navigating Survivorship: The importance of addressing long-term physical, cognitive, and psychosocial outcomes beyond cancer treatment.
- Talking Through Tough Moments: Communication strategies that strengthen patient-centered care and shared decision-making.
Throughout the conference, a common theme emerged: scientific innovation has its greatest impact when informed by patient experiences and translated into accessible, individualized care.
Most conference sessions are now available through OCRA's YouTube channel, offering researchers, clinicians, and the broader community an opportunity to revisit these discussions and share emerging insights.
OCRA extends its appreciation to the speakers, patient advocates, conference sponsors, and participants who contributed to this international exchange of knowledge and perspectives.