Advancing Sustainable & Personalized Care for Early Age Onset Cancer (EAOC) Patients: Addressing Systemic Barriers to Improve Outcomes

CCRAN’s fifth annual Early Age Onset Cancer (EAOC) Symposium, held virtually on November 20–21, 2025, brought together more than 500 registrants from across Canada and internationally to advance sustainable, personalized care for younger adults with cancer, across tumour types. Over two days, 70 expert speakers contributed to 19 sessions, offering multidisciplinary perspectives on early detection, treatment innovation, supportive care needs, survivorship, and system-level transformation for individuals diagnosed with cancer before 50 years of age.

Participants engaged in informative presentations and rich panel discussions with multidisciplinary experts. The program examined policy priorities such as lowering the colorectal cancer screening age, strengthening the role of primary care in early detection, and improving equitable access to advanced diagnostics. These discussions were complemented by patient-focused sessions, which brought forward the lived experiences, psychosocial needs, and practical challenges faced by younger adults across the cancer continuum. Two cornerstone sessions shaped this year’s program: the Clinician Roundtable, which highlighted key advances in lung cancer and explored rapidly evolving therapeutic approaches and their implications for younger patients, and the Patient Group Roundtable, where national leaders emphasized the urgent need for dedicated young adult cancer clinics across Canada while reflecting on CCRAN’s National EAOC Patient Survey findings.

Attendees responded with enthusiasm and deep appreciation, reaffirming the Symposium’s role in fostering meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and patient-centered advocacy, as reflected in one participant’s thoughtful remark: “I really appreciated the inclusion of patient partners in each panel session. They were the true heart of the Symposium. I deeply appreciate them sharing their vulnerabilities and the paths they had to walk.”

CCRAN extends our sincere gratitude to all speakers, sponsors, and advocacy partners, as well as the Steering Committee and patient community, whose collective efforts and dedication ensured the success of the 2025 EAOC Symposium.

We look forward to building on this momentum as we continue advancing equitable, patient-centered cancer care for EAOC patients across Canada. The outcomes of this event are being captured in a manuscript which is intended for publication in an international, peer-reviewed medical journal. This year’s Symposium leaves us energized and united, carrying forward a stronger, more coordinated commitment to improving outcomes for younger adults with cancer.

We look forward to building on this momentum as we continue advancing equitable, patient-centered cancer care for EAOC patients across Canada. This year’s Symposium leaves us energized and united, carrying forward a stronger, more coordinated commitment to improving outcomes for younger adults with cancer. To further this effort, the outcomes of this event will be captured in a manuscript intended for publication in an international, peer-reviewed medical journal.