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Day 1: November 20, 2025
From Gaps to Action: Transforming Early Age Onset Cancer Detection, Diagnosis & Care Throughout Policy & Innovation
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Symposium Day 1 Opening
CCRAN is a national, patient-focused advocacy group, dedicated to improving the longevity and quality of life for all cancer patients in Canada through their persistent efforts in support, education, and advocacy for equal and timely access to effective therapies.
CCRAN's fifth annual pan-tumour Early Age Onset Cancer Symposium will build on the program of past symposia. Over the course of two days, it will once again invite clinicians, pathologists, researchers, policy professionals, patients and caregivers from within and outside Canada, across multiple tumour types, to address optimal care and treatment pathways, enhance the survivorship journey and further explore system-level challenges that limit early detection of EAOC.
Symposium Moderator:
Cassandra Macaulay, B.Sc., MHS, RTNM
Chief Research Officer, CCRAN
9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Welcome from CCRAN’s President & CEO
A warm welcome to all experts and participants, with reflection on:
Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.
President & CEO, CCRAN
Patient:
Jessica Dasler
Stage IV Colorectal Cancer Survivor; Patient Advocate; CCRAN's My Lung Mets and My Advocacy Coach
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Addressing the Detrimental Impacts of Early Age Onset Cancer: Key Learnings from CCRAN's 2025 Early Age Onset Cancer Symposium
The objectives and outcomes of CCRAN’s 2024 Early Age Onset Cancer Symposium have been captured and summarized in a publication in Current Oncology.
The lead author of the publication will present the key findings, themes and calls to action as highlighted in the paper.
Presentation:
Dr. Michael Raphael, MD, FRCPC
Medical Oncologist, Early Age Onset CRC Cancer Clinic Lead, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Co-Chair, Medical & Scientific Advisory Board, CCRAN
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
A National Priority: Lowering the Screening Age for Colorectal Cancer
With colorectal cancer (CRC) now one of the fastest rising cancers in adults under 50, there is growing urgency to address gaps in early detection, beginning with re-evaluating Canada’s current screening guidelines.
Recent policy advancements in breast cancer, specifically the lowering of the screening age to 40, have demonstrated how emerging data and advocacy can accelerate reform. This shift has helped catalyze calls to apply the same urgency to CRC, which continues to show comparable epidemiological trends in younger populations but has yet to see parallel policy movement. This session will examine the case for lowering the CRC screening age in Canada. Experts will explore the systemic, jurisdictional, and access-related challenges that must be addressed to ensure equitable and earlier detection for high-risk, under-50 populations.
Key considerations include
Moderator:
Dr. Michael Raphael, MD, FRCPC
Medical Oncologist, Early Age Onset CRC Cancer Clinic Lead, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Co-Chair, Medical & Scientific Advisory Board, CCRAN
Caregiver:
Amanda Conlon
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Circle Back Foundation; Cousin succumbed to Stage IV Cancer
Panel Discussion:
Dr. Aparna Parikh, MD
Director of CRC Medical Oncology Research & Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Center, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute
Dr. Darren Brenner, Ph.D
Armstrong Investigator in Molecular Epidemiology; Associate Professor, Depts. of Oncology and Community Health Sciences; Division Head — Preventive Oncology; Director of Research — Forzani & MacPhail Colon Cancer Screening Centre; Director — Cancer Screening, Detection and Risk Reduction Program, University of Calgary
Dr. Gary Wild, MD, CM, Ph.D., FRCP(c)
Clinical Gastroenterologist & Professor of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre
Dr. Usmaan Hameed, MD, FRCSC
Colorectal Surgical Oncologist; Clinical Lead, GI Cancer Program & Division Head, General Surgery, North York General Hospital
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Considering Cancer in Young Adults: Elevating Awareness & Detection Readiness in Primary Care
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Health Break
Educational Videos
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Catching Cancer Early: Reframing the System Value of Early Detection in Young Adults
Early detection is often discussed in clinical terms, but its broader system-level value is equally significant. This session brings together a multi-disciplinary group of experts to examine how earlier diagnosis in younger adults contributes to improved outcomes, more efficient care delivery, and long-term cost savings. The conversation will also explore new directions in early detection, how emerging strategies, technologies, and care models are shaping the case for investment in early age onset cancer.
This session contributes to a renewed understanding of the full system value of early detection, reframing it not just as a clinical goal, but as a foundational pillar of sustainable, patient-centered care.
Experts in the field will explore:
Moderator:
Dr. Tanya Chawla, MBBS, FRCR, FRCPC
Associate Professor & Staff Radiologist, Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto
Patient:
Laura Floyd, MA, JD
Stage III NSCLC Lung Cancer Patient; Patient Advocate
Panelists:
Eva Villalba, MBA, M.Sc.
VBHC Green Belt; Executive Director, Quebec Cancer Coalition; President, VBHC Learning Community
Dr. Craig Earle, MD, M.Sc., FRCPC
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
Jennifer Carey, M.Org.M, BHSc, MRT(R)
Manager of National Advocacy, Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists
Samar Saeed, RN, B.Sc.N, EMBA
Clinical Services Manager, Outpatient Oncology & Systemic Therapy, William Osler Health System
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Improving Access to Advanced Diagnostics: Comprehensive Genomic Profiling as a Gateway to Personalized Treatment of Metastatic Cancer
3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Health Break
Featured Video: Multitarget FIT (mFIT) Prospective Screening Study for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Advancements in the Management of Lung Cancer
As precision oncology continues to evolve, lung cancer has become a leading example of how systemic and molecularly localized therapies are transforming cancer care. The integration of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) has redefined treatment strategies, enabling clinicians to tailor therapies based on tumour-specific biomarkers, improve patient outcomes, and minimize unnecessary toxicity.
This clinician roundtable will explore the latest therapeutic developments in lung cancer, highlighting the practical application of genomic insights, evolving standards of care, and the importance of real-world evidence in treatment planning.
Key discussion points will include:
4:30 p.m. - 5:25 p.m.
Harnessing the Immune System: Breakthroughs in Immunotherapy
Building on the prior discussion of evolving treatment pathways, this session will take a focused look at immunotherapy’s role in the early age onset cancer (EAOC) landscape. As a rapidly advancing field, immunotherapy continues to redefine cancer care, offering durable responses and improved survival across tumour types.
This session will present the current and emerging role of immune-based strategies in managing EAOC, examining how younger patients’ unique immune biology may influence response, reviewing advancements in checkpoint inhibitors and cellular therapies, and highlighting opportunities to optimize patient selection through biomarker-driven approaches.
This session will explore:
Moderator:
Cassandra Macaulay, B.Sc., MHS, RTNM
Chief Research Officer, CCRAN
Patient:
Eric Hamilton
Stage IV Colorectal Cancer Patient; Patient Advocate
Panelists:
Dr. Mairi Lucas, MD
Medical Oncologist, BC Cancer, Surrey; Assistant Clinical Professor, University of British Columbia (UBC)
Dr. Anuradha Krishnamurthy, BS, MD
Assistant Professor of Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
5:25 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Glance at Day 2. Closing Remarks from CCRAN’s President & CEO
Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.
President & CEO, CCRAN
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