Day 2: November 21, 2025 
Beyond the Diagnosis: Elevating Patient & Family Voices to Improve EAOC Outcomes 

9:30 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.

Symposium Day 2 Opening

A brief recap of sessions from day one: 

Symposium Moderator:
Cassandra Macaulay, B.Sc., MHS, RTNM
Chief Research Officer, CCRAN 

9:40 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 
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‍Patient:
Katie Hulan
Early Age Onset Stage IV ALK Positive Lung Cancer Patient; Lung Health Advocate

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Reviewing CCRAN’s Pan-Tumour Patient Survey Findings: Are Early Age Onset Cancer Patient Needs Being Addressed?

CCRAN, in collaboration with multiple patient group partners, led a national pan-tumour survey to better understand how well current systems are meeting the needs of young adults diagnosed with cancer. The findings offer critical insight into where gaps exist in detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, and reinforce the urgent need for tailored, multidisciplinary support.

This session will:

Presentation: 
Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.
President & CEO, CCRAN
  
Cassandra Macaulay, B.Sc., MHS, RTNM
Chief Research Officer, CCRAN  

Shalini Gambhir, B.Sc., MRT(T), MHA
Research Officer, CCRAN    

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Establishing Young Adult Cancer Clinics: A Patient Group Roundtable

This roundtable brings together leading patient group partners representing various tumour types to explore key opportunities for system-level improvements in early age onset cancer (EAOC) care.  

Informed by the collective experience of cancer advocacy organizations representing diverse patient communities and shaped by the perspectives of those working closely with young adults affected by cancer, this session will highlight persistent gaps in care and propose collaborative strategies to address them. A central objective involves highlighting the need for dedicated EAOC programs. across Canada, models that could significantly improve care navigation, psychosocial support, and survivorship for younger patients.

The patient group roundtable aims to:
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Moderator:
Perri Tutelman, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Assistant Professor and Chair in Transdisciplinary Mental Health, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary; Co-led Canada’s AYA Cancer Priorities in partnership with AYA CAN

Patient Group Roundtable:
‍Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.
President & CEO, CCRAN  

‍Maureen Elliott, BA, MA
Senior Manager, Programs and Support, Pancreatic Cancer Canada  

‍Austin Zimmer, B.Sc., M.Sc.  
Support Services Manager & Research Coordinator, Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada  

‍Teresa Tiano
Chair and Co-Founder, My Gut Feeling, Stomach Cancer Foundation of Canada; Stomach Cancer Survivor and a Nine-Time Cancer Survivor  

‍Brenda Clayton, MN
President & Founder, Cholangio-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Canada; Caregiver of Daughter who succumbed to Early Age Onset Cholangiocarcinoma  

‍Dani Taylor, MSW
Manager of Programs, Young Adult Cancer Canada; Stage III Colorectal Cancer (Lynch Positive) Survivor; Patient Advocate  

‍Bukun Adegbembo, M.Sc.
Director of Operations, Canadian Breast Cancer Network  

‍Michele Wright
Manager, Patient Support Programs, Lung Cancer Canada  

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Health Break
Educational Videos

12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.  

Exploring Intimacy, Reproduction, & Fertility in Early Age Onset Cancer Patients

Young adults diagnosed with cancer face a complex set of psychological and physiological challenges, particularly in areas related to fertility, intimacy, and sexual health. Chemotherapy, radiation, and some targeted therapies can impair reproductive function and hormonal regulation, often causing infertility, sexual dysfunction, and disrupted identity during a critical life stage.

Despite guidelines recommending early discussion of fertility risks and preservation options, these conversations are often overlooked in treatment planning. Survivors may also face cost barriers to fertility services, compounding the emotional burden. Many experience distress related to body image, intimacy, and future family planning, affecting overall quality of life and mental health.

This session will explore:
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Moderator & Male Patient Perspective:
Christopher Mammoliti, BComm (Hons)
National Patient Programs Manager & Young Adult Cancer Coach, CCRAN; EAOC Patient Expert; Thyroid Cancer Survivor & Late-Stage Colon Cancer Survivor

Female Patient Perspective: 
Julia Girmenia
Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer Patient; Patient Advocate

Panelists:
‍Dr. Lauren Walker, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Director, Walker Psychological; Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Calgary

‍Dr. Caitlin Dunne, MD, FRCSC
Reproductive Endocrinologist, Fertility Specialist & Co-Director, Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM)  

Dr. Trevor Cohen, MD, FRCSC
Gynecologic Oncologist, Victoria Centre, BC Cancer Agency

‍Liz Ellwood, BA
Founder, Fertile Future; Founder, Le Strategies; Co-Founder, Fertility Match Canada; Stage IB2 Cervical Cancer Survivor; Patient Advocate

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Managing the Cost of Cancer: Financial Navigation for Early Age Onset Cancer Patients

Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer are uniquely vulnerable to financial strain due to disruptions in employment, education, and limited access to income protection measures. These challenges often coincide with a life stage marked by economic instability and limited financial literacy, amplifying the impact of treatment-related costs.  

Despite growing recognition of its influence on care adherence, mental health, and overall wellbeing, the financial burden of cancer remains insufficiently addressed in standard oncology care. Embedding financial counselling and resource navigation into the cancer care continuum is critical to alleviating hardship, improving patient outcomes, and supporting long-term survivorship planning.  

Speakers will elaborate on the following topics:
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Moderator:
‍Stephen Piazza, MA, APR
Director of Advocacy, Canadian Cancer Society  

Patient:
‍Chantale Thurston, CPA
Board Chair, AYA Can - Canadian Cancer Advocacy; Stage IV Appendix Cancer  

Panelists:
‍Meg Pfeifer, BSW, RSW
Psychosocial Oncology Clinician, CancerCare Manitoba  

‍Shannon Lee Simmons, CFP, CIM
Certified Financial Planner; Chartered Investment Manager; Founder, The New School of Finance Inc.

Mary Stuart, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner, AYA Pediatric Cancer Survivorship Program, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia  

2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Health Break
Educational Videos

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Let’s Talk: Exploring the Cancer Experience Through the Lens of Individuals from Marginalized Populations

Patients from underserved communities often encounter distinct barriers throughout the cancer care continuum, shaped by inequities in access, trust, language, and social support. For individuals from historically marginalized communities, barriers to care often emerge at multiple stages: symptom recognition, diagnosis, treatment navigation, and survivorship support.  

This session will explore the lived experiences of individuals from underserved populations and highlight opportunities to build more equitable, inclusive, and culturally safe oncology systems. By elevating patient perspectives, the session aims to inform more responsive care delivery and catalyze meaningful system-level change.  

Key areas of discussion will include:
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Moderator:
Dr. Naheed Dosani, M.Sc., MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP, B.Sc.
Palliative Care Physician, St. Michael's Hospital; Founder & Lead, Palliative Education And Care for the Homeless (PEACH), Inner City Health Associates; Medical Director/Health Equity Lead, Kensington Health; Health Equity Advisor, CPAC; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto  

Patient Panel Discussion:
‍Harjeet Kaur
Stage IV Rare Blood Cancer Survivor; Patient Advocate; Speaker; Co-Founder, Chai and Hope  

‍J. Nadia Headley, BS, MA
Stage III Breast Cancer Survivor; Patient Advocate; Strategic Director, Twenty One Fourteen Consultancy Services; Executive Director, The Women's Centre of Halton

‍Kaylee Engle
Stage IV Melanoma Patient

‍Peter Laneas
Two-Time Testicular Cancer Survivor (Stage IIIA & IA); Advocate; Advocacy & Engagement Lead, Cancer Fatigue Services

Lianne Mantla-Look, RN
Stage IA Stomach Cancer Survivor

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  

Life Beyond Treatment: Improving the Survivorship Experience

For many young adults, completing cancer treatment marks the beginning of a new and often overwhelming chapter. While the end of active care may bring relief, it can also surface unexpected challenges, feelings of isolation, fear of recurrence, fatigue, and uncertainty about the future. The daily support of the healthcare team fades, yet the need for guidance remains.  

This session will explore what it means to reconnect with life after cancer, physically, emotionally, and socially. Speakers will discuss how adaptation, realistic planning, and psychosocial support can encourage hope, help patients process shifting priorities, and foster long-term wellbeing in the survivorship phase.

Experts will speak to:  
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Moderator:
‍Dr. Mary Jane Esplen, Ph.D., RN
Psycho-Oncologist; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto  

Patient Perspective:
‍Robby Spring, B.Sc., M.Sc., MHSc 
Stage I Breast Cancer, Luminal B, Survivor; Patient Advocate  

Panelists:
‍Dr. Margaret Fitch, RN, Ph.D.
Professor (Adjunct), Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

‍Dr. Stuart Peacock, BA, M.Sc., DPhil, FCAHS
Professor and Leslie Diamond Chair in Cancer Survivorship, Simon Fraser University; Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer

Lianne Trachtenberg, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Clinical and Health Psychologist, Lianne Trachtenberg Psychology

5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Day 2 Closing Remarks and Symposium Adjournment

Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.
President & CEO, CCRAN