Embedding cancer advocates as structural partners in oncology conferences: A scalable implementation model based on RISE UP for Breast Cancer and Women's Health Conference

Background: Patient, research and policy cancer advocatesare frequently included in oncology meetings, yet participation often remainssymbolic. We developed and operationalized a full-integration model at the 2026RISE UP for Breast Cancer and Women's Health conference to structurally embedadvocates across all dimensions of a scientific meeting.Methods: As Advocate Lead on the planning committee I hadthe opportunity to implement a multi-level advocate integration frameworkencompassing governance, grant support, programming, and on-site engagement.Advocacy participation included agenda development for the general meeting andindividual sessions, abstract review and speaker and poster selection. Duringthe meeting, advocates were embedded as judges alongside venture capitalists,industry representatives and medical and regulatory experts, to weigh in onpitches at the curated competition that spotlighted high-impact ideas in thewomen's health arena. In the general sessions advocates shared their storiesand their perspectives on topics ranging from pregnancy-related breast cancerto navigating menopause after a breast cancer diagnosis, to inability toconceive due to uterine fibroids. They served as presenters at poster sessions,participated in audience Q/A discussions, and hosted non-profit advocacyorganization information tables throughout the exhibit hall.Results: As a result of a targeted effort to attract adiverse group of advocates, a steeply reduced advocate registration fee, aswell as travel support scholarships, 54 advocates registered for theconference, representing 16.18% of total attendees. At RISE UP, 18 advocatesfrom six states served as speakers or judges, and an advocate presented in 100%of conference general sessions ranging from scientific to clinical to policyrelated. Advocates were integrated into 65 planning meetings over 9-months andreviewed and judged 111 abstracts. All advocate speakers were the invitedguests of RISE UP at a fundraiser awards luncheon as a show of appreciation fortheir participation in the meeting. Qualitative feedback from researchers andphysicians indicated improved discussion of patient-centered endpoints, equityconsiderations, and real-world evidence as well as increased opportunity forcollaboration. The results of the attendee satisfaction Likert Scale surveyquestion: Do you feel that the advocate stories and advocate perspectives ineach session enriched the meeting? are forthcoming.Conclusions: Structural advocate integration is feasible,scalable, and associated with measurable increases in engagement andtranslational relevance. This implementation model provides a replicableframework for oncology conferences seeking to move from symbolic inclusion toauthentic partnership with advocates.