Stupid Cancer Holds CancerCon for Young Adults

This is a guest post by Sarah Tuck, KCA’s Senior Manager of Patient Programs, who works on all the patient programs and education initiatives.

I had the privilege of attending Stupid Cancer’s CancerCon in Washington, D.C. on August 23 on behalf of the Kidney Cancer Association (KCA). The conference brought together patients, survivors, caregivers, advocates, non-profit and health care professionals across the cancer community, creating a powerful space for connection and learning in the young adult cancer space.

One session on (In)fertility and Family Building highlighted the importance of access to resources and support for patients making fertility-related decisions during and after treatment. I also joined a breakout session on Coping with Secondary Trauma as a Cancer Professional — a meaningful discussion about the challenges many of us face in this work and the strategies we can use to sustain our mental health and our missions.

In addition to these sessions, I visited the exhibit hall to connect with some of our partner organizations offering programs and resources for young adult patients and caregivers.

Rounding out the day, I joined the general session, where the strength and resilience of this community was on full display led by Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Collins stressed the importance of research and the value of sharing patient stories to help advance new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer.

Representing KCA at CancerCon reminded me how meaningful it is to listen, learn, and connect with others in the young adult cancer community. Events like this not only bring us together around a shared purpose but also keep patients’ and caregivers’ voices at the heart of what we do.

KCA Resources

Young Adults are a Population at Higher Risk for Kidney Cancer

Resources for Young Adults with Kidney Cancer