Hope, Healing and Innovation: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Survivorship Symposium Charts a Bold Future
Summary
- The 4th Annual Sylvester Cancer Survivorship Symposium explored one question that now defines modern oncology: How will you live?
- The symposium’s opening day focused on practical strategies for living well beyond cancer.
- The second day spotlighted transformative research shaping the future of survivorship care.
At the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, the 4th Annual Sylvester Cancer Survivorship Symposium unfolded as more than a conference. It was a movement. More than 500 survivors, caregivers and clinicians came together to explore one question that now defines modern oncology: How will you live?
For the first time, the symposium expanded into a two-day format. Previous years featured a single day of programming with parallel supportive care and research tracks, but growing interest and the complexity of survivorship care prompted organizers to double the time and broaden the scope. This year’s event devoted the symposium’s first day to supportive care sessions for survivors, caregivers and care providers and the second day to scientific sessions for providers and researchers.
The goal was clear— bridge leading-edge research with compassionate care to improve quality of life long after primary treatment ends.
Day One: Supportive Care in Action
The opening day focused on practical strategies for living well beyond cancer. Morning sessions tackled emotional and logistical strategies for both patients and caregivers. For example, Brittany J. Wright, Ph.D., a psycho-oncologist and assistant professor in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, shared research-driven coping techniques. Certified oncology social workers Karen Sanchez, Sylvester’s director of social work, and Lisset Robertson, explained how advanced care documents can empower patients and help their caregivers.
Survivors candidly shared their experiences and discussed opportunities with the audience. In response to one of the survivors in the audience, Carmen Calfa, M.D., Sylvester’s co-director of the recently established Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute, invited cancer survivors who wished to ring the bell to mark the milestone of being well enough to attend. (Many patients ring the bell when they finish chemotherapy or radiation.)
“We really love the idea of celebrating every milestone,” Dr. Calfa said, an associate professor in the Miller School’s Division of Medical Oncology. “We invite everyone who wants to mark a milestone to ring the bells with us.”
The keynote, delivered by cancer survivor, cartoonist and author Jason Tharp of the Beyond Hope Project, set an inspiring tone. His talk, “Hope as Strategy: When Impossible Becomes Optional for Everyone,” shared the idea that hope can be an active practice.
“Become aware of the power that you actually have over your own story,” he said. “Hope appears in the least likely places, when you’re not looking but are desperate enough to notice it and brave enough to trust it.”
Cancer Survivorship Symptom Management and Lifestyle Intervention
Afternoon sessions shifted to symptom management and lifestyle interventions. Topics ranged from fatigue and neuropathy to debunking nutrition myths.
“We know that, as cancer treatments continue to advance, our survivors are thriving for years after diagnosis,” said Lena Iglesias, M.S.N., APRN, a member of Sylvester’s survivorship support team. “However, we also acknowledge that survivorship brings its own set of challenges.”
Music therapy took center stage as music therapist Mary Kauffman, D.M.A., and her team shared research about how rhythm and melody can soothe pain and restore joy. They then demonstrated it by leading participants in dancing and singing. The day closed with an interactive “Ask the Experts” panel during which oncologists, psychologists and program coordinators fielded questions from the audience.
“We’re not just focusing on helping you survive, because at the end of the day, a survivor is not a survivor if you’re not thriving,” said Federika Garcia Muchacho, RDN, CNSC, CSO, director of wellness and nutrition for Sylvester’s supportive care services.
Panelist Veronika Panagiotou, Ph.D., director of advocacy and programs for Cancer Nation, noted that the symposium strengthened her confidence in the potential to expand supportive and survivorship care.
“My hope is to see all the robust attendance at a conference around survivorship and supportive care. This is not the norm around the country,” she said. “Sylvester is a leader in this type of care.”
Day Two: Science Meets Compassion and Care
The second day spotlighted transformative research shaping the future of survivorship care. Sessions explored frailty and accelerated aging, stress management and technology-enabled interventions. A highlight was the keynote by Supriya Mohile, M.D., from the Wilmot Cancer Institute, who addressed improving evidence-based care delivery for older survivors, a growing oncology population with a unique set of challenges.
Artificial intelligence also claimed the stage. The University of British Columbia’s John-Jose Nunez, M.D., presented “From Promise to Practice: The Future of AI in Supportive Cancer Care,” illustrating how machine learning and other innovations in technology can personalize interventions, predict late effects and optimize care pathways.
By integrating clinical care with research and technology, we’re creating a model that anticipates patient needs and delivers support before challenges arise. Survivorship care is evolving and we’re leading that change.
Dr. Carmen Calfa
Pediatric and adolescent survivorship received equal attention, with Emory University School of Medicine’s Jordan Marchak, Ph.D., emphasizing the need for tailored models for younger patients that address age-related needs, as well as late effects of treatment.
The symposium underscored that artificial intelligence is not replacing clinicians. It’s empowering them. From predictive analytics to virtual coaching, AI tools promise to make survivorship care more proactive and personalized. Imagine algorithms that flag early signs of neuropathy or recommend tailored nutrition plans based on genomic data. These innovations are no longer hypothetical. They’re on the horizon.
Sylvester’s Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute
The second day of the conference also marked a milestone for Sylvester. Frank Penedo, Ph.D., and Dr. Calfa announced the official launch of the Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute (SSCI), which expands the clinical care, research and supportive care services and brings together multidisciplinary experts under a centralized structure to optimize care and research innovations. This new model will deliver even more comprehensive and precision-guided care and is informed by a growing research portfolio across Sylvester and the University of Miami.
“Survivorship represents a pivotal chapter in our patients’ lives, a journey that marks new beginnings filled not only with challenges, but also with meaningful opportunities to enrich and transform lives,” emphasized Dr. Penedo, associate director for population sciences at Sylvester and director of SSCI. “Through our institute’s comprehensive and expanding programs, every individual is empowered with access to highly personalized care that supports their physical, emotional and social well-being. Our unwavering commitment is to help survivors flourish, to ensure they thrive.”
With more than 500 attendees, the event was a testament to collaboration. Survivors shared stories of resilience, researchers unveiled groundbreaking studies and providers exchanged best practices. The atmosphere was one of hope — rooted in science, amplified by compassion.
“This launch represents a bold step forward for Sylvester. By integrating clinical care with research and technology, we’re creating a model that anticipates patient needs and delivers support before challenges arise. Survivorship care is evolving and we’re leading that change,” said Dr. Calfa.
Tags: cancer survivorship, Cancer Survivorship Program, Cancer Survivorship Symposium, Dr. Carmen Calfa, Dr. Frank Penedo, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sylvester’s Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute