Carmen Monge-Montero, Lead of the OncoDaily Lived Experience Advocacy Hub, Researcher and Global Cancer Advocate, shared on LinkedIn:
“What an ESMO!
I feel so grateful for the opportunity to attend ESMO 2026, for everything I learned, but especially for all the amazing people I met and reconnected with!
One of my biggest surprises was meeting Ikram Eseghir and Alejandra Toro, two people who helped me reach 100 cancer survivors from 75 countries with my MANO project.
I cannot explain how happy it made me to finally meet in person people who trusted me online to share their stories. And the funny thing is that I didn’t even know I was going to meet them at ESMO!
I also had the chance to listen to one of the most powerful patient advocacy speeches I have ever heard, from Natalia Montigny. And I learned so much from the workshops, roundtables, Patient Advocacy Track, and even conversations during dinner.
One of the sessions that really stayed with me was the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) session about equitable healthcare for underserved populations. I found it very interesting how important language can be in communities where cancer is still a taboo or carries a lot of stigma. And how humour can be a way to start conversations about cancer.
It made me think about Latin America, where we also often use humour to talk about difficult topics. Sometimes, even if we come from different parts of the world, we have more things in common than we imagine.
I was also very happy to represent Lymphoma Coalition, advocating for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer, and to share the work we are doing at the OncoDaily Lived Experience Advocacy Hub, connecting with patient advocates from around the world and thinking about how we can collaborate.
Because one thing ESMO reminded me is that lived experience doesn’t just need to be included in the conversation. It makes the conversation better! Maybe next year advocates will have the chance to enter the exhibition centre where many more important conversations are happening
Thank you to everyone who made these days so special. I hope to see you all again soon!”
You can also read: ESMO 2026: The Key Pembrolizumab Trials to Know
