The COSA-IPOS 2025 World Congress was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 6 to 9, bringing together oncology and psycho-oncology experts from around the world. Hosted by the Cancer and Oncology Society of Africa (COSA) and the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), the congress remains a key platform for advancing research, clinical practice, and patient-centered cancer care.
This year’s program featured the latest developments in immunotherapy, precision oncology, survivorship, and psychosocial support. Plenary sessions, late-breaking abstracts, and expert discussions highlighted innovations bridging clinical care with patient well-being.
With hundreds of abstracts presented and a strong international presence, the congress fostered collaboration, mentorship, and networking, particularly for early-career professionals. COSA-IPOS 2025 reaffirmed its mission to improve patient outcomes through innovation, evidence-based care, and holistic oncology practices.
Co-Chairs
Top 20 Posts from COSA-IPOS 2025
“COSAIPOS2025 Has begun! More than 1,230 attendees are here! Thanks to all for joining us. We look forward to connecting with you all – be sure to say hi at our IPOS booth and/or introduce yourselves to IPOS board members in attendance (name badges notes in red ”IPOS Board”.)”
“COSA IPOS 2025 is underway! Proud to be co-convening this wonderful joint meeting in my home town, on Kaurna country. And what a thought provoking opening plenary to kick us off: Common Sense Oncology, Global Cancer Care, and integrating Psychosocial Support into Cancer Care ”
Cristiane D Bergerot, PhD, FASCO:
“Grateful and honored to receive the IPOS Psycho Oncology Noemi Fisman Award at COSA IPOS2025 .To my mentors Matthew Loscalzo, LCSW, Sumanta K. Pal, MD, FASCO, William Dale, MD, PhD, FASCO, colleagues, patients, and my family Paulo G Bergerot for their endless support Thanks for shaping and supporting my journey!”
Many thanks to the Minister for Health Mark Butler for mentioning the Optimal Care pathway for Older People with cancer at the opening of the COSA IPOS ASM in Adelaide today.
This document as part of the Cancer Australia Australian Cancer Plan provides a framework for the complex change management needed to improve the care of older people with cancer nationally.
Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) will now launch the OCP and help guide implementation.
I will now work with co-champion Meera Agar and the whole COSA Geriatric Oncology team that developed the OCP to formulate a multifaceted plan and advocacy strategy.”
“Our president talk t the Opening ceremony IPOS Psycho Oncology Integrating psychological care into routine care in cancer patients”
“Was great to participate today on what I thought was an excellent session lead by the oncology pharmacy COSA group. Featuring Dr Courtney Cross on the Microbiome and cancer supportive care, cancer related cognitive impairment and immunotherapy response and more, Nikola Bowden on repurposed drugs to enhance responsiveness to immunotherapy and resistant ovarian cancer, Lachlan Roth on the pharmacist role in caring for people with serious mental health concerns and I presented our work on adherence and patient perspective re medicinal cannabis in advanced cancer. Thanks to chairs Kimberley-Ann Kerr and jenny casanova ”
“Some of our UTS Health. Cancer Survivorship team at the COSAIPOS2025 conference – presenting work on prehabilitation (CALD communities), Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment, and of course, Chairing sessions – amazing work as always by Darren Haywood, James Murray, and Jen!”
“Opening of COSA25, COSA-IPOS 2025 in beautiful Adelaide COSA oncology”
“The magnificent CEO Cancer Aus Cancer Australia – presenting on progress with the Australian Cancer Plan (2-years on) at COSA-IPOS 2025 while launching the Optimal Care Pathway for Older Adults and National Cancer Data Framework: https://canceraustralia.gov.au/key-initiatives/national-cancer-data-framework.”
“Grateful to be at COSA-IPOS2025 this week learning from inspiring Psycho Oncology researchers”
“Great opening session in Adelaide today at COSA-IPOS 2025. Congrats to Sabe Sabesan and the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA), Prof Wendy Wing Tak Lam and the International Psycho-Oncology Society for such a stellar line up of experts optimising care, optimising outcomes, outcomes for all.”
“Pleasure to speak at the MDT panel at COSA/IPOS, which highlights the importance of multidisciplinary care in cancer treatment. Proud to see our registrar Dr Zhen Hong present his research on biliary cancers in SWSLHD. And always good catching up with colleagues.”
“We’re enjoying a great conference at COSAIPOS2025 . It’s amazing getting to connect with and learn from other psycho-oncology researchers and clinicians as we navigate our PhDs in this field . Grateful to be here”
“Following Amanda Piper around cancer conferences since 2014 .
Absolutely loved being at COSA-IPOS 2025. The Australian cancer community is such a special one, full of dedicated and passionate individuals and the last few days have truly felt like coming home. Incredible as always to see the amazing work being done and seeing so many colleagues after many years.
Lots of thoughts but what stuck out to me:
1. More and more people are living longer with, and surviving cancer: GREAT news
2. This means we need to ensure that there are services and supports in place that are fit for purpose for this growing group: a good challenge to have
3. This is going to need a shift in traditional thinking and some innovation: can definitely lead the way.
A little plug but I joined MedWise Consulting because I truly believe that people with lived experience and their experiences need to form the basis of any meaningful change or innovation. Would love to chat to you about what we do.”
“Honoured to present a team poster on behalf of our colleague at COSA–IPOS 2025, as the first author was unable to attend.
It was a privilege to represent the work of our team and share the key findings with delegates. The poster highlighted the service evaluation and the common unmet needs that we were able to address contributing to the broader conversation about improving survivorship and supportive care.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to help ensure our team’s work was still visible and celebrated on this national and international stage.
With me are Elle (NUM from Wagga-Wagga) and Mia (Oncology Dietician)”
“Powerful talk by Dr Andrea Smith from The Daffodil Centre & MBC Action Australia at COSA-IPOS 2025:
“Buying time: incurable prognosis, temporal uncertainty and the financial and emotional costs of metastatic cancer”
Dr Smith, a consumer-researcher living with metastatic cancer, shared compelling insights from longitudinal interviews with women navigating life with a ‘contracted future’. Her work highlights the tension between the desire to make the most of the time available and the financial capacity to do so—a reality that is both emotionally and economically precarious.
The study’s themes offer a profound lens into the lived experience of metastatic breast cancer. These women are not only surviving longer but are also redefining what it means to live well, often under immense financial strain.
🔍 This research is a powerful reminder that financial toxicity is not just a side effect—it’s a barrier to living meaningfully with advanced cancer.
📢 We urgently need policy solutions that support people living longer with metastatic disease, especially those with limited financial resources.”
“I’m happy to share that I had the opportunity to present my research paper at the prestigious convention organized jointly by the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) and International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) COSA IPOS 2025 at Adelaide, Australia.
My collaborators Dr. Girish Lad and Dr. Tahreen Syed (Director and Center Head for Psycho -Oncology) from the Texas School of Mental Health and I had carried out a study about Shared Decision Making among Indian cancer patients from lower socio economic backgrounds. My paper was extremely well received and stimulated a lot of discussion, academic and social. I want to thank all my friends and students who helped me to carry out this study. A special thanks to our Principal Prof. Shyam Mude and Vice-Principal Swati Joglekar Ma’am for their constant support and encouragement for this project!
It has been a phenomenal learning experience to be here, in a city which is extremely beautiful and in a conference which is extremely well organised! I look forward to do a lot of applied work as well as research in this area. It calls for a lot of collaboration and synergy.”
“One of my favourite presentations from COSA-IPOS 2025 was in the ‘Patient Experiences and Preferences’ session,
which explored the introduction of a patient navigator as part of a ‘breast bundle’ for those diagnosed with early breast cancer.
One of the biggest challenges of any cancer diagnosis is navigating the busy, complex and often disjointed health system whilst facing an overwhelming and often terrifying scenario. I found this difficult at times myself, despite having many years of professional experience working in the system. It’s one of the reasons I now help people navigate their own cancer diagnosis – because I know how much of a difference it makes.
I have also seen a significant increase in the workload of health professionals working across cancer care over recent years and I worry that the current pace is becoming unsustainable, if it isn’t already.
Thank you, Yvonne Zissiadis and the team at Perth Specialist Breast Care, for putting the patient at the heart of this model of care and for leading innovative solutions that truly support both patients and clinicians.”
Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA):
“It’s a wrap! Thank you to the 1255 delegates who joined us in Adelaide for COSA-IPOS 2025 and to everyone who made our meeting a huge success. Watch the video for all the stats and see you in Sydney next year at COSA26.”
“Innovation, Collaboration, and Inspiration — COSA‑IPOS 2025
Highlights included the Prep4Sururgery service, the importance of sleep, diet and exercise, how apps and technology can be harnessed to support patients across a range of domains and fascinating insights into the gut microbiome (with hopefully many exciting collaborations to come!).
I was delighted to provide a nursing perspective in both a breakfast session on exercise and diet and an MDT tumour board session.
Beyond the sessions, reconnecting with colleagues old and new was a joy. Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) is always about more than knowledge — it’s about learning, collaborating, and inspiring.”
Written by Nare Hovhannisyan, MD