Muna Al-Khaifi, Lead of Breast Cancer Survivorship Program and GP oncologist, Skin Cancer Clinic at Sunnybrook, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Reflecting on this: a year ago, this conference was only an idea.
In December 2024, I visited the venue for the first time – alone, without funding or a dedicated team. I had simply contacted the venue and went to see it. Standing in that quiet room, something in me said, ‘This will work. This is needed.’ I could already envision the day when this venue would be filled with people, energy, and meaningful conversations.
At that time, survivorship work was happening in silos, and in most conferences it remained a small half-day topic rather than a dedicated space.
I wanted something different – a full, multidisciplinary conference focused on survivorship.
So I moved from idea to action. I built the Scientific Planning Committee, found a co-chair, and developed a program that was evidence-based, patient-centered, and shaped by multidisciplinary voices across oncology, rehabilitation, nursing, psychosocial care, surgical care, and patient advocacy.
I contacted the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) department at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, to seek accreditation for the program. Next, I reached out to potential sponsors to share our vision. I conducted numerous meetings and was prepared to address challenging questions. Many of them believed in the concept right from the start. – even while others told me it wasn’t possible, that I needed at least two years to do this, or I should start small with 50 attendees
But my heart didn’t agree.
I knew we needed a full two-day conference that reflected the true breadth of survivorship.
There were challenges and moments of doubt, but throughout the process, there was
more hope than fear, more passion than worry, and more commitment than obstacles.
On November 28, when the conference opened, I felt it clearly:
‘The vision is alive.’
It took 11 months of constant working to bring this to life, and seeing it all come together was incredibly meaningful.
The energy was exceptional. People stayed until the final session. The science, evidence, multidisciplinary teamwork, and patient stories came together powerfully.
Today, I want to pause and acknowledge something I rarely say:
I am grateful to myself for trusting this vision – and grateful to every member of the scientific planning committee who helped bring it to life.
Survivorship deserves this space, and we will continue building on this.”
More posts featuring Muna Al-Khaifi.
