Rania Azmi, Founder and CEO of Alexandrite Decisions, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“The Advanced Breast Cancer Eighth International Consensus Conference (ABC8), November 2025, Lisbon, Portugal
‘Ambition and love are the wings to great deeds.’ – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
At the summit of my journey – where cancer advocacy, decision-making, and finance intersect – I draw strength from Goethe’s timeless reminder that ambition and love are the wings that lift humanity toward its greatest deeds. That spirit resonates deeply in my own path, where the discipline of finance and investment stands firmly beside my devoted commitment to the cancer cause.
Ambition opened the door to my career; love called me to advocate for cancer patients, and as I shared on the opening day of ABC8, my beloved mother – may God bless her in paradise – was the first among countless reasons that inspired me to walk this dual path of advocacy and professional pursuit.
With this first dedicated article on one of the key cancer activities – ABC8 held biennially in Lisbon, Portugal, and in which I have been privileged to participate since 2013, including the unique edition conducted online during the pandemic in 2021 – I take a moment to honor the champions who have inspired me along this journey. Each has contributed in their own way, whether by serving as a role model or by empowering me with knowledge. They remind us that ambition may build careers, but when joined with love, it creates legacies of impact and hope.
The Advanced Breast Cancer Eighth International Consensus Conference (ABC8), held in November 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal – together with the ABC Global Decade Report (2015–2025), the ABC Global Charter (2025–2035), which offers a renewed commitment to drive meaningful, measurable progress for every person in every country living with ABC during the decade 2025–2035, The Breast Journal, and other initiatives – stands as a powerful force in the global fight against cancer.
This collective impact extends beyond metastatic breast cancer, setting a global example of how patient advocates, oncologists, and cancer stakeholders unite in pursuit of shared goals. Since my first participation in 2013 at ABC2, this spirit of collaboration has continued to define my journey.
This year brings the profound honor of serving as faculty alongside extraordinary leaders such as Dr. Fatima Cardoso, President of the ABC Global Alliance and Chair of the ABC International Consensus Conference and Guidelines, Portugal; Dr. Eric Winer, MD, FASCO, Director of Yale Cancer Center and President and Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital, Deputy Dean of Cancer Research at Yale School of Medicine, past President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and current member and past Chair of its Board of Directors, United States; Dr. Larry Norton, Norna S. Sarofim Chair of Clinical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer-Center and founder of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, United States; Dr. Alberto Costa, Board Member of the European Cancer Organisation and CEO of the European School of Oncology (ESO), Italy; Dr. Matti Aapro, President of SPCC (Sharing Progress in Cancer Care), President of All.Can International, and past President of the European Cancer Organization, Switzerland; and many more distinguished names.
From the earliest days of my journey, Dr.Fatima Cardoso and Dr. Eric Winer have stood as guiding lights, role models whose wisdom and humanity have illuminated countless paths. Their influence extends far beyond oncology, reaching into the realm of compassionate advocacy for patients worldwide. In every encounter over the years, they have been unfailingly supportive and caring.
The same deep respect is owed to each of the legendary figures whose encouragement, often given unknowingly, inspired me at pivotal moments, and to all who have dedicated themselves to walking this cancer journey from its very beginning. My gratitude belongs to each of them, and especially to Dr. Fatima, whose leadership has been nothing short of transformative, institutionalizing the cancer cause while keeping it profoundly personal and human, as Dr. Eric so eloquently emphasized during ABC8.
I also extend heartfelt thanks to my long‑standing distinguished ABC friends and partners in advocacy, with due regard for their esteemed titles: Renate Haidinger (Germany), Ranjit Kaur (Malaysia), Isabelle Aloi Timeus S. (Mexico), Ginny Mason (United States), Vicki Durston (Commonwealth of Australia), Eva Schumacher-Wulf (Germany), Marzia Zambon (Italy), and our beloved gorgeous Roberta Ventura (Italy), among many others, even Shirley A. Mertz and Jo Taylor who, unfortunately, is no longer with us – continue to inspire, and their legacy will remain timeless.
My gratitude continues to my friends and board at Fadia Survive and Thrive [Instagram: Fadia_Survive_Thrive]: Théodore Economou, Hans Tesch, Christina Moisidis-Tesch M.D., Ida Beerhalter, Eman Azmi, Sara Eriksson Economou, and Ahmed Azmi, as well as the advisory board Alexander Olawaiye, Alisher Kahharov, Cristina Finocchi Mahne, Luigia Tauro, Himabindu Gaddipati, Dr. Christine Boers-Doets, Christine Houghton PhD, Elisa Agostinetto, and Shady Fadel.
There are many more, even beyond the oncology world, whose presence in my circle has been a blessing. I am profoundly grateful to all who have walked this path with me. Even if your name is not listed here, know that I deeply admire and value the way you have shaped my journey. I warmly invite you to tag or add in the comments those you are grateful for in our shared cancer cause.
As a glimpse into this year’s ABC8, it was a profound honor to present the Report from the ABC Patient Advocacy Committee in the pivotal space between Consensus Sessions Part I and Part II – sessions that shape guidelines for cancer treatment worldwide.
My humble reflection is this: the oncology journey for patients is not a destination, but a continuous path. What matters most is not only the outcome, but the doing – the daily striving toward managed disease or, at the very least, a better quality of life.
I was equally honored to speak on the opening day of ABC8 about The Importance and Multidimensionality of Social and Financial Support, within the session on the vital role of supportive and palliative services for patients living with advanced breast cancer.
My presentation emphasized the multidimensional nature of financial and social support. As defined by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), social support is ‘a network of family, friends, and community members that is available in times of need to give psychological, physical, and financial help.’ I connected this definition to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3, which calls for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well‑being for all at all ages. Health and well‑being are multidimensional, and each patient’s journey is uniquely shaped by these layers of support.
Other engagements in this remarkable consensus conference included co‑chairing a key session on biology – a humbling and inspiring experience alongside oncologists and brilliant presenters such as Joana Ribeiro. I was also privileged to contribute as an ABC8 Abstract Reviewer, and more broadly, as a member of the ABC8 Faculty, Consensus Panel, the ABC8 Breast Cancer Patient Advocacy Committee, and the ABC Global Alliance Steering Committee. An additional highlight was the opportunity to co‑author in The Breast Journal on Goal 8 from the Decade Report.
Following ABC8, the ABC Global Alliance Annual Meeting, General Assembly, and Workshop brought further invaluable knowledge and collaboration – reinforcing once again that progress in cancer care is built through collective effort, shared wisdom, and unwavering dedication.
I invite you to explore ABC8 online, if you haven’t already, along with the Decade Report and the Advanced Breast Cancer Global Charter 2.0 (2025–2035): A Decade Reviewed, A Future Defined – covering Survival; High‑Quality Data; Quality of Life; Multidisciplinary Guidelines; Communications; Informational Needs; Support Services; Misconceptions, Stigma, and Isolation; Access to Comprehensive Care; Legal Rights to Work, among many others – and the Goal 8 findings in The Breast Journal.
The Breast Journal [an official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology, affiliated with the Australian Society for Breast Disease, and Hong Kong Breast Oncology Group] ‘Reducing stigma, isolation, and misconceptions in advanced breast cancer: a global expert review and call-to-action for 2025-2035 (Goal 8)‘ – Ranjit Kaur, Rania A Azmi, Sarah Kutika Nyagabona, Eva Schumacher-Wulf, Stacy Lewis, Daniel Egbase, Alexandra Lewis, Georgia Attfield, Fatima Cardoso.
What an extraordinary community, and what a profound cause. May we continue together to advance quality of life and bring patient needs to the forefront for years to come. Happy holiday season until next, with admiration and love to you all.”
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