Shikha Jain, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Director of Oncology Communications and Digital Innovation at University of Illinois Cancer Center and Founder of Women in Medicine, shared on LinkedIn:
“It’s taken me several days to put my thoughts together about COSMO26, and even now, I’m not sure words can fully do this incredible weekend justice.
I left with pages of notes, new ideas, new collaborations, and a renewed sense of why this work matters so much.
A few things I’m still thinking about:
Your network is your net worth.
Not because of titles or followers, but because of the relationships we build, the people we learn from, and the communities that show up for one another.
Patient voices need to be at the table from the beginning.
Whether we are designing clinical trials, developing messaging, discussing access, or thinking about how we deliver comprehensive cancer care, we need to listen to the people we are actually caring for.
We were incredibly fortunate to have patient advocates woven throughout COSMO: on panels, leading breakout sessions, and as our incredible keynote speaker Carolyn Taylor.
And an important reminder: patients are more than their diagnosis. They are people with careers, families, relationships, goals, responsibilities, and lives outside of the clinic. A diagnosis may become part of someone’s life, but it does not become their entire identity.
Communication is an essential part of cancer care.
People are turning to social media and digital platforms to learn about symptoms, screening, treatments, clinical trials, and new research. If those of us with expertise aren’t there, that space will still be filled.
We need credible voices willing to educate, combat misinformation, build trust, and help people make informed decisions about their health.
We also had important conversations about AI, where communication is going next, and how we maintain trust and authenticity in a rapidly changing information ecosystem.
Ultimately, COSMO isn’t just about social media. It is about communication, trust, access, AI, advocacy, community, and how we use all of these tools to improve cancer care.
Now more than ever, we need trusted voices who understand the science and the advances that have allowed us to make incredible discoveries and save lives to be part of these conversations, educating, empowering, and meeting people where they are.
I am incredibly grateful to our faculty, patient advocates, attendees, partners, and team who made this weekend what it was.
This community is something special, and I cannot wait until we can bring everyone together again.”
Other articles featuring Shikha Jain on OncoDaily.
