Pals President Adele Jasion and Secretary-Treasurer Charmain Skillman attended the Society of Surgical Oncology’s Advanced Cancer Therapies (SSO/ACT) symposium in February 2024. Charmaine shares her perspective here.

PMP Pals recently attended the meeting of the Society of Surgical Oncology Advanced Cancer Therapies (SSO/ACT) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.This gathering of 200 surgeons and associated professionals is the most concentrated annual educational event in the U.S. for those treating peritoneal surface malignancies (PSMs).

Why do we go to SSO? Adele and I attended and tabled in the exhibit hall to increase exposure of PMP Pals and our programs for individuals affected by PMP and appendix cancer. We spent three days renewing connections with long-time friends of Pals and meeting new physicians just starting their careers. These interactions bring many benefits, such as identifying new speakers and new topics for our HOPE ZOOM meetings and other events. Also, we learn of new research and new treatments in development. And, we continuously rely on these connections for advice, answers, and involvement in new projects, such as our newly-formed Medical Advisory Board (The MAB – more on that in our next enews). We even met three of our MAB Pals – Doctors Dineen, Onchin, and Wiatrek – over breakfast.

Plus, we were very proud to be in the room when SSO/ACT presented the Gabriella Graham Patient Advocacy Award, inspired by the work of our founder. This year, Manju George, Scientific Director for Paltown Development Foundation and COLONTOWN, accepted the award for her nonprofit’s work supporting and educating the colorectal cancer (CRC) patient community. We met with and congratulated Manju, too, and learned more about this large patient organization. We invited her to a future HOPE Zoom to talk about COLONTOWN and medical advancements in the CRC space.

PMP Pals is grateful to participate in SSO/ACT as a sponsoring exhibitor. Your donations allowed Adele and I to represent PMP Pals among the medical professionals who serve our community — your financial support is crucial to our ability to attend this essential event.