On 22nd July 2023, Live Through This hosted their third annual LGBTIQ+ Cancer Event. Drawing in attendees and speakers from around the world, the one day conference was a hub of excitement and innovation as patients and professionals shared their hard work in improving cancer care for the LGBTIQ+ community.
Despite a national rail strike, around 100 professionals, researchers, patients, and community members joined the event in-person and online to hear from eighteen powerful speakers leading on inclusion in data and research, patient experience, palliative and end of life care, and cancer screening.
Four patient advocates shared their personal experiences of cancer and the projects they have created to improve care for others in their position. One of the most impactful of these talks came from friend of the charity Michael Anderson who has founded Bottom Line, a new anal cancer support service. Reflecting on his journey, his words resonated with the audience who were volleyed between perfectly timed comedic delivery and sobering intimate anecdotes before ending in thunderous applause.
Stewart O’Callaghan (they/them), the Founder and CEO of Live Through This, shared: “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved today. So many people interested in this area can feel isolated and under-resourced but by bringing them together, we can show them there is a community of changemakers here ready to connect.”
When asked how they would describe the event, at attendee shared: “If you don’t really know why it’s important to consider LGBTQ+ issues when patients are diagnosed with Cancer, THIS CONFERENCE IS FOR YOU! You can’t imagine all you will learn & how important this will be to your patients as they navigate cancer.”
Owing to the success of the day, Live Through This plans to host another similar conference style event next year and looks forward to welcoming even more attendees into tackling this important topic. If you have a project, achievement, or personal story you would like to share at our next event, get in touch!
