Welcome to the SGO 2026 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer
SGO President Karen Lu, MD, reveals the three key components of this year’s theme.
SGO President Karen Lu, MD, welcomed attendees to the SGO 2026 Annual Meeting by explaining this year’s theme: “Advancing Science. Empowering Teams. Embracing Change.” She said it reflects the spirit of this moment and the responsibility professionals in this field share to keep moving forward.
“Advancing Science” is grounded in our patients, said Dr. Lu. “They are our North star. Every discovery, every clinical trial, every innovation moves us closer to more precise, more effective care — for the patient sitting in front of us, for their family, and for countless others who will follow. We each play a role in making that future possible.”
“Empowering Teams” embodies gynecological oncology as a team sport that requires multidisciplinary collaboration in the care of patients, she said. Bringing collaborators with expertise in cutting-edge disciplines like cancer bioengineering and machine learning will drive scientific advancements that can make a meaningful impact on patients today and tomorrow.
“The complexity of our work demands collaboration,” Dr. Lu said. “None of us can do this alone. Throughout this meeting, you’ll see images of the teams from across our community—reminders that our greatest strength lies in what we can accomplish together.”
The theme’s “Embracing Change” element challenges the specialty to step into the unknown with curiosity, courage, and a commitment to excellence.
“In our field, the pace of discovery, new technologies, and evolving care models means what we do today may look very different tomorrow,” she said. “While year-to-year progress may feel incremental, over time, transformation is profound. By remaining adaptable, resilient, and open to new ideas, we turn change into opportunity — for better care, better science, and better outcomes for our patients.”
Together, the three core elements remind attendees that connectivity is key to the future of gynecologic oncology, Dr. Lu said.
“Advancing science, empowering teams, and embracing change are not separate ideas,” she said. “They are deeply connected and reflect who we are and who we aspire to be.”
Sunday’s keynote speaker Jess Wedel, a professional mountain guide, speaker, and ovarian cancer survivor, exemplifies the spirit of this meeting. After facing cancer in her 20s, Wedel returned to the mountains and eventually climbed Mount Everest with Any Mountain, a team made up of gynecologic cancer survivors and oncologists. She was the first ovarian cancer survivor to summit the legendary mountain.
Her presentation, “Breath by Breath: From Cancer to Everest,” highlights her journey — both medically and physically — as she shares lessons in resilience, courage, and hope.
On the lighter side, Dr. Lu said another can’t miss highlight will be Saturday’s speaker, Will Flanary, MD, also known as “Dr. Glaucomflecken.” Dr. Flanary is an ophthalmologist and part-time comedian who moonlights as his alter ego on social media, creating medical-themed comedy shorts. He also co-hosts a medically themed podcast, “Knock Knock, Hi!” alongside his wife, Kristin Flanary, also known as “Lady Glaucomflecken.”
A two-time testicular cancer survivor and cardiac arrest survivor, Dr. Flanary’s presentation, “Humor & Humanity in Healthcare,” will share how he has used humor to help not only his own journey, but the journeys of his patients as well.
Dr. Flanary will also join the panel in Saturday’s session, “Amplifying Our Voice,” from 3 to 4 p.m.
This meeting marks the conclusion of Dr. Lu’s tenure as SGO president. Looking back on the last 12 months, Dr. Lu recalls many accomplishments, including Pathways to Progress, a research summit co-led by Amanda Fader, MD, Matthew A. Powell, MD, and herself. The two-day SGO summit focused on creating a roadmap to advance research in gynecologic cancers. She also recalled the growth of the Foundation of Women’s Cancer (FWC) presence at WNBA games throughout the country this year.
“The future of SGO and FWC is so bright, and we are excited about serving our members and our patients,” she said.
