If you are a cancer patient advocate interested in attending ASCO 2016, consider applying for the Conquer Cancer Foundation Patient Advocate Scholarship Program.

I have attended ASCO’s annual meeting in Chicago for the past two years.  While the five-day conference can be exhausting, it’s perhaps the best way to learn what treatments are up and coming for your type of cancer, become educated about the science behind research and clinical trials, and discover (and even chat with) the experts in your type of cancer.  It’s also a place to meet the people in your cancer community who you might only know online.

The ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) 2016 Annual Meeting–held in Chicago June 3-7–will bring together over 30,000 cancer professionals from around the world for sessions about state-of-the-art treatment, results of clinical trials, as well as policy, advocacy, and survivorship issues.  You might strike up a conversation with a world-class expert in your type of cancer at a poster presentation or even walking between sessions.  The exhibit hall is a great place to learn about new biotech technologies (such as genomic testing panels and liquid biopsies) as well as what’s in each pharmaceutical company’s drug pipeline.

The Patient Advocate Scholarships are intended for expenses related to air or train travel, lodging, and meeting registration for advocates traveling from outside the Chicago area to attend the meeting (which can add up to $2K US or more).  Eligibility is based primarily on financial need as well as advocacy experience and current activities. Applicants will need to demonstrate why they would not be able to afford to attend the ASCO Annual Meeting without a scholarship award, and are encouraged to provide a compelling reason why their attendance at the meeting is vital to their advocacy role(s).

Although the application period for the doesn’t open until April 4, get an early start now on preparing your application –the application period will only open for three days!