SIOG 2026 Conference Secretariat
K.I.T Group
Email: siog-conference@kit-group.org
Website: www.siogconference.org
SIOG Scientific Secretariat
K.I.T. Group
Email: siog-scientific@kit-group.org
Workshops
In addition to the conference ticket, the following workshops can be booked. Workshop participation is subject to pre-registration.
All workshops take place on 5 November.
Thursday, 5 November, 13:00 – 15:00
Fee: free of charge, pre-registration required
This educational program is open to all conference participants.
Older adults with cancer face unique and often compounding challenges that profoundly shape their treatment experience and outcomes. Complex comorbidities, functional limitations, and fragmented care pathways can generate significant burden—not only for patients but also for the caregivers who support them. While clinical advances continue to improve treatment options, the hidden burdens borne by caregivers and the structural burdens inherent to care delivery frequently go unaddressed.
Caregiver burden is increasingly recognised as a determinant of treatment feasibility and success: it influences treatment adherence, decision-making, toxicity management, hospitalisation risk, quality of life, and even survival. Yet formal caregiver assessment remains rare in oncology.
At the same time, traditional models of care—built around centralised, high-intensity hospital visits—can be particularly taxing for older adults. Community-based care models, digital tools, and pragmatic or point-of-care trials offer innovative pathways to reduce this burden by embedding evidence generation within routine care and bringing services closer to where patients live.
The SPARC Roundtable 2026 will convene clinical leaders, researchers, caregivers, patient organisations, industry partners and policymakers to address these intertwined challenges under the theme “Alleviating Burden in Patient Care.”
The Roundtable aims to produce practical, scalable, and evidence-informed insights that can directly shape SIOG and SPARC-aligned initiatives.
Part 1: Caregiver Burden – A Hidden Determinant of Treatment Success
- Recognise caregiver burden as a key clinical and organisational factor influencing outcomes in older adults with cancer.
- Identify barriers to integrating caregiver identification and assessment into routine oncology care.
- Develop 3–5 actionable strategies to strengthen caregiver support within treatment pathways.
Part 2: Community Care & Point-of-Care Trials to Alleviate Burden
- Examine community-based care models that reduce the logistical and emotional burden on patients and caregivers.
- Explore pragmatic/point-of-care trial designs that minimise additional workload and travel.
- Define 2–3 candidate care pathways or low-burden trial models suitable for piloting within SPARC collaborations.
Thursday, 5 November, 15:15 – 17:15
Fee: 60 EUR (excl. 21% Spanish VAT)
Target audience: Early-career researchers, clinician scientists, epidemiologists, statisticians, anyone involved in observational research design or peer review of observational studies
Objectives
At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Identify common and frequently overlooked biases in observational studies.
- Use DAGs to identify appropriate variables for adjustment.
- Recognize inappropriate adjustment strategies and understand how to prevent them.
- Apply the target trial emulation framework to improve study design and avoid time‑related biases.
- Strengthen the design of their own observational research projects.
Observational studies remain essential for answering clinical and health services research questions when randomized trials are impractical or unethical. Yet, despite their ubiquity, many observational analyses suffer from bias. Confounding, selection bias, measurement error, and immortal time bias can undermine the validity of study findings.
Modern causal inference tools, including directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) and the target trial emulation framework, offer practical strategies to design more rigorous, transparent, and robust observational studies. However, many applied researchers lack accessible training in using these tools effectively. This short workshop aims to provide that training in a focused and hands‑on format.
Thursday, 5 November, 15:15 – 17:15
Fee: 60 EUR (excl. 21% Spanish VAT)
In the geriatric assessment workshop, attendees will learn about the comprehensive geriatric assessment, which domains are typically included, and will be provided with tools used to assess each domain. Participants will also learn which interventions can be implemented when deficits are detected to optimize the patient’s overall condition before oncologic treatment. The interactive workshop will use a case-based approach and participants will gain hands-on experience using the tools. The workshop is intended for healthcare providers new to geriatric oncology and geriatric assessment.
Target audience: healthcare providers new to geriatric oncology and geriatric assessment to learn the basic geriatric assessment skills.
Objectives
At the end of the workshop, the learner will be able to:
1. Describe what domains are included in geriatric assessment and what tools can be used to assess those domains
2. Describe what interventions can be implemented after the geriatric assessment
Thursday, 5 November, 17:45 – 18:45
Fee: 60 EUR (excl. 21% Spanish VAT):
As the global population ages, oncologists increasingly care for older adults with complex medical, functional, and psychosocial needs. Geriatric assessment is a cornerstone of high-quality cancer care for this population, yet its implementation remains inconsistent worldwide. This joint ASCO–SIOG session addresses a critical gap between evidence and practice by focusing on the practical application of the ASCO Global Guideline for Geriatric Assessment in Oncology.
The session will provide attendees with actionable strategies to integrate geriatric assessment into oncology care across diverse health systems, emphasizing adaptability rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. By combining ASCO’s evidence-based guideline framework with SIOG’s global expertise in geriatric oncology, the session will promote equitable, age-inclusive cancer care and support clinicians, researchers, and health systems in improving outcomes for older adults with cancer.
Thursday, 5 November, 17:45 – 18:45
Fee: 60 EUR (excl. 21% Spanish VAT):
This workshop offers a structured introduction to the review process (using the example of the Journal of Geriatric Oncology), with a focus on developing practical reviewing skills. Participants will learn how to provide clear, constructive, and efficient feedback, consider common challenges, and discuss approaches to handling them. The session will also address the professional and personal value of reviewing, including its role in supporting research quality and contributing to professional development within the academic community.
DETAILS
Start:
November 5, 2026
End:
November 7, 2026
Venue:
Meliá Valencia
Avenida Cortes Valencianas 52
46015 Valencia, Spain
