Call for late breaking abstracts is now open.
Deadline to submit is Monday, January 19.
The Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) will be accepting submissions for late breaking abstracts for the 41st Annual Conference to be held in St. John's, NL from June 8 to 9, 2026.
Please note, we are only accepting submissions for 10 and 20 minute oral presentations, and posters. We will not accept workshops or symposia at this time.
Join colleagues from across the country for two days of meaningful connection, collaboration, and shared learning. This conference brings together a vibrant community of multidisciplinary professionals from nursing, psychology, psychiatry, social work, spiritual care, nutrition, medicine, rehabilitation medicine, occupational health and radiation therapy for both adult and pediatric populations. Together, we explore, share, learn and discuss psychosocial and physical aspects of cancer in an environment that fosters collegial exchange and professional relationships.
Connect with fellow clinicians, researchers, and educators in cancer care, alongside patient advocacy organizations, community-based organizations and patient representatives who enrich our understanding of the cancer experience. The CAPO conference provides invaluable opportunities to build lasting professional relationships, exchange ideas with peers who share your passion for psychosocial oncology, and engage in collaborative discussions that advance our field. Patients, caregivers and family members are strongly encouraged to submit abstracts that speak to their role in managing cancer experiences and care.
We invite abstracts on a wide range of topics in cancer care and stages of disease ranging from prevention and early diagnosis, to treatment and survivorship, to palliative and end-of-life care. Submissions can be reports of observational studies and clinical trials, innovative programs and service delivery models, systematic reviews, study protocols, clinical guidelines and best practice and local, regional, national and international approaches to build capacity in research, education and clinical care. Share your work, learn from your peers, and forge connections that extend beyond the conference. Patients as co-presenters are encouraged where funding is available to ensure their participation. Patient oriented content is also encouraged.
With abstract submission, the first author (submitting author):
- Accepts responsibility for the accuracy of the submitted abstract.
- Confirms that all authors are aware of and agree to the content of the abstract and support the data presented.
- Confirms the abstract is not under review for presentation or publication elsewhere and has not been previously presented or published in its current format.
- Gives permission for the abstract, when selected for presentation, to be published in the Conference Proceedings.
- Confirms that the primary presenter/senior author will register and attend the conference. Where patient partners have been engaged, funding for their participation is the responsibility of the primary presenter/senior author.
Presentation Types:
Poster presentations – consist of 4’ x 4’ (1.2 M x 1.2M) display presentations for completed or in progress work. Submissions for poster presentations should follow the clinical or research format (see below). At least one author of an accepted poster abstract must be present during the assigned session. Poster sessions may run concurrently with other conference sessions.
10-minute rapid oral presentations – consist of a 5-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Question/Answer (Q&A) session. Grouped with other related presentations, this format is best suited for newly implemented/ongoing projects (clinical or research). This is a great option for attendees (researchers/clinicians/students) who would like to present and seek feedback on study protocols or preliminary results. These submissions should follow clinical or research format (see below). Abstracts should include 2 to 3 questions for which authors are seeking feedback.20-minute individual oral presentations – submitted abstracts for these presentations (clinical or research) are best suited for completed work. Presenters should plan a 15-minute presentation and a 5-minute Q&A. Abstracts for consideration must follow the format specified below under “Abstract Type”. Submitting authors must specify the abstract theme under which the work is to be considered.
Submission Formats:
To be considered, abstracts must follow these guidelines:
- Abstract titles should be brief (maximum of 30 words) and should reflect the content of the submission.
- Commercial entities/names may not be used in the abstract title.
- No more than 10 authors can be listed per submission.
- Each author’s professional title, institutional affiliation(s), city and country must be provided.
- An abstract is required for all symposium, oral and poster submissions.
- Abstract content should be submitted in structured paragraph format.
- Submissions must follow the clinical or research format and either can present patient-oriented content.
- Submissions may state measurement in clinical care and research in PSO.
Clinical Abstracts: Clinical content can include development of innovative programs, interventions or service delivery models of care. Word Limit: 250 words. Headings: Background/rationale Methods (needs assessment, theoretical models, interventions, outcomes) Impact on practice Discussion (lessons learned, future directions) | Research Abstracts: Research content must refer to work that relies on scientific methods or theory development. This can include protocols, literature reviews and studies. Word Limit: 250 words. Headings: Objectives/purpose Sample and setting Procedures Results Conclusion and clinical implications |
For submissions, ensure that you provide the following:
DO NOT ENTER IN ALL CAPS. Submissions that provide approval to publish will be published as they are submitted. Failure to follow the prescribed directions may impact inclusion in the publication. Abstract submission is in text format only and the pre-defined topic and type must be indicated. Upon submission, a confirmation will be sent to the email of the account holder. Please note: This email is a confirmation of abstract submission and NOT a notice of acceptance. Abstracts will be accepted for the following themes:
Abstract Selection Process Abstracts will be judged on the following criteria:
The CAPO 2026 Scientific Committee will select abstracts for oral and poster presentations by January 30, 2026. The submitting author will receive an email with the decision. If a primary author cannot attend the conference, that author should assign a replacement. The scientific committee reserves the right to reallocate abstracts as necessary. All presenting authors must register for the conference. For abstract-related inquiries, please contact [email protected] |
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