Survivorship representation at IPOS World Congress: abstract review and analysis

Abstract Background: Advancements in cancer treatments have enabled more people worldwide to survive cancer, but many experience lasting impacts. The International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) is a global professional organization which hosts an annual World Congress. This study reviewed survivorship content from the World Congress meetings to understand areas of focus, apparent strengths and weaknesses, and global representation. Methods: Peer-reviewed abstracts presented in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 were reviewed. Abstracts were identified by searching for “survivor.” Identified abstracts were read in full to extract content of interest (population of interest, cancer type, number of participants, study design, study topic, first author/country, and international collaboration). Coding was defined a priori. Data were extracted using REDCap. Inter-rater reliability checks were performed. Results: A total of 1813 abstracts were identified and reviewed. The proportion of survivorship-focused abstracts ranged from 13.2%–20.7% annually. Breast cancer dominated survivorship work. The most frequently addressed topics included distress/anxiety/depression (36.6%), quality of life (28.6%), and health behaviors (15.5%). Nearly three-quarters (73%) of abstracts focused on adult populations, and there was apparent international collaboration in 12%–20%. Authorships and abstracts were primarily from high-income countries (91%). Most studies were observational (44%); few were randomized controlled trials (4%). Conclusions: This study found overrepresentation of authorship from some countries. Many topics, patient populations, and countries were not highly represented. IPOS might consider efforts to remedy this imbalance with the ultimate goal of improving psychosocial care for those affected by cancer, globally.