I had the privilege of attending the United Kingdom Oncology Nursing Society’s (UKONS) Annual Conference 2025 in Birmingham as it celebrated its 20th anniversary. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Celebrating the Inspirational in Cancer Nursing’, bringing together nurses, allied health professionals, and leaders from across the four nations to reflect on the impact, innovation, and inspiration that define cancer services, with some of my key takeaways from the conference sessions explored below.

Redefining success in oncology

Dr Lucy Gossage’s presentation challenged conventional notions of how success is defined in oncology. Success can be found in breaking bad news with compassion and clarity, in managing toxicities effectively, supporting well informed choices, and empowering patients to live meaningfully in their remaining days. The session explored the emotional labour of oncology nursing, with Dr Gossage underscoring the necessity of self-care for cancer nurses, reminding us that we ‘cannot pour from an empty cup’.

Laughter can sometimes be the best medicine

Award-winning comedian Laura Smyth recalled how often laughter truly is the best medicine. In moments of shock and emotional distress following her cancer diagnosis as a young mother, she valued the humanity of someone bringing levity to the moment – a reminder that care is not only clinical but profoundly human. She challenged unhelpful language which depict people with cancer as ‘fighters’ and ‘warriors’, noting how such metaphors can fuel toxic positivity and silence legitimacy of fear or sadness. Instead, she argued that cancer is not a battle, but a journey in which nurses can empower patients with the tools to offer themselves love, compassion and dignity throughout their treatment and recovery. Laura added: ‘good mental health isn’t about feeling good but being good at feeling’. Nurses can play a vital role in validating patients’ emotions and help them to recognise that distress and uncertainty are understandable responses to their circumstances.

The evolution of oncology services in the last 20 years and what’s next?

Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) has undergone remarkable evolution over the past two decades, with the introduction of targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and precision medicine approaches transforming outcomes for many patients. While these innovations are to be celebrated, Dr Elaine Vickers reminded us too of the equal importance of ensuring that current treatments are being used to their full potential, with a comprehensive understanding of their mechanisms, toxicities, and long-term effects. Dr Helena Ullgreen, President Elect of the European Oncology Nursing Society, emphasised the importance of nursing early-career cancer nurses. Prioritising retention alongside recruitment is essential to building sustainable services and long-term workforce resilience. Dr Anna Olsson-Brown and Nurse Consultant Alison Hodge discussed how emerging fields such as cardio-oncology highlight the need to anticipate and manage the cardiovascular toxicities associated with certain chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents, ensuring patients not only survive, but live well with and beyond cancer. Professor Alison Leary argued for the clear definition of specialist cancer nursing roles to ensure that nurses’ expertise is formally recognised and appropriately renumerated and that career progression reflects the value oncology nurses bring to knowledge and impact and is not reserved only for managerial roles.

Supportive care conversations

An interactive session on supportive care conversations highlighted how these critical and sensitive discussions often take place within the constraints of limited time and competing clinical objectives. While we as nurses often have specific aims of each appointment, it is vital to meet patients where they are, emotionally, cognitively, and practically to ensure they are truly positioned to make informed choices about their care. This means recognising that patients may not always be ready to absorb complex information, and that validating their concerns, clarifying uncertainties, and pacing discussions are as important as delivering clinical content. Effective supportive care conversations much foster trust, empower patients to actively engage in decision-making, and uphold the principles of person-centred care.

Conclusion

The conference underscored the evolving identity of oncology nursing as both highly skilled, knowledge-intensive profession and a human one. Across the sessions, a clear message emerged: innovation in treatments and technologies must be matched by investment in people, both in nurses who deliver care and our patients. The future of SACT lies in balancing innovation with optimisation, embedding holistic nursing practice, and developing integrated approaches that safeguard both immediate treatment outcomes and long-term survivorship.