Integrative cancer conferences like Believe Big Symposium, The Annie Appleseed Project, and Cancer Care Reimagined go beyond IV vitamin C and mistletoe therapies insights. Discover the power of attending these conferences in-person and go inside with me for my key takeaways.
Why Being in the Room Matters
If you are exploring integrative cancer care or want to learn more about therapies like IV vitamin C, mistletoe therapy, repurposed medications, what to eat after a cancer diagnosis, and other approaches, in addition to what recommendations you may receive from the standard of care, attending an in-person integrative cancer conference can be life-changing. The events I address here are designed for patients and practitioners to be learning together. These conferences bring together global experts, integrative practitioners, and people who are actively walking a cancer journey. While online resources are helpful, there is something uniquely powerful about being in the room. One of my favorite things to do each year is to be with our amazing conference community that believes, like Ann Fonfa would say, there are many paths to wellness.
When navigating life after a cancer diagnosis, there are countless articles, webinars, and social media posts offering advice. There’s also all the info we get from well-meaning family and friends. In other words, there’s no shortage of information available on the web. But it can all feel overwhelming to know what voices to trust and where to turn. Virtual events have been valuable in my own journey. I have participated in several online cancer patient gatherings that shared excellent information and made learning possible from the comfort of home. But nothing compares to being in the room.
In-person cancer conferences, especially those designed for patients and focused on integrative therapies, offer an energy, connection, and depth of learning that simply cannot be replicated online.
Over the years, I have attended The Annie Appleseed Project conferences, the Believe Big Integrative Cancer Symposium, and the Riordan Clinic IVC Academy. Each one left me with something different. All of them provided powerful takeaways that I could not have gathered from reading an article or watching a webinar alone. These gatherings are more than events. They are hubs of hope in real life, knowledge presented in person, and encouarging empowerment for cancer thrivers.
Here is why making the effort to attend integrative cancer conferences is worth it:
Building Real Community
Cancer can feel isolating, even when you are surrounded by loved ones. At conferences like these, you meet fellow thrivers who understand the journey in a way that only those who have walked it can. The hugs, the warm smiles and laughter, the nods of “me too” create a sense of belonging that you carry home long after the conference ends. There’s just something so meaningful to be around people speaking the same cancer language and who don’t think you are weird or doing something wrong by trying these integrative approaches to your cancer care.
Some of my very closest cancer “besties” have come from these real life connections in-person at these conferences. What can start out feeling intimidating going somewhere by yourself can quickly become one of the biggest blessings as you have the opportunity to make new friends at a deep level. There is just something special about building a relationship in-person with fellow cancer patients and practitioners that can’t be matched online.
Sharing Resources and Tools
From nutrition strategies to IV vitamin C protocols, mistletoe therapy, various other naturopathic cancer care approaches, herbal protocols, anticancer wellness tools, and more, integrative cancer conferences bring together a treasure chest of resources. I often leave with my notebook full of meaningful research notes, clinical pearls from experts, practical tools from fellow thrivers, and everything from detox practices to emotional healing modalities that I can implement right away, some even for free. Depending on the conference, often there are modalities on-site you can try to see if it’s something you want to use beyond the event days.
Two of the sessions at the 2025 Believe Big Integrative Cancer Symposium were things we were able to do live in-the-moment and can do for free anywhere we go in the world: lymphatic drainage massage and breathwork, led by Believe Big founder & Cancer Survivor Ivelisse Page and emotional release to transform our emotions and their role in our physical health led by Dr. Derek Guillory, MD, founder of Root Causes Medical Clinic in Texas.
At the Annie Appleseed Project conferences, there are opportunities for yoga, breath work, Qigong, and more free practices to learn and participate in while on-site and beyond. Along with learning more about what current studies say to put on your plates at your everyday meals.
Learning Beyond Conventional Cancer Care
Most of us are offered a very narrow menu of options in the standard U.S. medical model: surgery, chemotherapy / hormonal therapy, and radiation. While those options may be necessary, they are not the whole picture for all cancer cases in all people. At integrative cancer conferences like those held by Annie Appleseed Project, Believe Big, and Riordan Clinic, you hear directly from leading practitioners who are researching and practicing therapies beyond what the standard of care can provide. These include but are not limited to intentional anticancer nutrition, mind-body approaches, targeted supplements, methylene blue, mistletoe therapy, repurposed drugs and supplements, epigenetic research, therapeutic devices you can use at home, and more.
You hear over and over again how one size does not fit all in cancer care. At these integrative conferences, you walk away with a broadened perspective on what healing can truly look like with real life examples there in the room with you. These in-person events allow you time to talk to other cancer patients, in the moment, and to connect about what tools have worked best for each other.
Meeting Experts from Around the World at Integrative Cancer Conferences
It is rare to sit in a room where practitioners and experts from Europe, Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, and India all share their clinical experiences and research with not only fellow doctors and leaders, but also with patients. At these conferences, you can ask questions directly to these experts, connect in-person with practitioners, and hear about approaches that have helped hundreds of thousands (millions?!) of people globally. That is insight you will not get from a ten-minute oncology visit.
At The Appleseed Project cancer patient-focused conference, you have the amazing opportunity to have consultations with many of these doctors and experts from around the world! You read that right! A private 1-1 with leading practitioners there in-person. Don’t skip that valuable opportunity. All of those consultations are made possible by donations and the generous hearts of those providers.
Leaving With Renewed Hope
Perhaps the most powerful part of being in the room is the way it shifts your outlook. I always leave these conferences not only with knowledge but with even more hope. Hope rooted in science, in the lived experiences of fellow thrivers, and in the practical wisdom of integrative cancer experts. That hope is fuel for the road ahead, fuel I can share with my 1-on-1 cancer coaching clients and for my own cancer wellness journey.
The Role of Virtual Conferences
Of course, not everyone can pack a suitcase and head to a conference. Travel can feel overwhelming, especially during or right after treatment. And sometimes it’s hard long after treatments that leave one with lingering side effects. That is where virtual registrations can still play a valuable role. They allow you to access much of the information, hear from the experts, and take in the science from home. While you may not get the same hugs and hallway conversations, you still walk away with powerful learning.
Check out these Conferences & Replays:
Riordan Clinic Cancer Care Reimagined Conference — use code STMJENNY to get a registration discount at checkout
Believe Big 2025 Integrative Cancer Symposium — use code ICSBB25-STM to get a discount of the replay at checkout
The Appleseed Project Conference — many years of conference videos are posted and registration will be opening soon for the next event! use code STMJENNY to get a registration discount at checkout.
*These are special discount codes these organizations blessed us with to help support cancer thrivers wanting to attend these conferences. I do not make any commission from these registrations. I do love connecting with you in person at these events, so message me on Instagram and let me know which one you are attending next!
And here is something many thrivers do not realize: most of these integrative cancer patient conferences also offer scholarships for patients in active treatment, making both in-person and virtual attendance more accessible than you might expect. So make sure to read around the conference website before telling yourself you can’t do it; there may be a way for you to attend in-person with a generous scholarship.
Final Thoughts on Integrative Cancer Conferences
Attending an integrative cancer conference is one of the most empowering steps you can take as a thriver. You walk away with new knowledge, fresh tools, and a sense of belonging that fuels your healing journey. If you have the chance, get yourself in the room. And if travel is not an option with the dates of the next conference you’re interested in, look into virtual registration or patient scholarships. The doors are more open than you might think.
Next Steps
Keep an eye on upcoming conferences like The Annie Appleseed Project, Believe Big Integrative Cancer Symposium, and Riordan Clinic Cancer Care Reimagined event. Mark your calendar and make the commitment to join, whether in person or online.
You can read more of my recap of the 2025 Annie Appleseed Project conference here. And stay tuned for more of my detailed takeaways from more sessions there and from the Believe Big Symposium.
