More than 800 patients, survivors, healthcare professionals, advocates, industry leaders and members of the public attended the Malaysian Breast Cancer Summit 2026 and the Becoming Women’s Self-Discovery Forum at Connexion Conference & Event Centre, Bangsar South, on 15 and 16 August.
Organised by TalkHealthAsia and its women’s health and wellbeing arm, The Asian Woman, the two events brought together participants from across Malaysia and beyond. Attendees included women who travelled from as far as Tawau, Malaysian medical specialists and international experts from Singapore.
Held under the theme “Becoming Me”, the events explored the links between medical care, recovery, wellbeing, identity and life beyond illness.
Four programmes formed the core of the weekend:
- Patient-Medical Programme: Covered treatment, recurrence, side effects, survivorship, sex and intimacy, and other questions patients may find difficult to raise in a clinical setting.
- Becoming Self-Discovery and Empowerment Programme: Addressed identity, careers, self-love, grief and trauma, relationships, personal growth, women’s health and navigating change.
- Holistic Wellbeing Workshops: Offered practical sessions on CPR, aromatherapy, financial literacy and peer support.
- Clinical Development Programme: Provided doctors with opportunities for specialist learning and professional knowledge exchange.
The speaker line-up included leading specialists such as Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr Yip Cheng Har, Dr Kiley Loh Wei-Jen, Dr Nur Fadhlina Abdul Satar, Dr Ng Char Hong, Dr Mastura Md Yusof, Professor Lee Soo Chin, Dr Samuel Ow and Dr Joachim Lee.
Public figures and advocates, including Atilia Haron, Dr Kartini Ariffin, Aida Ihsani, Wani Ardy, Sarah Lois, Scha Alyahya and Izary Ikhbal, also took part in the programmes.
The summit featured live question-and-answer sessions in English, Malay and Mandarin, giving delegates the opportunity to speak directly with breast cancer specialists about treatment, recurrence and concerns that may not always be easy to discuss in a clinical environment.
“People don’t stop being people when they become patients,” said Lim Po Lin, founder and chief executive officer of TalkHealthAsia.
“After a diagnosis, there are still questions about work, relationships, confidence, identity and what life looks like afterwards. Sometimes the question is simply, ‘Who am I now?’ We wanted to create a space where those questions could be explored alongside the medical conversation.”
Connecting healthcare with everyday life
Guest of Honour YB Hannah Yeoh, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Federal Territories), officially opened the summit. She also joined Lim in a fireside conversation on identity, conviction, support and the decisions that shape people’s lives.
Reflecting on how individuals can be defined by circumstances beyond their control, Yeoh said: “Whatever happens to you, whatever people say about you, even a diagnosis, none of these things get to tell the whole story of who you are.”
Feedback from delegates highlighted the importance of creating spaces where people can ask difficult questions, hear from others and consider their next steps.
One participant described the summit as a “safe space to discuss issues affecting us, without stigma and without over-complicating or over-simplifying” the subject.
Another said the event helped participants move forward not only as cancer survivors, but as individuals managing personal growth, relationships, work and life after cancer.
“The most transformative part for me was being reminded to embrace who I am becoming and to be more intentional about my personal growth,” said one delegate.
Looking beyond survivorship
The two events highlighted the continuing need for health conversations after diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
For breast cancer patients and survivors, this includes issues such as quality of life, relationships, returning to work, rebuilding confidence and making decisions about the future.
The Becoming Women’s Self-Discovery Forum extended the discussion to the wider community, focusing on the links between health, identity and wellbeing, and the support people need while navigating change.
