Spare Parts: Conversation with a Transgender Man Navigating Ovarian Cancer

In this lunch and learn session, participants will sit with Tristan Bilash to talk about the intersectionality of gender identity and health in a patient-centred, advocacy lens.

Tristan (he/him) is a stage 3C ovarian cancer survivor, oncology social worker, writer, speaker, researcher, national 2SLGBTQIA+ representative for the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) Advocacy Committee, a proud volunteer community partner with Queering Cancer and a friend and advisor to the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

Tristan has presented at numerous provincial, national, and international events including: keynote speaker at the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO)’s 2020 National Conference, presenter at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)’s Allied Health Meeting in Chicago (2022), expert panelist for “Frontiers in Gynaecological Oncology Roundtable” pre-congress event at the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO)’s Annual Congress in Berlin, Germany (2022), speaker at Cancer Care Manitoba’s Health Equity Week (2023), and presenter at the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia’s Annual Congress (2023). Most recently Tristan was honoured to join Dr. Jennifer Bell and Dr. Aisha Lofters as panelists for the Canadian Cancer Trials Group’s virtual roundtable “Setting the Stage: The Need For EDIIA in Cancer Care and Clinical Trials” in January 2024. 

Tristan’s story is featured in the journal article, “Spare Parts: Navigating Ovarian Cancer As A Transgender Man” which he co-authored with his friend and colleague, Dr. Lauren Walker (Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary). “Spare Parts” is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Volume 40, Issue 9).