ABSTRACTS

SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

22nd National Oncology Congress, Braga, 26–27–28 November 2025

Before submitting a scientific abstract, we recommend that you carefully read the following guidelines.

SUBMISSION PERIOD:

UNTIL 11:59 PM ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

Submissions must be made exclusively online, via the website www.cno.sponcologia.pt, and prior registration in the submission area is mandatory. Account management, accessed by password, is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Within the platform, the applicant may edit the abstract while it remains in draft format, until the submission deadline at 11:59 PM on 30 September 2025. Changes can be made whenever necessary, as long as the abstract remains in draft format within the abstract platform, until the final submission deadline.

Important notes:

• 1) At the time of submission, the author must finalise the abstract(s) by selecting the "save as final version" option. Only properly finalised submissions will be considered for evaluation.
• 2) To be eligible for evaluation, the abstract must be submitted in the final version on the submission platform.
• 3) Once the abstract has been saved as the "final version", no further changes can be made.
• 4) Upon validation of the submission, authors authorise the publication of the abstract in the Portuguese Journal of Oncology, if accepted. The original abstract will be reproduced directly in the supplement without the possibility of changes to the text.
• 5) Abstracts previously published in other scientific journals or presented at prior events (except encore abstracts) will not be accepted.

---

AUTHORS

All authors must be included in the submission platform, in the correct sequential order, which will be maintained in the abstract supplement of the Portuguese Journal of Oncology. The First Author and the Presenting Author (if different) must be clearly indicated, along with all Co-authors.

Please note that the first name entered will be considered the First Author.

---

ABSTRACT PREPARATION

Abstracts must be prepared in abstract format and submitted exclusively online, via the website www.cno.sponcologia.pt.

Abstracts must be submitted in both Portuguese and English, structured into seven sections, with a maximum of 300 words per language.

Each abstract may include a maximum of 10 authors. For multicentric studies, the platform allows up to 15 authors.

The order of Co-authors will be maintained exactly as entered in the submission platform.

• * Title;
• * Introduction: Clearly state the rationale for the study;
• * Objectives: Concise description of the main objectives;
• * Methods: Brief description of the methodology used, including population inclusion criteria and statistical analysis;
• * Results: Summary of the main findings;
• * Conclusion/Discussion: Short paragraph with the main conclusions and potential future research directions;
• * Keywords: Only 4–6 keywords allowed;

Note: In addition to the mandatory sections, an image may be submitted, such as a methodological diagram, a table with aggregated results, or a graph. Supported formats and size specifications will be provided on the platform.

---

OTHER SUBMISSIONS

Clinical Cases

Clinical cases must be structured into four sections:

• * Title;
• * Introduction;
• * Clinical Case;
• * Conclusion;

Abstracts must be submitted in Portuguese and English, with a maximum of 250 words per language and up to five authors per submission. Please note that clinical case abstracts are not eligible for oral presentations; they will be considered exclusively for e-poster display and the corresponding award.

Encore Abstracts

Encore abstracts refer to studies previously presented at events sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.

Submission for evaluation at the 22nd National Oncology Congress is permitted provided the following criteria are met:

• 1) Submission must be made by one of the original authors, not the sponsor;
• 2) During submission, the ENCORE option must be explicitly selected;
• 3) Detailed information must be provided, including the study registration number (EUDRACT), sponsor details, and disclosure of prior presentation;
• 4) If accepted by the Evaluation Committee, the abstract will be eligible for display in E-poster format only;
• 5) Encore abstracts will not be eligible for awards;

---

EVALUATION AND SELECTION

The CNO’25 Organising Committee will appoint a panel of judges responsible for selecting and evaluating the submitted abstracts. Evaluation will be based on criteria applicable across all categories.

Review, evaluation and selection will be based on the following criteria, using a 0 to 10 scale:

• * Relevance/Context of the Topic: in relation to current knowledge and its clinical applicability;
• * Relevance and clarity of objectives: Clear definition of objectives and consistency with methodology used;
• * Methodological rigour: principles and criteria that ensure study accuracy, reliability and validity;
• * Volume and quality of study sample: Adequate sample size and methodological rigour in data selection and analysis;
• * Clinical and scientific impact: Relevance of findings and conclusions to advancing oncology knowledge and clinical practice;
• * Creativity, innovation and interest: Whether the work shows scientific creativity and/or adds novel, relevant knowledge to the field;
• * Appropriateness of references: Relevance and correct use of scientific sources;
• * Quality of scientific writing: Clarity, objectivity, and appropriate scientific language;

Each abstract will be reviewed and scored individually according to the above criteria, ensuring a fair and thorough evaluation.

Based on the number and quality of accepted submissions, a maximum of three top abstracts per category, among all submissions will be selected for oral presentation in a dedicated session, schedule to be announced.

All other submissions will be displayed as E-Posters.

---

BLIND REVIEW AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Abstracts will be reviewed blindly to ensure impartiality in the selection process.

Submissions may be excluded under the following conditions:

• 1) Author or institution identification – Abstracts must not contain any identifying information, or they will be rejected;
• 2) Insufficient quality – Submissions that do not meet minimum scientific standards will be excluded from both presentation and awards;
• 3) Non-original work – Abstracts previously published in scientific journals or presented at past events will not be accepted (except for encore abstracts);

---

JURY DECISIONS

All decisions by the jury are final and cannot be appealed. The jury also reserves the right not to award prizes if no submission meets the required standards of excellence.

---

RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT

Acceptance notifications will be sent via email from 27 October 2025 onwards.

If no notification is received within 3 days, authors must promptly contact the SPO Secretariat by email at: cno.trabalhos@sponcologia.pt.

The available categories to choose from during submission are:

ORAL PRESENTATIONS | 13 categories	E-POSTERS | 14 categories
Head and Neck Cancer	Head and Neck Cancer
Digestive Cancer	Digestive Cancer
Gynaecological Cancer	Gynaecological Cancer
Breast Cancer	Breast Cancer
Urological Cancer	Urological Cancer
Lung Cancer	Lung Cancer
CNS Tumours	CNS Tumours
Skin Tumours	Skin Tumours
Endocrine Tumours	Endocrine Tumours
Sarcomas	Sarcomas
Geriatric Oncology	Geriatric Oncology
Others	Others
Nursing	Nursing
-	Clinical Cases

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

The Jury will select the best abstracts for each Oral Presentation session, ensuring equitable distribution across categories. Evaluation will be based on the following criteria, scored on a scale of 0 to 10:

• * Relevance/Importance and scientific impact: The content must be pertinent, well-supported, and contribute to advancements in oncology knowledge;
• * Clarity and engagement during presentation: The presenter should use captivating and accessible language, maintaining the audience’s attention;
• * Effective information delivery: The message must be clearly, objectively, and structurally conveyed;
• * Visual quality of slides: Supporting materials should be well-organised, visually clear, and reinforce the message of the presentation;
• * Time management: The presenter must adhere to the time limit, ensuring all key points are covered without exceeding the allocated time;
• * Responsiveness during discussion: The presenter should demonstrate subject knowledge and respond clearly and appropriately to comments and questions;

Oral presentations will take place on 26 and 27 November 2025, in Room C, with the specific schedule to be announced.

Authors must prepare presentations lasting 7 minutes, followed by 3 minutes for discussion. The Jury will decide whether the discussion will occur immediately after each presentation or at the end of the session.

Presentation Submission:

• 1) Submission must be made exclusively in digital format, via the platform available on the Congress website (www.cno.sponcologia.pt), by 11:59 PM on 17 November 2025;
• 2) The presentation must be submitted in PPT format, and the file must be named with the assigned abstract code and the corresponding category;
• 3) Presentations must respect the maximum time of 7 minutes, followed by 3 minutes for discussion;
• 4) Oral Presentations must be created using the official PowerPoint template provided by the organisation via email;

Important Notes

• * Presentations submitted after the deadline will not be considered;
• * No new versions or content changes will be accepted after submission;

---

E-POSTERS

E-Posters will be displayed in a dedicated space throughout the duration of the 22nd National Oncology Congress, from 26 to 28 November 2025.

E-Poster Submission

• 1) Submission must be made exclusively via the platform available on the Congress website (www.cno.sponcologia.pt), by 11:59 PM on 17 November 2025;
• 2) The file must include the abstract code assigned at submission and the corresponding category;
• 3) The file must be submitted in PDF format, following the same naming convention as above;
• 4) The E-Poster must adhere to the size and format specifications defined in the PowerPoint template provided by the organisation via email;

Important Notes

• E-Posters submitted after the deadline will not be accepted;
• E-Posters will be organised by category and reviewed by the respective scientific committee. No defence or presentation is expected;

---

CANDIDATE REGISTRATION

Acceptance of submitted abstracts will be communicated via email from 27 October 2025. The first author must complete the online registration by 31 October 2025.

Applicants who are recipients of SPO Educational Grants will be automatically registered for the Congress. Eligible candidates include residents and young specialists (< 40 years old) in Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiotherapy, Imaging, and Pathology. Applications will be open from 23 September until 11:59 PM on 30 September. The selected recipients will be informed of the Jury’s decision thereafter.

Interested applicants should consult the specific regulations for further information.

---

INCENTIVES AND AWARDS

Distinctions will be awarded to the 6 best abstracts (3 in the oral presentation category and 3 in the e-poster category) among all presentations at CNO25, regardless of submission category.

The top 3 abstracts in Oral Presentation and E-Poster will be awarded a monetary prize and a winner's certificate.

The first author(s) of the remaining Oral Presentations will receive a certificate of oral presentation and a complimentary registration for the 2026 National Oncology Congress.

Award accumulation will not be permitted.

The Jury reserves the right to withhold awards if deemed appropriate.

---

CATEGORY AWARDS

For each category, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be selected for both oral presentations and e-posters.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS
1st PRIZE	2,500 EUR
2nd PRIZE	2,000 EUR
3rd PRIZE	1,500 EUR

E-POSTERS
1st PRIZE	1,000 EUR
2nd PRIZE	750 EUR
3rd PRIZE	500 EUR

Failure to comply with these regulations will result in exclusion;

All accepted and presented abstracts will be certified;

Any omissions or issues not covered in these regulations will be resolved by the organising entity.

Note: Prizes must be claimed within 90 days after the closing session of the 22nd National Oncology Congress.

Any further questions after reading these regulations may be addressed via email at: cno.trabalhos@sponcologia.pt or by telephone: 969 220 165 or 239 702 200.