PHILADELPHIA — September 18, 2009 — Women affected by breast cancer, their caregivers and healthcare professionals will have an opportunity to get the latest research news and learn how it will affect the future of breast cancer care at Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s annual fall conference, News You Can Use: The Future of Breast Cancer Care. The conference will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
After a diagnosis of breast cancer, many women feel unsure about what steps to take to get the best care. They struggle with body image, or they fear that the cancer may come back. They may also feel overwhelmed by decisions they have to make about treatment options such as reconstruction or hormonal therapies. Even years after treatment, women need information on managing the lingering emotional and physical effects of breast cancer. Their caregivers, too, wonder how to balance personal needs with their desire to make a loved one feel safe and comfortable.
"This conference has something for everyone," says LBBC education director Elyse S. Caplan, MA. "Our presentations and workshops are so diverse that they will appeal to women at all stages of diagnosis, treatment and recovery."
Opening speaker George W. Sledge, Jr., MD, will discuss new advances in early-stage and advanced breast cancer during his presentation, From the Bench to the Bedside: What Today’s Research Means for Tomorrow. Dr. Sledge will also discuss the role of personalized medicine, breakthroughs in molecular and targeted therapies and how survivorship plans have changed the way women receive care after initial diagnosis. Closing speaker Kathleen M. Wesa, MD, will discuss research that can help women during and after treatment during her presentation, Integrative Oncology: Complementary Therapies, Herbs and Dietary Supplements. She will talk about various types of complementary therapies including mind/body techniques, herbs and other dietary supplements. After each presentation, participants will have a chance to ask questions.
Conference workshops will cover topics such as triple-negative breast cancer, fear of recurrence, advanced breast cancer, long-term survivorship, hormonal therapies, reconstruction, body image, caregiving and more. In between each workshop session, participants will have an opportunity to network with each another and visit exhibitor tables
Dr. Sledge is a professor of medicine and pathology, Ballvé-Lantero professor of oncology and co-chair of the breast cancer program at Indiana University School of Medicine. A leader in researching new treatments for breast cancer, Dr. Sledge has published extensively in the area of breast cancer research and has chaired several nationwide clinical trials involving new therapies for breast cancer. Dr. Sledge is also the recipient of many honors and awards, including the 2006 Komen Foundation Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction, the 2007 Jill Rose Award for Distinguished Scientific Achievement and a listing in America’s Top Doctors from 2001 to 2004.
Dr. Wesa is a physician-scientist specializing in integrative medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She combines evidence-based complementary therapies with mainstream care to help cancer patients manage symptoms. Dr. Wesa is actively involved in investigating the scientific basis of complementary therapies and has lectured throughout the U.S., India, Europe and Asia.
Workshop speakers include: Dr. Sledge; Linda Abrams, PhD, Council for Relationships; Jennifer Armstrong, MD, Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates; Janet Ruth Falon, MLA, Creator, Journaling Through Breast Cancer Program; Generosa Grana, MD, Cooper Cancer Institute, Cooper University Hospital; Richard A. Michaelson, MD, Cancer Center of Saint Barnabas, Saint Barnabas Health Care System; Edith P. Mitchell, MD, FACP, Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson; Kate O’Connor, LSW, Cancer Center of Paoli Hospital; Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Ruth H. Steinman, MD, University of Pennsylvania; Ramona F. Swaby, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center; Kathryn Tumelty, MSN, FNP-C, AOCNP, Fox Chase Cancer Center and Liza C. Wu, MD, University of Pennsylvania Health Systems.
The lead sponsor for this event is The Breast Cancer Fund of National Philanthropic Trust, and the presenting sponsor is Pfizer Oncology. Other sponsors are CURE, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Abraxis BioScience, Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania and Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
The conference fee is $45 per person and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and networking reception. Pre-registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Caregivers and healthcare providers are encouraged to attend.
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Living Beyond Breast Cancer, founded in 1991, is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life. Programs and services include: an educational website, lbbc.org; the toll-free Survivors’ Helpline at (888) 753-LBBC (5222); national conferences; free teleconferences; networking programs; quarterly newsletters; publications for medically underserved women; healthcare-provider trainings; recordings; and the Paula A. Seidman Library and Resource Center.
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