FORCE: Facing our risk of cancer EMPOWERED
ANNual conference

Sessions

 

2008 Agenda (pdf)

FRIDAY, MAY 16

9:00 - 9:15 Welcome

9:15 - 9:25 Personalized Medicine: An Overview
Thomas Sellers, PhD

9:25 - 10:00 Personalized Medicine: What's New
Rebecca Sutphen, MD will present:

  • Current state of medicine tailored to the individual
  • Personalized testing available and associated benefits and limitations
  • Future areas of personalized medicine research

10:00 - 10:45 What We've Learned from Studying Hereditary Cancer Families
Tim Rebbeck, PhD will present:

  • Results of research from PROSE and MAGIC studies of hereditary cancer risk and outcomes
  • Discussion of risk reduction associated with surgical intervention
  • Presentation of the genetic factors which may modify cancer risk in high-risk women

11:10 -12:20 Concurrent Session # 1 -- Choose from:

  • BRCA and Other Cancers (Workshop)
    Cathy Phelan, MD, PhD and Alex Liede, MD will discuss:
    • BRCA mutations and cancer risk in men
    • BRCA and risks for other cancers beyond breast cancer and ovarian cancer
  • BRCA and Insurance Issues (Workshop)
    Joanne Armstrong, MD will present:
    • Issues regarding insurance discrimination
    • How to navigate the health insurance maze and understand your coverage
    • How to appeal insurance denials
  • Genetics 101: Back to Basics
    Rebecca Sutphen, MD will present:
    • Basics of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and other hereditary syndromes
    • How to determine if the cancer in your family may be hereditary
    • Understanding what the results of a genetic test means for you and your family

12:20 - 1:30 Concurrent Session #2 -- Choose from:

  • In Depth: BRCA/Hereditary Breast Cancer (specific session for women who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer which is hereditary, with or without a positive BRCA test)
    Susan Domchek, MD will present:
    • Latest information on hereditary breast cancer and response to chemotherapy
    • Updates for women with triple-negative tumors
    • Information on PARP Inhibitor clinical trial for BRCA carriers with metastatic breast cancer
  • In Depth: BRCA/Hereditary Ovarian Cancer (specific session for women who have had a diagnosis of ovarian cancer which is hereditary, with or without a positive BRCA test)
    Ilana Cass, MD will discuss:
    • Developments in ovarian cancer treatment and survival
    • The PARP Inhibitor clinical trial
    • Management of breast cancer risk after ovarian cancer diagnosis
  • In Depth: High-risk without Cancer/Pre-vivors
    Judy Garber, MD will present:
    • Latest information on BRCA and hereditary cancer risks
    • Latest information on risk-management options for pre-vivors including surveillance, chemoprevention, and risk-reducing surgery
  • Writing for Peace, Power or Publication
    Author Kathy Steligo will lead this interactive writing workshop, showing you how to:
    • Get started
    • Have a heart-to-heart with yourself
    • Keep your hand moving

2:20 - 3:30 Concurrent Session # 3 -- Choose from:

  • Breast Reconstruction: An Overview
    Author Kathy Steligo will discuss:
    • Understanding your reconstruction options
    • What to expect from surgery/recovery
    • Deciding what’s right for you
  • Uninformative BRCA Tests
    Cathy Phelan, MD, PhD and Alvaro Monteiro, PhD will present:
    • The latest information on the meaning of variants of unknown uncertainty
    • Information on uninformative negative tests and cancer risk
    • Research trying to classify variants and search for new mutations in BRCA-negative hereditary cancer families
  • A Positive Approach to Weight Control
    Kathryn Allen, MA RD will present:
    • Tips on eating nutritiously and making smart food choices
    • Exercising for fitness and weight loss
    • Journaling to stay on track
  • Looking Back, Living Forward (Workshop)
    Andrew Filippone, Lauren Dubin, and Marnie Breecker facilitate this interactive workshop ,providing the inspiration, strategies, and tools to uncover and understand your family’s story, its collective wisdom and legacy.

3:30 - 4:40 Concurrent Session #4 -- Choose from:

  • Making Decisions about Cancer Risk
    Psychologist Karen Hurley, PhD will facilitate this workshop to help people who are high-risk evaluate all their options and choose the option that is right for them given their individual circumstances and where they are in life
  • In Depth: Flap Reconstruction
    Plastic surgeons Aldona Spiegel, MD and James Craigie, MD will discuss the benefits and limitations of different types of flap reconstruction including DIEP and GAP flaps.
  • Fertility Issues
    David Keefe, MD will discuss fertility options for cancer survivors, high-risk women, and carriers of a BRCA mutation
  • Understanding, Participating In, and Interpreting Research Results
    Lisa Hess, PhD will discuss
    • How to read and understand research papers and statistics
    • Different types of research and phases of clinical trials
    • How to find and participate in research studies

5:00 - 6:10 Concurrent Session #5 -- Choose from:

  • Looking Back Living Forward (Workshop)
    Andrew Filippone, Lauren Dubin, and Marnie Breecker facilitate this interactive workshop which provides the inspiration, strategies, and tools to uncover and understand your family’s story, its collective wisdom and legacy.
  • In Depth--Mastectomy and Implants
    Andrew Ashikari, MD and Michael Howard MD will discuss:
    • Different types of mastectomy options including skin-sparing, nipple-sparing and areolar
      sparing mastectomies
    • Traditional expanders and implants, and newer methods such as one-step, nonexpansive reconstruction using AlloDerm or Derma Matrix
    • Different types of implants (silicone, saline, cohesive gel, round, contoured, etc) and how plastic surgeons decide which is right for you
    • Breast follow-up after implants
    • Long-term satisfaction with implants
  • Breast Cancer Earlier Detection
    Jonathan Wiener, MD will discuss current standard-of-care recommendations and cutting-edge techniques for breast cancer early detection in high-risk women
  • PARP Inhibitors--An Update
    National Cancer Institute researcher Nilofer Azad will present information on PARP Inhibitors; new treatment being researched as targeted therapy for breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer associated with BRCA

SATURDAY, MAY 17

8:30 - 9:45 Networking Breakfast

9:45 - 10:30 Updates from Dr. Narod (General Session)
Steven Narod, MD, FRCP will discuss

  • DIM (a dietary supplement) and BRCA
  • New research on response to treatment in BRCA carriers

10:30 - 12:30 In the Family viewing and discussion (General Session)
Producer Joanna Rudnick will present her documentary-in-progress, In the Family, and lead a discussion section after the viewing.

1:30 - 2:40 Current Session #6 -- Choose from:

  • Ovarian Cancer Risk Management
    Noah Kauff, MD will present on ways to manage your ovarian cancer risk, including
    • research on ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer risk in BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 carriers
    • information on surveillance for ovarian cancer
    • information on management of ovarian cancer risk through medications or surgery
  • Young and High Risk: Pre-vivor Issues
    Kelly Metcalfe, RN, PhD and Kristen Wells, PhD, MPH will discuss the unique issues that young, high-risk women face including:
    • Different risk-management strategies and age-specific benefits and risks of each
    • Balancing cancer risks and risk-management with family planning, and fertility issues
    • Dating/relationship issues
    • Fitting hereditary cancer risk and risk management into your "life plan"
  • Hereditary Cancer and Families: Sharing and Coping
    Paul Jacobsen, PhD will discuss how hereditary cancers affect the entire family and all relationships within, and how families can communicate with and support each through the experience of hereditary cancer

2:40 - 3:50 Concurrent Session #7 -- Choose from:

  • Laughter: It's Good Medicine
    Author Christine Clifford-Beckwith will demonstrate how to use humor to cope with the stresses in your life
  • National Ovarian Cancer Prevention & Early
    Detection Study
    Mark Greene, MD from the National Cancer Insitute will present results from the large national ovarian cancer early detection study
  • The Latest in Managing Menopause
    Katrina Armstrong, MD will present data from her research on benefits and risks of BRCA women managing menopause with or without hormone replacement

4:10 - 5:30 Concurrent Session #8 -- Choose from

  • Setting a National Agenda on Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research (General Session)
    This session gives the high-risk community the opportunity to help shape future research. Participants will be given the opportunity to discuss with the research community and funding agencies important actions and areas where more research is needed.
  • Writing Your Previvor/Survivor Story (Workshop)
    Author Kathy Steligo will lead this session about:
    • Writing as resolution
    • Writing your previvor/survivor experience
    • Writing to shape your future
  • Closing

 

 

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