Symposium on metastatic breast cancer brought first of its kind knowledge and support to area patients, health providers
Susan G. Komen NEPA and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine together brought information and awareness to local patients facing a metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis and to the healthcare providers who care for them. According to organizers of the April 29 event — including two local women coping with MBC — people with stage IV breast cancer are an often-overlooked patient group. People diagnosed with MBC have specific needs typically not addressed by the many events geared toward an early-stage diagnosis, where the emphasis is placed upon overcoming the disease.
Living Well with Breast Cancer and Beyond provided patients diagnosed with stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer (MBC) information on current research and clinical trials with lectures by several nationally known researchers, including two Komen scholars. Komen Scholars are a group of 60 distinguished scholars and leaders in breast cancer research and advocacy. The scholars who attended the symposium were Adrian Lee, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and David A. Mankoff, MD, PhD from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. One goal of Dr. Lee’s lab is to identify novel changes in metastatic cells that may offer therapeutic insight. He will discuss the present gaps in MBC research. Dr. Mankoff’s research focuses on new imaging techniques that he believes have the ability to improve progression-free survival and quality of life.
Other speakers included Michael Murray, MD and Craig Piso, PhD. Dr. Murray is director of Geisinger’s clinical genomics and the MyCode data project. He discussed how genomics is changing the detection and treatment of cancer. Dr. Piso is a psychologist whose presentation was entitled, “Finding Courage and Strength During Life’s Biggest Challenges.”
The symposium was well attended and, based upon attendee feedback, Geisinger Commonwealth and Susan G. Komen NEPA plan to present the symposium again in 2018.
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) is a member of the Geisinger family. Geisinger Commonwealth offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Danville, Doylestown, Scranton, Sayre and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) degrees. The school’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its region in northeastern and central Pennsylvania, as well as from across the state and the nation. The school also has over 440 graduate medical students in 24 residency programs and 19 accredited fellowships. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. For more information, visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
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