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"Conquering Breast Cancer"
Symposium at the 92 St. Y
On April 26th, BCRF partnered with the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to present a Symposium, Conquering Breast Cancer, at the 92nd St. Y in New York City. More than 300 people attended the Symposium.
On the opening panel, BCRF Scientific Director, Larry Norton, MD, was joined by Eric P. Winer, MD, and Paul E. Goss, MD, in a discussion entitled Breast Cancer: How Bright is the Horizon? The speakers emphasized that there is much cause for encouragement due to recent research advances which have brought us closer to personalized treatment with targeted therapies, have unraveled clues to the molecular classification of various types of breast cancer, and have vastly improved the quality of life for women who have survived breast cancer. Globally, access to good health care is one of the chief deterrents to survival. Dr. Norton made the point that Americans spend more on soft drinks than funding from all sources for medical research; only when cancer research and good health become a national priority will cancer mortalities fall significantly.
In a seminar on inherited susceptibility to breast cancer, BCRF grantee Kenneth Offit, MD, MPH, updated the audience on recent uses of genetic information to tailor both prevention and treatment. He cautioned about "genomic tests" for diseases, conditions, and traits which are being marketed directly to consumers. He noted that many of these analyses are not of proven validity or accuracy and are usually offered without the counseling and oversight provided by health care professionals.
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