Advances and awareness focus of Pancreatic Cancer Symposium
UMass Medical School and the UMass Memorial Cancer Center of Excellence will host the second annual Pancreatic Cancer Symposium on Wednesday, Nov. 10, in the Faculty Conference Room on the Worcester campus. Held during national Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, “Pancreatic Cancer: Advances and Awareness” will offer the latest updates on research and clinical treatment to health care professionals and their patients—and vital support for individuals and families affected by this devastating disease.
This year’s program will follow the same format as last year’s first, full-day symposium, which attracted more than 170 participants. Opening remarks from Michael L. Blute, MD, professor of surgery at UMass Medical School and director of the UMass Memorial Cancer Center of Excellence, will be followed by presentations about pancreatic cancer diagnosis, treatment and self-care from Cancer Center of Excellence and UMass Pancreas Program oncologists, surgeons and nurses. The Gail Allen Memorial Keynote Address, “Curing Pancreatic Cancer: A Journey of a Thousand Miles” is sponsored by Sysco, Inc., and will be delivered by Andrew Lowy, MD, chief of surgical oncology and leader of the Gastrointestinal Disease Team at the University of California San Diego’s Moores Cancer Center. The program will wrap up with what proved to be the highlight of last year’s event, a panel discussion by pancreatic cancer survivors and family members.
Free and open to the public, the symposium begins at 9 a.m. with registration and continental breakfast. Lunch will be catered by Arturo’s Ristorante of Westborough, and the formal program will conclude by 3:30 p.m. The event is made possible with generous support from corporate sponsors including Sysco, Ethicon and Abbott Laboratories. Also supporting the event and providing significant support to pancreatic cancer research underway at UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial Medical Center is the grassroots Pancreatic Cancer Alliance, a local all-volunteer organization of pancreatic cancer patients and families.
To learn more about the symposium, the UMass Pancreas Program, the UMass Memorial Cancer Center of Excellence, and the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance, visit www.umassmed.edu/pancreas/index.aspx.
