2009 Conference

THURSDAY, MAY 14 - SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2009

Buena Vista Palace, Orlando, FL

 

Our fourth annual Joining FORCES conference took place on May 14-16, 2009, in Orlando, FL at Lake Buena Vista Palace Hotel. This international program offered general sessions and workshops on latest advances; research and clinical aspects of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, and opportunities for networking and peer support. Attendees included breast cancer survivors, high-risk individuals, those with BRCA mutation or family history of cancer, and health care providers. We had 520 participants at our 2009 program which in addition to survivors and previvors included: 45 speakers/presenters, 57 scholarship recipients, and 53 health care professionals attending for continuing education.

Scholarships
The Linda Pedraza Memorial Scholarship Fund was created in memory of FORCE board of director member Linda Pedraza. In 2006 Linda died at age 45 from breast cancer after surviving ovarian cancer. FORCE raises funds to provide full and partial scholarships for people who otherwise could not afford to attend our conference.  In 2009 we were able to provide support for 57 people to attend our conference. Of those 38 received full scholarships covering hotel, travel, and registration and 19 received partial scholarships of travel or registration. Three scholarship recipients traveled from abroad, two from Israel, and New Zealand.  Our recipient from Israel is the founder of BRACHA.org.il, the only nonprofit organization in Israel for women with BRCA mutations, which she founded after attending our conference in 2007. During the conference she met with the scholarship recipient from the Palestinian State in Israel who is interested in starting a similar organization in her region. Our scholarship recipient from New Zealand is planning on bringing back the information to her country and beginning an organization for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in New Zealand.  Below is feedback from some of our scholarship recipients:

“The experience was wonderful - more than I anticipated. Being granted access to experts, information and topics which are at the forefront of my current life provided much needed peace of mind. The chance to see, meet, listen and share with other people who "get it" helped me on many, many levels.” - Cathy Stewart

Being 22, I had yet to speak with anyone my age that had the genetic mutation . . .I was amazed to find so many people, not only in my age group, who were ‘like’ me. My friends could empathize with my situation, but they could never truly understand what it’s like to be a gene-carrier and the decisions that, naturally, go with that knowledge.Attending the Conference and knowing as much as I can about BRCA2 and the options is a way that I can honor the other women in my family. - Brandi Forbes

It couldn’t have come at a better time for me. The two words that come to mind are Educational and Inspirational.- Karen Brumett

Being able to speak to the top surgeons and researchers face to face was a dream.You have created a forum where women and men have all the tools they need in one place to make life changing decisions and not walk away wishing they could just speak to someone else. - Jodi Nicholson

Thank you once again for allowing me the scholarship to attend the 2009 conference.  It absolutely exceeded my expectations.  Not only did I get information about my upcoming surgery, I also got valuable information for my Mum who has ovarian cancer and for the NZ foundation which I am about to start.  It was the most valuable experience I have EVER had. - Nicola Coom, New Zealand attendee

Contributions of Conference to Research Recruitment and Disssemination of Information
This year’s conference had presentation on the latest information for hereditary breast cancer including a session devoted to the emerging therapy called PARP Inhibitors: targeted therapy specifically for BRCA and hereditary cancers presented by Elise Kohn of NCI. Other research highlights included a hereditary cancer research panel where researchers from top cancer centers presented relevant open clinical trials at their facility. Presenters from top cancer centers including H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, City of Hope, University of California San Francisco, and University of Washington presented on open research studies.  The panel session included presentations about: a phase II PARP Inhibitor neoadjuvant breast cancer study open to women with triple negative breast cancer at Stanford; breast cancer chemoprevention studies from City of Hope; programs providing genetic testing and resources for underserved women at UC San Francisco, and the IMPACT study for men with BRCA mutations.  Additionally researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center led focus groups studying fertility issues and concerns for breast cancer survivors and previvors. NCI researcher Lindsey Hoskins conducted focus groups to study the unique concerns for younger, high-risk women.  NIH-funded researcher Kathryn Schmitz from University of Pennsylvania recruited for her WISER Sister Study, an exercise intervention study for women at high risk for breast cancer.  Additionally, research psychologist Dr. Susan Vadaparampil from Moffitt Cancer Center piloted materials from her Suncoast Komen Affiliate-funded study to develop culturally-sensitive materials about genetic counseling and testing.  Attendees were also offered the opportunity to learn about and enroll in the Family Cancer Genetics Network Registry for families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Agenda:

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Early Registration: 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Welcome Reception - Art, Fire(works) & Ice (cream): 8:30 - 10:30 PM

Friday, May 15, 2009

General Session 9:00 - 10:30 AM

• Welcome/Opening Remarks
  Sue Friedman, DVM, Rebecca Sutphen, MD, Barbara Pfeiffer, and Joanna Rudnick

Concurrent Session I (Choose one of the following): 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM

• BRCA in Men
  Wendy Rubinstein, MD, PhD
  
• Genetics 101: Back to Basics
  Rebecca Sutphen, MD
  
• What's New for BRCA/Hereditary Breast Cancer Survivors
  Judy Garber, MD
  
• Young and High-Risk
  Lindsey Hoskins, LGMFT and Joanna Rudnick
• What's New for BRCA/ Hereditary Ovarian Cancer Survivors
  Diljeet Singh, MD

Concurrent Session II (Choose one of the following): 1:50 - 3:10 PM

• Men's Facilitated Networking Session
  Paul Kredow, PhD
• Making Decisions about Cancer Risk
  Karen Hurley, PhD
  
• Looking Back, Living Forward
  Lauren Dubin
  
• Writing Your Previvor or Survivor Story
  Kathy Steligo
• Ovarian Cancer Networking Session
  Ovarian Cancer National Alliance

Concurrent Session III (Choose one of the following) 3:10 - 4:30 PM

• In The Family Documentary Screening
  Joanna Rudnick
• So You Think You Can't Dance?
  Marcia Berlin, RD, LD
• Reclaiming Your Sexuality
  Paul Kredow, PhD and Ziva Kredow
  
• Fertility Options
  David Keefe, MD
  
• Breast Surveillance: What's New?
  Victoria Seewaldt, MD and Ravinder Mahal, MD

Concurrent Session IV (Choose one of the following) 4:50 - 6:10 PM

• Getting Involved, Giving Back through FORCE
  Debbie Sokolov
  Barbara Pfeiffer
  
• Breast Reconstruction Overview
  Kathy Steligo
• Hereditary Cancer: How Do I Tell My Children?
  Karen Hurley, PhD
  
• New Treatments for Hereditary Cancer
  Elise Kohn, MD

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Roundtable Networking Breakfast: 7:30 - 9:10 AM

General Session: 9:15 -10:50

• Hereditary Cancer Research Panel Discussion
  • Judy Garber, MD
  • Elise Kohn, MD
  • Allison Kurian, MD
  • Steven Narod, MD
  • Wendy Rubinstein, MD
  • Victoria Seewaldt, MD
  • Rebecca Sutphen, MD
  • Elizabeth Swisher, MD
  • Elizabeth Thompson
  • Jeffrey Weitzel, MD
    

Concurrent Session V (Choose one of the following) 11:20 AM- 12:40 PM

• Mastectomy Options
  Christine Laronga, MD
  
• Exercise and Cancer
  Katie Schmitz, PhD, MPH
• Managing Menopause
  Andrew Kaunitz, MD
• Robotic Oophorectomy
  Sachin Apte, MD

Concurrent Session VI (Choose one of the following): 1:50 - 3:10 PM

• Breast Reconstruction Panel Discussion I: Flaps
  Frank DellaCroce, MD
  Marga Massey, MD
• When BRCA Test Results are Inconclusive
  Rebecca Sutphen, MD
• Reclaiming Your Sexuality
  Paul Kredow, PhD
  Ziva Kredow, MSEd
• BRCA and Hormone Influences
  Steven Narod, MD, FRCP

Concurrent Session VII (Choose one of the following): 3:10 - 4:30 PM

• Breast Reconstruction Panel Discussion II: Implants
  Geoffrey Fenner, MD
  R. Kendrick Slate, MD
• Laughter: The Lifeguard in the Gene Pool
  Pat McRee
• Breast Cancer Prevention: Nonsurgical Approach to Risk Reduction
  Susan Love, MD
  Jeffrey Weitzel, MD
  
• Reaching Out to Underserved Communities
  Susan Vadaparampil, PhD
  Tuya Pal, MD
  Allison Kurian, MD

Concurrent Session VIII (Choose one of the following): 4:50 - 6:10

• Ovarian Cancer Risk Management
  Elizabeth Swisher, MD
• Nutrition and Health
  Sally Scroggs, RD, LD
• Sharing Risk Information with Family Members
  Mary Beattie, MD
  Beth Crawford, CGC
• Navigating Insurance Issues
  Kim Calder, MPS
  Tami Lewis, RN