Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
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INNOVATION CTCA REVIEW Brings Together Leading Minds in Cancer Care By William Kelly In July preeminent researchers and clinicians in the felds of hematology and oncology met at the CTCA REVIEW to share knowledge and discuss advances in cancer treatment, with the goal of continuing to improve patient care. Chicago, Illinois, was the backdrop for this important symposium, where leading oncology physicians and researchers gath- data presented at the American Society of Hematology and American Society of Clinical Oncology annual conferences, to incorporate newer evidence-based data to assess the care of patients with cancer, to incorporate knowledge gained into appropriate management and to utilize current standards of care for patients with cancer." More than 150 medical professionals ered to provide health-care and oncology professionals with in-depth knowledge of attended, including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, diagnostic oncolo- the latest medical advances, research trials and patient management strategies through an open exchange of information. Maurie Markman, MD, Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs and National Director of Medical Oncology for Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), noted in his remarks, "This symposium draws a cross section of the best and brightest minds in the war on cancer. It is an honor to host this esteemed group as we come together to share knowledge and collectively work to continuously improve the care we all provide to cancer patients." Presenters represented hospitals and teaching institutions from across the country, including CTCA, the Mayo Clinic, the gists, pathologists, oncology fellows, resident trainees, primary care providers, advanced-care practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, chiropractors, naturopathic physicians and pharmacists. The medical education conference was divided into two tracks: The oncology track was led by Dr. Markman, and the hematology track was led by Dr. Abutalib. Sessions included interactive presentations, patient case studies and faculty panel discussions. The oncology session covered advances in head and neck, lung, gynecologic, genitourinary, gastrointestinal (GI), skin and breast cancers. The hematology session included presentations that addressed lymphomas, leukemia, myelodysplastic Cancer Center of Northwestern University, who presented on GI oncology. In addition, he said, "These types of meetings provide in summary form a lot of information that can be helpful to clinicians. It gives us the chance to interact with colleagues and an opportunity to ask questions, particularly if you have expert speakers. It's just a very nice exchange of information." Farhad Ravandi-Kashani, MD, Professor in the Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine at MD Anderson, who presented on acute leukemias, acknowledged that "meetings like the CTCA REVIEW are extremely important, especially now, because there are a lot of new developments and drugs in oncology." James Armitage, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who presented on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, reiterated the beneft of the meeting to patient care: "One of the most encouraging things about oncology is that physicians demonstrate they care about their patients by actively working at trying to stay up-to-date and giving the right treatments. Just the fact that they come to a conference like this shows that University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the University of Chicago. Syed A. Abutalib, MD, Assistant Director, Stem Cell Transplant and Cell Therapy Program at CTCA in Zion, Illinois, said, "There were four main educational objectives for bringing together the leading minds in cancer care: for attendees to be able to interpret new and emerging syndromes, myeloproliferative diseases, multiple myeloma and a hematology/ oncology and nutrition case discussion. "With the evolution of oncology and our accelerated understanding of the biology and the number of new treatments that are in development that are often linked to tumors, it has become more and more important for people to keep up-todate," noted Al Benson III, MD, FACP, Associate Director for Clinical Investigations at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive they want to provide the best care for their patients." The CTCA REVIEW provided rich educational content and continuing-education credits for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health-care providers. "The feedback we've received from the presenters and the attendees on the need for more collaborative programs like the CTCA REVIEW is overwhelmingly positive," Dr. Abutalib said. "We have already begun planning for next year's symposium." cfthrive.com winter 2013 | cancer fighters thrive 33