Dallas to host Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON CONCERNS OF YOUNG BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS
Healthcare Experts Will Share Latest Breast Cancer Information
at the Only International Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer
Contact: Eva Fowler
eva.fowler@mslworldwide.com
(202) 261-2868
DALLAS (February 2, 2009) — An expected 800 young breast cancer survivors, caregivers and medical professionals from around the world will get the latest information on breast cancer in pre-menopausal women from some of the nation’s top experts at the 9thAnnual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer on Feb. 27-March 1 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.
The three-day event, presented by the nonprofit organizations Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the Young Survival Coalition and lead sponsor Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, is the only international educational conference dedicated to the needs of young breast cancer survivors. Last year, 760 people came from 44 states and 10 countries.
Participants may choose from more than 25 workshops on topics including medical updates for early and advanced breast cancer, fertility, sexuality, genetic testing, side effect management, living long term with a history of breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, breast reconstruction, environmental issues, advocacy and caregiving.
Though breast cancer is less common in women under 40, there are more than 250,000 women age 40 and under in the U.S. living with breast cancer, and more than 11,000 more will be diagnosed in the next year. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in young women ages 15-54.
Young women diagnosed with breast cancer also struggle with many issues older women don’t face, including being diagnosed with more advanced cancers, pregnancy after diagnosis, relationship issues, early menopause induced by cancer treatments and slightly higher mortality rates. Because most psychosocial and medical resources are designed for women over 50, young women diagnosed with breast cancer often feel isolated and alone.
“The conference has been an overwhelming success in connecting young women diagnosed with breast cancer so they know they are not alone,” said Jean Sachs, MSS, MLSP, CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer. “Expert healthcare professionals deliver information compassionately and intelligently to help empower them to make informed choices.”
“For a young woman, a diagnosis of breast cancer initiates a 40- to 50- year journey of living and coping with the disease,” said Marcia Stein, CEO of the Young Survival Coalition. The group’s goal is to reach at least 60 percent of young women who are newly diagnosed and 30 percent of women who were diagnosed at age 40 or under. “We remain dedicated to building community and supporting all young women affected by breast cancer worldwide.”
Featured speakers include:
- Eric P. Winer, MD, chief of the division of women’s cancers and the Thompson senior investigator in breast cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief scientific advisor for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. He will detail medical advances regarding young women affected by breast cancer.
- Wendy S. Harpham, MD, FACP, author of Happiness in a Storm. She will discuss embracing life through and after cancer.
- Rowan T. Chlebowski, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and chief of the division of medical oncology and hematology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He will discuss the newest research on diet and nutrition and what it means to young women affected by breast cancer.
Other supporters include title sponsors National Philanthropic Trust and Bristol-Myers Squibb; presenting sponsors Genentech, Novartis, Oakley, Pure Romance and Roche; benefactors Gal to Gal Foundation, Merck, Myriad and Wyeth; supporting sponsor The Paula A. Seidman Fund; and friend sponsors BJNB Foundation and Jackie Allen.
To register, or for more information, visit www.youngsurvivorsconference.orgor call Living Beyond Breast Cancer at (610) 645-4567 or the Young Survival Coalition at (646) 257-3000. Walk-in registrations are welcome.
About Living Beyond Breast Cancer
Living Beyond Breast Cancer, based outside Philadelphia, is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life. Programs and services include: conferences; teleconferences; the toll-free Survivors’ Helpline (888-753-5222); a website (www.lbbc.org); free quarterly newsletters; publications for African-American and Latina women; recordings; networking programs for young survivors and women of color; healthcare provider trainings; and the Paula A. Seidman Library and Resource Center. For more information about Living Beyond Breast Cancer, visit www.lbbc.org or call (610) 645-4567.
About Young Survival Coalition
The Young Survival Coalition, based in New York and with 17 national affiliates, is the only international network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the critical concerns and issues unique to young women affected by breast cancer. Through action, advocacy and awareness, the YSC seeks to educate and influence the medical, research, breast cancer and legislative communities to address breast cancer in women 40 and under, and to serve as a point of contact for young women living with breast cancer. For more information about the Young Survival Coalition, visit www.youngsurvival.org or call (877) YSC-1011.
About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.
Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has invested more than $1.2 billion to fulfill the promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call (877) GO-KOMEN
