Breast Cancer Survivorship Conference Connects Patients, Community, and Science
Unless we learn
to treat breast
cancer differently,
we’re going to
keep getting the
same results.
—Blase N. Polite, MD, MPH
Cancer survivorship has nearly quadrupled over the past 40 years to about 12 million people, according to the latest government statistics. Breast cancer survivors make up the largest proportion of that—at 22%.
A 1-day conference was held in April to give breast cancer survivors and their caregivers the opportunity to discuss complex and emotional issues involving treatment options and resources. The conference, “Surviving Breast Cancer Together: Connecting Survivors, Community, and Science,” was at Kennedy-King College and was hosted by the UCCCC Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Disparities and The University of Chicago Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer, as well as other UChicago groups and the University of Illinois at Chicago. More than 130 people attended the free event.
In her opening remarks, UCCCC Director Michelle Le Beau, PhD, Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor of Medicine, said the goal of the conference was to facilitate a dialogue among everyone involved in breast cancer care.
The audience heard unique perspectives from a lawyer, a survivor, researchers, clinicians, a lifestyle and fitness expert, and genetic counselors.
Disparities
According to the Sinai Urban Health
Institute, black women in Chicago are
62% more likely to die from breast
cancer than white women, and many
of the conference speakers discussed
factors behind this staggering statistic.
Researchers are looking into links
between breast cancer, obesity, and
other diseases. They are also studying
tumor biology specific to black women,
as well as cultural and economic factors
such as delays in care, inferior treatment
compliance, limited access to quality care, and a lack of
insurance coverage.
Blase N. Polite, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine, presented information about the challenges that exist between black breast cancer patients and available clinical trials. He stressed the importance of clinical trials to transform healthcare, saying, “Unless we learn to treat breast cancer differently, we’re going to keep getting the same results.”
Surviving Breast Cancer
Susan Hong, MD, MPH, assistant professor
of medicine and director of the
Breast Cancer Survivorship Program,
led a breakout session for healthcare
professionals to show them how they can provide cancer
patients with survivorship care plans. These plans contain
treatment summaries, recommendations for follow-up
care, and a schedule of surveillance testing.
“I think one of the greatest challenges is helping
patients discover what their ‘new normal’ is,” Dr. Hong
said. “Many survivors believe once their cancer treatment
is completed, they should be right back to their pretreatment
baseline. While some survivors do recover fairly
quickly, others find that their bodies have undergone significant
changes. ”
Olufunmilayo Olopade, MBBS, Walter L. Palmer
Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine & Human
Genetics, addressed emerging trends in breast cancer,
encouraging survivors to take a proactive stance on their
breast health and not to be afraid of surgery and reconstruction.
She also emphasized that breast cancer is not one disease, meaning a personalized approach for each patient is necessary for the best outcome.
More than 130 people attended the free event.
