The Metastatic Breast Cancer Network (MBCN) held its 8th Annual National Conference in Chapel Hill September 19-21, 2014 in conjunction with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“More than 250 patients and caregivers came to Chapel Hill to network with others,” said UNC Lineberger Administrative Clinical Director Jean Sellers, RN, MSN, one of many UNC Lineberger staff who helped facilitate the conference. “It was amazing to see the positive energy, laughter and networking support taking place in the room.”
The event opened with a reception on Friday, September 19. The main conference followed on Saturday, September 20, with additional networking opportunities and breakout sessions on the morning of Sunday, September 21. More than 20 UNC Lineberger faculty and staff volunteered to share their time and expertise with the conference participants.
Plenary sessions included:
- Metastatic Breast Cancer: “We Can Do It!” with Shirley Mertz, President, MBCN and Marc Hurlbert, PhD, Executive Director, Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and Project Leader, Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance
- The Molecular Genetics of Breast Cancer with Lisa Carey, MD
- Living Well with Advanced Disease with Don Rosenstein, MD and Leeza Park, MD
- Future Treatments of MBC, a panel discussion moderated by Hyman Muss, MD, with Larry Marks, MD, Claire Dees, MD and Nancy DeMore, MD
- Clinical Trials: How to Find Them; What is the Focus at UNC? With Claire Dees, MD and Jeanne Noe, BS, PharmD
Breakout sessions were offered throughout the conference and included:
- Hormone Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: Katie Reeder-Hayes, MD
- HER2 Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: Carey Anders, MD
- Triple Negative & Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Lisa Carey, MD
- Caregiver Resilience: Elizabeth Sherwood, RN, MS, ANP-C and Mimi Alvarez, RN, MSN
- Brain Metastasis: Tim Zagar, MD
- Addressing the Needs of Women 50 Years & Older: Hyman Muss, MD and Trevor Jolly, MD
- Newly Diagnosed: Anna Kate Owens, FNP
- Surgical Options for Soft Tissue Mets: Nancy DeMore, MD and Benjamin Calvo, MD
- Bone Metastasis: Tim Zagar, MD and Lisa Carey, MD
- Cancer Pain and Sexuality in Women: Denniz Zolnoun, MD, MPH
- Addressing Issues for the African-American Woman: Valarie Clark Worthy, RN, BSN
- Addressing the Needs of Young Women: Deborah Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN
- Integrative Medicine: Gary Asher, MD, MPH
- Role of Radiology in Imaging and Treatment: Larry Marks, MD and Katherine Birchard, MD
- Insurance and Disability: Kathy Roundtree, LCSW
- Finding Support Online/Social Media: Katherine O’Brien, MBCN Secretary and Public Relations Chair
- Understanding Medical Terms and Test Results: Delma Armstrong, RN, BSN, OCN
- Talking with Children: Justin Yopp, PhD
- Nutrition: Mandy Holliday, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN
- Dealing with Treatment-Related Side Effects: Amy DePue, BS, RN, OCN
“This was the most ambitious agenda we have ever had for this conference, and UNC Lineberger helped us make it a success,” says conference chair and MBCN board member Deb Tincher. “We are so grateful to the many physicians and staff who volunteered their time to come here on a weekend – and they were all so gracious to stay and answer questions and talk with people individually. The hospitality has been wonderful!”
UNC Lineberger member Carey Anders, MD, worked with MBCN staff over several months to organize the annual conference. “UNC Lineberger was so honored to host the 8th Annual MBCN Conference,” says Anders. “We truly enjoyed meeting the MBCN staff and the amazing patients who traveled from as far as Europe and Canada to participate in the informative and inspirational weekend. I speak for myself and many of my colleagues when I say that the weekend re-invigorated our passion for our patients and our research, such that we can truly make a difference in the lives of patients with metastatic breast cancer.”
ABOUT MBCN’s ANNUAL CONFERENCE
MBCN held its first conference at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in 2006. Subsequent conferences have been held at M.D. Anderson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Indiana University’s Simon Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine and Northwestern Medical Center.
ABOUT THE METASTATIC BREAST CANCER NETWORK
MBCN is a national, independent, nonprofit, patient advocacy organization dedicated to the unique concerns of the women and men living with metastatic breast cancer. MBCN was founded in 2004 by Jane Soyer and Nina Schulman. See www.mbcn.org.