Cancer summit to focus on personalized treatment

PROVIDENCE – Personalized Medicine – The Future of Cancer Care will be the focus of the 2011 Rhode Island Cancer Care Summit, to be held on June 16 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Crowne Plaza Hotel Providence Warwick.
The daylong event is being presented by The Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The featured speaker, Dr. William Li, president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, will discuss the critical role that personalized medicine plays in the fight against cancer.
Physicians in Rhode Island and across the country are now using a personalized medicine model to help in the fight against cancer, according to R.I. Department of Health spokeswoman Annemarie Beardsworth. The genetic fingerprint and management of each cancer case is unique so slight differences can determine how well a patient’s cancer may respond to a specific treatment.
“The fight against cancer is a team effort, and we need to learn about any new tool designed to assist us,” said Dr. Michael Fine, interim director of the R.I. Department of Health.
“Whether we are a provider, a patient or a caregiver, we want the best treatment option possible for the patient,” said Linda Dziobek, chair of The Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island. The summit’s focus, she continued, is to help “all Rhode Islanders understand this treatment model and how it can benefit our friends and family members.”
There is no charge to attend the summit; pre-registration by June 9 is required. To register, click here or call (401) 222-7899.