I attended the 10th Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer, hosted by the Young Survival Coalition (YSC) and Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC), in Atlanta last weekend. There were 900 young women there from 42 American states and 8 countries!
It was an emotional and inspiring weekend. There were young women ranging in age from 17 to 45, as well as some sisters, mothers, partners, caregivers and health care professionals. Rethink Breast Cancer was the only Canadian organization amongst 75 exhibitors and with our little pink Canadian flags on display, we were proud to represent.
The plenary sessions and workshops were very informative. Dr. Julie Gralow of the University of Washington gave us a quick overview of the latest approaches to treatment for young women with breast cancer – individualized treatment based on human genomics. It is amazing how much has changed in the last 10 years! Dr. Julie Rowland , director of the survivorship office of the National Cancer Institute stressed that once treatment is over, women continue to need support. The impact of breast cancer doesn’t just disappear on your last day of radiation. Every woman needs a “survivorship care plan” that includes a detailed treatment summary and a plan of support post-treatment that actively involves medical professionals, families and communities. I was most fascinated by the fertility preservation studies presented by Dr. David Lee involving the freezing of ovarian tissue pre-treatment, and the transplanting of that tissue on the body post-treatment to kick start estrogen production in the ovaries. His research has resulted in 9 successful births so far… the future looks bright.
I was so happy to meet the handful of Canadian young survivors who were at the conference including 2 friends from Newfoundland, Joan and Dianne, who currently facilitate support groups for women with breast cancer in their communities. I also met Angie who is excited to help Rethink get our programs off the ground in Montreal this year. It was her second time at the conference and she shared a bit about her experience with us…
It was an emotional and inspiring weekend. There were young women ranging in age from 17 to 45, as well as some sisters, mothers, partners, caregivers and health care professionals. Rethink Breast Cancer was the only Canadian organization amongst 75 exhibitors and with our little pink Canadian flags on display, we were proud to represent.
The plenary sessions and workshops were very informative. Dr. Julie Gralow of the University of Washington gave us a quick overview of the latest approaches to treatment for young women with breast cancer – individualized treatment based on human genomics. It is amazing how much has changed in the last 10 years! Dr. Julie Rowland , director of the survivorship office of the National Cancer Institute stressed that once treatment is over, women continue to need support. The impact of breast cancer doesn’t just disappear on your last day of radiation. Every woman needs a “survivorship care plan” that includes a detailed treatment summary and a plan of support post-treatment that actively involves medical professionals, families and communities. I was most fascinated by the fertility preservation studies presented by Dr. David Lee involving the freezing of ovarian tissue pre-treatment, and the transplanting of that tissue on the body post-treatment to kick start estrogen production in the ovaries. His research has resulted in 9 successful births so far… the future looks bright.
I was so happy to meet the handful of Canadian young survivors who were at the conference including 2 friends from Newfoundland, Joan and Dianne, who currently facilitate support groups for women with breast cancer in their communities. I also met Angie who is excited to help Rethink get our programs off the ground in Montreal this year. It was her second time at the conference and she shared a bit about her experience with us…
Fortunately, for those of you who weren’t able to attend, the YSC will soon post podcasts and transcripts of valuable sessions that you can check out when you have time. There will be conferences in Canada for women with breast cancer coming soon… stay tuned to our blog for more details.
Farheen
Programs Manager, Rethink Breast Cancer
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