People with brain tumors, and those who love and care for them, will observe Brain Tumor Awareness Week with three educational and celebratory events sponsored by the University of Rochester Medical Center and James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.
On Friday, May 1, there will be a seminar for patients, their families, and physicians that focuses on the latest research and treatment approaches in brain and spinal tumors. Then on Thursday, May 7, patients, families and clinicians will gather for the Community Sharing Hope Picnic at Kings Bend Park in Pittsford. And on Saturday, May 9, there will be an education and supportive program for caregivers.
Each year, approximately 500 people with brain tumors are treated at the Medical Center and Wilmot Cancer Center, making it the largest program in the region. The events are offered by the Program for Brain and Spinal Tumors at the Medical Center and the Wilmot Cancer Center.
Friday, May 1 - Update on Treatment Strategies
A team of neurosurgeons, neurologists and adult and pediatric oncologists will lead the second annual Update in Neuro-Oncology and address a variety of medical issues that patients and their family members encounter.
Chemotherapy, imaging techniques, managing seizures, rehabilitation therapies, and more than a dozen other topics will be covered in two simultaneous sessions, one for consumers and one for health care providers. In addition, Minesh Mehta, M.D., radiation oncologist and professor of Human Oncology and Neurological Surgery at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, will deliver a lecture on novel therapies for malignant gliomas.
Kevin Walter, M.D., associate professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology and director of the Program for Brain and Spinal Tumors at the Medical Center, helped organize the seminar to provide a comprehensive update on current treatment strategies for people with brain or spinal tumors.
"Patients with brain or spinal tumors face a myriad of health challenges that often requires a team of specialists working together to provide the best treatment," Walter said. "By opening these sessions to patients, their families and physicians, we hope to provide a broader understanding of the most recent advances in treatments, and what that means for people affected."
The seminar, to be held at Inn on the Lake in Canandaigua, is $20 for patients, family members and students.The registration fee, which is higher for health professionals, includes lunch. Call (585) 275-4392 to register.
Thursday, May 7 - Community Sharing Hope Picnic
Brain tumor survivors and their families, friends and medical staff will celebrate with a community picnic from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Kings Bend Park in Pittsford.