San Antonio (July 20, 2004) – The Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio hosted the inaugural San Antonio Pediatric Cancer Colloquium on July 16 and 17. “The purpose was to bring together pediatric oncologists from throughout Texas to share information about the diagnosis, treatment, outcomes and patterns of care of Texas children with cancer,” said Sharon B. Murphy, M.D., CCRI director.
The CCRI invited all pediatric cancer specialists in the state and welcomed participants from the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, UT Medical Branch at Galveston, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, Baylor College of Medicine and other Texas programs.
Kevin Brady, acting director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Andy Miller, associate director for public health of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, made a presentation about the National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship. The CDC and the Armstrong Foundation have distributed 30,000 copies of the plan to help cancer survivors, who face lifelong issues such as fear of recurrence, strained finances, limited or lost health coverage, and family perceptions.
Other colloquium presentations touched on pediatric brain tumors, childhood leukemia, neuroblastoma and epidemiology of childhood cancer. The Pediatric Cancer Colloquium was made possible by generous support from Amgen Inc.