Speakers

Dr. Matthew Jackson, radiation oncologist

Seminar Objectives:

• Understand the mechanism behind therapeutic radiation and how it kills cancer.
• Realize the benefit of radiation for the cancer patient to either help cure the disease altogether or to relieve suffering and improve symptoms.
• Learn about the different types of radiation therapy and what circumstances call for each specific approach.
• Discuss the common side effects from radiation therapy, and dispel some commonly believed myths and misnomers.

Date:

Thursday October 24, 2019 – 6:00 PM

Speakers

Dr. Fei Gu, MD, PhD

Seminar Objectives:

• To learn the concept of immunotherapy in cancer treatment, and understand its potential and limitations as compared to conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
• To review application of immunotherapy in the form of PD-L1 inhibition and CAR-T cell therapy in treatment of colon cancer and lymphoma as examples.
• To appreciate the benefit/risk balance in decision making.

Date:

Thursday April 18, 2019 – 6:00 PM

Speakers

Dr. Timothy Lopez, MD, FACP

Seminar Objectives:

1. To understand the concept of Precision Medicine and the challenges and limitations of current molecular diagnostic techniques including Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).
2. To review the history of systemic cancer treatments as it applies to Precision Medicine.
3. To witness practical applications of Precision Medicine in cancer treatment today using Pancreatic cancer, Breast cancer, Lung cancer and Lymphoproliferative disorders as examples.
4. To perceive Challenges and Opportunities for the future.

Date:

Monday October 15, 2018 – 6:00 PM

Speakers

Dr. Karen LoRusso, MD, Medical Oncologist

Seminar Objectives:

1. Recognize the presentation and natural history of melanoma.
2. Understand surgical and medical treatment of melanoma.
3. Describe new research breakthroughs in melanoma treatment.

Date:

Thursday, April 19, 2018 – 6:00 PM

Speakers

Joyce Rubinfeld, RN, BSN, MA Counseling
Rhona S. Levine, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Seminar Objectives:

1. Identify the stressors caregivers may experience and recognize the signs and symptoms of caregiver stress.
2. Describe the patient’s multiple roles within the family and community.
3. Obtain increased knowledge of stress relieving techniques and identify stress relieving resources for the caregiver.
4. Understand the process of defining “family” for each patient.
5. Identify and understand how the existing dynamics of a family may be exacerbated or changed by a cancer diagnosis.
6. Describe and understand the caregiver’s role within the medical community.
7. Understand cultural awareness and how cultural norms may have an impact on a patient and family with a cancer diagnosis.
8. Understand the need for a “Team” and describe the role of support groups for the patient, family and others involved in the patient’s life.

Date:

Thursday, Oct 5th, 2017

Speaker

Dr. Fabio Almeida, M.D.
Medical Director Phoenix Molecular Imaging – Southwest PET/CT Institute Yuma
Board Member & Medical Advisor – Prostate Cancer Research Institute

Seminar Objectives:

1. Gain understanding of the various imaging modalities in use for prostate cancer imaging.
2. Understand the landscape of current molecular imaging agents, how they compare and how they differ.
3. Understand utility of molecular imaging for recurrent prostate cancer and appropriate patient selection for such imaging.

Date:

Thursday, April 13th, 2017

Speaker

Dr. Jessica Sims
Project Scientist
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
Dr. Simms is a graduate of Los Alamos High School

Seminar Objectives:

1. Review the different subtypes of breast cancer.
2. Explain the trends in breast cancer therapies and the different types of available therapies.
3. Learn about therapies that recently entered the clinic or are in late-phase clinical trials.
4. Present new basic and translation research findings of novel therapies that eradicate breast cancers by targeting unique characteristics of the tumor.

Date/Time:

Oct. 13th, 2016 @ 6PM

Speaker

Dr. Douglas R. Egli. M.D. FACP
Medical Director, Palliative Care Program
Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center
Santa Fe, NM

Seminar Objectives

1. What are the differences between Palliative Care and Hospice Care?
2. What is the objective evidence that Plliative Care is helpful?
3. What are the two questions that can be asked to elicit the patient’s values and goals with respect to healthcare?

Date/Time

April 28th, 2016 @ 6pm

Speaker

Dr. Rebecca J. Hammon M.D.
PGY-4 Resident
Harvard/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Residency in Otolaryngology
Dr. Hammon grew up in Los Alamos and is a graduate of Los Alamos High School

Seminar Objectives

1. Recognize the most common presentations of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
2. Explain the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the increasing incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in the United States.
3. Review the use of multimodality therapy in the treatment of advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Speaker

Dr. Nasser H. Hanna, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine

Seminar Objectives

1. To understand the current standards of care, including the role of histology, anti-angiogenics, molecularly targeted therapy, and maintenance therapy, in the first line setting of patients with advanced lung cancer.
2. To understand the current standards of care, including the role of anti-angiogenics, molecularly targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, in the 2nd line setting of patients with advanced lung cancer.
3. To enhance awareness of the next generation molecularly targeted agents, including 2nd and 3rd generation inhibitors, in the treatment of lung cancer.
4. To enhance awareness of potential new targets in the treatment of lung cancer.

Speaker

Dr. Eric Bernstein, MD, MPH
Northern New Mexico Cancer Care at Los Alamos Medical Center

Seminar Objectives

1. Understand the utility and practical application of tumor markers.
2. Understand the development of clinical trials in developing multi drug regimens for chemotherapy.
3. To enhance awareness of the next generation molecularly targeted agents, including 2nd and 3rd generation inhibitors, in the treatment of lung cancer.
4. Understand the historical development of platinum compounds and their role in treating cancer.

Speaker

Dr. Brendan D. Curti, MD
Director, Genitourinary Oncology Research, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center Director, Biotherapy Clinical Program, Providence Cancer Center, Medical Oncologist, Providence Cancer Center, Oncology and Hematology Care Clinic, Portland, OR

Seminar Objectives

1. Review basics of T-cell biology as it relates to existing and developing immunotherapies in melanoma.
2. Learn fundamental aspects of the BRAF, RAS and MEK growth pathways in melanoma and some of recently discovered targeted therapies.
3. Present recent translational research efforts for patients with metastatic melanoma.

Speakers

Katherine Morris, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
–
Lori Ballinger, MS, CGC
Senior Genetic Counselor and Lecturer, UNM Cancer Center, Hereditary Cancer Assessment Program

Seminar Objectives

1. Pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality in New Mexico.
2. Genetic and non-genetic risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer.
3. Pancreatic cancer genetic syndromes and genetic testing.
4. Modifiable risk factors that reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.
5. Review of current screening strategies and ongoing clinical trials
6. Pathology in pancreatic cancer and the risk of recurrence
7. Treatment strategies–the pros and cons

Speakers

Dr. Eric Bernstein, MD, MPH
Northern New Mexico Cancer Care at Los Alamos Medical Center

The Basic Epidemiology for patients with Breast Cancer: the Numbers that Really Matter

1. Incidence and mortality trends of breast cancer over time.
2. Relative risk reduction and absolute risk reduction as they apply to breast cancer.
3. Breast cancer staging and its impact on pretreatment risk of recurrence.
4. Rationale behind adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
5. Using online tools in making treatment decisions.

–
Dr. Kathryn Zerbach, MD
Los Alamos Surgical Associates

Identifying and Managing Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome

1. Significant risk factors for breast and ovarian cancers including gene mutations.
2. Methods of identifying individuals at risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC).
3. Clinical features of HBOC and management options.

Speakers

Dr. Eric Bernstein, MD, MPH
Northern New Mexico Cancer Care at Los Alamos Medical Center

Seminar Objectives

1. Historical significance of lymphoma.
2. Differences between Hodgkin and non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
3. Relationship between radiation and lymphoma.
4. The four stages of lymphoma.
5. Treating lymphoma with chemotherapy and radiation.

Speakers

Creativity experts Robert and Rebecca Bluestone articulate how creativity relates to their audience’s everyday lives and assures them success and wellness in the 21st Century.

Seminar Objectives

1. Audience members will come away with a feeling of inspiration, renewal and the confidence to make creativity a part of the fabric of their everyday lives.

Speakers

Melanie Royce, MD, PhD, UNM School of Medicine
Director Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Program
–
Donald Shina, MD, Christus St. Vincent Cancer Center
Radiation Oncologist with special Expertise on Breast Cancer

Seminar Objectives

1. Breast Cancer Screenings and Diagnosis Findings.
2. Disparities in Breast Cancer Characteristics.
3. Neoadjuvant & Adjuvant Treatment for Breast Cancer.
4. Radiation therapy for breast conservation.
5. Indications for radiation therapy following mastectomy.

Speakers

Dr. Pavel V. Mourachov, Urological Surgeon
Dr. Calvin Han, Radiation Oncologist
Dr. Peter J. Lindberg Medical Oncologist/Hematologist

Seminar Objectives

1. What the prostate is and how is Prostate Cancer diagnosed.
2. Who is a candidate for the “Wait & Watch” plan of care.
3. Surgical and Radiation Oncology Treatment Options.
4. Hormone Ablation Therapy and Traditional Chemotherapeutic.
5. Agents used in the treatment of Prostate Cancer.