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Continuing Education Information

Physicians: Physicians' Education Resource is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

This activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Physician Assistants: AAPA accepts category 1 credit from AOACCME, Prescribed credit from AAFP, and AMA Category 1 CME credit for the PRA from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Eighth International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer

Grand Wailea
Wailea, HI
July 22-25, 2009

Conference Overview

The Eighth International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer is an international educational and scientific meeting that focuses on the clinical implications of breast cancer genetic and phenotypic subtyping. New data and promising studies that provide information about how to optimally individualize breast cancer therapy will be the highlights of the congress. Key topics in breast cancer diagnosis and management will be discussed and controversial issues debated in multiple faculty panel discussions. Strategies for optimizing the use of endocrine therapy, conventional chemotherapy, and agents targeting HER2 or angiogenic pathways will be discussed. Evolving diagnostic approaches to identify the driving mutations or pathways in breast cancers will be thoroughly discussed, along with the therapies targeting those mutations. Controversial management issues in the surgical and radiotherapeutic management of breast cancer will be discussed and debated. The format will include didactic sessions from thought leaders, question-and-answer panel discussions, and ample time for participant interaction with faculty. This educational program is directed toward medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists practicing in the community or at academic institutions. Fellows, nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists with an interest in the treatment of breast cancer are also invited to attend.

At the conclusion of this congress, you should be able to:

  • Discuss the key highlights from preclinical and clinical breast cancer research presented or published in the past year, including summaries from major international conferences
  • Review the benefits and limitations of contemporary surgical and radiation oncologic principles and techniques for optimizing the benefit/risk ratio for local therapy
  • Assess the utility of algorithms or genomic tools to assess recurrence risk and predict benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and HER2-targeted therapy for individual patients
  • Integrate knowledge of the technology and rationale for biomarker and gene profiling in decision making for early-stage breast cancer
  • Review the latest clinical data on adjuvant endocrine therapy, including up-front versus switching strategies and extended therapy with selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors
  • Evaluate data from recent adjuvant chemotherapy clinical trials and use them to optimize and individualize treatment for patients with early-stage breast cancer
  • Apply key data on bisphosphonates from trials assessing outcomes on bone health and recurrence risk to the management of patients in defined clinical scenarios
  • Identify important growth and survival pathways, including pathways for steroid hormone receptors, the HER/ErbB family, IGFR, and mediators of angiogenesis, as well as the novel agents that target those pathways
  • Apply data and guidelines on the use of targeted therapies for early-stage and advanced breast cancer
  • Discuss the mechanisms of action of emerging chemotherapeutic, endocrine, and biologic agents; the rationale for and efficacy of novel combination regimens; and their potential place in therapy
  • Individualize the management of patients with chemotherapy-refractory advanced breast cancer
  • Guide patients to promising clinical trials

Educational Grants

An educational grant for this activity was provided by:


  1. Genentech BioOncology
  3. Bristol-Myers Squibb
  5. Eli Lilly and Company
  6. Merck Oncology
  8. AstraZeneca
  9. Genomic Health
  10. ImClone Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company
  11. Roche Laboratories, Inc.
  12. sanofi-aventis U.S.