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Conference Details - Overview

12th Annual Fall Oncology Conference: Clinical Challenges in Cancer Medicine Held in Conjunction With the Ninth Annual Medical Oncology Fellows Forum

The Westin Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head, SC
Sep 19-21, 2008

Conference Overview

Conference Description & Purpose

The 12th Annual Fall Oncology Conference: Clinical Challenges in Cancer Medicine Held in Conjunction with the Ninth Annual Medical Oncology Fellows Forum has been designed to address clinical challenges and practical issues faced each day by community oncologists, registered nurses practicing in oncology, oncology physician assistants, and other oncology professionals. The conference is intended to inform oncology professionals and fellows in training of the recent data with agents approved for and being evaluated in the most common tumor types, including breast, lung, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, gynecologic and hematologic malignancies, melanoma, and glioma. Efforts will be focused on providing a thorough understanding of the toxicity profiles of controversial and evolving regimens with hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and novel targeted agents in these cancers in order to aid oncology professionals in making effective decisions regarding treatment, patient management, and trial enrollment. Featured keynote lectures will cover current concepts in developmental therapeutics, from target discovery and validation to drug development. A portion of the conference will be devoted to providing continuing education specifically to fellows in training in order to facilitate and improve their efforts in providing patients with state-of-the-art care. Practical topics focusing on career choices in oncology, design and interpretation of clinical trials, and techniques to optimize patient care in oncology will also be introduced. Ample time will be provided for interaction between the faculty and the participants in order to allow the sharing of both clinical issues and potential solutions.

Target Audience

This educational program is directed toward medical and radiation oncologists, pharmacists, physician assistants, and nurses in oncology as well as others with an interest in recent advances in the treatment of solid tumors and/or hematologic malignancies. A portion of this program is directly intended for hematology/oncology fellows in training who have been nominated by their program directors from across the country. No specific skills or knowledge other than a basic training in oncology are required for successful participation in this activity.

Learning Objectives

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

• Summarize the key issues in target identification, validation, and efficient development of novel therapeutics
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of screening for prostate cancer
• Describe strategies for optimizing adjuvant therapy in breast cancer therapy, including tools for selecting patients based upon risk of recurrence
• Discuss current data on targeted and conventional chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer as well as the integration of novel therapeutics into current treatment regimens
• Discuss current treatment regimens in advanced NSCLC
• Debate the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage I lung cancer
• Compare the potential of clinical characteristics to that of biomarker analysis in defining therapy for lung cancer
• Discuss the current status of adjuvant therapy for early-stage colorectal cancer
• Assess the integration of EGFR-targeted and antiangiogenic agents into chemotherapeutic regimens for the treatment of colorectal cancer based on recent clinical trial data
• Evaluate the current chemotherapeutic and surgical options for the management of recurrent ovarian cancer
• Contrast the evidence supporting the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy following surgery in locally advanced ovarian cancer
• Summarize the current standard of care in the management of endometrial cancers
• Select effective regimens for the optimal management of renal cell carcinoma
• Identify treatment options for patients with malignant glioma
• Recognize newer treatment strategies with antiangiogenic agents for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
• Explain the current standard of care in the treatment of melanoma
• Cite current and emerging treatment options for patients with lymphomas
• Assess the efficacy and safety of agents being investigated for the management of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes
• Evaluate current treatment options, including the integration of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs into treatment, for newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
• Assess the benefits of chronic therapy with front-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who have achieved hematologic remission with residual real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction–positive clones
• Discuss the optimal treatment strategy with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in the management of chemotherapy-induced anemia based on historic and recent clinical data
• Explain the alternatives to high-dose steroid therapy in the treatment of refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura