NCI Holds 2nd Survivorship Research Meeting

The National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society (ACS) held their second biennial cancer survivorship research conference, "Cancer Survivorship: Pathways to Health After Treatment," June 17-18 in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together researchers from across disciplines (including physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists and public health experts), along with health care professionals, community-based advocates and cancer survivors and their families, to focus on innovative research findings and to network with others who are committed to advancing survivorship research.

Addressing the gathering, NCI director Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach announced NCI grant awards that will be made to more than a dozen national scientists to support cutting-edge survivorship research.

Attending the recent cancer survivorship conference are (from l) Dr. Frank Baker, director, Behavioral Research Center, American Cancer Society; Dr. Julia Rowland, director, Office of Cancer Survivorship, NCI Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences; and Sam Donaldson, ABC News correspondent and cancer survivor.

The conference also featured a Survivor-Researcher Mentor Program sponsored by NCI, ACS and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The program provided scholarships for 20 emerging leaders in the cancer advocacy community to attend the meeting and interact with researchers.

In addition, Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., chair of the President's Cancer Panel and professor of surgery at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., discussed recommendations made in the panel's recently released 2003-2004 annual report, Living Beyond Cancer: Finding a New Balance, and its companion piece, Living Beyond Cancer: A European Dialogue.

Another agenda highlight was a talk titled "A View From Washington" in which ABC News Correspondent Sam Donaldson shared his thoughts about cancer, survivorship and his personal experience with melanoma.