Three cancer specialists will provide information to women on how to reduce their risk for developing cancer Saturday when the university hosts its first Smart Women: Discussions on Women’s Cancer Prevention seminar.
With Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month in September and Breast Cancer Month in October, the event will be held annually in September and will focus on various forms of cancer, said Suzy Lockwood, associate professor and director of the TCU center for Oncology Research and Education.
According to the American Cancer Society Web site, an estimated 15,520 women will die this year from ovarian cancer, which ranks second among gynecologic cancers. Another estimated 40,930 women will die of breast cancer this year, according to the Web site.
The TCU Center of Oncology Research and Education and the Moncrief Cancer Resources of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center sponsored the event and hope to inform cancer patients and women in the community.
“You really have to be your own advocate in health care nowadays, but in order to be your own advocate you’ve got to have the education and knowledge,” Lockwood said.
Dr. Mark Messing, a gynecological oncology specialist, will make a presentation on ways women can detect gynecological cancers early and touch on the different forms of gynecological cancers that affect women. Dr. Robyn Young , clinical director for the Women’s Center at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, will speak on reducing the risk of breast cancer and early detection.
The conference will also feature Sara Pirzadeh, a genetic counselor for Moncrief Cancer Resources in the UT Southwestern Medical Center, who will touch on the basic genetics of cancer and genetic testing.
Along with the presentations, other representatives from various organizations and groups, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, will be present to distribute additional educational information on cancer and their services for cancer patients.
“There also will be cancer survivors present, but the focus will be on providing women with tips on reducing their own risk for developing cancer,” Lockwood said.
The conference is free and a continental breakfast will be served. The UT Southwestern Mobile Mammography Unit will conduct mammograms at the event.
To RSVP or sign up for a mammogram, contact Sandra Barr at 817-257-6731.