Breast Cancer Town Meeting Sept. 19
Interactive Event Connects Houston Experts and Patients with Worldwide Audience

Three top breast cancer specialists and local breast cancer advocates will speak about new targeted therapies for breast cancer patients at a free multimedia town meeting Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m.

The interactive event, "Beyond Tomorrow: New Horizons in Breast Cancer Therapies," will educate women on promising new therapies available for breast cancer patients and give them tools to make sure they are getting the most up-to-date care. It will focus on targeted therapies for advanced and metastatic breast cancer and will feature more than an hour of questions from audiences attending in person, on the telephone, or via the Internet.

The two-hour program is co-sponsored by The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and HealthTalk, a Seattle-based health communications organization for patients and their families. The program takes place at the DoubleTree Houston-Post Oak Hotel, 2001 Post Oak Blvd.

Panelists include:

• Richard Theriault, D.O. and Aman Buzdar, M.D., of the department of breast medical oncology at M.D. Anderson, who will explain the latest breast cancer treatments that are extending survival and improving quality of life. They'll also make suggestions on how to get access to the latest treatments.
• Karen Jackson, a Houston breast cancer survivor and founder and national president of Sisters Network Inc., the country's first African-American breast cancer survivors' organization
• Hope Rugo, M.D., associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco's Comprehensive Cancer Center, a breast cancer specialist who will address leading-edge research, including anti-breast cancer "vaccines."
• Breast cancer survivor Alison Evers, president of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Houston affiliate

Breast cancer survivors, their families and caregivers interested in attending the town meeting are encouraged to preregister and submit questions in advance. Parking and refreshments are complimentary. To preregister call 1-877-890-6449, or visit http://www.healthtalk.com.

While the town meeting and worldwide broadcast begin at 7 p.m., people who come at 6 p.m. will have the opportunity to meet and hear from Midge Cross of Mazama, Wash. - a 58-year-old breast cancer survivor who recently climbed Mt. Everest as part of the first all-American, all-female team. After beating breast cancer, she became the oldest woman ever to climb Mt. Everest. Following Cross, and just before the town meeting, Theriault will give details of breast cancer clinical trials available in Houston.

A replay of the town meeting will be available on the Internet immediately after the event for viewing at any time.

The meeting is produced by M.D. Anderson and HealthTalk in association with the University of California at San Francisco's Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sisters Network Inc., and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Houston affiliate. It is supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Roche Laboratories.

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