January 14, 2008

SIU Med School's Annual Cancer Symposium Offers Updates by Experts

The annual cancer symposium, sponsored by the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, will feature updates by national and local experts.  It will be presented to health care providers in February in Springfield by SIU’s medical school and jointly sponsored with St. John’s Hospital and Memorial Medical Center.

The program, “Your Patient Has Cancer . . . Now What?” is an interactive, care-based look at managing cancer.  It will be held 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday, February 1, at the James T. Dove, M.D., Conference Center, Prairie Heart Institute, 619 East Mason St.

The keynote address Friday morning will be given by Dr. Matthew R. G. Taylor, Ph.D., on “Clinical Cancer Genetics: Breast Cancer and Beyond.”  Taylor is associate professor of cardiology and assistant science advisor to the adult medical genetics program at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.  Other topics being presented are a family physician’s guide to cancer treatment, cancer screenings and late effects of pediatric cancers as well as updates on lung, colon and prostate cancers.

The course is directed by Dr. John E. Godwin, associate director of the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute and professor and chief of SIU’s hematology/oncology division, and Dr. Thomas G. Shanahan, radiation oncologist at University Radiologists in Springfield and an SIU volunteer faculty member.  Nine other SIU faculty members will join them in presenting.

The SIU School of Medicine designates this activity for a maximum of 6.5/ AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Additional information and registration details are available online at www.siumed.edu/cme or by contacting SIU's Continuing Medical Education Office,
217-545-7711 weekdays.

The SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at SIU offers state-of-the-art treatment for patients in central and southern Illinois as well as facilities for cancer research and physician and public education.  This summer, it moves to a three-story, $21 million facility in Springfield.  More than 75 SIU physician and basic science faculty are involved with the Institute.

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Note to media:  A complete program is available from SIU Public Affairs.