Free Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Workshop in Columbia, Missouri, To Feature Seven Physician Speakers Plus Other Specialists

On Saturday, April 18, 2009, ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc., will offer a FREE one-day workshop for thyroid cancer survivors, their families, caregivers, and friends.

This educational and supportive event, the 5th Midwest Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Workshop, will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (workshop starts at 8:20 a.m.) at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center at the University of Missouri, 7th floor Classroom & Conference Rooms, 115 Business Loop, 70 West, Columbia, MO 65203.

This event is free. You may register online at www.thyca.org (form to be posted soon) or onsite at the workshop.

Medical Professional Speakers and Resource Specialists from the University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia, MO include

• Paul Dale, M.D., Surgical Oncologist
• Debra Koivunen, M.D., Endocrine Surgeon
• Daniel Miller, Medical Student
• Greg Renner, M.D., Head and Neck Surgeon
• Debbie Ritchie, MSN, APRN, BC, FNP, Advanced ENT Nurse Practitioner
• Troy Scheidt, M.D., ENT Physician
• Amolak Singh, M.D., Nuclear Medicine
• Robert Zitsch, M.D., Head and Neck Surgeon;

and from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD:

• Paul Ladenson, M.D., Endocrinologist and past president of the American Thyroid Association.

Also participating are Edie Dodson, Genzyme Representative, and ThyCa Support Group Facilitators and Other ThyCa Volunteers.

Topics will include:

• Thyroid Cancer Questions & Answers
• Thyrogen Update
• Thyroid Cancer Surgery
• Medullary Thyroid Cancer
• Talk with a Pharmacist
• Enjoying the Low-Iodine Diet
• The Doctor-Patient Relationship
• Survivor/Caregiver Support Group Roundtables.

Missouri Nurses Association Continuing Education Units will be available to nurses attending through Boone Hospital Center, an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Missouri Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

You may bring your own lunch or order a Panera's box lunch, either turkey, roast beef, or veggie sandwich, plus chips (baked or regular), and a cookie at a special price of $8.00 (includes tax). A preliminary box lunch count is needed by Friday, April 3, 2009. Please e-mail your lunch interest to Central-MO@thyca.org. Final orders will be taken at registration. ThyCa volunteers will have drinks available on site. No other food or drink will be available on site.

For more information, e-mail to thyca@thyca.org or Central-MO@thyca.org or call 573-345-0103.

Come for all or part of the day. Visit ThyCa's web site at www.thyca.org for further details about the speakers, program, and directions.

The workshop is sponsored by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. (www.thyca.org) ThyCa is a national nonprofit 501(C) (3) organization providing person-to-person support, support groups, the free downloadable Low-Iodine Cookbook, free online newsletters, awareness materials, free one-day workshops, and other resources to thyroid cancer survivors, their families, and the public at no charge. ThyCa also funds thyroid cancer research grants, sponsors Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month in September, and will hold the 12th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 16-18, 2009.

More information can be obtained by visiting www.thyca.org, writing to PO Box 1545, New York, NY 10159-1545, calling toll-free to 877-588-7904, faxing 630-604-6078, or e-mailing to thyca@thyca.org.