Annual ThyCa Conference Draws Record High Attendance—2008 Conference To Be Held in St. Louis, Missouri

Nearly 500 thyroid cancer survivors, family members, friends, and health care professionals took part in the 10th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference held in San Francisco, October 19 through 21, 2007. The conference was sponsored by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. <www.thyca.org>.

"We are thrilled that so many thyroid cancer survivors and their families attended," said ThyCa Executive Director Gary Bloom, a 12-year thyroid cancer survivor.

Attendees came from 37 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Brazil. Participants ranged from people being tested for possible thyroid cancer to long-term survivors of every type of thyroid cancer—papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic, and variants.

Highlights of the conference's 100-plus sessions included more than 40 physician presentations and Ask-a-Doctor sessions covering treatment, initial and long-term follow-up, and recent advances in targeted therapies and clinical trials testing new treatments.

Physician specialists came from leading cancer and medical centers around the country, incuding the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Mayo Clinic, major medical centers in California, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and several other major centers. “We are grateful to the dedicated thyroid cancer specialist physicians who so generously gave of their time in support of patient education, said Bloom. “Thyroid cancer requires lifelong management, and this conference is designed to help patients manage their care and quality of life over the long term.”

More than 30 additional speakers included dentists, a pharmacist, a nurse, mental health professionals, specialists in complementary approaches to well-being, survivors of each type of thyroid cancer, and caregivers.

“Attending the conference was the most important thing I've done since my diagnosis,” wrote one thyroid cancer survivor.

“Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers where the incidence rate is increasing” explained Bloom. “In fact, among all cancers, it's had the fastest growth in incidence among women. If detected early, it’s usually treatable. However, in some patients it can be aggressive and difficult to treat. It's crucial that we provide patient education and support, as well as information about the latest advances in treatment, testing, and clinical trials.”

The 11th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, October 17-19, 2008.

ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. is an international nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of thyroid cancer survivors, family members, and health professionals, dedicated to education, communication, support, awareness for early detection, and thyroid cancer research fundraising and research grants. For more information about thyroid cancer and ThyCa's free year-round support services, education, and publications, e-mail to thyca@thyca.org, call toll-free 1-877-588-7904, write to PO Box 1545, New York, NY 10159-1545, or visit the ThyCa web site.