UAMS to host Ovarian Cancer Survivors Retreat on Sept. 25
| LITTLE ROCK – Survivors of ovarian and other gynecological cancers will be celebrated at a day-long retreat on Saturday, Sept. 25, hosted by the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
Survivors and caregivers can still register to attend the Second Annual Ovarian Cancer Survivors Retreat, which will feature a series of presentations and information for all whose lives have been touched by ovarian or any other gynecological cancers. The event, being held in conjunction with National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and National Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month, will start at 8 a.m. at the ACRC on the UAMS campus in Little Rock.
The registration fee is $20 per person. The registration fee is a tax-deductible contribution to the ACRC Patient Support Fund. A limited number of scholarships are available to qualified individuals. Those planning to attend are asked to call (501) 686-8145.
“We can raise awareness of ovarian and gynecological cancers with the retreat, as we celebrate cancer survivors and their caregivers,” said Alexander F. Burnett, M.D., the director of gynecological oncology at UAMS. “We also will discuss treating these cancers with methods that consider how the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the patient contributes to the healing process.”
Burnett will give a keynote address on the past, present and future of ovarian cancer at the event, which also will include a survivor recognition and awards lunch. Throughout the day there will be various presentations, including ones on self-advocacy, ongoing clinical trials involving ovarian cancer, journaling and instruction in Tai Chi.
About one in every 57 women in the United States will develop ovarian cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Most cases occur in women over the age of 50, but the disease also can affect younger women.
UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, five centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,170 students and 650 residents and is the state’s largest public employer with almost 9,000 employees. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of about $3.8 billion a year.
UAMS centers of excellence are the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy and Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute.