UAMS Retreat to Offer Support, Education For Ovarian Cancer Survivors

By todd

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LITTLE ROCK —Survivors of ovarian and other gynecological cancers will be celebrated Sept. 30 during a day-long retreat sponsored by the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).


 


Scheduled for 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the ACRC on the UAMS campus, “Shout About the Disease that Whispers,” will promote complementary and conventional approaches in the care of women with gynecological cancers. The retreat is hosted by the Just Among Women support group and is open to women with ovarian and other gynecological cancers and their support persons.


 


Cost to attend is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Advance registration is encouraged by Sept. 15 and is required for the Look Good, Feel Better session. For more information or to register, call the ACRC at (501) 686-8145.


 


The keynote address on “Novel Therapies for Advanced Ovarian Cancer” is set for 9 a.m. with Alessandro Santin, M.D., associate professor in the UAMS Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.


 


Sessions will be held throughout the afternoon and include Tai Chi classes, use of the labyrinth as a tool for meditation and healing, visualization and guided imagery training and therapeutic massage. A Look Good…Feel Better session to teach makeup and skincare techniques will be offered for women undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The session also will provide information for women on options related to hair loss, including the use of wigs, scarves and turbans.


 


It is estimated that about 21,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year.


 


UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,320 students and 690 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 9,300 employees, including nearly 1,000 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $4.5 billion a year. For more information, visit www.uams.edu.