GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Valley State University's Autumn Health Forums will discuss recent developments in childhood cancer care with Dr. James Fahner of DeVos Children's Hospital.
Fahner, division chief of pediatric hematology and oncology at DeVos Children's Hospital, will speak on the topic "From Catastrophe to Cure: Latest Developments in Childhood Cancer Care."
The past three decades have seen extraordinary advances in the care of children with cancer. Once an almost universal death sentence, childhood cancer is now a highly treatable and in most children, curable group of diseases. These advances have resulted from the dedication of multidisciplinary teams of specialists using improved supportive care, and cutting edge national clinical research protocols.
Fahner will give an update on victories in the war on childhood cancer from the front lines at DeVos Children's Hospital, where he founded one of the Midwest's largest children's cancer programs.
COVERAGE NOTE: GVSU student Holly Polanic will be one of the audience members. When Polanic was 9, she was diagnosed with a Wilm's Tumor -- a tumor of kidney, which spread to parts of her liver. She was treated by Fahner and recovered. Now, she is an officer with Colleges Against Cancer, a student-led organization that works to help inform students on ways to eliminate cancer, save lives, diminish suffering from the disease, and to raise money to fight cancer. She will join Fahner for lunch before the forum. Both are available for interviews.
"The Grand Valley community is lucky to have the opportunity to learn from Dr. Fahner," Polanic said. "It will be wonderful to have the opportunity to share my experiences and discuss with those attending the way cancer has impacted my life, and learn how the future of childhood cancer treatment is progressing."
The fight against cancer is the focus of Grand Valley State University's fifth annual Autumn Health Forums lecture series. The aim of the series is to engage the community in health care discussions. The lectures are sponsored by Grand Valley State University Continuing Education and the Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center for Health Professions, with lectures presented in collaboration with Michigan State University, Saint Mary's Health Care, and Spectrum Health.
The lectures are at noon, with a Q&A session that follows each lecture. A reception is scheduled after each lecture with an opportunity for further discussion and networking. All lectures will be held in the Loosemore Auditorium of Grand Valley State University's Richard M. DeVos Center on 401 Fulton Street West. The dates of each forum are listed below. MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE FORUMS IS ENCOURAGED.
The final forum in the series will be:
-- November 15, 2006
Treating the Whole Person: Combining Alternatives for
Effective Cancer Treatments
Thomas Gribbin, M.D., Medical Director, The Lacks Cancer Center
at Saint Mary's
The lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/ahf or contact GVSU Continuing Education at [email protected], or by phone at (616) 331-7180.
