February 24, 2009 - Healthcare and breast radiology professionals from around the world recently attended the annual meeting of the Aurora Breast MRI Society in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they highlighted designing more personalized treatments for breast cancer.
Participants came not only from Israel, China, Italy, Puerto Rico and across the U.S. The three-day meeting provided the opportunity for dedicated breast radiologists to learn about the latest advances in breast MRI technology and share clinical experience, data and enhance professional development.
In addition to renowned breast radiologists, the group heard from distinguished medical colleagues. Aaron Ciechanover, M.D., DSc, of Haifa, Israel, spoke about how his Nobel-prize winning discoveries at the cellular level coupled with genetic research is paving the way toward improved, more personalized treatments for diseases such as breast cancer that could ultimately lead to prevention.
Louis Chow, M.D., executive director of the Organization for Oncology and Translational Research and medical director of the Comprehensive Centre for Breast Diseases at the UNIMED Medical Institute in Hong Kong, addressed the role MRI plays in evaluating therapies given to breast cancer patients prior to surgery, radiation and other treatments.
F. Lee Tucker, M.D., of Wirtz, Va., a consulting pathologist, spoke about the need for pathology to keep pace with advances in diagnostic imaging and for close cooperation among all medical members of the patient care team.
Arthur Lerner, M.D., surgical director at the Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center in White Plains, N.Y., talked about recent advances in nonsurgical techniques for treating early invasive breast cancers. He said breast MRI would play an important role in evaluating disease as researchers develop techniques to destroy small breast cancers with heat or extremely low temperatures without removing them from the breast.
World-renowned breast radiologists also shared interesting cases and the latest research involving breast MRI. Speakers included Steven Harms, M.D., clinical radiologist with the Breast Cancer Center of Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville and medical director of Aurora Imaging Technology, Inc; Elsie Levin, M.D., medical director of the Faulkner-Sagoff Breast Imaging & Diagnostic Centre in Boston; Stephen Feig, M.D., director of breast imaging at University of California, Irvine Medical Center, and Aurora Breast MRI of Orange County; and Rebecca Stough, MD, clinical director of Breast MRI of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.
For more information: www.aurorabmrisociety.org