For men over 50, the annual visit to the physician often includes a discussion about prostate health – and by that age, most men have had at least one PSA test. Based on the results of the PSA, one of every four men in Florida has had to consider next steps and make tough medical decisions.
When faced with such circumstances, being informed and understanding your options help you make the right decision for you. Appreciating the changes in recommendations and the challenges that come with staying current on the latest science and protocols, Florida-based Health Information Research, Inc. (HIR) established the W.B. Ingalls Memorial Prostate Health and Cancer Symposium to educate patients and healthcare practitioners on cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment options.
The next HIR symposium being held on January 28, 2017 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton will feature seven of the world’s most innovative prostate cancer doctors representing elite medical institutions including the National Institutes of Health, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins, Columbia University and University College London. Learning about recent practice-changing breakthroughs in prostate medicine provides patients and their doctors with critical information that they can use in reaching a therapeutic decision.
Importantly, a new level of support also is being offered to all patients attending the symposium – a personalized cancer management approach called the International Prostate Cancer Investigative Team (I-Team). The I-Team is a unique program that matches patients and their primary doctors with the world’s leading physicians and research scientists.
The I-Team concept, which will be introduced at an International Cancer Alliance for Research and Education (ICARE) Forum on Sunday morning, January 29th, evolved from the desire of healthcare practitioners, scientists and patients to increase the flow of new, life-saving information, hasten drug development, and accelerate the clinical access to these advancements. In addition, investigative teams serve as advocates for creativity and innovative thinking in cancer and other life-threatening disorders.
“We are very pleased to be launching the Prostate I-Team concept in Florida in concert with the Ingalls symposium,” noted organizer W. David Hankins, Ph.D., Health Information Research, Inc. (HIR) Executive Director and Chairman of ICARE (www.icare.org). “ICARE’s focus on finding viable solutions in “real time” for immediate clinical issues facing the doctor and patient continues to evolve globally as it is driven by current patient needs and not limited by institutional and national boundaries.”
ICARE has collaborated with a team of more than 40 world class scientists to focus their expertise and lab work on the urgent therapy needs of individual cancer patients. As a result, over 60 new therapeutic approaches have been discovered and many of these are currently in the clinical pipeline.
The W.B. Ingalls Memorial Prostate Health and Cancer Symposium is held in honor of former South Florida resident, Mr. Brad Ingalls, who passed away in 2005 after a 10-year battle with prostate cancer. The Ingalls Charitable Foundation was established in his memory to support medical research and programs to increase awareness of and education in this disease. The Ingalls Foundation is a major sponsor of the Symposium along with the International Cancer Alliance for Research and Education.
On Saturday, January 28th registration and continental breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. followed by presentations at 8:30 a.m. through 5: 15 pm. A cocktail reception immediately follows in the Exhibition Hall until 7:00 pm. The ICARE Forum on Sunday, January 29th runs from 8:30 a.m. through 11:30 a.m. Tuition for early registration (before December 21, 2016) is $125 per person/$175 per couple; after December 21, 2016 registration is $145 per person/$195 per couple. Tuition includes continental breakfast on both days, lunch on Saturday and coffee breaks. Limited scholarships are available.
