UAMS Retreat to Offer Support, Education for Ovarian Cancer Survivors

LITTLE ROCK – Survivors of ovarian and other gynecological cancers will be celebrated during a day-long retreat at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
 
Scheduled for 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 26, “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. 18 by calling the Cancer Institute’s Clinical Oncology Social Work Department at (501) 686-8145.

Kicking off the retreat this year is Artists for Ovaries, a silent auction and wine and cheese reception from 5-8 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Courtyard Marriott in Little Rock’s River Market. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door or $15 for a couple. Proceeds benefit the Arkansas Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Tickets can be ordered by contacting the coalition at arovcc@gmail.com .

The retreat’s keynote address will be presented at 8:30 a.m. on “Ovarian Cancer: State of the Art” by Alexander Burnett, M.D., director of the UAMS Division of Gynecologic Oncology, a section of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The lunch presentation on “Ovarian Cancer and the Genetics Consultation” will be presented at noon by Jill Kelsay, certified genetic counselor in Cancer Genetics Services at UAMS.
 
Participants will have the opportunity to attend two breakout groups, which include a question and answer session with an advanced practice nurse and sessions on nutrition, oncology massage, tai chi and Falun Gong. Tai chi and Falun Gong are Chinese healing arts that use gentle exercise to promote well-being.

Ovarian cancer ranks fifth as the cause of cancer death in women. According to the American Cancer Society, there were about 22,430 new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States in 2007.
 
UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a new 540,000-square-foot hospital, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,652 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 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. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com .

Source:
1. UAMS Retreat to Offer Support, Education for Ovarian Cancer Survivors