Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 25th district, hosted the second Cancer Survivorship Summit in NSU’s Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on Sept. 6.
The event featured speeches, videos, slideshow presentations and panels.
Wasserman Schultz, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 17 years ago, hosts the Cancer Survivorship Summit to address life after diagnosis, including resources and support services for patients.
“Today is about shining a light on the survivorship journey, supporting survivors, families, caregivers and providers,” Wasserman Schultz said. “It’s about making sure survivors don’t feel lost or forgotten and that they leave here with hope tools and community.”
Dr. Chad Perlyn, executive vice president, chief medical officer and executive medical director of NSU Health and Dean of the College of Allopathic Medicine, opened the summit. Perlyn said NSU believes in the power of research, education and collaboration to foster cancer care and prevention.
“Today it’s about hope, it’s about resilience and, most importantly, it’s about progress,” Perlyn said. “It’s about celebrating survivors, supporting families, and advancing the science and the care that will make survivorship not just possible, but expected.”
Wasserman Schultz said the mission of the summit is to eradicate cancer by focusing on building a strong foundation for patients, so when treatment ends, their path forward is clear, healthier and more hopeful.
“Cancer is relentless, and so we have to be just as relentless in our fight for early detection, for equitable care, for a survivorship journey that is in for every patient,” Wasserman Schultz said.
Lainie Jones, a survivor of seven different cancers due to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a genetic condition predisposing her to multiple cancers, spoke about the benefits of early detection in “The Early Detective,” her survivorship story presentation.
“Understanding my condition empowered my medical team at MD Anderson [Cancer Center] and me to stay ahead of the disease, catching cancer early time and time again,” Jones said. “Early detection became my mantra and my key to survivorship.”
Also, Wasserman Schultz moderated the “Fireside Chat: Are We on the Cusp of a Cancer Free Future? How AI and Immunology are Creating Hope for Survivors” in which the panel discussed how research can shape the future of cancer care. The panelists were Kristen Dahlgren, founder of the Cancer Vaccine Coalition and former NBC journalist, and Dr. Duane Mitchell, neurosurgery professor from the University of Florida’s College of Medicine.
“[Survivorship] is about preventing occurrence, extending life and improving the quality of life,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Cancer vaccines and AI are some of the most exciting frontiers in that fight. They represent a promise that through science, we can give survivors new tools to keep cancer from returning and perhaps one day prevent it altogether.”
Bill Zito, president of hockey operations, general manager for the Florida Panthers Hockey Club and keynote speaker for the summit, spoke about being a caregiver to his sister, Maggy Zito Schultz; his wife, Julie Zito; and his mother-in-law, Pat — all of whom were afflicted by cancer.
“Through a quilt of experiences and stories, we can share our story with you and encourage everybody here to do a little bit more and to pull others into the fight, into the struggle, to be proactive, to do whatever you can every day,” Zito said.
The summit also included presenters from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Cleveland Clinic, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and other nonprofits, academic institutions and medical organizations that spoke of cancer testing, patient support and treatment.
Wasserman Schultz said the summit is a way for patients and survivors to learn how to navigate cancer from diagnosis to the aftermath of active treatment.
“It’s one more tool in our arsenal to help survivors,” Wasserman Schultz said. “A gathering of expertise, resources, information, answers and a call to action.”
Be the first to comment on "NSU hosts second Cancer Survivorship Summit"