University to Host National Breast Cancer Workshop

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Magda El-Shenawee, whose research focuses on the electricity of breast cancer cells, received funding from the National Science Foundation to host the 2010 Advances in Breast Cancer Research Workshop.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Leading national researchers in the fight against breast cancer will convene Oct. 26-29 for the 2010 Advances in Breast Cancer Research Workshop at the University of Arkansas. More than 70 scientists from diverse research areas in science, medicine, engineering and technology will participate. Ten featured speakers will present cutting-edge research on breast cancer diagnosis, therapeutic techniques, treatment and screening.

“There has never been a national workshop like this,” said Magda El-Shenawee, professor of electrical engineering and one of the conference organizers. “There are several workshops on breast cancer nationwide, but they focus on medical science and usually one topic within medicine. This is the first time that a workshop on this problem has merged experts in medicine, engineering and technology.”

The workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation and the Ozark Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Sessions will bring together researchers from radiology, oncology, breast surgery, nuclear medicine, nanotechnology, engineering, biomagnetics, microwave imaging, biochemistry and other fields. The intent of the workshop is to inspire collaboration and motivate researchers from these diverse areas to discover new treatments for breast cancer.

Featured topics and speakers include:

• Breast surgery and breast surgical oncology – Suzanne Klimberg, professor of surgery and pathology; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

• Nanotechnology – Naomi Halas, professor of biomedical engineering, chemistry, physics and astronomy; Rice University.

• Oncology, physiology and biophysics – Robert Clarke, professor of oncology, physiology and biophysics; Georgetown University.

• Magnetic resonance imaging – Steven Harms, clinical professor; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

• Bioengineering and biophysics – John Wikswo, professor of biomedical engineering, molecular physiology and biophysics, physics and astronomy; Vanderbilt University.

• Microwave imaging – Paul Meaney, professor of engineering; Dartmouth College.

• Nuclear medicine – Michael Borrelli, director of radiology research; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

For more information about these and other speakers, details about presentations and the workshop in general, please visit the 2010 Advances in Breast Cancer Research Workshop website at http://breastcancer.uark.edu/.

“The outcome of this unique workshop will help researchers from the different disciplines see the big picture of breast cancer research,” El-Shenawee said. “Scientists, including myself, tend to focus on a narrow direction of research. They get very absorbed in what they do. This workshop is an opportunity to learn about work in other disciplines but still focused on the same problem. I think this will have a tremendously positive impact on the overall research on breast cancer.”

October is the national month of breast cancer awareness. Except for skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 207,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women this year and roughly 40,000 women will die from breast cancer. Approximately 54,000 new cases of carcinoma in situ – the non-invasive and earliest form of breast cancer – will also be diagnosed. There are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.