Portugal hosts 1st International Conference on young women with breast cancer

is the approximate number of young women, between 20 and 49 years old, diagnosed with breast cancer in Portugal, according to the 2020 National Cancer Registry (latest updated data)

The BCYW Foundation, it should be noted, is an international network of doctors and surgeons who treat breast cancer patients, community medicine specialists, scientists, nurses, survivors, ambassadors and non-governmental organizations from 23 countries, with a shared agile purpose of make a difference in the lives of young women with the disease. Women’s health literacy and research focused on breast cancer in young women are her priorities.

Opportunity, ideas, care…

Luís Costa, director of the oncology department at Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, guarantees that “we will have an event with the participation of scientists and doctors very dedicated to the topic, but, above all, exposed to the motivations and issues that women at high risk for breast cancer face. breast cancer, or who have had breast cancer, are discussed by researchers, health professionals, managers and representatives of patient associations”.

“It is an opportunity for Portugal to have a pioneering role in a very sensitive topic: breast cancer in young women”, says Luís Costa

Ellen Warner, a Canadian oncologist and professor at the University of Toronto, will be another speaker. She is recognized for her research into the specific challenges young women with breast cancer face, such as fertility, early menopause and psychosocial issues. The clinic highlights that “young women with breast cancer face the same challenges as older women: fear of cancer recurrence and death, but young women often feel that they have not yet truly started living. Or they may have one or more young children and be terrified that they will not survive to raise those children to adulthood. Unfortunately, these fears are justified, as the prognosis is generally worse in younger women.”

For the specialist, there is a lot of work to do, both from a clinical and emotional point of view. “We need research that produces effective risk reduction, effective screening, less toxic and more effective treatments”, he argues. He adds: “We need comprehensive programs for these women to address their special physical and emotional problems and provide navigation through the complex diagnostic and treatment pathways; experience in minimizing menopausal symptoms and sexual dysfunctions; peer support (self-help or facilitated); mental health experts who understand the problems; educational resources.”

“Hosting this event is synonymous with promoting an integrated discussion about solutions that ensure quality of life for young women with breast cancer. And it precisely reflects CUF’s conviction that the articulation and sharing of knowledge contributes to the health and quality of life of young women with breast cancer”, says, in turn, Rita Costa, director of the oncology department at CUF .

What is it?

On the table will be all issues relating to breast cancer in young women. The meeting also seeks to transmit to young women the knowledge they need to be aware of the problem.

When, where and at what time?

On the 29th and 30th of this month, at CUF Tejo Hospital, in Alcântara, Lisbon. On the first day the work starts at 9 am and ends at 7:30 pm, on the second day the work starts at 8:30 am and ends at 6:30 pm.

Who are the speakers?

• Rui Diniz (CEO of CUF)
• Luis Costa (professor and director of the Oncology Department at Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte)
• Rakesh Kumar (Founder and CEO, Young Women’s Breast Cancer Foundation, Denver, USA)
• Aaron Ciechanover (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, research professor at the Technion Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel)
• Larry de Lucas (American astronaut, chief scientist at Huntsville Aerospace Corporation)
• Ellen Warner (Oncologist at the Odette Cancer Center at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada)
• Miguel Martín Jiménez (doctor and head of the Medical Oncology service at the General University Hospital of Madrid, Spain)
• Anjali Srivastava (MPH Global Health Consultant, World Health Organization)
• Victoria Findley (associate professor of Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University, United States)
• Lorna Larsen (BScN President, Team Shan, Huntsville, ON, Canada)
• Samantha Heller (professor of radiology at New York University School of Medicine, United States)
• Carlos Santiago (professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, assistant researcher, Institute of Systems and Robotics, Portugal)
• Leonor Ribeiro (ULS Santa Maria)
• Ana Ferreira (Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto Francisco Gentil)
• Marie Jeanne Vrancken Peeters (Professor and breast cancer surgeon at the Netherlands Cancer Institute)
• Marah Tabbal (Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
• José Luis Fougo (ULS de São João)
• Ida Negreiros (national coordinator of CUF Breast Units)
• Chintamani Chintamani (head of the department of Surgical Oncology Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India)
• Felicia Tan Li Sher (Director of FeM Surgery at RCS and General Surgeon at FeM, Singapore)
• Catarina Santos (professor of surgery at the University of Lisbon and coordinator of the CUF Breast Unit)
• Gabriela Sousa (director of the Medical Oncology department at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Coimbra Francisco Gentil)
• Rita Sousa (ULS Santa Maria)
• Tan Qing Ting (FRCS Breast Oncoplastic Surgeon at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore)
• Paula Borralho (head of department of the Pathological Anatomy Unit and clinical director of the CUF Oncology Institute)
• Chikako Shimizu (professor and director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan)
• Duarte Mexia (relative of patient who lost his life to breast cancer)
• Pedro Pita Barros (professor of Health Economics at the “la Caixa” Foundation at the Nova School of Business of Economics)
• Sudeep Gupta (Professor and Director Tata Memorial Center/Hospital and Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India)
• Adil Aljarrah Al-ajmi, (head breast no Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center Muscat – Sultanato de Omã)
• Mónica Nave (professor at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and oncologist)
• Radhakrishna Pillai (ex-director da FNA, Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, India)
• Neeme Tõnisson (President of the Estonian Medical Association, Professor at the University of Tartu and West Tallinn Central Hospital, Estonia)
• Tamara Milagre (president of EVITA – Support Association for People with Changes in Genes Related to Hereditary Cancer)
• Shari Goldfarb (Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States)
• Margarida Brito (Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Lisbon Francisco Gentil)
• Vijian Dhevan (Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas, United States)
• Michael Gnant (Professor of Surgery at FEBS, Comprehensive Cancer Center – Medical University of Vienna, Austria)
• Indira Poola (founder and president of SILBIOTECH, Inc., North Potomac, Maryland, USA)
• Hyma Vani Polimera (Associate Professor Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States)
• Kristi Funk (breast cancer surgeon, Santa Monica, California)
• Krystal Barter (founder of Humanizar Saúde, Australia)
• Siobhán Freeney (founder of Being Dense, Ireland)
• Mário Fontes e Sousa (specialist in Medical Oncology, PhD at ULS Lisboa Oeste, CUF)
• Catarina Abreu (ULS Santa Maria)

Why is this topic central?

It is essential to improve the quality of life of young women diagnosed with breast cancer and promote dialogue about best practices in treatment and recovery.