Media Invitation - Cancer: a collective priority

MONTREAL, March 22, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec will be hosting the 4^th edition of the National Conference to Defeat Cancer, on March 29 and 30, at the Montreal Bonaventure Hilton.

The Coalition's president and vice-president, D^r Pierre Audet-Lapointe and Mrs. Nathalie Rodrigue, T.M. as well as Mr. Jean Pagé, patron of the 4^th National Conference to Defeat Cancer, are inviting all media to attend this annual conference. Under the theme Cancer: a human challenge, first and foremost, the 4^th National Conference focusses on patients, survivors and informal caregivers with a view to seeing and understanding beyond the statistics, while attempting to develop solutions designed to improve what is being done in Quebec to defeat cancer.

Given the steadily growing number of cancer cases in Quebec, we are entitled to ask the following questions:

• What is the cancer situation truly like in Quebec?
• What are the new issues in the fight against cancer?
• Are we, as a group, adopting the necessary means to deal with it?
• How can we adapt the organization of services and professional practices to technological changes and new forms of therapy?

Agenda
Thursday, March 29	7:30 a.m.	Greeting and registration
	8:30	Opening of the 4^th National Conference
	5:15 p.m.	Closing of Day 1
Friday, March 30	7:30 a.m.	Greeting, registration of participants and media
	8:15	Opening remarks
	12:00	Closing of the 4^th National Conference to Defeat Cancer

Highlights / March 29
9:05	The 2012-2017 strategic plan of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (PPAC)
	Dr. André Robidoux, physician and surgeon, member of the PPAC board of directors
11:30	"Femme de ma vie" (The woman of my life): A musical tribute to my mother A musical performance by Quebec rapper Ale Dee, informal caregiver supporting his mother who suffers from breast cancer
11:35	The Pat Burns Award, 1^st Edition - awards ceremony Jason Burns, president, Jury committee members, and finalists
12:45	Discussion - The role of patients, survivors and informal caregivers in the fight against cancer Hosted by Winston McQuade, patron of the Coalition's Cancer Patients and Survivors Committee
1:35 p.m.	Ethical access to advanced cancer drugs and treatments Dr. Normand Blais, hemato-oncologist, CHUM, Marc Zaffran, CRÉUM ethicist
2:05	Round table on prevention and screening: life styles and environments
4:05	Cancer among the elderly and children Doreen Wan-Chow-Wah, M.D., geriatrician, Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Anne-Sophie Carret, M.D., pediatric hemato-oncologist, CHU Sainte-Justine
Highlights / March 30
8:35	Address delivered by the head of the Direction québécoise du cancer Dr. Jean Latreille, hemato-oncologist
10:40	Community cancer management Soumya Tamouro, Alliance des communautés culturelles pour l'égalité dans la santé et les services sociaux
Where:	Montreal Bonaventure Hilton, 900, de La Gauchetière Ouest, Montreal

A press room is available. The press briefings will be announced on site.

Please note that all conferences are presented in french but simultaneous translation will be offered during the days of the event.

Twitter: Word of welcome to journalists already on Twitter and Facebook. You are invited to participate prior to and/or during the 4^th National Conference, using the following HashTags linked to the Coalition's twitter address:

@coalitioncancer

#prixpatburns
#douleurchronique
#procheaidant
#soinspalliatifs

To view the 4^th National Conference program or to request accreditation on line, simply visit the following Website,  www.conferencecancer.com under the "media" tab.

To schedule an interview, obtain information and/or confirm your presence, contact:

Sylvie Piché
Senior advisor, Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec
Office 514-868-2009 ext 225, Cell : 514-296-0694 (during the event)
[email protected]