CLEVELAND, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center and Cleveland Medical Association will host Cancer In African Americans - Opportunities and Challenges May 11-13 at the InterContinental Hotel & MBNA Conference Center. The national gathering of leading health care professionals and community decision-makers will examine specific issues and challenges related to the treatment of African Americans with cancer.
"We are prepared to target the management of cancer in the under-served part of the African American community," said Derek Raghavan, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Clinic's Taussig Cancer Center. "This symposium will provide timely information and a better understanding of the key issues surrounding cancer treatment for African Americans to help eradicate healthcare disparities. Our collaboration with the Cleveland Medical Association, which represents the African American physicians of our community, is a key element of this program. Physicians and other health care providers, in addition to key community leaders, will be among those to address this crucial subject matter."
Although the number of deaths from cancer is decreasing, African Americans are 30% more likely to die from cancer than other racial and ethnic groups, according to the American Cancer Society. Likewise, a wide gap still exists between the cancer treatment whites and blacks receive, due in part to disparities in access to treatment and the need for health information, timely diagnosis and diseases management among African Americans.
Topics addressed at the Taussig Cancer Center's May Symposium will include:
- Demographics of Cancer in African Americans - Disease Epidemiology and Treatment Outcomes - Biological Features of Cancer in African Americans - Impediments to Minority Healthcare Access and Impediments to Early Diagnosis - Healthcare Funding for Underserved Populations - Biology and Management of Specific Cancers including leukemia, prostate, lung, gastro-intestinal, bladder and gynecological cancers - Bone Marrow Transplantation - Problems of Active Treatment - Cultural Sensitivity - Access to Clinical trials and State-Of-The Art Therapy - Interaction and strategies for community activists, church leaders, government and physicians to interact to improve outcomes
The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center is one of the top 15 cancer centers in the U.S. and ranked #1 in Ohio by U.S. News & World Report's annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey.
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Approximately 1,500 full-time salaried physicians at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2004, patients came for treatment from every state and 100 countries. Cleveland Clinic website address is http://www.clevelandclinic.org.
Cleveland Clinic
CONTACT: Raquel Santiago, +1-216-444-4235, or Angie Kiska,+1-216-444-6002, both of Cleveland Clinic
Web site: http://www.clevelandclinic.org/
