Sarcoma Foundation of America's Educational Conference

Sarcoma Foundation of America's Educational Conference

This weekend was not only a fun one, but an educational and emotional one. On Sunday April 28th Aunt Joe, Mom & I headed to the Grand Hyatt hotel in Manhattan for the Sarcoma Foundation of America's Educational Conference . Being able to attend the conference and see first hand the medical advances or lack there of was eye opening.  

Sarcoma is the most rare form of cancer in the United States and many people ask me "why is it relevant?" The answer is simple, it can attack anyone, of any age, any race, in any area of the body. It knows no boundaries, it is aggressive, it is unpredictable and it needs to be stopped!  In simplistic terms, I like to tell people to think of snow, when it falls from the sky it all looks the same, but it isn't until you look closely that you can see no two snowflakes are alike.  That is exactly how sarcoma works.  Sarcoma is the general term, but there are over 50 different types of sarcoma, each of which requires a different course of treatment, different combinations of medication and different procedures. 

The conference consisted of medical presentations from 5 sarcoma specialists who covered everything from specific treatments, personal cases they have encountered, the facts about sarcoma and the harsh reality of this cancer.  Patients need answers, doctors need funding and the nation needs a cure! Following the presentations the specialists sat for a Question & Answer session where 26 AMAZING survivors, caregivers, fellow doctors and those still fighting their battle had the floor. Hearing some of the questions and the heartfelt stories was touching.   

During the conference I had the opportunity to chat with Lauren Fusaro, the founder of the Invincible Sarcoma Campaign and 24 year old Sarcoma Survivor who I had the privilege of meeting last year.  She is a beautiful person, both inside and out, working to make a difference in the lives of sarcoma victims.  In addition to Lauren Fusaro I had the unbelievable opportunity to meet 3 survivors and phenomenal women all with Angiosarcoma Awareness Inc.  Founder Lauren Ryan, along with Corrie Painter and Precious all left such a powerful impression on me.  Precious blew me away with her strength and pride she had for being a "victor."  Corrie infected me with her joy.  And lastly, Lauren Ryan brought me to tears in the best way possible.  She is such a special lady, a person whose light shines so brightly around them that you can't help but be empowered by their genuine spirit.  Lauren noticed my false eyelashes that I was wearing that day and asked if I knew how to put them on.  She had a pair in her bag that she wanted to wear to the Sarcoma Foundation's Gala, but had never put them on before. So of course I broke out some pageant magic and made it happen! 

It is days like this and people like Lauren that remind me why this fight is such an important one.  The people make the difference, it is their hope, their joy and their passion that will lead us to a cure!

Want to learn more about Sarcoma and the Specialists working to find a cure? Check out the list below and join the fight! 

Advances in Research in Sarcoma Pathology and SFA Funded Research

John S.J. Brooks, MD, FRCPath, Pennsylvania Hospital

Emerging Therapies in GIST and Soft Tissue Sarcoma

William Tap, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Aerosol Therapy: A Novel Way to Treat Osteosarcoma Lung Metastases

Eugenie S. Kleinerman, MD; MD Anderson Cancer Center

Side Effects from Sarcoma Chemotherapy

Robert G. Maki, MD, PhD; Mount Sinai Medical Center

Personalizing Sarcoma Care: Driving improved results by understanding the mechanisms that drive an individual’s sarcoma

George Demitri, MD; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute