Conference Features Debates on Clinical Controversies

J. Tate Thigpen, MD

Professor Department of Internal Medicine

Director, Division of Medical Oncology

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Jackson, MS

The 9th International Symposium on Ovarian Cancer and Other Gynecologic Malignancies conference will bring professionals in the field up to date on the latest research into ovarian, uterine, cervical, and endometrial cancers. The conference will be held March 30-31 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.

The gathering is designed so that any oncologist working with patients facing ovarian cancer can return to his or her practice with useful information, according to J. Tate Thigpen, MD, the program director.

Thigpen said that attendees will be able to learn about new developments in a variety of formats. One of the more popular features has been the debate sessions, of which there will be 9 at this year’s conference. Rather than a conventional debate in which 1 person is considered to provide a correct answer, these debates are designed to address controversial topics head-on so that attendees can hear both sides, and perhaps learn new information in the process.

“The [debates] are designed to get all of the different opinions out there so the attendees can make up their own minds for how to best proceed in their own practices,” Thigpen said.

Some of the debate topics will include whether lymph node dissections should be required in patients with endometrial cancer, whether maintenance therapy should be given to patients with stage III or IV ovarian cancer who achieve a complete clinical response to initial systemic treatment, and whether the human papillomavirus vaccination should be administered to all children prior to the onset of puberty.

In addition to debating treatment techniques for patients, Thigpen said there also will be considerable emphasis placed on important new research, including PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer and folate receptor antagonists. There will also be case presentations intended to spark discussion among a panel of experts and the audience.

“We try to make it so that everyone can take away something, so we try and keep things quickly paced to keep things going,” Thigpen said.