Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare, but aggressive, invasive and often deadly form of breast disease. IBC is often identified as a localized infection, i.e. mastitis, delaying proper treatment and resulting in rapid progression. In addition to diagnosis, the clinical and molecular understandings of IBC remain unclear. Its uncommon nature and vague management necessitate a forum in which experts and investigators in the field may present the most up to date information regarding IBC. The First International Conference on Inflammatory Breast Cancer seeks to educate and inform its participants, in order to bring about awareness and collective knowledge into clinical diagnosis, disease management, and molecular investigation. Our meeting will draw international faculty and participants from many countries. For example, seven of our speakers will represent five different countries, and we expect a high turn out from visiting scientists and physicians. We are targeting a diverse audience in order to educate faculty, physicians, mid-level providers, nurses, trainees and patient/advocates with up-to-date material ranging from clinical presentation and molecular mechanisms to health disparities and patient counseling. Our sessions are designed with this wide range of audience in mind and include breakout sessions for individual levels of development. With recent attention to IBC through the media and advocacy programs, our first of its kind symposium comes at a timely manner when interest is high. ? ? Program Goals We are designing this conference to educate faculty, physicians, mid-level providers, nurses as well as trainees at all levels. Together with international thought-leaders of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in both research and clinical management, attendees will have the opportunity to gather knowledge about successfully identifying and treating the rare nature of this disease. With our focus on training everyone from patient advocates to physicians, we plan to successfully raise awareness and promote the sharing of accurate information regarding IBC. The rare nature and unique presentation of IBC demands a re-education of health care professionals in order to ensure that misdiagnoses are eliminated and patient care is enhanced. In addition to communicating medical guidelines and practice regarding IBC, we will also focus on the latest research seeking to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that drive IBC initiation and progression, along with an update of clinical trials' data (i.e. Phase I reports of agent tolerability, EGFR overexpression, angiogenic factors, osteopenia) and epidemiological data, ex. demonstrating the increased prevalence in African American women communities. It is our goal that long standing relationships will be formed allowing for networking and consultation in the international cancer community promoting effective and efficient treatment and management. Each section of our symposium was designed with patient benefit in mind, including a patient/advocate breakout session that will enrich patient knowledge and offer support. Through education, management and therapy of those connected to and impacted by IBC, we hope to eliminate any delay in the assessment of IBC, thus allowing optimum patient care and management and stimulating the search for curative therapies. ? ? Public Health Relevance: A Project Narrative was not included in the Program Announcement PA-06-041 and therefore assumed not required for this submission. For project details please see """"""""Conference Plan"""""""". ? ? ?
