Cedars-Sinai's Outsmarting Brain Tumors Will Be in the Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion Sept. 6 and Cover Topics Ranging From Nutritional Support to Clinical Trials



Los Angeles - Aug. 26, 2014 – The Cedars-Sinai Department of Neurosurgery will present a one-day conference, Outsmarting Brain Tumors, for patients, families and caregivers Saturday, Sept. 6. The free program will cover a wide range of topics related to patient care, living with a brain tumor, the latest treatments, new research findings and clinical trials. The conference will be held in Cedars-Sinai's Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion, Plaza Level, Pavilion Education Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles.

Educational sessions will include:

Breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy

New technologies in surgery and classification of brain tumors

An update on the latest news in brain tumor research

Cancer vaccines

Genomics and the concept of personalized medicine in brain cancer treatment

Nutritional and supplemental support

Wellness: thriving with brain cancer

Navigating the information highway

Getting involved in activities and events to raise awareness and funds for research

"Through our eyes," with a panel of patients who are brain tumor survivors

The role of radiation therapy

The role of chemotherapy, and clinical trial options

Participants will be able to choose from two breakout sessions in the afternoon. Those attending Session A will learn how to improve quality of life through rehabilitation, and how to navigate social services to get back to work and life. Session B will feature presentations on meningiomas and pediatric brain tumors.

The day's program will be directed by Keith Black, MD, chair and professor of the Department of Neurosurgery, and Surasak Phuphanich, MD, professor of neurology and director of the Neuro-Oncology Program. Black, who directs the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and the Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Brain Tumor Center, is the Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience.

Additional speakers will include:

Arash Asher, MD, director of cancer survivorship and rehabilitation at Cedars-Sinai's Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute

Pramod Butte, MBBS, PhD, assistant professor and research scientist in the Department of Neurosurgery

Ray Chu, MD, neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai

Moise Danielpour, MD, director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Program and the Vera and Paul Guerin Chair in Pediatric Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai

David Esquith, licensed clinical social worker and manager of medical social work at Cedars-Sinai

Jethro Hu, MD, neuro-oncologist at Cedars-Sinai

Stephanie Meyer, licensed clinical social worker at Cedars-Sinai

Amin Mirhadi, MD, radiation oncologist at Cedars-Sinai

Miriam Nuno, PhD, assistant professor and senior biostatistician at Cedars-Sinai

Veronica Porsche, PsyD, clinical psychologist at Cedars-Sinai

Jeremy Rudnick, MD, neuro-oncologist at Cedars-Sinai

Stephen Shiao, MD, PhD, radiation oncologist at Cedars-Sinai

Mary Hardy, MD, guest faculty from Wellness Works and the Stiles Center for Integrative Oncology

The conference, lunch and parking in Lot 4, adjacent to the Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion, are free. Seating is limited and registration is required. For more information or to register, call 1-800-CEDARS-1 (1-800-233-2771) or visit http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/neuroconferences.