Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in Hawaii, where the disease kills 155 women annually.
The latest breast cancer research from scientists around the world will be highlighted at the 10th International Breast Density &Cancer Risk Assessment Workshop today through Friday at the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona.
Topics will cover screening methods, next-generation imaging and clinical considerations of breast density.
The conference is organized and co-chaired by University of Hawaii Cancer Center researcher John Shepherd, who is known for his work in quantitative imaging, particularly biomarkers from medical imaging using advanced machine learning techniques.
“Other than age, breast density is the strongest common risk factor for breast cancer,” Shepherd said in a press release. “This very successful workshop series is held in Hawaii every two years to explore new findings and concepts that have occurred in this rapidly developing field.”
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration updated the Mammography Quality Standards Act to require mammography facilities to inform women about the density of their breasts. According to the National Cancer Institute, women with dense breasts have a higher risk of breast cancer than women with fatty breasts.
UH Cancer Center leads research on breast cancer risk and reducing advanced breast cancer stage rate among unique races and ethnicities in Hawaii and the Pacific using breast imaging.
The three-day event will be of particular interest to breast cancer researchers, clinicians and advocates interested in risk factors from breast imaging and risk modeling.
The international conference will include 16 speakers, oral presentations from abstract submissions and poster sessions.
Most of the sessions are closed to the public. However, the public is invited to attend a free Open Poster Presentation Session at 4 p.m. Thursday.
This session will be an opportunity to share cutting-edge breast cancer research with the Kona community.
Kimberly Bertrand, associate professor of medicine from Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, shared her experience attending a past workshop.
“The Breast Density &Cancer Risk Assessment Workshop offered me valuable opportunities to learn about emerging research in breast density and cancer risk prediction. I got to meet new people and build strong professional relationships in a highly collegial environment,” she said.