World Metastatic Breast Cancer Day: Institut Curie mobilizes
A meeting open to all audiences
A singular disease, specific questions
Although breast cancer is now a generally well-controlled disease there are still major challenges. This is particularly the case of the management of metastatic breast cancers.
The term metastatic (or stage IV cancer) means that tumor cells have spread to other parts of the body mainly the bones, liver, lungs, skin, bone marrow and sometimes brain. It is not a second cancer as the new tumor is made up of cells from the initial breast cancer.
To date, no treatment can definitively eradicate the disease once it's spread. Therapeutic approaches deployed aim to contain the disease and improve patients' quality of life. Treatment is therefore continuous or almost continuous and can last years. Research can bring hope and sometimes occupies an importante place in the patient pathway.
Metastatic breast cancer is therefore a singular disease and the questions and concerns of patients are unique.
A day to exchange and learn
The meeting will be divided into 3 parts: the first will focus on the specificities of the disease and its management. The second will be orientated around research questions and the third will consist of question and answer sessions spread throughout the day.
An initiative driven by patient representatives
For this reason SIRIC's health democracy group, under the leadership of its patient representatives and the inter-associative collective 13/10, wanted to open a dialogue space between the different communities of patients, clinicians and researchers by proposing a day of exchanges dedicated to this form of the disease.
Created in 2018 the SIRIC health democracy group is made up of representatives of patients, clinicians and researchers. It's objective is to develop consultation and public debate, improve the participation of health actors including patients and their representatives in the development of cancer research.
The 13/10 collective (for 13 October, international metastatic breast cancer day) was founded by 4 associations: Europa Donna France, Juris Santé, Life is Rose and Mon Réseau Cancer du Sein. They are mobilizing to make the voices of people confronted with metastatic breast cancer heard. This objective resonates particularly with those of the SIRIC which has a research program dedicated to resistant breast cancers.
The two organisations wish to join up in the frame of Pink October around metastatic disease, its management and its specificities but also around research prospects both for the near future and further away.
Organizing committee
Under the direction of Florence Coussy, Paul Cottu, and Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet.
SIRIC democracy in health group: Sergio Roman Roman, Françoise Apiou, Laure Guéroult-Accolas, Patrice Marvanne, Stéphanie Dogniaux, Fabrizia Stavru, Marie-Paule Sablin, Elisabetta Marangoni, Didier Surdez, François Doz, Samar Alsafadi, Manuel Rodrigues.
