CPCN National Conference 2008

The CPCN national conference will feature wonderful western-style hospitality, internationally renowned prostate cancer researchers, and a special session for spouses and sweethearts, who share the effects of this disease with their loved ones and give so much valuable support to men battling prostate cancer and survivors.

Delegates will gather at Calgary's Fairmont Paliser, an elegant and historic hotel that opened for business almost one hundred years ago on June 1, 1914. And CPCN President Bob Shiell promises some great leisure-time fun. "We always do something special in the way of entertainment," he says.

The conference, which runs from the evening of August 3 through to noon August 5, will undoubtedly give participants some time off to experience the sights and sounds of this vibrant, cosmopolitan city, which still retains a small-town feel. In the downtown core, you can visit the newly renovated Calgary Tower, stroll through the Devonian Gardens, or explore the heritage of the Canadian West by visiting the Glenbow Museum. And there are more attractions further afield.

As for the conference's attractions, there are plenty.

Dr. Stephen Strum, a medical oncologist well-known in the treatment of prostate cancer for over 25 years, will speak about the conference's theme --- "Stayin' Alive" and healthy through all stages of the prostate cancer journey, from early detection to survivorship. Dr. Strum has authored or co-authored more than 100 research papers, books, and articles on prostate cancer and related issues. An interesting aside is that Dr. Strum, an American, has a long association with Canadian researchers. He studied under Canadian-born Nobel Prize winner Dr. Charles Huggins, who, as early as 1940, demonstrated that the surgical removal of the testicles of men with metastatic prostate cancer dramatically improved their condition. And, in 1983, Dr. Strum formed a partnership with Dr. Fernand Labrie of the Université de Laval to explore the use of combination hormone therapy in treating prostate cancer. (For more information on this therapy, visit the Hormone Therapy page of CPCN's website.)

Continuing with the conference theme, Dr. Mark Moyad will speak on the dietary and nutritional aspects of prostate health. Dr. Moyad is the author or co-author of numerous books on prostate cancer, including Complementary Medicine for Prostate Health; Promoting Wellness for Prostate Cancer Patients; and The ABC's of Nutrition and Supplements for Prostate Cancer.

And, of course, we can't forget Canada's own Dr. John Trachtenberg, holder of the prestigious Fleck Tanenbaum Chair in Prostatic Diseases at the University of Toronto. Dr. Trachtenberg has a keen interest in refining treatments for men who have small, low-risk prostate cancer tumours. He wants to find treatments that are more forceful than active surveillance but have fewer side effects than aggressive conventional therapies. As he said at the World Congress on Controversies in Urology, held in Barcelona this February, "We need to find a way to treat this low-risk, low-volume prostate cancer that will have the best balance of cancer control and maintenance of quality of life."

For more about the conference and details concerning registration, click here.

Please note: CPCN discovered in May 2008, after this newsletter was distributed, that Dr. John Trachtenberg was no longer able to attend this conference.