CME Course to Feature International Experts on Mesothelioma
Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) October 31, 2013 -- On November 15, Mary Hesdorffer, nurse practitioner and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s executive director, will speak as part of the continuing medical education (CME) course “Pleural Mesothelioma 2013: Multidisciplinary Diagnosis, Treatment and Investigation,” organized in conjunction with Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Ms. Hesdorffer, along with clinicians from the University of Pennsylvania, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Fox Chase Cancer Center, and The Netherlands Cancer Institute, is a member of the faculty of the course, which purpose is “to provide the full spectrum of perspectives on the many challenging and controversial topics surrounding this cancer.”
Ms. Hesdorffer’s presentation will focus on the unmet needs of mesothelioma patients. This lecture will review the care currently provided to mesothelioma patients and will examine areas for improvement. In the course’s brochure, Mary Hesdorffer is described as “the person with likely the greatest number of contact with mesothelioma patients in the world.”
Ms. Hesdorffer received her undergraduate degree at the College of New Rochelle in New York and went on to receive her Masters of Science at the same institution. She is a fully credentialed nurse practitioner and has spent 16 years actively treating patients with mesothelioma. Mary has an expertise in the development and implementation of clinical trials. She is published in peer reviewed journals and has lectured nationally on topics pertaining to mesothelioma with particular emphasis on clinical trials, and symptom and disease management.
Lee Krug, MD, a member of the Meso Foundation’s Board of Directors, is also part of the course’s faculty. Dr. Krug is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Division of Medical Oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Described as “an acknowledged world leader,”He will present “Mesothelioma – Is there a standard of care, is there a staging system?” This lecture “will discuss the current staging of malignant pleural mesothelioma, including the limitations of this system, and will review what is currently considered ‘standard’ treatment.”
Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor of the lining of the lung, abdomen, or heart known to be caused by exposure to asbestos. Approximately 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year and an estimated one-third were exposed in Navy ships and shipyards.
ABOUT THE MESOTHELIOMA APPLIED RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The Meso Foundation is the only 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma and easing the suffering caused by it. The Meso Foundation actively seeks philanthropic support to fund peer-reviewed mesothelioma research; provide patient support services and education; and advocate Congress for increased federal funding for mesothelioma research. The Meso Foundation is the only non-government funder of peer reviewed scientific research to establish more effective treatments for mesothelioma and, ultimately, a cure for this rare, but extremely aggressive, cancer. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $8.2 million to research.
More information is available at http://www.curemeso.org.
Maja Belamaric, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, http://www.curemeso.org, +1 (703) 879-3822, [email protected]
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