Brain Tumor Conference for Patients, Families, and Caregivers to be Held at Cedars-Sinai

Los Angeles - June 22, 2010 – Keith L. Black, M.D., and other prominent neurosurgeons at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will join other cancer specialists, nurses, a psychologist, dietitians and an expert in complementary medicine to present a brain tumor conference for patients, families and caregivers Saturday, July 10, 2010 from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Outsmarting Brain Tumors” is free and open to the public, with lunch and validated parking included, but preregistration is required.

In addition to a session on brain tumor basics, topics will include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, conventional and minimally invasive surgery options, new and promising therapies, cancer vaccines, complementary medicine options, nutrition therapy, metastatic tumors, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, highand low-grade gliomas, and methods for dealing with the emotional toll of brain tumors. Also included will be a patient’s story of survival.

Keith L. Black, M.D., will offer opening and closing remarks and present “Brain Tumor 101.” He is professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience, director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, and director of the Johnnie L. Cochran Brain Tumor Center, which was created to rapidly translate research findings into patient clinical trials.

Among other presenters will be Ray Chu, M.D., neurosurgeon; Noam Drazin, M.D., hematologist/oncologist at Cedars-Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute; Adam Mamelak, M.D., neurosurgeon, co-director of the Cedars-Sinai Pituitary Center and director of minimally invasive intracranial neurosurgery; Veronica Porsche, Psy.D., clinical psychologist in the Department of Neurosurgery; Lucy Postolov, L.Ac. (licensed acupuncturist), allied health practitioner; Howard Sandler, M.D., chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Cedars-Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute; and John S. Yu, M.D., neurosurgeon, professor and vice chairman of Neurosurgery, director of Surgical Neuro-Oncology, and surgical director of the Gamma Knife Center.

The program will be held in the Harvey Morse Auditorium at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Plaza Level, South Tower, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. It is supported by the American Brain Tumor Association, the Florida Brain Tumor Association, the Wellness Community – West Los Angeles, and the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research and Information.

For driving directions to the Medical Center, please click here. For more information and to pre-register, please call 1-800-CEDARS-1 (1-800-233-2771) or visit www.cedars-sinai.edu/braintumorconference. Cedars-Sinai’s Brain Tumor Center is one of the nation’s leading referral, treatment, educational and research Programs. The medical center is ranked among the nation's leaders in Neurology and Neurosurgery in U.S. News and World Report's annual list of America's Best Hospitals.

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