Dr. Alana Welm of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Utah, although a young investigator, has made a significant impact on the study-particularly the metastasis-of breast cancer. Her presentation will review current incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer among Americans, as well as standard treatments. Breast cancer is not a single disease; it is actually a collection of many types of tumors, which are each driven by many combinations of genetic alterations. This heterogeneity will be discussed, along with implications for development of new therapies. As therapies become more and more tailored for specific types of breast cancer, the concept of “personalized” or “precision” medicine is becoming more of a reality. New approaches to personalize breast cancer treatments, and their inherent challenges, will be presented.
The Coalition for the Life Sciences is an alliance of six non-profit professional organizations working together to foster public policies that advance basic biological research and its applications in medicine and other fields. The issues addressed by the CLS include science education, professional training, and the funding, management, and oversight of scientific work, especially by the federal government.
