Speakers:
Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS
Chair, American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer
Surgical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Daniel J. Boffa, MD, MBA, FACS
Vice Chair, American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer
Division chief of thoracic surgery, Yale School of Medicine

Details: More people are surviving cancer than ever before and living longer with improved cancer treatments, turning cancer into a condition that some experts say should be treated like a chronic disease. It is estimated that more than 18 million people in the United States are living with a history of cancer — a number expected to rise exponentially in the coming decades as cancer treatments continue to improve and extend lifespans.

For National Cancer Survivors Month, experts with the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) will discuss the unique needs of the rising number of cancer survivors nationwide and ways everyone can support a loved one newly diagnosed with cancer. The CoC is leading efforts nationwide to transform cancer care so that the needs of cancer patients and survivors are met with an individualized, compassionate approach that emphasizes the patient’s journey, from the moment of their diagnosis through survivorship.