Mid-Atlantic ThyCa Workshop Draws Thyroid Cancer Survivors and Caregivers from 9 States, DC, and Canada

More than 140 thyroid cancer patients, caregivers, and friends attended the free one-day workshop held on April 16, 2005, in Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc.

ThyCa support groups in Maryland and Virginia, part of ThyCa’s nationwide network of more than 60 support groups, as well as national ThyCa volunteers organized and hosted the workshop, which was held in conjunction with the American Thyroid Association’s Frontiers in Thyroid Cancer meeting.

Thyroid cancer patients at the day-long ThyCa workshop ranged from children through seniors, from people diagnosed two weeks earlier to a survivor of 57 years. They came from Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Alberta, Canada.

Highlights of the workshop’s 20 sessions included physician presentations and Ask-a-Doctor sessions led by American Thyroid Association members. The physician speakers included Lisa Boyle, M.D.,Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.; James A. Fagin, M.D., University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH; Gary Francis, M.D., Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; Matthew I. Kim, M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Richard T. Kloos, M.D.,The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; Steven K. Libutti, M.D., National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; Donald Margouleff, M.D., North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY; Matthew D. Ringel, M.D.,The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; Martin Schlumberger, M.D.,University of Paris –Sud and Institut Gustave Roussy, France, and his associate; and R. Michael Tuttle, M.D.,Endocrinologist, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

The program also included survivor and caregiver roundtables on coping skills and well-being, led by a caregiver and survivors of different types of thyroid cancer.

“The speakers were excellent and very welcoming of questions and comments. Altogether, it was a fantastic workshop,” wrote one attendee. Another wrote,“This was a great experience. Speakers were outstanding. Interaction with others was stimulating and supporting. Thank you!”

“We always learn much more every time we attend,” another wrote. Another commented, “Wonderful! This opportunity is truly a Godsend to anyone at any stage of their diagnosis and treatment.”

“We are proud to offer these free programs and pleased to announce two more free one-day workshops for May,” said ThyCa Board Chair Gary Bloom of Olney, Maryland, a nine-year thyroid cancer survivor. “We thank the American Thyroid Association and your staff and membership for your wonderful support. We are grateful to the dedicated thyroid cancer specialist physicians who so generously give of their time in support of patient education and well-being.”

“ThyCa’s next free one-day workshops will take place in Florida on Saturday, May 7, 2005, and in New Jersey on May 21, 2005. We invite physicians and patients to tell others about these free opportunities to learn from experts and meet other survivors and caregivers,” he added.

“Thyroid cancer requires early detection and lifelong management, and that’s why ThyCa is a full-service support and education organization,” continued Bloom. “Our hundreds of volunteers around the USA and the world provide year-round thyroid cancer awareness and education as well as free support groups, workshops, and our annual international conference.”

ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. is a national all-volunteer nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of thyroid cancer survivors, families, and health care professionals, advised by nationally recognized thyroid cancer specialists, dedicated to support, education, and communication. ThyCa is a full-service organization providing that include awareness materials and outreach for early detection of thyroid cancer; free education and support services for people at all phases phases of testing, treatment, and lifelong monitoring of each type of thyroid cancer, and research grants to support ThyCa’s goal of a future free of thyroid cancer. For more information and free materials, e-mail to thyca@thyca.org, call toll-free 1-877-588-7904, write to PO Box 1545, New York, NY 10159-1545, or visit the ThyCa web site.