PBS Cancer Documentary, Part 3
Wednesday's episode: 6-year old Emily has leukemia and Doug Rogers, a 60-year-old NASCAR mechanic with melanoma. Each is a pioneer in new immunotherapy treatments. Both see their advanced cancers recede and are able to resume normal lives.
This episode picks up the story at another moment of buoyant optimism in the cancer world: Scientists believe they have cracked the essential mystery of the malignant cell and the first targeted therapies have been developed, with the promise of many more to follow. But very quickly cancer reveals new layers of complexity and a formidable array of unforeseen defenses. In the disappointment that follows, many call for a new focus on prevention and early detection as the most promising fronts in the war on cancer. But other scientists are undeterred, and by the second decade of the 2000s their work pays off. The bewildering complexity of the cancer cell, so recently considered unassailable, yields to a more ordered picture, revealing new vulnerabilities and avenues of attack. Perhaps most exciting of all is the prospect of harnessing the human immune system to defeat cancer.
Tune in to Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, 3-part documentary
Airing on PBS, 9 - 11 p.m. (Check your local listings)
Monday, March 30 - Magic Bullets
Tuesday, March 31 - The Blind Men and the Elephant
Wednesday, April 1 - Finding the Achilles Heel
This three-part film tells the comprehensive story of cancer, from its first documented appearances to the modern-day fight for a cure. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Siddhartha Mukherjee, Ken Burns' film weaves together a captivating historical narrative with intimate stories about contemporary patients, and an investigation into the latest scientific breakthroughs that may bring a cure within reach.
Learn more at www.pbs.org.
Purchase the series at www.shoppbs.org.
Watch Katie Couric interview Mukherjee and Burns on Yahoo News.
PBS Cancer Documentary, Part 2
Tuesday's episode: The story of Dr. Lori Wilson, a surgical oncologist diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in both breasts in 2013. Her emotional and physical struggles with the disease provide a bracing counterpoint to the historical narrative that picks up in the wake of the declaration of a “war on cancer” by Richard Nixon in 1971. Flush with optimism and awash with federal dollars, the cancer field plunges forward in search of a cure. In the lab, rapid progress is made in understanding the essential nature of the cancer cell, leading to the revolutionary discovery of the genetic basis of cancer. But at the bedside, where patients are treated, few new therapies become available, and a sense of disillusionment takes hold, leading some patients and doctors to take desperate measures. It is not until the late 1990s that the advances in research begin to translate into more precise targeted therapies with the breakthrough drugs Gleevec and Herceptin.
Tune in to Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, 3-part documentary
Airing on PBS, 9 - 11 p.m. (Check your local listings)
Monday, March 30 - Magic Bullets
Tuesday, March 31 - The Blind Men and the Elephant
Wednesday, April 1 - Finding the Achilles Heel
This three-part film tells the comprehensive story of cancer, from its first documented appearances to the modern-day fight for a cure. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Siddhartha Mukherjee, Ken Burns' film weaves together a captivating historical narrative with intimate stories about contemporary patients, and an investigation into the latest scientific breakthroughs that may bring a cure within reach.
Learn more at www.pbs.org.
Purchase the series at www.shoppbs.org.
Watch Katie Couric interview Mukherjee and Burns on Yahoo News.
PBS Cancer Documentary, Part 1
Monday's episode: The search for a cure plus, little Olivia Blair who, at 14 months, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which spreads to her brain and spinal column. The film follows her as she and her parents struggle with the many hardships and decisions foisted upon a cancer patient. She remains in full remission a year after her diagnosis, but is still on her journey to finish her three-year treatment plan. Also featured: Sidney Farber, who, defying conventional wisdom in the late 1940s, introduces the modern era of chemotherapy, and his full-scale national “war on cancer.”
Tune in to Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, 3-part documentary
Airing on PBS, 9 - 11 p.m. (Check your local listings)
Monday, March 30 - Magic Bullets
Tuesday, March 31 - The Blind Men and the Elephant
Wednesday, April 1 - Finding the Achilles Heel
This three-part film tells the comprehensive story of cancer, from its first documented appearances to the modern-day fight for a cure. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Siddhartha Mukherjee, Ken Burns' film weaves together a captivating historical narrative with intimate stories about contemporary patients, and an investigation into the latest scientific breakthroughs that may bring a cure within reach.
Learn more at www.pbs.org.
Watch Katie Couric interview Mukherjee and Burns on Yahoo News.
2013 POGO/Ooch Survivor Conference
In October 2013, POGO partnered with Camp Oochigeas to host the second childhood cancer survivor conference. Over 90 survivors of childhood cancer from across the province and Canada attended the two-day event. The educational sessions addressed topics including: screening and prevention, emotional health, sex and relationships after cancer and fertility, among others.
VIEW THE PROGRAM
Videos of all of the presentations from the Survivor Conference that POGO has permission to post are available here, along with the accompanying presentation slides. As a starting point, check out this recap video from the weekend!
OOCH/POGO SURVIVOR CONFERENCE RECAP VIDEO:
NOTE: The content of each presentation captures the unedited information and opinions presented by the speaker. Please note that the information contained in the presentations was current at the time it was presented – there may be further information in subsequent literature. Listed speaker credentials were current at the time of presentation.
PLENARY SESSIONS
Screening and Prevention – Empowering through Education
Paul Nathan, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Healing Beyond the Body: Emotional Health After Cancer
Christopher J. Recklitis, PhD, MPH
WORKSHOPS
Female Fertility: Your Questions Answered
Ellen Greenblatt, MD, FRCSC
Male Fertility: Your Questions Answered
Mike Neal, BSc (Hons), MSc
“How did you get that scar?”… and other Socially Uncomfortable Moments of Being a Childhood Cancer Survivor
Natalie Wilson, MA, CCLS
Vanessa Pastoric, BHSc, CCLS
A Leg Up: Assistive Technology for Individuals with Cognitive Challenges
Todd Cunningham, Assistive Technologies Expert
Helping You Manage Your Health After Cancer
Carla Bennett, RN, BN
Screening and Prevention – Empowering through Education
VIEW THE PRESENTATION
Presentation Description:
Do you show up at your screening appointments wondering why you’re even there? Or maybe you haven’t gone at all and are worried you missed the memo? Screening and prevention can be a tricky subject because there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ standard. This presentation provides an overview of exactly what screening is, why it’s important, who is at risk for what, and what you need to know to responsibly manage your health for years to come.
Speaker:
Paul Nathan, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Director, AfterCare Program
Hospital for Sick Children
Healing Beyond the Body: Emotional Health After Cancer
VIEW THE PRESENTATION
Presentation Description:
Childhood cancer can be an intensely stressful experience that may have emotional effects even years after treatment. While cancer can enhance personal growth in some ways, it can also lead to emotional vulnerabilities later in life. This session will explore common developmental challenges for survivors, highlight the relationship between emotional and physical health, and consider the different ways survivors make sense of their cancer experiences as they move into adulthood.
Speaker:
Christopher Recklitis, PhD, MPH
Director of Research and Support Services
Perini Family Survivors' Centre, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School, Boston
Workshop A - Female Fertility: Your Questions Answered
VIEW THE PRESENTATION
Presentation Description:
Fertility concerns are not unique to cancer survivors, but survivors often have exceptional circumstances that can affect fertility options. This workshop will answer your burning questions about female fertility, including options and next steps if you’re thinking of starting a family.
Speaker:
Ellen Greenblatt, MD, FRCSC
Medical Director, Centre for Fertility and Reproductive Health
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
Workshop B - Male Fertility: Your Questions Answered
VIEW THE PRESENTATION
Presentation Description:
Fertility concerns are not unique to cancer survivors, but survivors often have exceptional circumstances that can affect fertility options. This workshop will answer your burning questions about male fertility, including options and next steps if you’re thinking of starting a family.
Speaker:
Michael Neal, BSc. (Hons), MSc
Scientific Director
ONE Fertility, Burlington
Workshop C - 'How did you get that scar?'... and other Socially Uncomfortable Moments of Being a Cancer Survivor
VIEW THE PRESENTATION
Presentation Description:
So you’ve survived childhood cancer and you have some of the cold hard facts from doctors about what may be next for your health. But what about those socially awkward conversations and situations you may encounter as a survivor that aren’t in the medical books? Lead by two childhood cancer survivors, this workshop explored those socially awkward, embarrassing, difficult and sometimes funny questions and conversations, from responding to “How’d you get that scar?” to telling a new dating partner about your unknown fertility status.
Speakers:
Vanessa Pastoric, BHSc, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
Grand River Hospital, Kitchener
Natalie Wilson, MA, CCLS Coordinator and Facilitator
Young Carers Program of Hospice Toronto
Workshop E - A Leg Up: Assistive Technology for Individuals with Cognitive Challenges
VIEW THE PRESENTATION
Presentation Description:
Many childhood cancer survivors struggle with cognitive challenges as a result of their diagnosis and/or treatment and assistive technologies may be able to help. This workshop provided an overview of new assistive devices/technologies available to cancer survivors that can aid and improve cognition; features to look for and how to get your hands on this technology; and complimentary learning strategies to help you reach your academic and career goals.
Speaker:
Todd Cunningham, PhD, C. Psych (Supervised Practice)
Psychologist
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
