News Releases

March 29, 2010

Mercy Outlines Program for May Oncology Conference

Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City and the Siouxland Regional Iowa/Nebraska Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society will host their 2010 Oncology Conference on Saturday, May 8 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sioux City Convention Center.

The annual event for nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals provides current information and research in the field of oncology.

Henry Lynch, M.D., chairman of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and professor of Medicine at Creighton University in Omaha, will address the conference on the topics of hereditary colorectal cancer and hereditary breast cancer. Lynch, who is director of the Hereditary Cancer Center at Creighton University, is a pioneer and world renowned expert in the field of hereditary cancer. He identified the inherited condition that increases the risk of colon and other cancers, now known as the Lynch Syndrome, as well as the inheritance patterns for certain breast and ovarian cancers which contributed to discovery in recent years of the BRAC1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes.

Lynch will discuss the evaluation of a patient’s family history of cancer in order to arrive at a presumptive hereditary cancer syndrome diagnosis. He will also talk about the rationale for screening and management recommendations based on genetic test results as well as the cardinal features of the genetic disorder.

Donald Wender, M.D., Ph.D., a board certified medical oncologist in practice with Siouxland Hematology/Oncology Associates in Sioux City, will discuss “New Updates for Adjuvant Therapy. He will educate on the role of neoadjuvant chemo/radiation therapy for rectal cancer.

Lawrence Volz, M.D., FACS, will address the conference on the topic of the “Surgical Management of Colorectal Cancer.” Volz, a general surgeon in practice with Midlands Clinic, PC in Dakota Dunes, will discuss the role and timing of surgical intervention for colon cancer. He will also educate conference attendees on the role and benefits of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Michael Persaud, D.O., a specialist in gastroenterology at Siouxland Gastroenterology in Dakota Dunes, will educate conference participants on “Diagnostic Procedures for Colon Cancer.” He will discuss the benefits of colonoscopy as well as the parameters for colon cancer screening.

Jim Spencer, PharmD, MSA, MAT, executive director of Mission, Ethics and Spirituality at Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City and Mercy Medical Center—North Iowa, will address the oncology conference on the subject of “Treatment Abatement and Futility.” Spencer will discuss values underlying futility of care and healthcare ethics. He will distinguish the differences between rationing and futility, and will talk about abatement options among ethicists.

Continuing education credit will be awarded for nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals.

The registration fee for the conference is $79 for members of the Oncology Nursing Society, and $89 for all others, provided registrations are postmarked by April 28. After that date, all registration fees will be $10 more.

For more information about the conference, visit www.mercysiouxcity.com, or call (712) 279-2507.

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