Northern Maine Living With Cancer Conference scheduled for Sept. 13

  PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – The American Cancer Society’s sixth annual Living With Cancer Conference will take place Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the Edmunds Center of Northern Maine Community College. Each year, cancer patients and survivors, family members, caregivers and health care professionals come together to attend this event.  This year’s theme, “Tools to Survive and Thrive,” is designed to provide participants with information on personal and medical topics to help bring hope and care to cancer patients and their families. Attendees will be able to receive hope and encouragement during their cancer fight and network with a community of people who share their feelings and experiences.
This year’s keynote speakers are Dr. Daniel Reinke and Kathleen G. Higinbotham. Reinke is a three-year cancer survivor and has been a family physician for 11 years. Having experienced cancer from both ends of the stethoscope, he will explore the growing field of cancer survivorship and its impact on individuals, society, and “life after cancer.” Higinbotham worked as a biologist at the National Cancer Institute for more than 13 years in the research areas of tumor biology and kidney biology. Her interests have focused on cellular and molecular biology over the years, and she has worked on oncogenes, as well as tumorigenesis. Her present position with the National Institutes of Health deals with technology transfer. She is a cancer survivor, and has served as a past member of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors in Maryland.
Workshop topics include healing through art and music, the importance of a proper diet, and improving general health and wellness through different forms of therapy. The popular patient panel will include cancer survivors from Presque Isle and Houlton who will share their personal stories. Dawn Poitras from The Aroostook Medical Center will demonstrate some light stretching breaks.
The conference is presented in collaboration with Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery (C.A.N.C.E.R.) and is made possible through the generosity of the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing, Lymphedema Association of Maine, and TAP Pharmaceuticals. For more information about this free, daylong conference, to request a brochure, or to register, please call 1-800-227-2345.
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. Call 1-800-227-2345, 24 hours a day, any day of the year for cancer information, connections to local resources, or simply to talk with a caring person when you or a family member needs strength and encouragement.