Save The Date: The National Consortium of Breast Centers 2011 Meeting

As many of you may know, I have the honor of being the President of The National Consortium of Breast Centers (NCBC). Our meeting is held in Las Vegas annually and is set for March 12-16, 2011. I would like to extend this personal "Save the Date" to attend the meeting. I would particularly like to highlight the March 12 opening plenary session on March 12, 2011. During that I am sure will be of interest to all our members.

As you are no doubt aware, the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new guidelines on mammographic screening, which were met with significant criticism and calls for their rescission from multiple organizations, including our own. However, the intent of the USPSTF recommendations was also greeted with multiple questions on the evolution of the recommendations and the data considered. In addition, the USPSTF also issued clarifications of the guidelines to address the criticisms they received.

In light of the continued debate and discussion, the NCBC Program Committee felt it important to address the issue first-hand and in a forum where the discussion could be moderated with the utmost respect and civility on both sides of the issue. To this end, we are delighted that the current Chairman of the USPSTF, Dr. Ned Calonge, has agreed to address our conference in an opening session alongside our past president, Dr. Jay Parikh.

The title of this very important session is:

Screening recommendations in women aged 40-49... Should be individualized to take into account a woman's values regarding benefits and harms (Ned Calonge) Should continue to be offered routinely as standard of care (Jay Parikh)

The session will not be presented as a debate, but rather as an opportunity for our audience to hear from two very respected voices on the issue of screening mammography. Following their presentation the audience will have an opportunity to offer their input and questions.

The NCBC is thrilled to welcome Dr. Calonge and is proud to present this incredibly important session to our conference attendees. Please plan on joining us in March 2011.

The NCBC brings together a diverse group including administrators, advocates, physicians and nurses all dedicated to comprehensive and interdisciplinary breast care. If you are a survivor, patient, advocate, or professional, you are welcome to attend and become a part of our diverse group of dedicated breast care collaborators.