CAPE GIRARDEAU HOSTS WEEKEND CANCER SYMPOSIUM

The screening, diagnosis and treatment of prostate and breast cancer cancers that this year will strike 122,000 men and 175,000 women will be the focus of the 1991 Fall Cancer Symposium this weekend.

The annual event will be held at the Show Me Center and is sponsored by the Regional Cancer Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Physicians from throughout the region are expected to attend the symposium, which will include in-depth discussions on breast and prostate cancer as well as informal round table discussions on a number of topics.

Nancy Mattingly, cancer program coordinator at the Regional Cancer Center, said the symposium is designed for primary care physicians. Last year about 100 physicians and a number of nurses from Missouri and Illinois attended the two-day meeting.

Visiting faculty for the symposium include Mark S. Austenfeld, M.D., assistant professor of urology and director of urologic oncology at the University of Kansas in Kansas City; and Gary Spitzer, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the division of bone marrow transplantation, oncology and hematology at St. Louis University Medical Center.

Austenfeld will discuss the screening, diagnosis and surgical management of prostate cancer, while Spitzer will talk about bone marrow transplants.

Six Cape Girardeau physicians will have presentations dealing with breast cancer: Tommy E. Cupples, radiology; Mark W. Hosler, pathology; C.P. McGinty, surgery; Joseph P. Miller, radiation oncology; Stanley D. Sides, hematology-oncology; Brock P. Whittenberger, hematology-oncology. Dix R. Morgan M.D. will talk about prostate cancer.

A panel discussion and case presentations will conclude Saturday's activities.

On Sunday, physicians will choose from among four roundtable discussions. These include the use of lasers in gynecological cancer moderated by Scot G. Pringle, M.D., obstetrics and gynecology; an update on cancer screening guidelines moderated by Michael C. Wulfers, M.D., family practice; immunotherapy and biological modifiers moderated by Stanley D. Sides, M.D., hematology-oncology; and advanced directives (the Danforth Law) moderated by Ray Otto, director of pastoral care at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Mattingly said breast and prostate cancer were chosen as the focus of the 1991 symposium both because of the number of American affected by those kinds of cancer and because of the continuing advances in treating them.

"About one out of nine women will develop breast cancer at some time during her life," Mattingly said. "That figure used to be one out of 11 women. Breast cancer is now the foremost site of cancer deaths in women. In fact, the breast cancer death toll just this year 45,500 women will claim more American lives than the Korean and Vietnam wars.

"Some 32,000 men will die this year from prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among American men. Through symposiums like this one, physicians can share information about current diagnostic and treatment techniques and hear about developing treatment concepts."

Southeast made its commitment to cancer care more than 20 years ago. Today the Regional Cancer Center services include a 26-unit nursing unit in the hospital, an outpatient treatment facility separate from the hospital, a full range of physician specialists in medical, surgical and radiation oncology; a guest house facility for patients undergoing outpatient cancer therapy and a Hospice program available through Southeast's Regional Home Health Services.