6th International Workshop on Breast Cancer Risk Assessment
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: This proposal is to provide major funding for the 6th International Breast Densitometry and Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Workshop. A high amount of dense breast tissue has been shown to be one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer, although the specific reason(s) for this is not known. Even though there has been recent California legislation to require the reporting of breast density to women undergoing mammography, there isn’t a consensus on how to report breast density to women or the best measure. Ideally, there would be guidelines on how best to measure breast density, what risk model to use that includes breast density to report breast cancer risk, as well as a standardized form to communicate this information. The reason for this lack of consensus is incomplete understanding of how different technologies that measure breast density relate to both mammographic sensitivity and breast cancer risk.
 
 
 
 
 
 The objectives of the two-day workshop are 100% devoted to breast cancer: 1) inform participants on the advances in quantifying breast density and non-density image features and how it relates to breast cancer detection and risk and cancer subtypes; 2) examine the biology of breast density, how it relates to breast cancer risk and how this knowledge may lead to better measurement of breast density; 3) explore methodologies of communicating breast cancer risk model that incorporate breast density as a risk factor in the model; and 4) provide expert feedback to policymakers regarding breast density. These goals are highly responsive to 3 of the 4 priority issue of the California Breast Cancer Research Program.
 
 
 
 
 
 Description of event structure and intended audience:
 
 
 
 The workshop is planned to be held on June 6-7, 2013 in San Francisco, CA at the Kabuki Conference Center. The Kabuki provides a large conference room and, when combined with the surrounding hotels, provides enough hotel space for the anticipated 150-200 attendees. There will be two days of talks consisting of approximately 10 internationally-recognized invited speakers, and 20 talks from the submitted abstracts. In addition, there will be a poster session both days to highlight research from the attendees. The three co-chairs, Drs. Shepherd, Kerlikowske, and Cummings, have hosted five previous breast densitometry workshops together and have unique contributions to the organization of the program. The grant will be used to directly fund invited leaders in the field from around the world by providing travel and accommodations reimbursement.
 
 
 
 
 
 Innovative elements of the event and potential to generate new ideas/facilitate collaboration:
 
 
 
 The unique structure of the workshop includes active participations from advocates, basic and clinical researchers, state policymakers and disseminates it results freely on the web. The outcomes of the workshop will be two-fold: 1) to increase research opportunities for California breast cancer researchers with international experts on this important and unmet need, and 2) to increase consensus around the methods and reporting of breast density in the clinical setting. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Advocacy involvement:
 
 
 
 The investigators work closely with breast cancer advocates through several sources including the UCSF’s Breast Cancer Oncology Program 
 
 (http://cancer.ucsf.edu/_docs/breast_spore/Fall2006.pdf), Dr. Love’s Army of women 
 
 (http://dslrf.org/actwithlove/), and the Breast Density Advocacy website (http://areyoudenseadvocacy.org/). Our conference will be open to attendance from representatives of any of these advocacy groups. Furthermore, we will post written summaries on each of the above websites of all workshop talks and discussions with an overall summary from the workshop chairs. last year we distributed a written summary to the mailing list of the advocacy. Lastly, we will have an advocate, chosen from those involved in the recent political movement around breast density reporting, serve on the program committee, give an opening “why we are here” introduction, and serve on the panel discussion at the conclusion of the meeting.