FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and Jackson International host doctors from around the globe to learn about innovative liver cancer treatment

Saturday, October 24, 2009

WHAT: Florida International University (FIU) and Jackson International host a “Radiomicrosphere Therapy” symposium, that brings together more than 200 oncologists from around the world to discuss an innovative liver cancer treatment that is prolonging and improving the quality of life for cancer patients.

Known as liver-directed Yttrium-90 radiomicrosphere selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), the Yttrium-90 microsphere therapy is a novel – and less invasive – approach for treating  liver cancer that selectively targets tumors with short range radiation, while sparing vital healthy liver tissue for the overall treatment.

During the one-day meeting, guest faculty will present their experiences with Yttrium-90 microspheres and discuss current and potential applications in treating patients with primary and secondary liver cancer.

WHO: Seza Gulec, M.D., F.A.C.S., head of the surgical and nuclear oncology programs at the FIU’s Wertheim College of Medicine and leading practitioner of this innovative treatment, will serve as conference director. Dr. Gulec is the first practitioner to bring this treatment to Miami-Dade.

WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 8 am to 5 pm

WHERE: Florida International University, Kovens Conference Center, 3000 N.E. 151st Street in Miami.

VISUAL/ INTERVIEWS: Leading interventional oncologist Dr. Seza Gulec will be available for interviews along with a former patient to discuss the benefits of this liver cancer treatment option.

More than 200 doctors from around the world will be learning about a novel treatment that is helping to extend the life of liver cancer patients.

Media contact: Lilyvania Mikulski at 305-448-3425.

-FIU-

About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, its 17 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. More than 100,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University”. In August 2009, FIU welcomed the inaugural class of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu.

About the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine:
The College of Medicine was approved in 2006 by the Florida Board of Governors and the Florida Legislature.  In 2008, it received preliminary accreditation by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education of the AAMC and admitted its first class in August 2009. Among the innovative elements of the FIU College of Medicine is a program called NeighborhoodHELP™, which will send medical students along with their counterparts in social work, nursing and public health, into the community. The FIU College of Medicine is expected to have a multi-billion-dollar economic impact on Miami-Dade County, bringing thousands of jobs to the area and eventually contributing millions to the state coffers every year. For more information visit http://medicine.fiu.edu/