Breast cancer survivors often have a lot of questions and concerns, and it’s not uncommon to face challenges during and after treatment. Oregon Cancer Foundation is hosting the second annual Topics in Breast Cancer mini conference on October 9 to provide breast cancer survivors with education and support.

“We have a group of fantastic experts lined up to present on a number of different topics,” says OCF executive director Amy Johnston. “We’ll be talking about financial toxicity, self-image, genetics, and advancements in breast cancer treatments. Our experts will also host a panel discussion at the end of the day to talk more in-depth about self-image and to answer questions.”

“There’s a lot to talk about once you’re a survivor,” says Andrea Wolf, the owner of Remember the Moon Boutique in Springfield and a certified mastectomy fitter who will be presenting on the topic of self-image at the conference. “Most breast cancer survivors have had or continue to have some sort of internal struggle with how they see themselves, their self-esteem or confidence. What I want women to know is that after breast cancer surgery of any kind, there are many different ways you can move forward in your life and feel good about yourself.”

“Our conference is not only educational, but also empowering,” says Katie Burke, OCF’s breast cancer resource coordinator. As a 13-year cancer survivor, Katie personally finds value in this annual conference. She says cancer, no matter what stage you are in, will always be a part of a survivor’s journey.

“Oftentimes as survivors, we don’t want to give our cancer more attention than it deserves; however, taking one day of the year to educate myself about what’s happening in the world of breast cancer, and knowing that I’m learning and empowering myself for the rest of the year, is so helpful,” Katie says.

The conference is designed for all breast cancer survivors, from the newly diagnosed to those who are years into their survivorship, and because it’s offered as a webinar, people from all over Oregon can participate.

“During our lunchtime break, participants have the opportunity to turn on their cameras and meet other survivors, so there is going to be a little bit of connection even despite being a virtual conference,” Katie adds.

Conference details

When: Saturday, October 9
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $25 per person. Scholarships are available.
Register now

Sessions begin on the hour and experts from the community will present on each topic for 35-40 minutes, followed by 15-20 minutes of Q & A. Participants can type their questions into the chat box.

If you’ve never attended a virtual conference before, no problem. Call 541-632-3654 and the Oregon Cancer Foundation staff will gladly answer any of your questions.

Amy says, “We want people to participate, to receive all the wonderful information our presenters have to offer to help breast cancer survivors continue their healing during this time when they may need some extra support.”