Contact Information

Patients and Families Conference

Phone: 617-724-1822

Email: mghcancerconf@partners.org

For further information, or if you have questions, please call 617-724-1822 or email mghcancerconf@partners.org.

Explore the Patients and Families Conference

Overview

Join Mass General Cancer Center staff, clinicians and other individuals living with, through and beyond cancer. All Mass General Cancer Center current and past patients and their family members and friends are welcome to attend this free annual event.

The annual Patients and Families Conference is organized by the Cancer Center’s Network for Patients & Families and the Maxwell V. Blum Cancer Resource Program and is made possible by a grant from the Conquer Cancer Coalition of Massachusetts.

2022 Virtual Conference

Our 2022 Mass General Cancer Center Survivorship Conference was held virtually on June 23rd.

View conference flyer (pdf).

Speakers:

Ryan Sullivan, MD
Associate Director of the Melanoma Program at the Mass General Cancer Center & Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School

The past decade has seen a remarkable number of therapies lead to a dramatic improvement in survival for patients with advanced melanoma. Targeted therapies and immunotherapies are responsible for this improvement, but they can also impact survivorship. Dr. Sullivan will review key aspects of melanoma survivorship and potential issues related to these therapies, surgery, and radiation.

Giselle Perez, PhD
Clinical Health Psychologist at Mass General Hospital, Director of Adolescent & Young Adult Research, Director of the MGH Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors, & Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School

Dr. Perez will discuss the importance of attending to the post-treatment psychosocial needs of patients with cancer. She will summarize the Cancer Center’s current efforts to improve patients’ coping and resiliency after cancer treatment. She will also present next steps, including expanding clinical groups for adolescent and young adult survivors, METAvivors, and patients who are Spanish-speaking.

Moderator:

Jeffrey Peppercorn, MD, MPH
Survivorship and Supportive Care Director and Medical Oncologist in the Breast Center at Mass General Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School

 

2021 Videos

Our 2021 Mass General Cancer Center Survivorship Conference was held as a 3-part webinar series. View webinar videos below from the various sessions: Science Impacting Cancer Care: Translational Medicine and Supportive Care Research; Lifestyle Medicine Interventions; and Coping with Cancer and Managing Stress.

Cancer and its treatment can cause a considerable amount of stress for patients and their loved ones. Learn ways to cope during and after treatment, including looking at some stress-reducing apps. Featuring speakers Areej El-Jawahri, MD, Elyse R. Park, PhD, MPH.

Lifestyle medicine is the practice of adopting evidence-based lifestyle behaviors (such as regular exercise & healthy eating habits) to improve and sustain health. Learn more about how you can benefit in this webinar featuring Betsy O’Donnell, MD and Carol Sullivan, RD.

Science Impacting Cancer Care: Translational Medicine and Supportive Care Research. Learn about the latest, cutting-edge advances in this webinar featuring speakers Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH and Jennifer Temel, MD.

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2019 Conference Videos

Finding Your Place in the World after Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges. This conference addresses how Mass General Cancer Center is working to better recognize and combat traumatic thinking. You will be given tools and resources to help you find and maintain your emotional footing as you adapt to your new reality.

Executive Director Mara Bloom welcomes attendees and introduces Jeff Peppercorn, MD, Director of Survivorship and Supportive Care, who talks about the Cancer Center’s approach to treating the whole person.

Our emcee Billy Costa welcomes Justin Gainor, MD. Dr. Gainor provides an overview of immunotherapy and what we are doing at Mass General Cancer Center to push these therapies forward.

Oncology Social Workers Leanne Miller and Jennifer D’Alotto talk about their approaches to working with patients who exhibit traumatic thinking as part of their cancer experience.

Lifestyle Medicine Clinic Director Betsy O’Donnell, MD, talks about the importance of diet and exercise after a cancer diagnosis and how the clinic can help patients meet their needs.

Gisele Perez, PhD, sits down with Billy Costa to share techniques to strengthen your mind-body skills. She gives examples of how such skills can positively impact the cancer experience.

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2018 Conference Videos

Own Your Story: Creating Meaning from Your Cancer Experience. How do you create meaning within your cancer experience? We all have diverse ways of making our experiences meaningful. What else have others done to find a sense of meaning from their cancer experience? Learn from patients, caregivers, and care providers and connect with others as we discover new goals and possibilities together.

Executive Director Mara Bloom opens the day by discussing the wide array of supportive care tools at the Cancer Center. She acknowledges those who helped to make this event possible.

Matthew Frigault, MD gives an overview of CAR T-Cell Therapy and its impact on patients while also sharing Mass General Cancer Center initiatives that strive to advance and better understand this exciting treatment.

David Ryan, MD highlights two concepts from his book, co-authored with Dr. Vicki Jackson, titled "Living with Cancer: A Step by Step Guide for Coping Medically and Emotionally with a Serious Illness." (1) prognostic awareness and (2) how your idea of time after you were diagnosed with cancer.

Counselors across different disciplines come together to describe their work with patients, dispel misconceptions, and reflect the importance of making a connection with patients.

Mass General Cancer Center patients, who have worked with counselors on our provider panel, start off by introducing themselves.

Members of our panel share how they’ve found a sense of meaning in their cancer journeys. They talk about what matters most to them, how they have changed, and finish with advice they would give to someone newly diagnosed.

The panel answers questions from the audience.

Fill your heart with compassion, love, and wellness as Katrina Scott leads us in a guided meditation.

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2016 Conference Videos

Sustaining Hope and Cultivating Resilience: The Emotional Impact of Innovations in Cancer Therapies. This conference explored the impact of innovations on the patient experience as well as strategies for maintaining emotional balance through the ups and downs of treatment.

Executive Director Mara Bloom welcomes everyone, discusses the wide array of supportive care tools at the Cancer Center and acknowledges those who helped to make this event possible.

Krista Rubin, NP gives an overview of what immunotherapy is and how it is changing the face of cancer care while also acknowledging the challenges that both patients and providers face in the realm of immune therapy.

Lauren DeMarco addresses the many ways we cope and how we can adapt our coping styles to different situations and transitions when your life is affected by cancer.

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Cancer Survivorship

Learn about the resources and support that is available to help you manage all aspects of your life after your initial treatment is complete.

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Patient Stories

View inspiring cancer survivor stories from Mass General Cancer Center’s community of patients, families, and staff.

View stories

Supportive Care Services

Our support programs can help patients and their families cope with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.

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