From the CURE magazine staff I would first like to ask that others who attened the meeting might want to post their responses and give a broader view of the session and overall weekend.
This was not a weekend only about new medical discoveries, especially when the cancer is as difficult as lung cancer especially for small cell.
As a survivor, I understand the frustation you must be facing. Having gone through advanced cancer with many friends and family, I do know the pain of hearing that there are limited options.
The personal response to Dr. Belani is entirely your right. As to his credentials, Dr. Belani has been voted among the best Doctors in America continuously since 1998 and won the Cora and John Davidson Founation Award for Lung Cancer Research. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Clinical Lung Cancer, and Editor of the medical journal Chest. He is a reviewer for 8 other medical journals. He has spoken at more than 70 national and international conferences.
What also happened that the readers of your responses will not see due to your limited explanation of the weekend, is that the others at the conference found new knowledge in general cancer education, supportive areas like pain, anemia and fatigue and a number of related issues such as familial risk, end of life issues, dealing with metastatice disease, sexuality, young adults issues, eating healthily in treatment, spirituality and personal journies that give hope and humor.
The evaluations from other participants in the session were all good to excellent. The major complaint was that there was not enough time for quesions, an issue that has come up with other sessions and one that we will rectify next year.
I will personally refund your $100. All I ask is that those of you who might have thought about attending one of our conferences in the future, come and see for yourself.
Again this is not to engage in dialog, but only to present a balanced picture of the meeting.
We appreciate your feedback and truly hope that you and your wife find the answers you are seeking. We wish you the very best of luck in your cancer journey.
Kathy LaTour
Senior Editor
CURE Magazine
