UMN, Minnesota cancer experts, community members partner to put an end to cancer

MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, Minn., June 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Masonic Cancer Center and University of Minnesota Health co-host the Minnesota Cancer Moonshot Summit today, supporting Vice President Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot Summit in Washington, D.C.

The Minnesota summit will be the first time in history that dozens of community partners, state legislators, research collaborators and clinical colleagues will convene under one roof to work toward the same goal: to achieve a decade's worth of cancer research and treatment advances in half the time.

The event is one of hundreds happening nationwide, and more than 550 participants and 20 panelists are discussing and reflecting on the National Cancer Moonshot initiative, and its impact on stakeholders locally, regionally and nationally.

Panel discussions at the all-Minnesota event will also include cancer prevention and health disparities, viral and immune therapies, clinical trials and patient advocacy. The panelists are researchers, community members and legislators all invested in identifying and advancing potential collaborations and ideas related to cancer. Following the summit, a summary of the suggestions and topics will be shared with the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative and National Cancer Institute, informing the national next steps in this bold challenge.

"Minnesotans are some of the healthiest and most community-oriented in the nation, and the robust conversations and attendance at the Minnesota Cancer Moonshot Summit are a testament to this," said Douglas Yee, M.D., director of the Masonic Cancer Center and oncologist with University of Minnesota Health. "We are proud of the work we do at the University of Minnesota and the Masonic Cancer Center. By focusing on prevention, novel therapies, and clinical trials, we utilize a unique breadth of disciplines in this fight against cancer."

Yee is in attendance at the Vice President's Moonshot Summit in Washington, D.C. during the Minnesota event, participating and contributing to the conversation and highlighting the work at the Masonic Cancer Center and throughout Minnesota.

"Collaboration is key to the success of the Cancer Moonshot initiative," said Yee. "By taking this opportunity to connect on strengths and identify the resources we need, we are setting the course for unprecedented discovery."

For more details and information, including the schedule and panelists, visit z.umn.edu/mnmoonshotsummit and follow along at Twitter by following @UMN_Cancer or #MNMoonshot.

Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota is a Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute. For more than 25 years, researchers, educators, and care providers have worked to discover the causes, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer and cancer-related disease. Learn more about the Masonic Cancer Center at cancer.umn.edu.

Contact: Jennifer Hedtke, Masonic Cancer Center, 612.624.5005, [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160628/384667LOGO

SOURCE Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

Related Links

http://www.cancer.umn.edu