Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito knows the grief of losing family to cancer and the emotional toll of supporting someone you love through treatment. He lost his mother, mother-in-law and sister to cancer and has cared for his wife during treatment.
On Saturday, he will share his experiences at a Cancer Survivorship Summit at Nova Southeastern University in Davie.
The all-day event, hosted by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, will address life after diagnosis and look toward the future with a conversation on the status of cutting-edge cancer vaccines with Kristen Dahlgreen, founder of the Cancer Vaccine Coalition.
Speakers and medical experts also will examine the importance of early detection, debunk myths about genetic testing, and explore the lasting impact of pediatric cancer treatments. The summit will highlight policy proposals and delve into how funding cuts will affect cancer care in Florida.
“Like every other cancer patient, I had a specific course of treatment,” said Wasserman Schultz, a breast cancer survivor. “When I reached the end of my active treatment, I was thrown into the wilderness of cancer survivorship. I want to make sure cancer survivors have guideposts and information to know what to do throughout the rest of their lives as survivors.”
The future of cancer research and treatment will be highlighted, too. Speakers will address AI and immunology.
“The speakers are national and local because I want to make sure the people who live here in South Florida are easily able to access resources. This is not just for patients and former patients but also caregivers and family members,” Wasserman Schultz said.
A mobile clinic will be on-site for screenings, as well as a resource fair for information.
“Early detection was the key to my survival as a cancer patient,” Wasserman Schultz said. “My biggest concern right now is to prevent and reverse federal funding cuts to make sure people can get access to early detection so they can catch cancer early and survive it.”
Advance registration is required. The Cancer Survivorship Summit will be from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and you can register at https://dwscancersummit.eventbrite.com/.
South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.