FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Liza Helms
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Deidre Malone
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Ethical Symposium Hosted by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Tackles Today's Most Difficult Medical-Ethical Questions First of four sessions focuses on general ethics questions facing the medical community.
May 24, 1999, Memphis, Tenn. -- At the current pace of medical science, it is not hard to imagine a day when physicians will be able to determine whether or not an unborn child will die of breast cancer 50 years down the road. The questions having this knowledge raises are some of the most profound of our generation.
This week, the country's leading legal and theological experts together with top cancer researchers will convene to discuss these and other moral, ethical, religious and scientific questions at the "Ethical Boundaries in Cancer Genetics" symposium hosted by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee on May 26-29. The first plenary session, "Genetic Screening for Cancer Susceptibility" will be held at the Memphis Marriott-Downtown Hotel on May 27 from 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
"Genetic testing has tremendous potential to help patients take control of their own health. But we need to be sure we're prepared to ethically deal with issues that arise from this information and knowledge," said Thomas Murray, Ph.D., President of the Hastings Center in Garrison, NY and speaker and moderator of the conference's first plenary session. "I think this symposium will forward discussions on the ethical responsibilities placed on physicians, how they counsel their patients and how patients live with the knowledge that they may ultimately die of cancer."
Specific topics covered in this session include: * Harm/Benefit Assessment of Genetic Screening- explain the advantages and disadvantages of genetic testing and how to balance the two; explore whether specific kinds of genetic testing does more harm than good once patients have the results * Patient Well-Being and Informed Consent: The Impact of Genetic Screening for Cancer Susceptibility- explore informed consent, the idea that patients know and understand all hazards and benefits of a specific treatment method; discuss recent findings about what patients currently know and understand about genetic testing * Genetic Privacy and Discrimination: Health Insurance and Employment Problems for Persons With Genetic Susceptibility to Cancer- explore ways to protect privacy and stop insurance and workplace discrimination that can result from genetic testing; discuss whether genetic information is unique or similar to other information regarding our health.
The remaining sessions in the symposium include: Genetic Screening and Testing for Cancer Susceptibility in Special Contexts on May 27 from 1:30 - 5:00 p.m., Gene Therapy in Cancer Treatment and Prevention, on May 28 from 9:00 -11:45 a.m. and Theological Perspectives on Cancer Genetics and Gene Therapy on May 28 from 1:30 - 5:00 p.m.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas. The hospital is an internationally recognized biomedical research center dedicated to finding cures for catastrophic diseases of childhood. The hospital's work is supported through funds raised by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC). All St. Jude Hospital patients are treated regardless of their ability to pay. ALSAC covers all costs of treatment beyond those reimbursed by third party insurers, and total costs for families who have no insurance.
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