Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for attending the 6th Conference of the Scientific Network on Female Sexual Health and Cancer! We at Duke University School of Medicine were thrilled to host the conference, held on the campus of the prestigious Duke Medical Center, adjacent to the Duke Cancer Institute. The goal of this year’s conference was to highlight the multidisciplinary nature of sexual health care. Cancer impacts multiple aspects of a woman’s life and every step, from diagnosis through all stages of treatment and on into survivorship, offers an opportunity to prevent and treat changes to sexual health which can have far-reaching implications into the lives of women living with, and beyond, cancer. The Scientific Network is dedicated to promoting research and developing tools for clinical use in this vital and underrepresented arena. The conference therefore highlighted speakers focusing on biopsychosocial aspects of sexual health, pain, how patient reported outcomes on sexual health are being incorporated into clinical trials, physical therapy interventions, and more.
In conjunction with the conference, the Scientific Network organized a half-day pre-conference CME program, with a goal of educating clinicians and providers interested in augmenting sexual health care at their own institutions. The pre-conference CME program, held on the morning of September 27, was geared towards physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and physical therapists who care for women with a history of cancer.
We hope the conference met your expectations and look forward to seeing you at future events hosted by the Scientific Network.
Kelly Westbrook, MD
Scientific Network Conference Planning Chair