2008 American Society Of Breast Disease Pathfinder Lectures

The 2008 American Society of Breast Disease Pathfinder Lectures will be
delivered by two giants in the field of breast cancer - Mary-Claire King,
PhD, and Bernard Fisher, MD. The Pathfinder Lectures will be part of the
Society's Annual Symposium, April 10-12, 2008, at the Hilton San Diego
Resort, San Diego, California.


In announcing the recipients of the ASBD's only honorary recognition,
Society president Julio A. Ibarra, MD, noted that "through their research
and vision this year's honorees -- Mary-Claire King and Bernard Fisher --
have set the highest of standards and benefited the lives of millions of
women internationally."


Mary-Claire King is Professor of Medicine and Genetics and an American
Cancer Society professor at the University of Washington. She is best known
for discovering that BRCA1 mutations can cause hereditary breast cancer.
Dr. King's work changed historic views by finding a genetic marker for the
existence of BRCA1, which made possible gene location, testing, screening
and prophylactic procedures. Dr. King received her doctorate from the
University of California, Berkeley, where she taught from 1976 until 1995
before moving to the University of Washington.


Bernard Fisher, MD, is a recognized pioneer in the biology and treatment of
breast cancer. He was recently honored by the University of Pittsburgh,
where he serves as distinguished service professor of surgery and scientific
director of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, which
he chaired from 1967 to 1994. Dr. Fisher work has led to an understanding of
breast cancer as a systemic disease that metastasizes unpredictably, and
that can be treated with a combination of conservative local treatment and
systemic therapy.


Established in 2006, the Pathfinder Lectures recognizes the innovators
worldwide who have combined research and clinical practice with an
interdisciplinary understanding to advance the fight against breast disease
and breast cancer. Previous recipients have included Ambassador Nancy
Brinker; Patricia Ganz, MD; Jay Harris, MD; Gabriel Hortobagyi, MD; Daniel
Kopans, MD; David Page, MD; Melvin Silverstein, MD; Laszlo Tabar, MD; and
Umberto Veronesi, MD.


About the American Society of Breast Disease


The American Society of Breast Disease is the leading professional medical
society in the United States to serve all physicians and allied
professionals committed to and advocating an interdisciplinary team approach
to breast cancer and disease management, prevention, early detection,
treatment, and research. The Society provides professional education
programs and advocates for improvements in breast healthcare.

American Society of Breast Disease