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John Shepherd (third from right) with organizers and presenters at the previous workshop.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in Hawaiʻi, where 155 women die annually because of breast cancer.

The latest breast cancer research from scientists around the world will be highlighted at the 10th International Breast Density & Cancer Risk Assessment Workshop June 7–9, 2023 at the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua–Kona. Topics will cover screening methods, next-generation imaging and clinical considerations of breast density.

abstract presentation

The conference is organized and co-chaired by University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center researcher John Shepherd, who is known for his work in quantitative imaging, particularly biomarkers from medical imaging using advanced machine learning techniques.

“Other than age, breast density is the strongest common risk factor for breast cancer,” said Shepherd. “This very successful workshop series is held in Hawaiʻi every two years to explore new findings and concepts that have occurred in this rapidly developing field.”

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration updated the Mammography Quality Standards Act to require mammography facilities to inform women about the density of their breasts. According to the National Cancer Institute, women with dense breasts have a higher risk of breast cancer than women with fatty breasts.

UH Cancer Center leads research on breast cancer risk and reducing advanced breast cancer stage rate among unique races and ethnicities in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific using breast imaging.

The three-day event will be of particular interest to breast cancer researchers, clinicians and advocates interested in risk factors from breast imaging and risk modeling. The international conference will include 16 speakers, oral presentations from abstract submissions and poster sessions.

Kimberly Bertrand, associate professor of medicine from Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, shared her experience attending a past workshop.

“The Breast Density & Cancer Risk Assessment Workshop offered me valuable opportunities to learn about emerging research in breast density and cancer risk prediction. I got to meet new people and build strong professional relationships in a highly collegial environment,” she said.

Bertrand is returning to the event as an invited speaker. Her presentation, titled “High Mammographic Density in Black Women: Determinants and Association with Breast Cancer,” is part of an added workshop section dedicated to disparity and underrepresented groups.

Learn more and register for the conference.

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Shepherd with medical oncologist and workshop presenter Per Hall.
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