Join us for Hodgkin’s International Symposium on Long-Term Survivorship: Instilling Hope and Advocating for Change!
This is a wonderful and unique opportunity to meet others who have a common bond in being treated years, even decades earlier. Celebrate survivorship and learn about the late effects of treatment from world-renown speakers. Make new friends, connect with those you may have “met” (but maybe not in person), learn how to advocate for yourself in the survivorship world, and explore the wonderful city of Boston!
World-renowned medical experts will present important information about:
- common and serious late effects that survivors deal with–such as pulmonary and cardiac disease, secondary cancers, and radiation fibrosis;
- psychosocial issues of being long-term cancer survivors
- ways in which you can be involved in cancer survivorship advocacy.
Location
Boston Park Plaza Hotel
50 Park Plaza at Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02116 US
Date & Time
Friday, June 7, 2024
6:00-8:00 pm
Saturday, June 8, 2024
7:30 am-4:00 pm symposium
6:00-9:00 pm dinner
Sunday, June 9, 2024
Touring Boston and gathering for good-byes
Find out more about the 2024 symposium
Select from the links below to learn more about this year’s conference.
Schedule of Activities • Speakers and Panelists • FAQs • Registration • Sponsors • Places to Stay and Visit
Schedule of Activities
Friday, June 7, 2024
6:00-8:00 pm: Check in with Hodgkin’s International (Georgian Foyer)
Welcome reception for survivors and their guests (Arlington/Berklee/Clarendon)
Saturday, June 8, 2024
7:30-8:30 am: Check in with Hodgkin’s International for Saturday Symposium (Georgian Foyer)
Continental Breakfast Buffet (Arlington/Berkley)
8:30 am: Morning Program Begins (Georgian)
8:30-8:45 am: Welcome Remarks
Erin Cummings, MSW, LCSW and Tess Nowell, MD, Co-Chairs, Hodgkin’s International
8:45-9:30 am: “The State of Cancer Survivorship (with a focus on the NCI portfolio of Hodgkin lymphoma research)”
Keynote speaker, Dr. Emily Tonorezos, MD, MPH, National Cancer Institute
9:30-9:45 am: Q&A with Dr. Emily Tonorezos
9:45-10:15 am: “Caring for Survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma: It Really Does Take a Village”
Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov, MD, MPH, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
10:15-10:30 am: Morning break (Arlington/Berkley)
10:30-11:00 am: Survivorship Perspective (Title of talk TBA)
Erin Cummings
11:00-11:45 am: (Title subject TBA)
Panel #1 featuring Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov, Erin Cummings, and two cancer survivors, Sophia Smith moderating
11:45 am-12:45 pm: Lunch break (on-site)
12:45 pm: Afternoon Program Begins (Georgian)
12:45-1:30 pm: “Reflections on 30 Years of Providing Care for Hodgkin Survivors”
Keynote speaker, Dr. Kevin Oeffinger, Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) Center for Onco-Primary Care
1:30-1:45 pm: Q&A with Dr. Kevin Oeffinger
1:45-2:15 pm: “Living Well Beyond Cancer – The Role of Comprehensive Cancer Rehabilitation in Restoring Function and Quality of Life to Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors”
Dr. Michael Stubblefield, ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation at Select Medical
2:15-2:30 pm: Afternoon Break
2:30-3:00 pm: (Title of talk TBA)
Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
3:00-3:45 pm: (Title Subject TBA)
Panel #2 featuring Dr. Michael Stubblefield, Shelley Fuld Nasso, and 2 survivors, Tess Nowell moderating
3:45-4:00 pm: Closing Remarks
Erin Cummings and Tess Nowell
6:00-9:00 pm: Dinner and Hodgkin’s International Honor of Excellence awards
- The 2024 Hodgkin’s International Honor of Excellence (Survivor/Advocate) awarded to Susan Leigh, BSN, RN-Retired: The Hodgkin’s International Honor of Excellence acknowledges a cancer survivor and/or advocate who has made remarkable contributions and has inspired positive change within the cancer survivor community.
- The 2024 Hodgkin’s International Honor of Excellence (Provider) awarded to Kevin Oeffinger: This honor celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to improving the lives of cancer survivors and to advancing the science and practice of survivorship care.
Sunday, June 9, 2023
Explore Boston or make plans with fellow survivors!
Please Note: In choosing our speakers and topics, we have endeavored to address some of the most pressing issues for long-term cancer survivors. They include:
- addressing the late and long-term effects of earlier treatments (cardiac and pulmonary disease, subsequent cancers, anxiety, depression, radiation fibrosis, and chronic fatigue)
- advances in patient-focused survivorship care
- models of survivorship care
- collaborating with primary care physicians
- survivorship research
- advocacy and cancer survivorship
This schedule may change over the next several months, but we will keep you updated at all times.
Hodgkin’s International is honored to have several of the top clinicians and experts in the field of cancer survivorship join us for our conference.
Dr. Kevin Oeffinger is a family physician, the founding Director of the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) Center for Onco-Primary Care, the Director of the DCI Cancer Supportive Care and Survivorship Center, and Professor of Medicine with Tenure in the Division of Medical Oncology in the Department of Medicine. The four-fold mission of the Center for Onco-Primary Care are to: (1) deliver evidence-based, patient-centered health care across the cancer continuum by enhancing the interface between cancer specialists and primary care clinicians; (2) conduct innovative research with cutting-edge technology that can be translated to the community setting; (3) train and educate clinicians and researchers to extend this mission; and (4) generate policy leading to practice redesign.
Dr. Oeffinger has served as a clinician caring for Hodgkin lymphoma survivors for over 30 years. He has also led several studies supported by the National Cancer Institute aimed at improving the long-term health of Hodgkin lymphoma survivors.
Emily S. Tonorezos, MD, MPH, serves as director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, part of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In this position, Dr. Tonorezos leads NCI’s efforts to address the challenges facing cancer survivors and their families – to prevent or mitigate adverse effects and to improve the health and well-being of cancer survivors from the time of diagnosis through the remainder of their lives.
Dr. Tonorezos came to NCI from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Weill Cornell Medical College, both in New York, NY, where she served as director of the Adult Long-Term Follow-Up Program for survivors of childhood and young adult cancers. Her research, which has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the American Institute of Cancer Research, and others, focuses on cardiometabolic consequences of cancer therapy, childhood and young adult cancer survivorship, diet and nutrition, and care coordination for this population. She serves as Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus Silo leader for the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines and as co-leader of the International Guideline Harmonization Group for the metabolic syndrome. She also has served on the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Committee on Childhood Cancer and Disability and on the Cancer Survivorship Committee, the Adolescent and Young Adult Task Force, and the Clinical Guideline Committee for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). In addition, Dr. Tonorezos led a recent international effort to develop recommendations for adult survivors of heritable retinoblastoma.
Dr. Tonorezos earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed internal medicine residency and chief residency at Columbia University Medical Center, as well as a general internal medicine fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP, is CEO of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, where she advocates to transform the cancer care system for everyone touched by cancer. NCCS engages in public policy efforts to improve cancer care and empowers cancer survivors and caregivers to be a voice in public policy debates. Prior to joining NCCS in 2013, she led public policy efforts at Susan G. Komen. She is a graduate of Rice University and the Harvard Kennedy School. She advocates in honor of her dear friend, Dr. Brent Whitworth, a beloved physician who died of cancer at the age of 43.
After receiving her degree in nursing from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1969, Susan Leigh served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Seven months after completing a tour of duty in the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and treated with some of the earliest forms of chemotherapy and radiation. This experience influenced her decision to enter the newly founded field of oncology nursing and began this phase of her career working as a research nurse in the new Department of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Arizona Medical Center.
For the past 35 years, Susan has focused her efforts on national advocacy work with special emphasis on the long-term and late effects of cancer treatment. Her most cherished involvement has been with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) as a founding member and past president. She has also been actively involved with many professional organizations, including the Oncology Nursing Society and the National Cancer Institute.
Susan also worked as a Survivorship consultant and educator with Arizona Oncology, a multi-site community practice in Tucson, until multiple treatment-related cardiac complications made it difficult to fulfill work obligations and accelerated her decision to retire.
In addition to surviving Hodgkin lymphoma (1972), she has also been treated for breast cancer (1991), bladder cancer (1995), and, more recently, targeted radiation therapy for early-stage lung cancer (2016). Also, since 2013 she has been dealing with multiple cardiac issues that are considered fallout from her original cancer treatments. Meanwhile, she continues to promote awareness about the challenges of surviving cancer, and advocates for survivorship care planning and continual, systematic follow-up of long-term survivors.
This past October, Susan was the successful recipient of a new aortic valve through the TAVR procedure (transcatheter aortic valve replacement). This has been a life-saving medical procedure for long-term cancer survivors who are ineligible for open heart surgery.
Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and is a practicing internist at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. She is Clinical Director, Internal Medicine for Cancer Survivors at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where she offers clinical care for long-term survivors of childhood and adult cancers. Dr. Nekhlyudov is particularly interested in improving the care of cancer survivors and the interplay between primary and oncology care. She has been at the forefront of the field of cancer survivorship, nationally and internationally, by leading and participating in the development of survivorship care policies and clinical guidelines, educational programs, and research. Throughout her career, Dr. Nekhlyudov has been committed to educating and empowering cancer survivors and their caregivers.
Dr. Michael D. Stubblefield is the Medical Director for Cancer Rehabilitation at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, National Medical Director for Select Medical’s ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation Program and National Medical Director for Complex Medical Rehabilitation for Select Medical’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital Division. He is the former Chief of Cancer Rehabilitation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Internal Medicine, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. His primary clinical expertise is in the identification, evaluation, and rehabilitation of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, pain, and functional disorders resulting from cancer and its treatment, particularly those caused by radiation and neurotoxic chemotherapy.
Dr. Stubblefield is an accomplished researcher who has published extensively, not only in the rehabilitation literature, but in oncology, pain management, palliative care, neurophysiology, and other journals. He has authored numerous review articles and book chapters in the field of cancer rehabilitation and is the editor of Cancer Rehabilitation: Principles and Practice, the only comprehensive textbook in this emerging field now in its second edition. Dr. Stubblefield is a fierce advocate for the development of cancer rehabilitation and survivorship programs and champions their role in restoring function and quality of life to cancer patients.
Hodgkin’s International is pleased to welcome the following panelists and Hodgkin lymphoma survivors. Each one is inspirational, and together they represent the widely diverse and unique experiences of many long-term survivors.
Anastasia was diagnosed with stage 2B Bulky HL at the age of 24 in 2009 and treated with ABVD. After a battle with Bleomycin Toxicity that left doctors divided on whether consolidative radiation should be used, Anastasia opted for Proton Therapy, enrolling in a research study and becoming the first patient to receive her treatment in all protons at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute.
Today, Anastasia works as a Real Estate Broker and is a self-published author. She is happily married with two daughters ages 7 and 10. She is passionate about Hodgkin’s advocacy, sobriety, and thanking God for every experience.
Anastasia has already made significant contributions to the survivorship world and to our organization in particular. She has been instrumental in creating our TikTok site and has populated it with educational and inspiring posts. As a younger survivor, Anastasia’s voice and experience is crucial in understanding the needs of ALL Hodgkin’s survivors.
Stan Barta was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at age 13, fifty years ago. Five years of surgery, Cobalt radiation, and MOPP chemotherapy lead him to complete remission, just in time for high school graduation.
This was followed by 30 years of good health, travel adventures, sailing, and boat-building. When Stan and his wife Cathi adopted two toddler boys from Thailand, they moved the whole family to their tug/trawler, where Stan became the “at home parent,” home-schooling his sons aboard ship. The family had numerous maritime escapades in the coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia.
Stan began to experience late effects about ten years ago. He credits Dr. Michael Stubblefiled’s vigilance with preventing him from having a fatal heart attack. Stan was diagnosed with “advanced radiation-induced coronoary artery disease” (CAD), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and cardiac cachexia.
Stan used to lament the things he can no longer do, due to fatigue and shortness of breath. With the help of a palliative care therapist, he has turned to exploring what he CAN be, and what his true values are.
Many will remember Stan’s wonderful talk on Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, presented via Zoom last year. If you missed it, you can watch it here via our Hodgkin’s International YouTube channel.
After receiving her degree in nursing from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1969, Susan Leigh served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Seven months after completing a tour of duty in the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and treated with some of the earliest forms of chemotherapy and radiation. This experience influenced her decision to enter the newly founded field of oncology nursing and began this phase of her career working as a research nurse in the new Department of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Arizona Medical Center.
For the past 35 years, Susan has focused her efforts on national advocacy work with special emphasis on the long-term and late effects of cancer treatment. Her most cherished involvement has been with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) as a founding member and past president. She has also been actively involved with many professional organizations, including the Oncology Nursing Society and the National Cancer Institute.
Susan also worked as a Survivorship consultant and educator with Arizona Oncology, a multi-site community practice in Tucson, until multiple treatment-related cardiac complications made it difficult to fulfill work obligations and accelerated her decision to retire.
Dr. Sholi is the regional director for UPMC Hillman cancer center in north-central Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the University of Jordan medical school and did his residency in Internal medicine at a Temple University community program, the Scranton Temple Residency Program.
He completed his hematology and oncology fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2003. Dr. Sholi practiced hematology and oncology in private practice and in hospital-based practice and finally joined UPMC Hillman cancer center in 2019.
He is also a survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma.
Dr. Sholi was diagnosed in 1989 with stage IIB Hodgkin’s lymphoma and received chemotherapy and radiation treatment at the Royal Marsden cancer center in Surrey , England.
He looks forward to sharing his personal story, from diagnosis, through treatment and completing medical school as well as post graduate training and how it shaped his life as an Oncologist. He would like also to discuss long term complications of treatments of Hodgkin lymphoma and how to cope with that risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the conference is not limited to Hodgkin’s survivors. It is open to anyone, and certainly all cancer survivors, regardless of their diagnosis. We also encourage medical professionals, students, cancer advocates, and caretakers to attend, especially those interested in understanding the late and long-term effects of earlier cancer treatments.
Absolutely! Guests are welcome to attend the full conference, and will also need to register completely in order for us to adequately cover costs.
Yes. You are welcome to join us for the day on Saturday, the 8th. We will provide a boxed lunch as well as coffee and snacks throughout the day. The registration fee remains the same: $200 per person.
Hodgkin’s International is primarily an all-volunteer team operating on a tight budget. Our non-refundable policy ensures we can provide the best experience at the lowest cost, as it helps us make accurate arrangements with our vendors.
However, we recognize life can be unpredictable. While fees are non-refundable, they are transferrable. Should you be unable to attend, you can transfer your registration to another person, donate it to someone who may not be able to afford to attend or apply it as a tax-deductible donation to Hodgkin’s International.
Our goal isn’t profit but to break even while delivering a valuable conference experience. We appreciate your understanding and truly hope you join us. If you have further questions or concerns, please let us know.
Hodgkin’s International has arranged for a special rate on a block of rooms at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza Hotel, conveniently co-located with the conference. It is centrally located in downtown Boston, just a block from the Public Gardens and close to many tourist attractions. Do book early as these reduced-rate rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Absolutely! Please see below for a list of places to visit in Boston.
Hodgkin’s International will be updating information about the weekend on this website as well as on our Facebook Page. For specific questions not addressed here please email us at erincummings@hodgkinsinternational.org and we will do our best to help.
Registration is open!
Our event will create an environment that fosters connection, education, and empowerment by celebrating survivorship, developing a sense of community through the common bond of experience and showing survivors how to become their own effective advocates out in the world.
Thank You to Our 2024 Symposium Sponsors
The following organizations’ generous sponsorship has helped make this year’s conference a reality.
Places to Stay in Boston
Boston Park Plaza
50 Park Plaza at Arlington Street, Boston, MA
Attendees can call (617) 203-7165 and identify themselves as part of the Hodgkin’s International Long-Term Survivorship symposium to book rooms. Alternatively, attendees can click on the booking link below to register. Select “attendee” from the menu when prompted. The dates of the conference and the name of our organization will be listed by default.
Booking link
Places to Visit in Boston on June 7-9, 2024
- Freedom Trail: This 2.5-mile-long path takes you to 16 historically significant sites, including the Massachusetts State House and its infamous gold dome, Paul Revere’s House, the Old North Church, the USS Constitution, and Bunker Hill. Paul Revere’s House and the Old North Church are located in the North End of Boston, home to many well-known Italian restaurants and bakeries. The USS Constitution, also known as “Old Ironsides,” is the oldest commissioned warship afloat. It is located in Charlestown, within a few blocks of the Bunker Hill Memorial.
- Beacon Hill: One of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods, Beacon Hill is known for its narrow cobblestone streets, brick sidewalks, gas lamps, and elegant federal-style homes. There are numerous small shops, bookstores, and cafes to explore. A “must-see” is the famous “Acorn Street,” one of the most picturesque streets in Massachusetts.
- Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market: A historic marketplace where you can enjoy live street performances, shop, and taste a variety of foods.
- New England Aquarium: Located on the waterfront, it offers marine exhibits including a massive four-story ocean tank.
- Boston Common: America’s oldest public park. It’s a great place to relax, take a stroll, or enjoy one of the many concerts and cultural events held there.
- Boston Public Garden: Adjacent to Boston Common, it’s home to the famous Swan Boats and features beautiful flora.
- King’s Chapel and Burying Ground: One of the oldest graveyards in Boston.
- The Granary Burying Ground: The final resting place for several notable historical figures including Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams.
- Black Heritage Trail: A 1.6 mile walk through Beacon Hill, highlighting the history of the “North Slope” of Boston as a thriving Black community during the foundation of our nation.
- New England Holocaust Memorial: Located near Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market on the Freedom Trail, the memorial’s striking glass towers represent six major Nazi death camps.
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum: Offers an interactive experience about the Boston Tea Party event.
- Rose Kennedy Greenway: A string of parks and gardens that replaced the former elevated freeway. It has fountains, food trucks, art installations, and more.
- Rowes Wharf: A part of Boston’s waterfront where you can catch a harbor cruise or just enjoy the view.
- Boston Harborwalk: A scenic walking path along the water, offering views of the city and sea.
- Fenway Park: Home to the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park looks very much as it did when it was built in 1912. Deemed “America’s most beloved park,” it is one of the most popular attractions in Boston.
- Skywalk Observatory: Located in the Prudential Center, this is an indoor observatory. Elevators take you to the top, where you can have panoramic views of Boston without any walking required.
- Boston Public Library: Located in Copley Square, the library is accessible, and you can take in the architecture and murals with minimal walking.
- Charles River Esplanade: Just two short blocks from the Public Garden, a pedestrian bridge brings visitors to this beautiful park and walkway that spans both sides of the Charles River and is home to the Hatch Shell, home to the Boston Pops Orchestra and the hub of annual July 4th celebrations.
- Back Bay: Built on the site of a small saltwater bay and adjacent to the Public Garden, Back Bay encompasses the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Newbury Street, and several of the most popular tourist sites in Boston.
- Cambridge: Just across the Charles River from Back Bay, the city of Cambridge is home to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as the lively, eclectic area of Harvard Square.
- Museums
- Museum of Fine Arts: Offers wheelchairs at no extra charge and is equipped with elevators.
- Isabella Steward Gardner Museum: Next to the Museum of Fine Arts, this fantastic private collection of fine art also houses an indoor garden as well as one of the most spectacular music venues in the city.
- Institute of Contemporary Art: Located on the waterfront, this museum offers modern design with accessibility.
Things to do in Boston that don’t require walking:
- Duck Tours: These unique vehicles, which are both buses and boats, allow you to see many of Boston’s major landmarks without needing to walk. They drive around the city and then splash into the Charles River for a boat tour.
- Trolley Tours: Companies like Old Town Trolley offer hop-on-hop-off tours of the city. This allows you to see many attractions from the comfort of the trolley and choose which ones you might want to explore more closely.
- Boston Harbor Cruises: Enjoy the city from the water. These boats are typically equipped to handle wheelchairs and offer seating so you can relax and enjoy the view.
For additional activities, visit Meet Boston.
This event represents a long-awaited dream for us. After years of feeling isolated and adrift, the prospect of finally embracing one another is not only inspiring but miraculous.
