IMER Announces Live Advanced Melanoma Webinar During a One-Day Conference for Community Physicians in Miami, Florida

NORTH MIAMI, FL, September 02, 2011 (Press-News.org) Community physicians, oncologists, dermatologists, pathologists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma are invited to join Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD, Ahmad Tarhini, MD, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Keith T. Flaherty, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania as they present the rationale behind new treatment approaches and give clarity surrounding the safety and efficacy of emerging agents.

Progress in our understanding of the unique biological aspects of melanoma and research advances with novel targeted agents will greatly influence melanoma treatment in 2011 and beyond. Besides expanding the treatment armamentarium, the availability of these new agents will begin to shift treatment for advanced disease from large academic centers to local hospitals, cancer care centers, and private practices. Clinicians at these facilities need to understand the latest efficacy and safety data for these agents, as well as how to manage their often unique side effects.

During the presentation, an overview of the basic science of melanoma will be provided, followed by the latest trial data on immunomodulatory antibodies, BRAF inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, antiangiogenic agents, and other investigational agents and novel combinations. Expert panel discussions will follow each didactic session and case studies will be included to highlight a diversity of clinical situations in the management of specific patient sub-populations.

By the end of this conference, participants should be better able to:

�EUR Identify the benefits and risks of the current standard of care for melanoma using chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy regimens
�EUR Describe the mechanisms of action of immunomodulatory agents and antibodies, BRAF and other targeted inhibitors, and antiangiogenic agents in the treatment of melanoma
�EUR Evaluate the efficacy data, unique toxicity profiles, and treatment response patterns of immunomodulatory antibodies
�EUR Assess the results of recent clinical studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of BRAF inhibitors, antiangiogenic agents, MEK inhibitors, and other investigational agents for the treatment of melanoma
�EUR Determine when to integrate novel targeted and immunomodulatory agents into current melanoma treatment paradigms or when to refer patients to a clinical trial
�EUR Assess the availability of currently accruing clinical trials and counsel patients accordingly
�EUR Describe the changing role of the community physician in the treatment of advanced melanoma

To register for this conference, please visit http://www.IMERonline.com/melanoma.

For healthcare professionals who are unable to attend this conference, you may participate in our live Webcast. For details, please visit http://imeronline.com/miamimelanoma.

This conference is jointly sponsored by the Institute for Medical Education & Research (IMER), the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM), and Mount Sinai Cancer Center. Jose Lutsky, MD, of the Mount Sinai Cancer Center will serve as the conference host.

The Institute for Medical Education and Research (IMER) is a dynamic and growing organization, who is a leader in continuing medical education (CME) / continuing education (CE) for physicians, nurses and other health professionals specializing in oncology. We provide accredited professional continuing education through a variety of live, online and print programs highlighting current research focusing primarily on oncology and hematology.