[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 15406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7815]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


State-of-the-Science Conference on Symptom Management in Cancer: 
Pain, Depression, and Fatigue

    Notice is hereby given of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
State-of-the-Science Conference on ``Symptom Management in Cancer: 
Pain, Depression, and Fatigue'' to be held July 15-17, 2002, in the NIH 
Natcher Conference Center, 45 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. 
The conference will begin at 8 a.m. on July 15 and 16, and at 9 a.m. on 
July 17 and will be open to the public.
    While research is producing increasingly hopeful insights into the 
causes and cures of cancer, efforts to manage the side effects of the 
disease and its treatments have not kept pace. Evidence suggests that 
pain, for example, is frequently under-treated in the oncology setting.
    In the past three decades, scientific discoveries have transformed 
cancer from a usually fatal disorder to a curable illness for some and 
a chronic disease for many more. With this shift has come a growing 
optimism about the future, but also a growing appreciation of the human 
costs of cancer care. As patients live longer with cancer, concern is 
growing about both the health-related quality of life of those 
diagnosed with cancer and the quality of care they receive. The 
challenge that faces us is how to increase awareness about the 
importance of recognizing and actively addressing cancer-related 
distress when it occurs. Specifically, we need to be able to identify 
who is at risk for cancer-related pain, depression, and/or fatigue; 
what treatments work best to address these symptoms when they occur; 
and how best to deliver interventions across the continuum of care.
    This two-and-a-half-day conference will examine the current state 
of knowledge regarding the management of pain, depression and fatigue 
in individuals with cancer and identify directions for future research.
    During the first day-and-a-half of the conference, experts will 
present the latest research findings on cancer symptom management to an 
independent non-Federal panel. After weighing all of the scientific 
evidence, the panel will draft a statement, addressing the following 
key questions:
     What is the occurrence of pain, depression, and fatigue, 
alone and in combination, in people with cancer?
     What are the methods used for clinical assessment of these 
symptoms throughout the course of cancer, and what is the evidence for 
their reliability and validity in cancer patients?
     What are the treatments for cancer-related pain, 
depression, and fatigue, and what is the evidence for their 
effectiveness?
     What are the impediments to effective symptom management 
in people diagnosed with cancer, and what are optimal strategies to 
overcome these impediments?
     What are the directions for future research?
    On the final day of the conference, the panel chairperson will read 
the draft statement to the conference audience and invite comments and 
questions. A press conference will follow, to allow the panel and 
chairperson to respond to questions from the media.
    The primary sponsors of this meeting are the National Cancer 
Institute and the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research. Co-
sponsors of the meeting are: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute of 
Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the National Institute of 
Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Nursing Research 
(NINR), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 
(NINDS), and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative 
Medicine (NCCAM).
    Advance information about the conference and conference 
registration materials may be obtained from AIR Prospect Center of 
Silver Spring, Maryland, by calling 301-592-3320 or by sending e-mail 
to [email protected]>. AIR Prospect Center's address is 
10720 Columbia Pike, Suite 500, Silver Spring, Maryland 20901-4437. A 
conference agenda and registration information are also available on 
the NIH Consensus Program Web site at http://consensus.nih.gov>.

    Please Note: The NIH has recently instituted new security 
measures to ensure the safety of NIH employees and property. All 
visitors must be prepared to show a photo ID upon request. Visitors 
may be required to pass through a metal detector and have bags, 
backpacks, or purses inspected or x-rayed as they enter NIH 
buildings. Conference attendees may want to leave extra bags or 
personal materials at their hotel to minimize the time needed for 
inspection. For more information about the new security measures at 
NIH, please visit the Web site at http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorssecurity.htm>.


    Dated: March 25, 2002.
Ruth L. Kirschstein,
Acting Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 02-7815 Filed 3-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P