Childhood Cancer Nutrition Teleconferences

Because I am a survivor of a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma and a Registered Dietitian (RD), I have often been asked for advice about diet during treatments and recovery from childhood cancers. However, I always feel professionally inadequate in this situation and try to refer these families or organizations to the few RDs around the country who specialize in pediatric oncology nutrition and are actively working with this unique population of cancer patients.

Finally, the wonderful dietitians who work at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have put together a series of teleconferences that will cover the many details involving specialized nutrition for children with cancer. These teleconferences are free of charge and will be recorded for future listening.

Here are the details, exactly as they were sent to me. If you have any problems signing up or additional questions about the teleconferences, there is contact information included below (i.e., I won't be able to help, as I don't know any more than I am posting!):

Pediatric Teleconference in Childhood Cancer Nutrition

A series of Pediatric Teleconferences in Childhood Cancer Nutrition will start from the middle of October and continue until November 2009 by staff dietitians at St Jude Hospital. Each Teleconference will be offered on Friday at 8-10am CST for 1 month (four 2 hour sessions). The presentation will be broadcast live through the website www.Cure4Kids, and it will also be recorded.

The preliminary workshop topics are:

(1) Introduction and importance of nutrition during anti-cancer treatment
Pediatric Nutrition Assessment

(2) Dietary supplements and different diets
Appetite stimulants

(3) Enteral nutrition
Parenteral nutrition

(4) Cancer cachexia and palliative care
Prevention / after care treatment

Anybody interested to participate in the workshop should register to get announcements via Email for each workshop session.

Steps to register:

1. Register for Cure4kids at www.cure4kids.org
2. Click on "groups tab" - all working groups
3. Click on "WebCasts on Nutrition for Pediatric Oncology"
4. Subscribe for the group

Please contact Terezie Tolar Mosby with questions:

Terezie Tolar Mosby, MS, RD, CSP, IBCLC, LD/N
Terezie.Mosby@STJUDE.ORG
Clinical Nutritionist
Clinical Nutrition Services
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
t 901.495.4362 f 901.495.3202
p 901.495.3578 # 1097
www.stjude.org

Being raised in Toledo, OH, where the entertainer Danny Thomas who founded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (which opened in 1962) was also raised, I have always had a 'soft spot' in my heart for this special place for ill children and their families. My own childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment were way back in 1950, before St. Jude's existed. I know that my own parents would have benefited from the caring environment extended to family members whose children are treated there, and I would have benefited from their follow-up care, both of which have always been part of the mission at St. Jude's.

So, I offer many, many thanks to the dietitians (and all the staff) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital! Your dedication to helping ill children and their families is legendary. These teleconferences will help countless families who have many questions about how to help their child eat well to fight the cancer, minimize treatments side effects, recover from cancer, and continue growing to become truly well and healthy.

Thank you for keeping the 'care' in health care and turning hopeless into hopeful. :-)

Diana Dyer, MS, RD