Roswell Park hosts Women’s Cancer Wellness Summit March 21
For a long time, hearing someone was going to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center prompted a feeling of despair and sadness.
“When I was growing up, if you heard somebody was going to Roswell Park, you basically thought of them as having a very grim prognosis,” says Tricia Numan, MD. “But so much has changed in cancer care since then and so much has changed at Roswell.”
Since joining the Pathology Department a few years ago, Dr. Numan has seen first-hand how different things are. Getting a diagnosis of cancer, or coming to Roswell Park, are entry points, not terminal destinations.
To help shed light on new treatment approaches to cancer that focus on the whole patient, not just their cancer, and to discuss how Roswell Park cares for patients into their survivorship journey, Dr. Numan has organized a Women’s Cancer Wellness Summit, taking place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens on South Park Avenue in Buffalo. More information and registration is available at https://www.roswellpark.org/WCWS2026.
“We went from total mastectomies for breast cancer care to lumpectomies and hormone therapy,” she says. “So much has changed in medicine; it’s no longer about just surgery and chemo and radiation therapy. There are so many great services at Roswell Park to treat the whole person through their whole journey, and integrative therapies as well, including Reiki and breathwork.”
Dr. Numan has organized a list of Roswell Park experts who will speak on two different panels as part of the summit, including:
Ermalinda Bonaccio, MD, FACR, on the importance of breast screening and the High-Risk Breast Cancer Program at Roswell Park
Helen Cappuccino, MD, FACS, on de-escalation of treatment for breast cancer and the importance of nutrition during treatment
Eric Hansen, MD, on functional medicine and integrative therapy
Kayla Kio, MS, BS, RD, on the importance of nutrition in survivorship
Katherine LaVigne Mager, MD, FACOG, personalized medicine based on biomarker results and deescalation of treatment and the importance of establishing integrative therapies early in treatment
Ken Onel, MD, PhD, on the role genetics can play in cancer and the importance of genetic screening for anyone with a family history of cancer
Mary Reid, BSN, MSPH, PhD, on lung and colorectal screening and survivorship care, and
Dr. Numan will provide updates on HPV vaccination research
“People talk about wellness but it means different things to different people,” Dr. Numan says. “To me, wellness means taking care of yourself. That can mean scheduling a colonoscopy, not smoking or, if you have a family risk of cancer, finding out more information about it and seeing if genetic testing is right for you. I want to showcase that although wellness can mean a nice spa day, it means so much more.”
The summit is free and open to women who were treated for their cancer anywhere, not just for Roswell Park patients. There’s room for 100 participants, who will be provided breakfast and light refreshments throughout the day in addition to the opportunity to speak with wellness advocates, all while being surrounded by the warmth and tropical surroundings of the Botanical Gardens.
Dr. Numan hopes the summit will encourage women, regardless of their cancer status, to sign up for screening services and gain a better understanding of the whole-patient care offered by Roswell Park. “We’re not just here for your cancer treatment and then you’re done. We offer great screening services, including through our two mobile screening centers for lung, breast and prostate cancer, and the very important genetic counseling services offered at Roswell Park too.”