Pink Revolution to Hold Panel on Advancements in Breast Cancer

Pink Revolution will host a panel as part of its Health & Wellness Series titled “Opening Doors: Advancements in Breast Cancer & Beyond” on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center Ballroom at the College of the Holy Cross.  The panel includes three prominent Holy Cross alumni: Dr. Robert M. Quinlan ’66, professor and director of the Comprehensive Breast Center at UMass Memorial Health Care; Dr. Joyce O’Shaughnessy ’78, a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer at Texas Oncology, PA, who has conducted research at the Baylor-Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas through US Oncology, a network of 100 oncologists nationwide; and Dr. Therese M. Mulvey ’80, physician-in-chief for the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care. The event, which is part of “Opening Doors” the College’s 40th anniversary celebration of women on campus, is free and open to the public. RSVP to the Image Center at (508)-754-8705 or (978)-534-0200, or email your name and phone number to ino@pinkrevolution.org.

“In 2010, I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, which is often difficult to treat because it is unresponsive to most targeted treatments,” explains Jacqueline Peterson, vice president of student affairs and dean of students, who chairs the coordinating committee organizing anniversary events. “I am forever grateful to Dr. Robert Quinlan who showed patience and caring in treating me and my aggressive form of cancer. It’s an honor to have three of the best doctors in their respective fields participating in this panel, who also happen to be part of the Holy Cross family.” 

Dr. Quinlan is one of the most recognized academic surgeons in New England. As a professor of surgery and director of the Comprehensive Breast Center at UMass Memorial Health Care, he has been serving the Worcester community for more than 20 years. He received his medical degree from Cornell University, completed his residency at Harvard Medical School and his fellowship at Johns Hopkins.

As a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. O’Shaughnessy specializes in medical oncology with board certification in both internal medicine and medical oncology. Since 1997, she has practiced at Texas Oncology, PA. She is also the co-chair of Breast Cancer Research at the Baylor-Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for U.S. Oncology Research Network. She received her medical degree from Yale University Medical School, and her internship and residency in internal medicine were completed at Massachusetts General Hospital. Since 2009, D Magazine has annually elected Dr. O’Shaughnessy as one of the best hematology oncologists in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Mulvey oversees programs that are committed to ensuring patients have access to high-quality oncology services and clinical cancer research as the physician-in-chief for the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care. She has trained comprehensively in cancer genetics and specializes in hereditary cancer syndromes and cancer risk assessment. Dr. Mulvey earned her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed fellowships in hematology/oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as Tufts-New England Medical Center, where she also completed her residency.

Holy Cross is celebrating the 40th anniversary of women on campus with a series of events throughout the 2012-13 academic year. Students, faculty, and staff will have extensive opportunities during the year to reflect on, acknowledge, and commemorate the moment in 1972 when the College opened its doors to women students for the first time. 

Pink Revolution is an alliance of dedicated individuals with a unified commitment to those touched by breast cancer. Its mission is to support early detection and prevention strategies, fund clinical research advancements and promote survivorship programs in Central Mass. through its affiliation with the UMass Memorial Comprehensive Breast Center.