The Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre was delighted to welcome Dr Sara Selig to the UK last week.
Sara, from Boston Massachusetts (pictured below at the meeting), was invited as a guest speaker on behalf of OcuMel UK, a charity representing sufferers of ocular melanoma. The meeting was open to all OM patients in the UK on Tuesday 5th February, 2013, with patients attending the centre from far and wide. After introductions on the day from Kieran McGuirk (OcuMel Chair of Trustees) and Professor John Neoptolemos (Centre Director), Professor Sarah Coupland gave an overview of the Uveal Melanoma Group's research, whilst Professor Bertil Damato spoke about clinical aspects of the disease. Following the clinical research talks, Dr Sara Selig spoke to the group about how she has turned her personal struggle into an international fight against ocular melanoma. Dr Sara’s story is truly inspirational. Following the diagnosis and tragic passing of her husband, Gregg Stracks, in January 2012 from ocular melanoma, Sara established a patient group in the US. Along the way, the couple cofounded Community United for Research and Education of Ocular Melanoma, or CURE OM, an initiative of the Melanoma Research Foundation, to increase awareness, education, treatment and research funding of ocular melanoma. For further information about future patient meetings, please contact: Info@ocumeluk.org Three articles authored by Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Group members have been accepted for publication recently.
Title: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis of uveal melanoma with extraocular extension demonstrates heterogeneity of gross chromosomal abnor-malities Journal: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science Authors: Sarah Lake, Bertil Damato, Justyna Dop-ierala, Maria Baudo, Azzam Taktak and Sarah Coupland Title: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification of conjunctival melanoma reveals common BRAF V600E gene mutation and gene copy number changes Journal: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science Authors: Sarah Lake, Fidan Jmor, Justyna Dopier-ala, Azzam Taktak, Sarah Coupland and Bertil Damato Title: Estimating prognosis for survival after treatment of choroidal melanoma Journal: Progress in Retinal and Eye Research Authors: Bertil Damato, Sarah Coupland, Azzam Taktak and Antonio Eleuteri Congratulations to Dr Sarah Lake for her paper on: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis of uveal melanoma with extraocular extension demonstrates heterogeneity of gross chromosomal abnormalities, published 08 June 2011.
This is now available to view via: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21659309 |