American Brachytherapy Society Fact Sheet
Society Contact:
Rick Guggolz
Executive Director
P: 703-234-4078, extension 4070
rguggolz@drohanmgmt.com
Leadership:
| President: | Juanita M. Crook, MD |
| Vice President: | Bradley Prestidge, MD, MS |
| Treasurer: | Mark Buyyounouski, MD, MS |
| Secretary: | Mark Rivard, PhD |
| Directors at Large: | Thomas G. Shanahan, MD Akila Viswanathan, MD, MPH David Wazer, MD Josh Yamada, MD |
| Chairman: | Rakesh R. Patel, MD |
| Past Chairman: | Eric M. Horwitz, MD |
Founded:
1978
Purpose:
The purpose of the ABS is to serve its members by advancing the field of Brachytherapy, by promoting excellence in education, research and clinical practice, and by representing Brachytherapy specialists and their patients.
Resources:
The ABS provides multiple resources for different audiences. For the professional community, the ABS offers a peer-reviewed journal, Brachytherapy, medical education opportunities, a "members only" newsletter, as well as a forum for discussion held at the annual conference. For the consumer, the ABS has a consumer-friendly website that is designed to offer easy-to-understand explanations of the practice, history, and applications of brachytherapy.
Perspective:
Currently, brachytherapy is being used primarily to treat prostate, breast, and cervical cancers. Because it is much less invasive than surgery and less disruptive to the patient, brachytherapy offers appropriate patients an effective alternative. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be:
- 240,890 new cases of prostate cancer and 33,720 deaths due to prostate cancer in 2011. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men.
- 230,480 new cases of breast cancer and 39,520 deaths due to breast cancer in 2011.
- 12,710 new cases of cervical cancer, and 4,290 deaths due to cervical cancer in 2011.
About The American Brachytherapy Society:
The American Brachytherapy Society was founded in 1978 to provide insight, rationale, and research into the use of
brachytherapy in the treatment of both malignant and benign conditions. The organization consists of physicians,
physicists, and others interested in brachytherapy. For more information go to www.americanbrachytherapy.org.
