Collaborating Against Cancer Symposium

Learn the latest advancements in cancer screening, treatment and research from local and national experts. Featuring cancer survivor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and six-time champion.

The symposium will offer both community and clinical sessions, which will run concurrently. Community sessions are intended for the general public, current cancer patients and caregivers. Topics include information about cancer screening, treatment advances and resources for cancer patients and caregivers. Learn more about the community sessions.

Clinical sessions will provide health care professionals with updates on the latest in cancer screening, treatment and research, including a presentation on HPV vaccination from Behrouz Zand, MD, MS, from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Learn more about the clinical sessions.

After the morning sessions, all attendees will gather for a lunch and keynote session featuring a live interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who will discuss his personal and family cancer journey.

Following the lunch session, we will offer a special book signing with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Books will be sold on-site and no memorabilia can be signed.

Special Guest Speaker: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

In 2008, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was diagnosed with early stage chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). “I thought leukemia as something exotic that happened to other people,” he said. “And then, all of a sudden, it happened to me.” He immediately made his diagnosis public. After learning that the high cost of treatment sometimes means that patients do not always take their medicines, he led an awareness campaign. This was not Kareem’s first encounter with cancer. “My grandfather died from colorectal cancer, my uncle died from colorectal cancer and my father almost died from colorectal cancer,” he said. This led him, as a carrier of the gene, to get involved in a colorectal cancer awareness campaign in the African-American community. He has also traveled to Capitol Hill to encourage the government to spend more money on cancer research. Possessing the high level of knowledge, awareness and empathy that comes from being a cancer survivor, Abdul-Jabbar’s talks engage and inspire while imparting valuable information on research, prevention, the quest for a cure, and the healing power of the human spirit.

Book Signing Information

Guest speaker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will only sign copies of his newest book "Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court", that are sold at the Collaborating Against Cancer Symposium. These will be sold at a first come, first served basis throughout the event. Maximum purchase of two books per person. There will be a limited amount of books available for purchase for Mr. Abdul-Jabbar to sign. Please do not bring any other books or memorabilia for him to sign as they will not be allowed in the book signing room.