Providence Hosts Ms Forum

"Multiple Sclerosis: The Best Options for Treatment," will be the topic of a free public forum for people interested in learning more about multiple sclerosis and its treatment.
The forum will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, in the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center Souther Auditorium, 9205 S.W. Barnes Road. Enter through the East Pavilion (entrance A, by the fountain). Parking is free, and the facility is wheelchair-accessible.
On the agenda are discussions about the disease, its high incidence in the Northwest and a question-and-answer session about the re-entry of the drug Tysabri to the marketplace to treat the disease, and other available therapies that are benefiting patients with multiple sclerosis.
Thanks to advancements in the treatment of multiple sclerosis — an inflammatory, degenerative disease of the central nervous system — patients can now achieve better symptom management and enjoy healthier lives.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration re-released Tysabri, a medication known to be effective in controlling MS symptoms but which was linked to a rare brain infection in three patients. Based on the results of an intensive investigation, the FDA has made Tysabri available again to MS patients.
Stanley Cohan, M.D., medical director of the Providence Multiple Sclerosis Center, based at Providence St. Vincent, will host the evening in collaboration with the Oregon Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.