Breast and Prostate Cancer Conference Set for St. Croix Under Theme ‘Linked by Genes. United by Hope’

The Yvonne Ashley Galiber Breast Cancer Foundation will host its first Breast & Prostate Cancer Conference on St. Croix on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, bringing together cancer education, support, and community dialogue in an admission-free event themed “Linked by Genes. United by Hope.”

Organizers say the conference is designed to help Virgin Islanders better understand how genetics, family history, and shared heritage shape the risks of both breast and prostate cancers, while also highlighting prevention, early detection, informed care, and survivorship.

The two-day event will be held at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Albert A. Sheen Campus Great Hall, with sessions scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost on both days.

While the foundation has hosted breast cancer conferences since its founding in 2006, organizers say this expanded conference is intended to bring broader public attention to the role genetics and family history can play in both breast and prostate cancer, and to give individuals and communities information that can help guide action.

Sponsored in part by the V.I. Public Finance Authority, the conference is open to all and is dedicated to bridging gaps in cancer care, education, awareness, and support for Virgin Islanders.

The event is also being held in memory of the foundation’s founder, Yvonne Ashley Galiber, who died in May 2025 at age 62. A survivor of both breast and thyroid cancer, she is remembered by organizers as someone who believed the community should have the tools, knowledge, and unity needed to confront cancer directly.

As foundation president Cassandra Dunn said, “Yvonne believed in closing the gaps—between diagnosis and care, between fear and understanding, and between those with access to health resources and those without. Cancer touches all of us, as patients, as caregivers, as neighbors, as family. We must talk about it.”

According to organizers, the conference agenda will feature presentations from local, regional, and national experts in cancer care and survivorship. Sessions will address cancer risk factors, the emotional impact of the disease, and the significance of genetic inheritance in breast and prostate cancer. Other topics will include nutrition, exercise, self-care, and caregiving.

Attendees will also receive information on the latest research offering new hope and improved outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Survivors will share insights from their own experiences, adding a personal dimension to the event.

Reserved men-only and women-only “chat room” sessions will provide space for more private conversations with presenters and fellow participants. Chair yoga sessions will also be offered to attendees.

Organizers say the conference will welcome participants from teens to seniors and are urging the public to reserve seats for the free two-day event and closing reception at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts as soon as possible by registering at YAGFoundation.org.

For more information, people may call 939-240-1257 or email [email protected].