Dr. Susan Pitt Receives Ride Scholarship

Dr. Susan Pitt Receives Ride Scholarship

January 18th, 2020  |  Rob Kelly

Madison, Wis. –

Dr. Susan Pitt, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, was awarded The Ride Scholarship on January 18, 2020 at the Wisconsin Hockey’s 4th Annual Face-off Against Cancer game due to her exemplary discoveries in 2019. This award will help fund Dr. Pitt’s further studies of treatment decisions for low-risk thyroid cancer at the University of Wisconsin Madison.

Overtreatment of low-risk thyroid cancer is common. Most patients with this disease have their entire thyroid removed. But patients who keep half their thyroid have excellent survival outcomes like those who have the entire thyroid removed and are less likely to have long-term or permanent quality-of-life, voice, and fatigue issues. A major barrier to reducing overtreatment is a lack of understanding about why surgeons and patients prefer total thyroidectomy.

With funding from The Ride, Dr. Pitt and her team will survey surgeons about which treatment outcomes affect their recommendations for treating patients with low-risk thyroid cancer and compare those responses to results from a survey of patients with low-risk thyroid cancer. The goal is to create decision-support tools to help patients and surgeons discuss treatment options so patients understand the potential treatment outcomes and can safely select the best option.

The Ride was created in 2016 and has generated over $1.2 Million towards the University of Wisconsin’s cancer mission. The Ride delivers 100% of all rider-raised funds towards cancer initiatives made possible by the generous support of its sponsors.

Participants have the ability to register for any of the five routes (3-mile, 17-mile, 34-mile, 63-mile, 102-mile) which feature the same start and finish location. The 3-mile route, which caters to adults and children will be solely contained within the American Family Insurance campus and will not utilize any public roads. In addition, the new site location and layout will offer increased participant on-site amenities such as parking, registration, packet pick-up, food and post-ride programming and entertainment.

Visit TheRideWI.org to learn more about the cycling benefit and how it drives critical cancer research and treatment programs at the University of Wisconsin.

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