What to expect at IgG4ward! CamJAM: October 11 in Cambridge

Understanding IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) and organ involvement  

People with IgG4-RD can have very different experiences of the same disease. CamJAM will explore how it can affect different organs and systems, helping you put your own experience into a broader context.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have lived with IgG4-RD for years, you will have opportunities to build on what you know and ask questions relevant to your care.

IgG4-RD diagnosis, biopsies, imaging, and blood tests

For many people, getting an IgG4-RD diagnosis involves uncertainty, specialist appointments, and multiple tests. Questions can remain even after you finally have an answer.

The program will include discussion of biopsies, imaging, and blood work, offering a closer look at their role in evaluating the disease. Learning more about these tests can help you follow conversations with your healthcare team and prepare questions for your next appointment.

Learning about IgG4-RD treatment options

Understanding treatment can be challenging, especially when the terminology is unfamiliar or you are considering a different approach.

CamJAM will include discussion of treatment approaches, including B-cell depletion and inhibition. Hearing from specialists offers a chance to become more familiar with these terms and better understand the conversations surrounding IgG4-RD treatment.

IgG4-RD symptoms, flares, and monitoring

Changes in how you feel can bring uncertainty. Could a symptom be related to IgG4-RD? What should you share with your physician? What might be useful to track between appointments?

Recognizing flares and following the disease over time will be another focus of the day. These discussions offer an opportunity to hear how specialists assess disease activity and ask about concerns that come up in everyday life.

The program will also explore the latest IgG4-RD science and research, helping put developments you may have heard about into context.

Smaller sessions: choose what matters most to you

You will have two opportunities to choose from smaller breakout sessions based on the subjects most relevant to you. These sessions include dedicated time for questions and discussion.

Topics include:

• Digestive system involvement:Learn more about IgG4-RD affecting the pancreas, bile ducts, and other parts of the digestive system.

• Head, neck, and eye involvement: Explore how IgG4-RD can affect these areas and the role of specialists in evaluating and managing care.

• Understanding diagnosis: Take a closer look at biopsies, imaging, and blood tests, and how physicians use this information to evaluate IgG4-RD.

• Recognizing flares: Discuss changes in disease activity, concerns to raise with your physician, and questions about monitoring over time.

• The Other Side of the Journey: Life Beyond the Diagnosis: Join Katharine Provencher for a patient panel exploring the everyday experience of living with IgG4-RD.

Some topics are offered in both breakout rounds, while others are available in one. Review the agenda to plan which sessions you would like to attend.

The afternoon will also feature an Ask the Experts panel, bringing IgG4-RD specialists together for an extended community Q&A.

When asked what they liked most about BayJAM earlier this year, one attendee described:

"Opportunity to talk openly to both doctors and people living with IgG4-RD."

Come with questions, or simply listen and learn. You do not need a medical background to take part.

Connection for patients and caregivers

Meeting someone else affected by IgG4-RD can be a meaningful part of the day. You may be attending your first Foundation event or meeting others with the disease for the first time.

An attendee from the EuroJAM shared:

"A lady sat next to me. I felt nervous, she was nervous, we cried and hugged. We will be there for each other."

Make your plans to join us and please note registration is required

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026

Location: The Charles Hotel, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Event: 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Reception: 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Whether you come with specific questions or simply want to learn and meet others affected by IgG4-RD, we hope you’ll join us. Dr. Katz, Dr. Perugino, and the IgG4ward! team look forward to welcoming you to Cambridge.