NCI Cancer Bulletin for October 12, 2004 (HTML)

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President's Cancer Panel Meets in Ohio
On Sept. 27, the President's Cancer Panel held the second in its series of meetings on "Translating Research to Reduce the Burden of Cancer" at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus. Concerns voiced by participants included the need for more effective crossdisciplinary and crosscultural communication, public education on cancer as a disease process and the complexities of biomedical research, data sharing among researchers, and partnerships between academic medical centers and community organizations to disseminate research findings. Individuals who testified emphasized the importance of prevention research; reporting accurately and clearly to the public about cancer discoveries; promoting clinical trials as a treatment of first choice, instead of last resort; addressing clinical burdens of community physicians and oncologists; and more rigorously studying strategies for implementing proven cancer discoveries in communities. The panel will hold two more meetings, after which it will develop a report to the President and Congress outlining key issues and recommendations for better translating research to reduce the cancer burden.

NCI Hosts Seminar on Cancer and the Environment
The press office in the NCI Office of Communications held its 10th Science Writers' Seminar, "Cancer and the Environment," on October 7. Approximately 25 science and medicine reporters attended the seminar and about 120 people logged on to the videocast. Scientists from NCI and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) discussed topics such as the interaction between genes and the environment and how scientists determine whether a substance causes cancer. Speakers included Drs. David Longfellow, Ken Cantor, and Ed Trapido, all of NCI, and Dr. Christopher Portier of NIEHS. The press office plans to expand the seminar program this year, collaborating with NCI-designated cancer centers to hold frequent seminars in cities across the country. Journalists can get more information about the seminars by contacting the NCI press office at (301) 496-6641 or ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov.

Cancer Information Service: Answering Questions, Saving Lives

One of NCI's premier programs in reaching the public is the Cancer Information Service (CIS). In early October, CIS reached a historic milestone: It answered the10-millionth call since the service began in 1976.

"In 2003, CIS responded to 260,000 calls for information about all types of cancer," said Mary Anne Bright, CIS Associate Director. "We're very proud to be on the front line of providing service and information, and, quite literally saving lives."

One area of focus for CIS is educating women about the importance of breast cancer screening. In addition to responding to 33,000 calls about breast cancer so far this year, CIS also provides breast cancer education through its Partnership Program, which works with partners who have direct reach to minority and medically underserved communities. The CIS provides cancer information and education through its network of 14 regional offices. Although there is a special focus on reaching medically underserved and minority populations, CIS seeks to improve knowledge of cancer among the entire public.

"The more people that know about the importance of early detection, the greater the chance that they will take advantage of the many screening services available," said Ms. Bright. "By working with partners, we are educating women at the community level about mammography so that breast cancer can be detected at an earlier stage, when treatment is most successful."

CIS collaborates with diverse organizations that range from state comprehensive cancer control coalitions to educational institutions to the Indian Health Service. These partnerships have focused their attention on capacity building, technical assistance, data sharing, training, and evaluation.

For more information about CIS or on any of its programs, call 1-800- 4-CANCER (TTY users: 1-800-332-8615). Trained information specialists are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, and can provide information in either English or Spanish. Personalized online assistance is also available at www.cancer.gov Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

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