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Spring symposium to focus on challenges
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The
2009 Hollings Cancer Center Spring Symposium will focus on cancer
disparities, the challenges and steps needed to provide solutions; and
feature some of the latest findings on cancer, including genetic,
racial and lifestyle factors that affect black populations.
Hosted by the Cancer Prevention and Control Program, the symposium
March 12-13 at the Hollings Cancer Center will feature some of the
nation’s leading experts on racial cancer disparities, particularly
among African-American populations.
Discussions will focus on cancers that affect higher numbers of black
versus white Americans. Diseases of focus will include colon, prostate,
cervix, skin, and lung cancers. Researchers also will discuss genetic
markers, lifestyle influences and problems presented in rural
populations that contribute to South Carolina’s high cancer rates.
Scope of the Problem and Steps Toward the Solutions will include
scientific sessions on: Cancer Disparities: Surveying the Landscape;
Chemoprevention: Preventing Colon Cancer and Investigating Disparities;
and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer: Why is the Burden Higher in
African-Americans?
Welcoming remarks will be presented by Andrew Kraft, M.D., HCC
director; Anthony Alberg, Ph.D., HCC associate director for Cancer
Prevention and Control; and Harris Pastides, Ph.D., University of South
Carolina president.
MUSC cancer and cancer disparities experts Alberg, Marvella Ford,
Ph.D., Michael Wargovic, Ph.D., and Kristin Wallace, Ph.D.; will join
Saundra Glover, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Partnerships to
Eliminate Health Disparities at the University of South Carolina; and
experts from Vanderbilt, universities of Chicago, North Carolina,
Oklahoma; and the National Cancer Institute who will provide an
unprecedented review and projection of cancer in the African-American
population.
Those attending and participating in the symposium and accompanying
poster presentation include researchers and clinicians actively
involved in topics that relate to cancer prevention and control.
The research symposium objection is to enable participants to describe
some of the complex social, behavioral, and medical determinants of
population health/cancer disparities; review current topics addressing
the cancer experience in medically underserved communities; describe
genetic mutations that affect cancer risk in different population
groups; outline strategies for cancer chemoprevention; review the
evidence supporting the efficacy of chemoprevention in cancer; and
examine future directions in chemoprevention of cancer. In addition,
participants will leave having a better understanding of dietary and
lifestyle influences in racial cancer disparities; and understand the
natural history and epidemiology of colorectal cancer in blacks.
The symposium will begin with a meet the researcher session from 5:30
to 7:30 p.m., during which the public will pose questions regarding
cancer prevention and research.
The sessions on Friday are comprehensive and offer an opportunity for
exchanges between researcher, clinicians, patients and the public.
Though attending the symposium is free, registration is required. For
information contact Tonya Hazelton, 792-4477, hazelto@musc.edu; or
register by March 2 at http://hcc.musc.edu/education/springsym2009.htm.
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009
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