Third-Party Payer Coverage for Colorectal Cancer Screening As of June 30, 2005, 21 states have enacted laws requiring insurers to offer or provide coverage for colorectal cancer screening. To see the related fact sheet - which lists these states, tests covered, and age and frequency requirements - go to http://www.scld-nci.net/ scld_products_fact_2005.cfml.

Dr. Syed Kashmiri Dies at 68
Dr. Syed V.S. Kashmiri, of the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology in NCI's Center for Cancer Research, died on July 19 after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.

Dr. Kashmiri received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the Lucknow University in India, and his Ph.D. from Duke University. Before coming to NCI in 1987, Dr. Kashmiri worked at Rockefeller University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He was internationally known for his work in modifying immunoglobulin genes to render them more applicable and effective in targeting human tumors. He held numerous patents, received many awards, and published more than 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Dr. Kashmiri also was very generous in offering his laboratory's training facilities to students and young investigators. He is survived by his wife, Rafia Kashmiri, and a son, Tabish Kazmi.

Dietary Assessment Tools Review Completed
Investigators from NCI's Applied Research Program, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, and Johns Hopkins University recently completed a state-of-the-science review on dietary assessment methods used in large epidemiologic studies of pregnant and lactating women, infants, children, and adolescents. Little has been done to develop and validate dietary assessment tools for these populations, although such tools exist for the general adult population. Development of dietary evaluation methods is essential for improving studies of maternal and child health, childhood cancers, and early-life exposures related to adult cancers.

The scientific review, funded by the National Children's Study (NCS), included a literature review and workshop to assess the status of knowledge about these dietary methodologies, identify research needs, and make recommendations for the NCS and other current studies. This information is available at http://riskfactor.cancer.gov/tools/.

Colorectal Cancer Grand Rounds Available as Webcast
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have turned their June 2005 Grand Rounds satellite broadcast, "Collaborating to Conquer Colorectal Cancer: Fulfilling the Promise of Prevention," into a webcast. This forum, aimed to increase awareness of community strategies and programs for colorectal screening and prevention, can be viewed at http://publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/crcancer/webcast.htm. For a brief overview, go to http://publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/crcancer/index.htm.