Science Writers' Seminar to Highlight Cancer Health Disparities
NCI's Science Writers' Seminar, "Improving Cancer Survival by Understanding Racial/Ethnic Disparities," will take place November 30 at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) in New York City. The seminar will explore why many ethnic minorities experience lower cancer survival rates than others, including differences in biological tumor types, timeliness of treatment, and lack of compliance with treatment regimens. Discussions will highlight plans to reduce cancer health disparities through programs that address prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Speakers include Drs. I. Bernard Weinstein, Alfred I. Neugut, Dawn L. Hershman, Regina M. Santella, and Victor R. Grann from HICCC, and Dr. Harold Freeman from NCI.

Journalists who wish to attend should contact the NCI Press Office at (301) 496-6641 or ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov.

New Edition of Monograph Available
NCI recently released Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice (Second Edition). The first edition was hailed as a welcome resource for public health practitioners seeking a single, concise summary of health behavior theories. The updated edition includes information from recent health behavior research and suggests theoretical approaches to using emerging technologies and developing programs for diverse populations. Copies of the monograph can be ordered through the Cancer Information Service at http://www.cancer.gov/publications or by calling 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

NCI Hosts Inaugural Biorepository Symposium
On November 10, NCI hosted the first-ever NCI Symposium on International Harmonization of Biorepository Practices. The day began with a welcome from NCI Director Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, who spoke of the need for high-quality biorepositories to advance genomics- and proteomics-based biomarker research. More than 80 experts from 15 nations then explored areas of critical importance to biorepositories: ethical and legal issues; biospecimen collection, processing, storage, and dissemination; and informatics systems.

At the end of the meeting, participants decided to form an International Biorepository Working Group to support harmonization by fostering demonstration projects, and developing a data and information portal for evaluation of biorepository standards to encourage international research collaborations.

Cancer Booklets Updated
NCI has updated four booklets in its award-winning What You Need To Know About Cancer series, which is produced to answer cancer patients' questions about symptoms, diagnosis, staging, and treatment. Updates of the following booklets are now available: What You Need To Know About Breast Cancer, What You Need To Know About Prostate Cancer, What You Need To Know About Skin Cancer, and What You Need To Know About Stomach Cancer. The booklets can be downloaded from http://www.cancer.gov/publications. Print copies can be ordered online or by calling 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).