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Teleconference About CCOPs Slated for April 10
The next "Understanding NCI" teleconference will take place on April 10 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., EDT. The topic is "Clinical Trials in Your Community: NCI's Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOPs)." The call will feature Dr. Lori Minasian, chief of NCI's Community Oncology and Preventive Trials Research Group; Dr. John Kugler, a principal investigator with the Illinois Oncology Research Association CCOP; and Ms. Laura Matus, volunteer coordinator of Illinois CancerCare.
Within the U.S., the teleconference can be accessed toll-free at 800-857-6584; the passcode is: Prevention. Toll-free playback will be available through May 10 at 800-284-7027.
To learn about the "Understanding NCI Teleconference Series" and to learn about past teleconferences, please visit: http://advocacy.cancer.gov/.
DCLG Seeks New Members for 2008
The NCI Director's Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG) is now accepting applications for up to six new members. Applications must be postmarked by April 30.
The DCLG is a federally chartered advisory committee of the NCI. It consists of 16 consumer advocates who are involved in cancer advocacy and who reflect the diversity among those whose lives are affected by cancer. The mission of the DCLG is to advise, assist, consult with, and make recommendations to the NCI Director, from the perspective and viewpoint of cancer consumer advocates on a wide variety of issues, programs, and research priorities. The DCLG serves as a channel for consumer advocates to voice their views and concerns.
Please visit the DCLG
Web site at http://dclg.cancer.gov/membership/nominations for information on the application process and to view eligibility requirements.
Free Telephone Workshop Series for Cancer Survivors
The sixth annual telephone workshop series, "Living With, Through, and Beyond Cancer," begins April 22. This series offers cancer survivors, their families, friends, and health care professionals practical information to help them cope with concerns and issues that arise after treatment ends.
The program is a collaborative effort between NCI, CancerCare, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Intercultural Cancer Council, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.
The workshops are free; no telephone charges apply. To register, visit the CancerCare Web site at www.cancercare.org/TEW. All workshops
will take place on Tuesdays from
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT on the
following dates:
Part I: "The Importance of Communicating with Your Doctor about Follow-Up Care," April 22
Part II: "Rediscovering Intimacy in Your Relationships Following Treatment," May 13
Part III: "Survivors Too: Family, Friends, and Loved Ones," June 24
DCLG Remembers Kerry Dewey
Ms. Kerry Dewey, a founding member of the Director's Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG), died March 10 after a long struggle with breast cancer which was first diagnosed in 1984. She was 56 years old and lived in Missoula, MT.
After her diagnosis, Ms. Dewey became a patient advocate. She was a trainer with the American Cancer Society Reach to Recovery program and she initiated and led several
support groups, including a peer support group for spouses, partners, and male family members called "Male Call." Due to her advocacy work and efforts to develop a statewide resource for patients and families called The Montana Breast Cancer Resource Guide, she was selected as a member of the DCLG in 1997 and served until 2001.
Mr. Mike Katz, a former DCLG chairperson, said of Ms. Dewey: "Kerry was one of our committee's most impactful members. She was wonderfully soft spoken, with a
lovely sense of humor. She sometimes single-handedly brought our most outspoken advocates from the big metro areas back to earth about the unique challenges faced by cancer patients in rural areas. There isn't anyone who met her who didn't come away with a special affection for a person who was clearly one of Missoula's finest and one of its most effective ambassadors."
NCI Issues Colorectal Cancer Progress Report
NCI recently released a colorectal cancer progress report, Colorectal Cancer: Six Years of Research Progress. This retrospective analysis addresses the Colorectal Cancer Progress Review Group's recommendations on the most urgent needs and promising directions for future NCI investment in the areas of colorectal cancer biology, etiology, prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, and cancer control and survivorship. The report includes current trends in colorectal cancer incidence, mortality, and screening and provides the number of NCI-funded colorectal cancer research projects and clinical trials. The report also highlights initiatives and research advances selected by colorectal cancer experts from across NCI. To view the progress report, go to http://planning.cancer.gov/disease/2008colorectal.pdf.
National Smoking Cessation Campaign Launched
On March 31, an alliance of public health organizations launched EX, a public health campaign to promote a single smoking cessation message to the public, guide smokers to existing cessation resources, and build their confidence about quitting.
The program consists of paid TV, radio, and internet ads; a Web site (www.BecomeAnEx.org); and a free quit plan book. The EX program also includes a research component. The EX Smoking Cessation Panel Study will collect survey data via telephone interviews with adult smokers over a 2-year period.
NCI is participating in this effort by providing funding to assist with the evaluation of EX, which was launched by an alliance of the nation's leading public health organizations and 14 states called the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC). Members of the NATC include the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Legacy Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Mayo Clinic, and others.
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