International Experts Reveal Advances In Colorectal Cancer Treatment in Washington, DC

Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Tuesday, 12 June 2001

WASHINGTON, DC, June 12, 2001 - Join five of the world's leading experts in colorectal cancer for a discussion on new advances in colorectal cancer prevention and treatment. Topics include: new chemopreventive agents; innovations in detecting hereditary colorectal cancer; the latest surgical and multimodal treatments; novel radiotherapy and chemotherapy combinations and simple dietary changes that prevent colorectal cancer.

"Colorectal Cancer: Today's Choices, Tomorrow's Chances for a Cure" will be held June 12 in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Cancer Research Foundation of America (CRFA) founder of the National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month initiative. The same event will also take place the day before, June 11, in New York, NY, hosted by the American-Italian Cancer Foundation (AICF) a collaborating partner of the National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month campaign.

Open to the media and the public, the roundtable will answer the questions: What do new advances in colorectal cancer mean to the person who has the disease now? What do they mean to the person considered high-risk for developing colorectal cancer in the future? Which therapies and treatments offer the most hope for beating this disease? World-renowned experts will give presentations in lay language and then open the floor to questions. Discussion will also focus on quality-of-life issues for the cancer patient, and on the need to raise public awareness to increase early detection through screening of the general public.

Panelists include: Bernard Levin, MD, Professor of GI Medical Oncology and Vice President of Cancer Prevention at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center; John D. Potter, MD, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Washington, and Head of the Cancer Prevention Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle; Maurizio Ponz de Leon, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine, Istituto di Patologia Medica, Modena, Italy; John M. A. Northover, MD, Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Consultant Surgeon at St. Mark's Hospital, London, UK and Bruce D. Minsky, MD, Chairman of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City.

The moderator for the Washington, DC event will be Alberto Costa, MD, Director of the European School of Oncology in Milan, Italy. Welcoming remarks will be made by the Honorable Conrad Burns, U.S. Senator, State of Montana. Leading the public questions will be Andrea Roane, 9 Eyewitness News, Reporter and Co-anchor.

"When the Cancer Research Foundation of America (CRFA) founded National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, our objective was to decrease the number of people each year who die needlessly from the disease," says Carolyn Aldigé, President and Founder of CRFA. "This public forum is one critical way to arm men and women with the information they need to become advocates for their own health so that they can begin an important dialogue with their health care provider about colorectal cancer."

"This innovative meeting lays the groundwork for a broader understanding of colorectal cancer, not only sharing expert knowledge about the disease but also interpreting current advances to uncover what they mean to real people," says Dr. Esther R. Dyer, Executive Director of the American-Italian Cancer Foundation. "Our goal is to advance public knowledge and to help as many people as possible to benefit from advances in research, prevention, and treatment."

The Cancer Research Foundation of America is a national nonprofit health organization whose mission is the prevention of cancer through scientific research and education. Founded in 1985 by Carolyn Aldigé, the organization's commitment to prevention is fueled by the fact that certain cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes and screening, yet more than 553,000 Americans die from the diseases annually. Since its inception, the Foundation has supported research, education and early detection programs in excess of $50 million.

The American-Italian Cancer Foundation (AICF) was established in New York City in 1981 to foster international cooperation in cancer research, prevention and treatment. AICF has a track record of successfully organizing International Roundtables that improve awareness and public access to cutting-edge cancer information from leading world experts. In June 2000, AICF conducted a highly successful International Breast Cancer Roundtable in New York City. Internationally, AICF awards fellowships to young researchers, supports conferences and funds promising clinical studies. Locally, the Foundation is committed to the principle that early detection of cancer saves lives, and runs free breast and prostate cancer screening programs. AICF is the US Representative of the European School of Oncology.

Sponsors of the event include Ortho Biotech Worldwide, Roche, the American Cancer Society, Novartis, CancerSource.com and the American Federation for Aging Research.

For more information, or to contact Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, see their website at: www.preventcancer.org