The University of Nebraska Medical Center is offering a free Mini-Medical
School series titled, Conquering Cancer: Breakthroughs in Research and
Treatment. A variety of topics will be discussed every Wednesday, from
April 21 through May 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. The series will be held in the
UNMC College of Nursing Cooper Auditorium at 42nd Street and Dewey Avenue
in Omaha.
The series is free to the public as well as free parking and class guides.
Diplomas will be presented on the last night of the series, May 12. Sixteen
physicians, cancer researchers, geneticists and other health care providers
will discuss a variety of topics. The series also will be offered in Grand
Island via satellite.
Participants will learn about UNMCs current and future role in cancer
research and treatment and how it benefits people. They will also learn
about behind-the-scenes work being done by UNMC world-famous cancer researchers,
including the innovative treatments that have been developed.
Presenters will also talk about discoveries by UNMC researchers that
are providing new knowledge about cancer and how to prevent it. On May
12, the series will wrap up with seven different topics from which to choose
during which participants will have the opportunity to ask the experts
questions.
“Mini-Medical School is a chance to show why research is important,
how it is being done and hear from our physicians and scientists who are
making a difference in the fight against cancer,” said Harold M. Maurer,
M.D., UNMC chancellor. Over the four weeks, the public can learn more about
the ever-changing field of cancer research and how we are turning research
findings into life-saving and life-extending treatments for our patients.
One out of every three Americans will get cancer during his or her lifetime,
according to the American Cancer Society. Three decades ago only 33 percent
of people with cancer survived. Today, more than 50 percent survive. Today
there are more than 8 million cancer survivors in the United States.
The following is a schedule of the series:
Wednesday, April 21
The Future of Cancer Research and Treatment, James O. Armitage, M.D.,
UNMC chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine
New Developments in Cancer Treatment, Margaret A. Tempero, M.D., deputy
director and interim director, UNMC Eppley Cancer Center
What is Cancer and How Do You Get It, Barry I. Gold, Ph.D., interim
director, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases and
associate director, UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
Wednesday, April 28
The Critical Role of Laboratory Research, Judith K. Christman, Ph.D.,
chairwoman, UNMC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Translating Research Into New Therapies, Tony A. Hollingsworth, Ph.D.,
associate professor, UNMC Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied
Diseases
New Cancer Drugs, Gary C. Yee, Ph.D., chairman, UNMC Department of
Pharmacy Practice
Wednesday, May 5
Overview of Genetics in Cancer and Developing New Treatments, Warren
G. Sanger, Ph.D., director, cytogenetics laboratory, UNMC Munroe-Meyer
Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation
Radiologic Innovations in Cancer, David D. Stark, M.D., chairman, UNMC
Department of Radiology;
How to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer, Jan R. Atwood, Ph.D., associate
director, Cancer Prevention and Control, UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
Wednesday, May 12
Participants will be able to choose from one of three different sessions
Risk and Screenings for Colon Cancer, Hemant Roy, M.D., associate professor
of internal medicine, and Diagnosing and Treating Lymphoma, Philip Bierman,
M.D., associate professor of internal medicine
All About Women and Cancer: Cancer Prevention, Lynne Anderson, M.S.N.,
ob/gyn clinical nurse specialist; Cancer Predisposition and Gene Testing,
Gwen Reiser, M.S., genetic counselor; the Benefits of Participating in
Clinical Trials, Maribeth Hohenstein, B.S.N., UNMC Department of Internal
Medicine
Risk and Early Detection of Breast Cancer, Stefano Tarantolo, M.D.;
and Diagnosing and Treating Prostate Cancer, Rodney Taylor, M.D., professor
of surgery
To register for this free program, call (402) 559-4353 or register through
the internet at: www.unmc.edu/pao/website.htm. Look for, Mini-Medical
School. Seating is limited. Registration is required.
Of the $34.3 million in competitive, external research grants and contracts
awarded to UNMC in 1997-98, cancer-related research accounted for about
one-half of that amount. The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center was created in 1993
by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents in a move that united cancer
researchers throughout the UNMC campus into a larger single entity.
It marked a major first step toward Eppley’s quest to eventually become
a comprehensive cancer center, the most prestigious designation awarded
by the NCI. The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is a NCI designated cancer center
— a distinction held by only 55 centers in the country.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. UNMC’s educational programs
are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska
than any other institution.