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In This Issue

Open Wide: April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month

April is Oral Cancer Awareness month. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, the disease is the sixth-largest cause of cancer – related death and incidences have increased for the third consecutive year, to approximately 35,000 new cases. Oral cancer risk factors include tobacco use, frequent alcohol intake, excessive sun exposure, the presence of HPV and a diet low in fruits and vegetables. Family history is also a risk factor and men are diagnosed with oral cancer more than twice as often as women. However, oral cancer is preventable by eating a healthy diet, eliminating tobacco use and visiting the dentist for screenings. Regular screenings are important because some oral pre-cancers and cancers can be found early, and one in four people diagnosed do not exhibit the known high-risk factors associated with the disease.

Learn more about oral cancer prevention and screening by visiting www.preventcancer.org. 

A Successful 2009 Dialogue for Action™ Annual Conference

The 11th annual conference, A Dialogue for Action™ in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Harnessing the Power of Success, was held in Baltimore, Maryland from April 1-3, 2009. Nearly 200 conference attendees gathered from across the country and included representation from all aspects of the colorectal cancer (CRC) world, including gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, nurses, CRC researchers, CRC survivors, payers from insurance companies, and state and federal health officials. The conference focused on the benefits of integrating CRC screening with other preventive services and evaluating different approaches to promote prevention and early detection.

The conference keynote was given by former Philadelphia Eagle football player and colorectal cancer survivor Vince Papale. Mr. Papale energized the group with an inspiring speech. The spirit remained high throughout the panel sessions, which included discussions on eliminating barriers, funding successful local programs, clinicians’ roles and media strategies. These sessions resulted in tangible take-home messages and resources. Breakout discussion sessions with brainstorming followed each panel.    

Finally, three Cancer Prevention Laurel awards were given during the conference to recognize leaders in CRC awareness and prevention. Tim Byers, M.D., M.P.H. received the Laurel for National Leadership, Diane Dwyer, M.D. received a Laurel for Innovative Programs and Joe Arite received a Laurel for Advocacy.

Karen Pollitz, a research professor at the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University, closed the conference by addressing the pressing issue of health care reform and its effect on current trends in CRC screening and prevention. Ms. Pollitz outlined the potential challenges and opportunities for getting preventive services and CRC screening into the ongoing national health care reform dialogue. She closed by encouraging Dialogue attendees to have an active voice in shaping this movement to include necessary CRC and preventive screenings for all communities.

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign Update

On the heels of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and the renewed call for Congressional action to increase funding for colorectal cancer screening and treatment, the Prevent Cancer Foundation continues its efforts with its National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign. On March 25, the Foundation celebrated the 10th Anniversary of March being recognized as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month by holding a legislative briefing and reception on Capitol Hill, featuring the Prevent Cancer Super Colon™.

The Prevent Cancer Super Colon™ exhibit, which helps to educate the public about colorectal cancer prevention and screenings, continues to make the rounds and visit communities across the nation. From coast to coast the inflatable Prevent Cancer Super Colon ™ exhibit, Buddy Bracelets ™, “Elvis” public service announcement and informational brochures reminded the public to get screened for colorectal cancer. 

The exhibit visited communities across the nation including Worcester, MA; Portland, OR; Elko, NV; Walla Walla, WA, and Eagle Butte, SD. At each stop, local partners help tailor the event by including on – site health care provider spokespeople to help answer questions regarding screening and prevention, while providing visitors with information about local resources and screening sites. Media coverage at each stop helps ensure that the message of prevention is reaching underserved and diverse communities. The Foundation and its partners will continue to work throughout the year to increase education, screenings and discussions through public outreach and health care community outreach efforts. 

Prevent Cancer Foundation Salute to Peru Honors a Cancer Champion

The Foundation's annual spring gala took place on Friday, March 13, 2009. Peru ~ Experience the Exotic was held under the gracious patronage of His Excellency Ambassador Felipe Ortiz de Zevallos. John and Laura Pemberton served as the Gala Co-chairs, with Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), as well as Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) served as Honorary Congressional Co-chairs. Pfizer was the exclusive Presenting Sponsor and sanofi aventis was the gala’s underwriter.  In all, over $1.4 million dollars was raised. Proceeds from the gala support the Prevent Cancer Foundation 21st Century Young Scientists Fund for research grants and fellowships, along with signature community outreach programs.

The first-ever Prevent Cancer Foundation Cancer Champion award was presented to Elmer Huerta, M.D., MPH, founder and the director of the Cancer Preventorium at the Washington Cancer Institute. Dr. Huerta, a native of Peru, has been a member of the Prevent Cancer Foundation board of directors since 1995 and serves as its vice-chair and scientific director.

Ms. Andrea Roane, news anchor for Washington, D.C. CBS affiliate WUSA-Channel 9 and a Prevent Cancer Foundation board member, shared a personal story about losing her brother-in-law to colon cancer a year earlier, just 35 days after it was detected. Ms. Roane stressed the importance of cancer prevention and early detection, encouraging guests to support the “Light the Way to Prevention” pledge drive, raised an additional $35,000 was generously contributed during the evening.

Eating Like a Mediterranean
What is the world's healthiest way to eat?

Back in the 1960s, researcher Ancel Keys organized an effort to find out, gathering data on diet and disease patterns throughout the world. The Seven Countries Study that resulted was nothing short of a watershed. It established the connection between saturated fat and heart disease, just for starters. But it also identified one of the world’s healthiest eating patterns.

The study reported one of the lowest rates of heart disease, and some of the longest lifespans, in the people of Crete, an island in the Mediterranean. Later work confirmed that Cretans had much lower rates of cancer and type 2 diabetes, as well.

What was it about their lifestyle that was so protective? Lots of physical activity, for one; most of the men made their living as farmers. And Cretans ate in a way that hadn’t much changed since ancient times. Their meals were full of vegetables and fruits, abundant in beans and fish, and almost devoid of red meat and processed foods. They regularly took in high amounts of fat—40 percent of daily calories—but most of it came from olive oil; their average saturated-fat intake was among the world’s lowest. This eating pattern was soon christened the “Mediterranean Diet,” and it still stands as one of the world’s healthiest, tastiest ways to eat.

The Mediterranean pattern has stood up to clinical scrutiny as well; large-scale studies have shown that when people are put on a Mediterranean eating program, they tend to live longer and have lower rates of heart disease and some cancers, when compared with other groups following conventional eating plans.

7 guidelines for eating the Mediterranean way

• Eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods.
• Use unsaturated fats, particularly monounsaturated fats like olive oil, for cooking and flavoring foods, and for salad dressings.
• Eat an abundance of vegetables, especially leafy greens, every day.
• Eat more servings of fruits, grains and legumes than animal-based foods, and include low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
• Serve beans and fish as your main protein sources.
• Make small amounts of meat an occasional treat, rather than a daily staple.
• Enjoy nuts, such as almonds, peanuts and walnuts, regularly, in moderate amounts.

Check out this recipe for Fusilli with Italian Sausage & Arugula.

© 2008 Eating Well Inc. 

Colorectal Cancer Awareness — Capitol Hill Day

The Prevent Cancer Foundation hosted two educational events on Capitol Hill in partnership with C:3: the Colorectal Cancer Coalition, in honor of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
 
First, the Foundation held a briefing for advocates, Members of Congress and their staff on HR Bill 1189—The Colorectal Cancer Early Detection, Prevention and Treatment Act. Dr. Michael Pishvaian of Georgetown University, along with Kate Murphy, a colorectal cancer advocate, educated the audience and answered questions about this disease during the briefing. The bill’s co-sponsors, Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Catherine Knowles from Congresswoman Kay Granger’s office, spoke about the importance of the legislation. This legislation will create a federally funded screening program to insure that more people have access to these life–saving screenings.

Second, the Foundation hosted a reception marking the 10th Anniversary of the designation of March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In 1999 the Foundation worked with Members of Congress to designate March in order to raise awareness to the disease. Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia, one of the original co-sponsors of the resolution, was on hand for the celebration, which included the Prevent Cancer Super Colon™. 

Please visit our Advocacy Action Center to learn more about the bill and to ask your local Representative to co-sponsor the legislation.


In The News 

Baby Broccoli May Help Prevent Stomach Cancer: Study
Read at Reuters.com 

DNA Test Outperforms Pap Smear
Read at nytimes.com 

Gene Trigger for Deadly Skin Cancer Found
Read at msnbc.com 

Foundation News

Dr. Erwin Provides Vital Screenings in Post Katrina New Orleans

Before Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana had one of the nation’s highest mortality rates from breast cancer, due to lack of screening sites and prevention education, resulting in late stage diagnosis. When Hurricane Katrina hit, its impact could be felt long after, by taking away not only lives and neighborhoods, but also access to screenings and health care. After the hurricane hit, only about half of the physicians returned to the city, leaving both insured and uninsured patients not able to find physicians. Dr. Donald Erwin, a local physician in New Orleans and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Thomas Community Health Center (CHC), saw this devastation and decided to take action to ensure that the population could receive life saving breast cancer screenings. 

An $85,000 community grant from the Prevent Cancer Foundation (PCF) helped Dr. Erwin and the St. Thomas CHC to provide free mammograms to women not covered by other programs. The PCF Community Grant allowed Dr. Erwin to not only offer screening services, but also surgical oncology consultation, including biopsies and post-operative care for those patients needing surgery. From October, 2005 until March, 2008, St. Thomas CHC was the only site in the New Orleans region where uninsured women could obtain mammography and further diagnostic studies for the detection of breast cancer. Today, with help from the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Community Grants program, Dr. Erwin and the St. Thomas Community Health Center remain vital links to the revitalization of New Orleans—the city and its people.

Across the Country and Around the World: Breast Health Education for Young Women 

The Foundation’s Breast Health Education for Young Women materials are reaching communities far and wide. The DVD and facilitator’s guide are now in 35 states across the U.S. and 3 foreign countries. From urban schools in Minnesota and health fairs in New York, to a health center in Bermuda, educators are using the materials to teach breast health behavior to young women in their communities.

The 14 – minute educational DVD emphasizes the importance of early detection and prevention by using facts, a breast self-examination demonstration and a personal story of a young survivor. The guide includes instructions for a variety of interactive activities to provide skills – based breast health education to groups of young women.

Designed for use in a variety of settings, the video and guide provide the resources for reaching young women with valuable breast health education. “The materials were straightforward and easy to use,” commented a facilitator from Texas. Reaching teens in her school, a school nurse from Louisiana found the video to be “current and informative.”  The materials have helped nurses, health educators and group leaders talk to young women about breast cancer myths and facts, breast self-exams and advocating for one’s health. To order the materials please click here.

Upcoming Events

The Prevent Cancer Super Colon™ continues its national tour!
The Prevent Cancer Super Colon will make more than 90 stops this year, including some rural, minority and underserved communities where screening rates are low. Check our site often for updates to the 2009 schedule.

5th Annual Capitol Hill Poker Tournament
April 28, 2009
The 5^th Annual Bad Beat on Cancer Texas Hold’em Tournament at Union Station in Washington, D.C., is the nation's capital's hottest poker tournament. For more information contact Jan Mahrer at jan.mahrer@preventcancer.org.  

Prevent Cancer 5K Run/Walk
Step Away From Cancer
September 26, 2009
The Step Away From Cancer 5K is the Foundation's first family-oriented 5K run/walk in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. For more information contact Linda Chastain at linda.chastain@preventcancer.org.