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Thank you for your continued interest in PAC3. Please enjoy this month's edition of the Portal. Please feel free to forward this to your friends or colleagues by clicking on this link.  |
Governor
Rendell Names Michael K. Huff As Acting Health Secretary
Harrisburg - Governor Edward G. Rendell
announced that he has appointed Michael K. Huff, R.N., as acting
Secretary of Health, effective October 1, 2010.
Huff, who will be the first registered nurse to lead the
Pennsylvania Department of Health, currently is the department's deputy
secretary for health planning and assessment.
As deputy
secretary, Huff is responsible for monitoring, tracking and analyzing the
public health status of Pennsylvania communities. He has developed and
implemented a statewide health plan and coordinated public health programs
within the department's district offices, state health centers and county/municipal
health departments.
He will
succeed Health Secretary Everette James, who is resigning.
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New Data On Benefits Of Mammography
 Two observational studies out of Sweden and Norway found that routine mammograms reduce mortality from breast cancer in women from different age groups. The study in younger women (ages 40-49) who underwent screening showed a 29% reduction in breast cancer deaths over those that did not get screened. The study of women ages 50-69 found that implementation of a screening program
was associated with a 10% reduction in breast cancer mortality. Read more about the studies here.
NCI Introduces "Learn About Mammograms" site for Women and Health Professionals.
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Mutations Linked To Two Uncommon Forms Of Ovarian Cancer
A new study from Canadian researchers found mutations of a gene called ARID1A which may play a role in the development of two types of ovarian cancer. Mutations were found in 55 (46 percent) of 119 samples of ovarian clear-cell carcinoma,
which accounts for about 12 percent of U.S. ovarian cancer cases, as
well as in 10 (30 percent) of 33 samples of endometrioid carcinoma,
another relatively uncommon type of ovarian cancer. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and Science Express.
Click here to read more.
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 New Treatment Improves Survival Of Childhood Cancer
 New treatment shows improved survival of children newly diagnosed with neuroblastoma who
were at high risk of developing a recurrence and who responded to
initial treatment with standard therapies. This randomized clinical trial tested a treatment that stimulates the patient's immune cells to attack tumor cells. Last year, researchers made the immunotherapy available to all eligible patients. This experimental treatment has been in development for over 20 years. Click here to read more about this trial. |
Phone Counseling May Help With Cancer Pain, Depression
 A new study was published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Over 12 months, patients in the phone-counseling group saw greater
improvement in their symptoms than people in the usual care group,
regardless of whether they were suffering from pain or depression. Click here to read more about the study, cancer pain and depression. |
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CONTINUING EDUCATION
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NCCN Webinar: Treatment Strategies for Mesothelioma
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
12:00PM-1:00PM
This program is designed to meet the educational needs of
oncologists, nurses, and other health care professionals who manage
patients with cancer. NCCN designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s). Click here for more dates and to register for this webinar. |
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National Cancer Policy Summit
Monday, October 25, 2010
Washington, DC, 7:30AM
The National Cancer Policy Forum is
hosting the National Cancer Policy Summit. The Summit will convene key
thought leaders in the cancer community to identify and discuss the most
pressing policy issues in cancer research and cancer care. This summit is open to members of the
public. All stakeholders are welcome and encouraged to submit their
input to the Forum in writing. If you would like to provide the Forum
with written input, please contact Erin Balogh at ebalogh@nas.edu or
202-334-2501. For more information about this event and to register, click here. |
 Cancer Control P.L.A.N.E.T. Cyber-seminar: Dialogue on Dissemination: A Policy Perspective
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
2:00 PM-3:00 PM
This cyber-seminar is the second
in a series of three discussions that engage stakeholders across the
dissemination continuum. In this series, researchers, policy makers, and
cancer control practitioners highlight promising approaches and
address barriers to implementing evidence-based programs and policies. Click here to register for this cyber-seminar. |
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New Ovarian Cancer Education: Nurse Oncology Education Program
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The Education
Network to Advance Cancer Clinical Trials (ENACCT) Offers 7 Complimentary Online Programs For:
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Cancer clinical research
staff to help
improve recruitment and retention practices, especially for minority
populations;
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Community leaders interested in becoming clinical
trial advocates; and,
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Healthcare
professionals
interested in helping support their patients to learn more about cancer clinical
trials as a treatment option.
CME/CEUs are
available for most of these courses.
Check out ENACCT's newest online program, Open to Options: Why Cancer Clinical Trials Are
Important for My Practice, designed for health care professionals working
with blood cancer patients. Click here for ENACCT online programs.
For additional
information, please contact: Natasha
Blakeney, Program
Director, Education
Network to Advance Cancer Clinical Trials at (803)
479-8873 or natasha.blakeney@enacct.org |
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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PAR-10-278
Deadline: March 10, 2011
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For PAC3 updates and contact information, please visit http://www.pac3.org/NewContacts.asp
Fox Chase Cancer Center I Office of Health Communications and Health Disparities I 510 Township Line Rd. Cheltenham, PA 19012 I October 15 2010
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NIH Announces Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) is now the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). This change authorizes the new institute to plan, coordinate, review and evaluate all minority health and health disparities research activities conducted and supported by the NIH institutes and centers. Read the press release from NIH here.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) launches new series of
NCCN Guidelines for Patients™
NCCN has just released two free resources for lung and breast cancer patients. These guidelines are consumer-friendly translations of the NCCN
Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™) outlining
appropriate cancer treatment. Visit the NCCN website to access these resources.
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NEW! PA Patient Navigator Network Blog
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Tell Us What You Think!
In an effort to be responsive to membership, we would like to hear what information would be most useful to you in this newsletter and on the website. Please contact us with your thoughts and suggestions. |
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