For Immediate Release:
Feb. 28, 2011
AACR to Host U.S. Surgeon General at Congressional Briefing
on Americas Continuing Tobacco Problem
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., will discuss the dangers of tobacco use and her offices recently released report on smoking at an American Association for Cancer Research-sponsored congressional briefing on Tuesday, March 1, 2011.
Benjamin, whose report “How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease” was released in Dec. 2010, will speak to representatives from dozens of congressional offices, as well as members of the cancer and biomedical advocacy communities.
The briefing will be held from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on March 1 in room 1539 of the Longworth House Office Building. Media are invited to attend; for more information, visit www.aacr.org/SurgeonGeneralBriefing. Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer of the AACR, will introduce the surgeon general and moderate the briefing.
“Were honored to bring the surgeon general to Capitol Hill to discuss this serious public health problem that causes death and disease throughout the world,” Foti said. “Tobacco use is responsible for 30 percent of all cancer deaths, estimated to have taken the lives of 171,000 Americans in 2010 alone. We will continue to work together to stem the global tide of tobacco-related deaths and suffering.”
Roy S. Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the AACRs Task Force on Tobacco and Cancer, and chief of medical oncology at Yale University, will share his perspective as a practicing oncologist, address the AACRs role in tobacco cessation and cancer research, and highlight findings from an April 2010 AACR policy statement on tobacco and cancer. The American Heart Association (AHA) is providing generous support for this event and AHA President Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., chair of neurology at the University of Miami, will share his insights on tobacco and cardiovascular disease.
This AACR-sponsored briefing serves as the first of several planned for this year. A second tobacco-related briefing will take place on Wednesday, March 16, when Lawrence R. Deyton, M.D., M.S.P.H., director of the Center for Tobacco Products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will provide insights into the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, the AACR is the worlds oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes 33,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants, research fellowships and career development awards. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 18,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. Including Cancer Discovery, the AACR publishes seven major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. AACR journals represented 20 percent of the market share of total citations in 2009. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists.
Media Contact:
Rachael Cullins
(202) 898-6499
