Brain Cancer And The Environment: Whats The Connection? Firs

In 1996, Catherine Stryker's only son was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Three years, later, her 28-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. A few years after that, the third of her four children was diagnosed. Like any parent, she wondered why this was happening in her family and she started asking questions.

"The Strykers, and families like them, call the National Brain Tumor Foundation every month, asking about the causes of brain tumors" says Robert Tufel, MSW, MPH, Executive Director of the National Brain Tumor Foundation. "Cell phones, pesticides, and diet have all been investigated as possible causes of brain tumors yet definitive answers continue to elude scientists. Each year, the public interest in wanting to know the causes of cancer grow." On June 24th, Stryker and many like her can find answers to their questions in the first-ever conference on brain tumors and the environment for patients and families.

As a way of increasing the understanding of brain tumors and potential causes, the National Brain Tumor Foundation is sponsoring the first ever conference on "Brain Tumors and the Environment: What's the Connection?" which will take place on Saturday, June 24th at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco.

This conference is unique in that it will bring together scientists as well as patients and family members. Noted speaker Michael Lerner, PhD president and founder of Commonweal, a health and environmental research institute in Bolinas, and the "Collaborative on Health and the Environment" (CHE) will start the day off talking about the importance of investigating links between the environment and our health.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from leading epidemiologists who will explain how epidemiology studies are conducted as well as discuss the latest research on brain tumors including cell phones, diet, allergies and new ways of investigating causes.

Dr. Roberta McKean Cowdin, an epidemiologist from USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and one of the featured speakers at the conference is a leader in the field of brain tumor epidemiology.

"Understanding the causes of brain tumors may provide clues about how to prevent brain tumors" says Dr. Cowdin "And knowing that can help us to stop the progression of disease once it has started".

There will also be a panel of patients and family members who will talk about their experiences in looking for answers about what caused brain tumors in their community.

National Brain Tumor Foundation
http://www.braintumor.org
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Brain Cancer And The Environment: Whats The Connection? Firs