FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                        
February 2, 2006

CONTACTS:           
Heather Goethe
703-299-1016

--ASCO Experts Host Online Q & A Forums Addressing Prevention and Treatment Options for Two Commonly Diagnosed Cancers--

Editor’s Note: Click on the following link for camera-ready, anatomical and staging illustrations for both prostate and colon cancer: www.plwc.org/illustrations.

Alexandria, VA — People Living With Cancer (www.plwc.org), the patient website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), wants the public to have the most up to date prevention and treatment information on prostate and colon cancer. Nationally recognized cancer experts will host online question-and-answer forums to provide an informative overview of treating, preventing, and coping with these two cancers in addition to dispelling myths and misconceptions.

Prostate Cancer: Important News For Patients
February 24, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM (EST)

SPECIAL NOTE:  Live Chat Taking Place from the 2006 Prostate Cancer Symposium Being Held in San Francisco

Most recognized for discovering the first cancer vaccine to extend life expectancy in prostate cancer patients living with advanced disease, Eric Small, MD, will answer questions live online regarding all aspects of prostate cancer. He will also preview research to be announced at the 2006 Prostate Cancer Symposium as well as discuss the role clinical trials play in these important developments. Other items of discussion may include:
-Early detection
-Treatment options
-Managing side effects of treatment, including sexual health
-How to support a spouse or loved one with prostate cancer

About the Expert:
Dr. Small is Head of the Urologic Oncology Division of Hematology/Oncology and Co-Director of the Urologic Oncology Program at the University of California, San Francisco. He is also a Professor in Residence of Medicine and Urology at the University. In addition, Dr. Small serves as Chair of the Genitourinary Committee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B, a cooperative group sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.

An immediate Past Chair of the Prostate Cancer Symposium, Dr. Small’s clinical research has been widely published in a variety of highly acclaimed medical journals. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Case Western Reserve University of Medicine.

Preventing, Screening, and Treating Colon Cancer
Q & A Period: March 1-31
SPECIAL NOTE: March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Past ASCO President, Robert J. Mayer, MD, will accept questions throughout the month of March concerning all aspects of colon cancer. Again, a special emphasis will be placed on the role clinical trials play in ongoing research developments. Discussion topics may include:

- Early detection and screening
- Understanding how genes cause colon cancer
- Ways to reduce risk
- Making treatment choices
- Managing symptoms and side effects
- Research advances
- Clinical trials

About the Expert:
Dr. Mayer is the Director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology and the Vice Chair for Academic Affairs of the Department of Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is a Senior Physician at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and is also a Physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital. As a Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, where he has been appointed Faculty Associate Dean of Admissions, Dr. Mayer dedicates himself to mentoring and teaching future oncologists.

He has served as an Associate Editor for the New England Journal of Medicine, and has published extensively on gastrointestinal cancers. For 16 years, Dr. Mayer served as the Chair of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Committee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B. Dr. Mayer is a graduate of Williams College and the Harvard Medical School.

Visit www.plwc.org for complete login details and recommended reading for the question-and-answer forums. Reporters wishing to set up an interview with an expert or to participate in the online forums should call 703-299-1016 for more information. New questions and answers will be posted each week.

PLWC is the patient website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and is designed to help patients and their families find accurate, timely, and oncologist-approved information about cancer. Visitors to PLWC will find detailed information on the diagnosis and treatment of nearly 100 types of cancer. An Editorial Board of medical, surgical and radiation oncologists, oncology nurses, social workers, and patient advocates regularly review PLWC’s content.

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