National Speaker, Author Keynotes Annual Environmental Links to Breast Cancer Forum

CINCINNATI—The seventh annual "Looking Upstream for Environmental Links to Breast Cancer” public education forum will feature nationally known speaker, author and breast cancer oncologist Marisa Weiss, MD, on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

Weiss is founder of the world’s most widely used online resource for breast health and breast cancer information (breastcancer.org). She also is the author of four critically acclaimed books on these topics including a book she co-authored with her daughter, "Taking Care of Your Girls: A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens and In-Betweens.”

Among other speakers, Frank Biro, MD, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and professor of pediatrics at the UC College of Medicine, will discuss the "Growing Up Female” study that looks at how environmental and genetic factors affect the onset of puberty in young girls.

"This is an opportunity for Cincinnatians to hear firsthand about the findings of breast cancer studies involving local researchers, as well as the implications of those findings for personal health,” says Biro.  We look forward to sharing this important information with the community.”

The forum takes place from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Reading Campus (formerly the Genome Research Institute), 2189 E. Galbraith Road. It is presented by the Cincinnati Breast Cancer and the Environmental Research Program (BCERP), and the Breast Cancer Registry of Greater Cincinnati. The Cincinnati BCERP is one of three national programs funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. It is a partnership between UC and Cincinnati Children’s.

Those interested in attending this event should call (513) 636-8307 to register. Registration is $20 and includes a breakfast buffet and educational materials. Parking is free. A program brochure is available online.

The UC College of Medicine is part of the is part of the Cincinnati Cancer Center, a joint cancer program involving the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and UC Health University Hospital. The collaborative initiative brings together interdisciplinary research teams of caring scientists and health professionals to research and develop new cures, while providing a continuum of care for children, adults and families with cancer.