'Our Daughters, Our Duty' forum to focus on cervical cancer and HPV vaccine
'Our Daughters, Our Duty' forum to focus on cervical cancer and HPV vaccine
March 4, 2009
Parents will have a valuable opportunity to learn more about prevention of cervical cancer and the new human pappillomavirus (HPV) vaccine at a free town hall meeting offered by Community Engagement Seeking Solutions (CECOS) and the Kennedy-King College Nursing Program. CECOS is a program of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center.
When
Saturday, March 7
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where
Kennedy-King College Auditorium
740 W. 63rd Street, Building U
RSVP
Call Healthlink
(773) 702-9200
Rick Kittles, PhD, associate director for diversity and community outreach at the University of Chicago, and Kenneth Alexander, MD, PhD, chief of pediatric infectious diseases and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago Medical Center, will discuss ways to prevent cervical cancer. Another speaker, Michele Walker, MD, is Near South Side Regional Medical Director of Access, the nation's largest community health center organization and Chicagoland's largest private primary health care provider to underserved neighborhoods.
The physicians and researchers will help the audience understand the role of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in the development of cervical cancer and offer guidance on how to avoid contracting the disease. The meeting will also be a forum for a thoughtful exchange of ideas about concerns people have about the new vaccine.
The HPV virus causes more than 99 percent of all cervical cancers and is responsible for all genital warts. The vaccine is effective against most types of cervical cancer, including the viruses that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers, and 90 percent of genital warts.
For more information on the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center (UCCRC) visit http://uccrc.uchicago.edu/.
About the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center
The University of Chicago Cancer Research Center (UCCRC) employs a wealth of intellectual, technological, and financial resources to pursue a comprehensive, collaborative research program involving more than 200 renowned scientists and clinicians. One of only two NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in Illinois, the UCCRC was established following approval of the National Cancer Act of 1973.
The UCCRC's Community Engagement Centering on Solutions (CECOS) encompasses a comprehensive effort to enhance public awareness of cancer prevention, early cancer detection and control, and the role of genetics in cancer. The CECOS goal is "to provide relevant, clear, and concise information about cancer, the benefits in cancer clinical trial participation, scientific advances in genetics, and the value of understanding family history in assessing cancer risk." CECOS is developing collaborative partnerships with the community and its leaders to promote healthier neighborhoods and prevent disease.
About the University of Chicago Medical Center
The University of Chicago Medical Center, established in 1927, is one of the nation's leading academic medical institutions. It consists of the renowned Pritzker School of Medicine; Bernard Mitchell Hospital, the primary adult patient care facility; Comer Children's Hospital, devoted to the medical needs of children; Chicago Lying-in Hospital, a maternity and women's hospital; and the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, a state-of-the-art ambulatory-care facility with the full spectrum of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment functions. Care is provided by more than 700 attending physicians--most of whom are full-time University faculty members--620 residents and fellows, more than 1,000 nurses and 9,500 employees.
The Medical Center is consistently recognized as a leading provider of complex medical care. It is the only Illinois hospital ever to make the U.S.News & World Report Honor Roll, with eight clinical specialties--digestive disorders; cancer; endocrinology; neurology and neurosurgery; heart and heart surgery; kidney disease; geriatrics; and ear, nose and throat--ranked among the top 30 programs nationwide. The Medical Center was awarded Magnet status in 2007, the highest level of recognition for nursing care.