Northern California Cancer Center seminar at Stanford University – 9/23/09
Northern California Cancer Center seminar at Stanford University Sept. 23 to tell consumers “things you don’t know” about soy products and drug, food and herb interactions.
Serena Espinosa, External Affairs Associate, NCCC, 510/608-5160 Pam Priest Naeve , Community Education Director, NCCC, 510/608-5000
STANFORD/PALO ALTO, CALIF. (September 21-23, 2009) — A Northern California Cancer Center (www.nccc.org) seminar at Stanford University on Sept. 23 will reveal “Things You Don’t Know” about soy products and the health impact of mingling drugs, food and herbal supplements.
“Things You Don’t Know” is scheduled for 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the Arrillaga Alumni Center, 326 Galvez St., at Stanford University in Palo Alto. The seminars are sponsored by the Fremont, Calif.- based Northern California Cancer Center (NCCC), a nationally-recognized organization which is the only center in the U.S. dedicated solely to cancer prevention research. Registration is $5 for students and $25 for the general public. For reservations, please call 1- 888/315 -5988 or email education@nccc.org.
“Our goal is to help people be informed consumers or patients and deliver health information in words that everyone can understand,” said NCCC Community Education Director Pam Priest Naeve. “Everyone today constantly receives information at warp speed about all issues including health. And these seminars are part of the NCCC’s work in helping people ask the right questions so they can fully understand the health impact of their decisions.” Priest Naeve added, “This program is not limited to cancer issues. It looks at health in general and the importance of understanding what we are ingesting and the implications for our well-being.
Dr. Candy Tsourounis, Pharm. D., Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California at San Francisco, will speak on “Mixing and Mingling: How to Avoid Drug Interactions between Supplements, Prescription Medicine and Over-the-Counter Medicines.”
With the popularity of dietary supplements comes a need to address the responsible use of medicines. The seminar stresses the need to be an informed consumer. The effectiveness of medication – including those used in cancer treatment – can be altered when taken with another drug, medicinal herbs or even simple foods such as grapefruit. “This seminar will help you think through the issues and ask the right questions of your doctor, pharmacist or herbalist,” said Dr. Tsourounis. “The knowledge of what is safe, benign or potentially dangerous is a critical component of good health. Adding to the mix is the use of over-the-counter medicines and the ‘fine print’ on a box or insert that many of us never read.”
Laura Brainin-Rodriguez, M.P.H., M.S., Registered Dietitian with the San Francisco Department of Public Health, will discuss “What’s Up with Soy — Friend or Foe?”
“Soy has become a common ingredient in the U.S. diet and is used in such everyday items as baby foods, milk products, veggie burgers and even the meat products in schools and prisons,” said Brainin-Rodriguez. “Soy was initially used in Asia as a soil fertilizer and animal feed before some fermented forms became a food for humans. Soy is often touted as an excellent source of heart-healthy protein and fiber. But other studies have found negative effects on health. We will examine the research and address the pros and cons to this evolving health issue.”
Financial support for these seminars was provided by the Sydney Shelton/Elaine Budge Fund and the Melanie M. Bronfman Education Fund at the Northern California Cancer Center.
About NCCC:
The Northern California Cancer Center (NCCC) is the only center in the country dedicated solely to cancer prevention research. It is recognized nationally as a leader in researching the causes and patterns of cancer across the population and improving the prevention and detection of cancer. In 35 years of operation, the nonprofit organization has grown from its original role of developing clinical trials of cancer drugs to serving as an asset to the nation’s leading cancer fighting organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, scientists worldwide, educators, patients, and clinicians. For more information, visit the NCCC’s website at www.nccc.org.
Media Contacts: Jim Zelinski/Zelinski Public Relations (for the Northern California Cancer Center),
925/242-0918 or 415/420-6050 or jimz@zelinskipublicrelations.com
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