San Francisco special event

[Guest guest]

Special event in San Francisco

Colon Cancer Survivor to Share His Story on Oct. 20

Author Curtis Pesmen will discuss his personal experience in

surviving colon cancer at a community education event Thursday, Oct.

20, at the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The event is designed to empower and motivate those coping with the

diagnosis of cancer, provide insight on how to navigate the fast-

moving research and treatment landscape, and provide information

about treatment options and the latest treatment advancements.

Alan Venook, MD, professor of hematology-oncology at UCSF Medical

Center, will join Pesmen in hosting the educational program and

discussion.

The event is free and open to the public. It is scheduled for 5:30

to 7 p.m. in Herbst Hall, 1600 Divisadero St., at UCSF Mount Zion in

San Francisco.

Pesmen is the author of " How a Man Ages " and the recently

published " The Colon Cancer Survivors' Guide, " which draws on his

own compelling and inspirational experience of surviving the

disease. He underwent a screening colonoscopy in 1997 that was

negative, but four years ago received a diagnosis of stage III

colorectal cancer.

According to Pesmen, he wrote the survival guide to help the fast-

growing population of survivors of the disease -- as well as their

family and friends -- put colon cancer or its recurrence in its

place and move forward with the power of new knowledge. The book

will be distributed free at the event.

Pesmen, who was the health/features editor of SELF magazine in the

1990s, helped develop the internationally recognized pink-ribbon

breast cancer awareness campaign. An award-winning, seven-part

series about his successful fight against colon cancer was featured

in Esquire magazine in 2001 and 2003.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and second most

common cause of cancer death in the United States. According to the

American Cancer Society, an estimated 14,100 will be diagnosed with

the disease in California this year, and nearly 5,500 will die from

it. This year in the United States, an estimated 146,000 new cases

of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed, and 57,000 will be fatal.

For more information about the event, call 415/502-8351.

UCSF is a leading university that consistently defines health care

worldwide by conducting advanced biomedical research, educating

graduate students in health care, and providing complex patient

care.

Source: Levin

http://pub.ucsf.edu/today/cache/news/200510171.html