Health briefs
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
Panel to talk about cancer
Find out the latest on breast cancer at a free community health panel discussion at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Queen's Conference Center at Queen's Medical Center.
Topics will include controversies on breast cancer screening, technological advances in diagnosing breast cancer, women who are at high risk for the disease, and who should consider genetic testing.
The panel of nationally recognized experts includes Dr. Lynn Hartman, professor of oncology, Mayo Medical School and director of the Mayo Women's Cancer Program; Dr. R. James Brenner, director of breast imaging, Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Breast Center, John Wayne Cancer Institute, UCLA School of Medicine; and Dr. John Lederer, medical director of radiation oncology at The Queen's Medical Center.
There will be a question-and-answer session after the presentation. To register, call the Queen's referral line at 537-7117.
Healthcare to be discussed
Exploring healthcare issues in the face of rising healthcare costs in America will be the focus of a panel discussion at a lunchtime presentation Dec. 4 at 3660 on the Rise restaurant, 3660 Wai'alae Ave.
The panel is sponsored by the Industrial Relations Research Association, Hawai'i chapter. The panel will feature Dr. Phil Hellreich, who is in private practice and serves as vice president of Med Save America; Ah Quon McElrath, member of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa; and Paul Tom, president of Benefit Plans Consultants (Hawai'i) Inc.
The panelists will discuss which healthcare systems — free market, universal or prepaid healthcare — provides the best coverage to Americans in the face of a growing decline in health insurance coverage and reduction of health benefits for some retirees.
The cost of the event, including lunch, is $21 for association member and $26 for nonmembers. Call Deborah Wong at 956-8132 by Nov. 27 to attend.
Teens to rally against smoking
Some 600 high school students from throughout the state will gather at the State Capitol tomorrow and symbolically hammer giant nails into a coffin representing the "big guns of the tobacco industry" for this year's Great American Smokeout in Honolulu.
The annual event, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, is used to educate the public about the dangers associated with tobacco use and to encourage smokers to quit by not smoking for just one day.
The society scheduled the student rally to include sign-waving along Beretania Street from 8 to 9 a.m.; a workshop on how a bill becomes a law, a panel discussion among students about tobacco issues; and an appearance by "Marlboro Man" Frank Deam, a throat cancer survivor who was once featured prominently in cigarette ads and now talks about how he was used to market cigarettes to a youthful audience.
At 12:10 p.m., the students will place shredded cigarettes into a casket along with hundreds of student comments on documentation of the tobacco industry's campaign to market to youth. Then Deam and the students will use a ceremonial hammer to "nail big tobacco."
Smoking is classified as the most preventable cause of death, yet an estimated 47 million Americans smoke and teen smoking has been on the rise. Between 1991 and 1999, the society said cigarette smoking among high school students shot up from 28 percent to 35 percent.
The rally sponsors include Borthwick Mortuaries, Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Peer Education Program of the state Department of Education, Positive Connections from the state Department of Health, Hui Olelo Hawai'i, Blimpie Subs & Salads, and the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai'i.
For more information about the smokeout or about strategies to quit smoking, call (800) 227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
