UAMS to Hold Free Seminar on Colorectal Cancer Sept. 16

By todd

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LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) at UAMS will hold a free public seminar on colorectal cancer Sept. 16.


The 10th Annual Charles William Rasco III Symposium on Colorectal Cancer will be held from 1-3 p.m. in the Sam Walton Auditorium at the ACRC. Free parking will be available in the UAMS outpatient parking deck, located across from the ACRC, on the corner of Cedar Street and Capitol Avenue. For information, call (501) 686-8801.


The symposium will include three topic discussions, followed by a question and answer period. The sessions include “Beating Colorectal Cancer: Knowledge is Power” by Durado Brooks, M.D.; “Colon Cancer Genetics” by Kent D. McKelvey Jr., M.D.; and “Polypoid Diseases of the Colon: An Overview” by John Gocio, M.D. Local restaurants will provide samples of healthy foods during the seminar.


The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with age. Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of death among cancers in men and women in the United States. Colorectal cancer is preventable and highly treatable when detected early.


The Rasco Symposium was established in honor of the late Charles William Rasco III. A Dewitt native, Rasco was diagnosed with colon cancer in September 1991 and died in March 1994 at age 59. Rasco possessed a strong faith in his search to find a cure, which is carried on today by his widow, Nancy Rasco.


Nancy Rasco serves on the Garland County American Cancer Society Board in Hot Springs, and her support of the ACRC’s efforts enable UAMS to offer cancer-related educational opportunities such as the symposium.


UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,320 students and 690 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 9,300 employees, including nearly 1,000 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $4.5 billion a year. For more information, visit www.uams.edu.