Greenbrae, CA

Greenbrae, CA, October 12, 2011 — The Marin Cancer Institute (MCI), a program of Marin General Hospital, will host its annual free community breast cancer forum at the Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley Tuesday, Oct. 25, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.,.

"Marin County Breast Cancer Statistics, Screening, Services and Survival," features a special presentation from Rochelle Ereman, MS, MPS. epidemiologist for the County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services, followed by breakout sessions with MCI's leading experts.

Ereman will provide an update on the statistics defining the dimensions of breast cancer in Marin County, which has drawn national attention for its relatively high rate of breast cancer among the well-educated, predominately Caucasian residents. As a result, researchers have found the ongoing Marin Women's Study (MWS) a treasure trove of clues about what causes breast cancer, particularly in women with few established risk factors and access to excellent healthcare.

The study, conducted by the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with several Marin nonprofit organizations, healthcare providers and local community groups, looks at individual risk factors linked to an analysis of saliva. Marin General Hospital and MCI have played a key role in the study - their patients have had the highest participation rate of any group - and the results have had worldwide implications. For example, MWS data about changing patterns of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) helped shed light on the role played by HRT in breast cancer.

Topics in the breakout sessions will range from risk assessment and precautionary measures to advances in radiation, chemotherapy and other breast cancer treatments, breast surgery and reconstruction, and risk reduction through lifestyle modifications.

Marin Cancer Institute speakers include Leah Kelley, MD, breast surgeon; Bobbie Head, MD, medical oncologist; Francine Halberg, MD, and Vida Campbell, MD, radiation oncologists; Khashayar Mohebali, MD, plastic surgery; Jeannine Vitali-Schultz, registered dietitian; Sharon Meyer, DipION, CNC; and Regan Fedric, exercise physiologist (oncology specialty).

The Acqua Hotel is located at 555 Redwood Highway in Mill Valley. Space is limited, and pre-registration for the forum is requested; call 888-99-MY-MGH (996-9644).

The breast cancer program at Marin General Hospital, which includes Marin Cancer Institute (MCI) and the Breast Diagnostic Center of Marin, is one of just 11 programs in California that have received accreditation from the American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). The Breast Diagnostic Center of Marin recently received the Imaging Center of Excellence designation from the American College of Radiology (ACR). The program offers extraordinary access to clinical trials for its patients, and has participated in more than 75 clinical trials for breast cancer alone over the past 25 years.

Marin General Hospital, located in Greenbrae, CA, is the only full-service, acute care hospital in Marin County. The 235-bed facility was established in 1952, and is owned and operated by the Marin Healthcare District. It is the only source in Marin County for many important services and programs including:

• Emergency Department/Trauma Center
• Family Birth Center, including a level II neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• Nationally recognized cancer care program at our Marin Cancer Institute, with survival rates exceeding the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) rates for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers
• Comprehensive heart and vascular care at the Haynes Cardiovascular Institute
• Accredited Chest Pain Center with a lifesaving door-to-treatment time of just 44 minutes, compared to the national average of 100 minutes
• Spine & Brain Institute offering comprehensive, neurological care and orthopedic spine surgery
• Primary Stroke Center that can treat all types of stroke on site
• Acute inpatient psychiatric services

For more information or a physician referral, please visit www.maringeneral.org or call the Marin General Health Line at 888-99-MY-MGH (888-996-9644).

Contact:
Hatti Hamlin
Office & Mobile: 925-872-4328
hattihamlin@comcast.net

Jamie Maites
Director of Communications
Office: 415-925-7424
Mobile: 240-506-8556
maitesj@maringeneral.org

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