Eighteenth annual meeting of the American Society of Preventive Oncology.

The 1 8th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO) was held March 6-9, 1994, in Bethesda, MD. President Ellen R. Gritz (University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX) presided and Margaret R. Spitz (M. D. Anderson Cancer Center) chaired the 1993 Program Committee. Three affiliated workshops preceded the annual meeting. Alfred Neugut (Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, NY) chaired a New Investigator Workshop; concurrently a Joint Meeting of National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention Fellows and Preventive Oncology Awardees was held. Caryn Lerman and Bruce Trock (Lombardi Cancer Prevention Center, Georgetown University, Washington DC) developed and cochaired a special genetics workshop, “Introduction to Molecular Genetics: From the Laboratory to Prevention.” The workshop was well attended with more than 1 20 participants, and included presentations by Kenneth D. Tartof (Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA), Alfred Knudson (Fox Chase Cancer Center) and Tern Beaty (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD), as well as Drs. Lerman and Trock. Throughout the meeting, study groups met at breakfast sessions. The Chemoprevention Study Group focused on a discussion of the monitoring and evaluation side effects of chemotherapeutic agents led by Gary Goodman (Swedish Hospital Tumor Institute, Seattle, WA) and recruitment strategies for large scale trials led by Mary Daly (Fox Chase Cancer Center). Goodman stressed the need for standard questions to assess symptoms, a standard physical exam, and a standard grading scale for symptoms and physical findings. Daly discussed both standard and alternative communication strategies in participant recruitment, as well as drop off in response to negative publicity. The Women’s Cancers Study Group, organized by Kathy Helzlsouer (Johns Hopkins University) addressed the issue of quality control in breast cancer screening. Florence Houn (Food and Drug Administration) discussed the Food and Drug Administration’s role in the certification of mammography facilities: it develops standards, trains inspectors, and evaluates performance needed for certification, which will become mandatory in October 1 994. Robert Brown (National Cancer Institute) presented the results of a survey of more than 1 000 mammography facilities in the United States, as well as a more detailed analysis of a sample of SO facilities in which an investigation of quality control of technical and medical physics aspects yielded satisfactory results. Recommendations for repeated mammography were followed in 70% of the cases, for needle aspiration in 1 00%, and for biopsies in 75%. Carol A. Chrvala (Colorado Department of Health) reported on the Colorado statewide surveillance of screening mammography program, a voluntamy coalition of 50 centers. The coalition includes active educational and follow-up efforts. Of a total of 136,316 mammographies, 0.6% resulted in a diagnosis of suspected carcinoma. The Diet Study Group, chaired by Larry Kushi (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN) and Gladys Block (Un iversity of California-Berkeley) heard a presentation by Mark Messina (Washington DC) on soy as an agent in cancer prevention. Several compounds in soybeans have demonstrated anticancer activity, including protease inhibitors, phytosterols, saponins, inositol, and isoflavones. Soy-derived isoflavones, principally genistein, may act through one or more documented mechanisms: as a steroid agonist; as an antioxidant; as a kinase inhibitor; and/or as an inhibitor of angiogenesis at very high doses. He discussed both the experimental and epidemiological evidence which highlight the potential for dietary chemoprevention with soy-based foods and genistein. The Tobacco Study Group Breakfast, chaired by Michael Fiore (University of Wisconsin, Madison WI), meviewed the California experience in tobacco control. Charles L. Gruder (Tobacco Related Disease Research Program) discussed the structure, function, and activities of a tobacco tax-funded research grant program. John Pierce (University of California-San Diego) presented data from an unreleased report evaluating the California tobacco program. Encouraging gains have been made in the reduction of household and worksite environmental tobacco smoke exposure, smoking prevalence, and per capita consumption in adults. However, no such reduction in tobacco use by children and adolescents has been achieved to date. Targeted advertising by tobacco companies has nullified the success of the program in underage smokers. Five symposia were included in the meeting program. Frank Meyskens, Jr. (University of Califomnia-Irvine) chaired the first symposium, “Retinoids in Chemprevention Trials: An update.” Reuben Lotan (M. D. Anderson Cancer Center) discussed the mechanisms of action of retinoids and presented data on the regulation of gene expression by retinoids from studies of premalignant lesions of oral mucosa. Normal stem cells in the oral cavity express RAR ,2 and