Tuesday, April 16, 2002

Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff on Low-Dose Radiation and Breast Cancer

Recent news reports have done nothing but confuse women about whether or not to have regular mammograms. Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff, a cell biologist at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, whose field of expertise is the effect of low-dose radiation on tissue, will address the question of who should or should not have mammograms.

Unlike most cancer researchers who ask how cells become cancerous, Barcellos-Hoff poses the question: how do tissues become tumors? She will discuss her latest research showing that exposure to ionizing radiation creates a micro-environment in the tissue surrounding breast cells that can cause even non-irradiated cells and their progeny to become cancerous. The discovery that it is the tissue surrounding breast cells that may be the primary target of ionizing radiation damage rather than the DNA within the cells suggests new and possibly more effective means of treating breast cancer.

WHERE: Pyramid Alehouse, 901 Gilman St., Berkeley

WHEN: 6:30 pm -- 9:30 pm Tuesday, April 16

SCHEDULE:

• 6:30-7:30 Happy Hour
• 7:30-8:30 Dinner
• 8:30-9:30 Speaker

MENU:

• Mixed Salad greens with assorted dressings
  
  Choice of:
• Honey cilantro chicken breast, grilled
• Vegetable pasta with portabello mushrooms
• Fresh grilled salmon with wine garlic butter sauce
• Lemon pepper rice, oven roasted vegetables and fresh rolls
• Soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea and coffee included
  
  Choice of dessert:
• tiramisu or apple strudel with ice cream and caramel sauce
• No host bar for wine or beer. Lots of good draught beer at $4 per glass, and excellent root beer too.

COST: $21.00 per person and $15.00 for students

TO RESERVE SPACE: Send a check for $21 ($15 for students), made out to NCSWA and indicating your choice of entrée and dessert, to:

Bob Sanders
1512 Holly St.
Berkeley, CA 94703

**THIS IS A DEAL: NCSWA is subsidizing a portion of the costs to keep the price low.

DIRECTIONS TO PYRAMID ALEHOUSE: From I-80 take the Gilman St. exit (between the University Ave. and Albany exits) and drive straight up Gilman until you see the large warehouse-sized building on your left. Lots of parking inside, but also street parking if that fills up.

BART is quite far away, but the AC Transit bus #9 does go past the brewery. Check out the route from downtown Berkeley BART to Gilman St. It takes about 30 minutes.

CARPOOLING:

For those interested in carpooling to the dinner, Karen Street again will play transportation matchmaker, matching up those of you wanting a ride with those who are driving.

Contact her at kmstreet1@attbi.com. She will mail out information as she receives it. Many thanks to all those who have offered rides in the past, enabling people to attend.