MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (April 3, 2006) — Shedding light on the growing problem of skin cancer and discussing what the big deal is about public smoking will be the topics for the spring 2006 Cancer U: Ask The Experts programs, sponsored by the Masonic Cancer Center.

"Skin Cancer: Shedding Light on a Growing Problem," will be held from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, at the Radisson University Hotel, 615 Washington Ave., S.E., in Minneapolis. The second program, "What's the Big Deal about Public Smoking?" will be offered Saturday, May 6, also from 9-11 a.m. at the Radisson University Hotel.

The program on skin cancer will include presentations by University of Minnesota cancer physicians and researchers DeAnn Lazovich, Ph.D., epidemiologist; Julie Cronk, M.D., dermatologist; and Arek Dudek, M.D., medical oncologist. They will discuss the impact of skin cancer in Minnesota, the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, and research being done to improve the treatment and survival for people contracting melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.

Leading the discussion on what's the big deal about public smoking will be Dorothy Hatsukami, Ph.D., Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., and Deborah Hennrikus, Ph.D. Hatsukami and Hecht co-direct the University's Tobacco Use Research Center, one of seven centers in the United States funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study tobacco use and addiction. They will lay out the facts about secondhand smoke. Hennrikus, an epidemiologist, will talk about effects of secondhand smoke in children.

The Masonic Cancer Center sponsors the Cancer U: Ask the Experts series in collaboration with its clinical research and treatment partners: University of Minnesota Physicians and University of Minnesota Medical Center. The programs are an opportunity for interested individuals to get accurate information about cancer from University cancer doctors and researchers.

Parking will be available on the street by the Radisson University Hotel and in nearby ramps. Light breakfast foods will also be served before each program.

There is no charge for attending the programs, but registration is required due to limited seating. To register, visit the Masonic Cancer Center web site, call 1-888-CANCERMN (1-888-226-2376) or e-mail ccinfo@umn.edu.

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The Masonic Cancer Center is located at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. It is designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center. For more information about the Masonic Cancer Center and cancer, call 1-888-CANCERMN (1-888-226-2376) or email ccinfo@umn.edu

Media Contact: Mary Lawson, Public Relations Director, Masonic Cancer Center, 612-624-6165, 612-363-6971 (cell), mlawson@umn.edu.