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The Ad Hoc Discussion Group meeting, hosted by Senator Mary Lou Rath and attended by Senator Pat McGee, took place in Buffalo at the Center for Tomorrow on the Amherst campus on June 29, 2001, with approximately 45 participants.
Discussion Forum. This meeting began with the discussion forum, focusing on Western New York, with four presenters. Nancy Smith, co-chair of the City of Buffalo's Pest Management Board spoke about the Board, as well as seven other relevant organizations. Her goal was to "link at least one person with each." Joanne Janicki , Director of the Western New York Breast Resource Center at Roswell Park, discussed the importance to women with breast cancer of all those working on their behalf, and that finding out about and connecting with new programs is an important activity for her. Kirsten Moysich, a cancer epidemiologist at SUNY Buffalo, talked about her interest in learning more about the population sub-group effects of environmental exposures (please see Dr. Moysich's Research Commentary in this newsletter). Finally, Karen Goodkin, of the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester and member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and NYS Breast Cancer Network, spoke about her group's advocacy, education and local research efforts, as well as her group's desire to establish a research consortium on breast cancer in the Greater Finger Lakes area.
PSUR Panel. After an interactive and healthy lunch, there was a panel on the NYS Pesticide Sales and Use Registry, from the perspective of four panelists. Michael Nierenberg represented the NYS DEC out of the Buffalo office. Bill Smith of Cornell's Pesticide Management Education Program contributed information on the technical aspects of building, maintaining, and improving the database. Audrey Thier of Environmental Advocates described the results of working with the data available to date, saying "we can learn a lot from the data as it is," but that to see beyond large trends there is a need to refine it. She would also like to see access for all citizens, listing of the active ingredient, and statutory electronic reporting. David Hahn-Baker, Chair of the City of Buffalo's Pest Management Board, described the "real opportunities for citizen involvement," and the help the information has provided in guiding the city's pest management approach.
Research Presentations. At the suggestion of Senator Marcellino's office, the two complementary presentations by BCERF staff featured at the previous Ad Hoc meeting were updated and repeated for the benefit of the Western New York audience. Barbour Warren gave a talk entitled, "Childhood to First Child's Birth: A Critical Period for Breast Cancer Risk." He provided background in the cancer biology and the biology of breast development to enable the non-scientist to understand. Suzanne Snedeker followed with an introduction to a very current area of research, premature thelarche (breast development), and its possible environmental connection. This information was well-received by this audience as well.
Community Partners. Linda Burton of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County ended the meeting by speaking about her five years as a community partner with BCERF. Recent initiatives to raise breast cancer awareness and promote risk reduction included youth events, where settings such as fashion shows and theatre projects involved girls creatively and in their own settings.
Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors
Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine
Vet Box 31, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401
Phone: 607.254.2893; Fax: 607.254.4730
Email: breastcancer@cornell.edu
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