The Health and Wellness Lecture Series offers monthly lectures on topics related to health issues, personal well being, and disability prevention and management.

We thank and acknowledge the co-sponsorship of the UC San Diego Medical Center, the Vice Chancellor - External and Business Affairs, the School of Medicine, as well as the Community Advocates for Disability Rights and Education (CADRE), which is an association of faculty, staff, and students that promotes full inclusion and equal opportunity for people with disabilities.

UC San Diego Accommodation Counseling and Consulting Services is pleased to announce May's educational event. This will be a presentation by Lisa Madlensky, Ph.D. who is an Assistant Adjunct Professor from the department of Family & Preventive Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Madlensky is also the Director of the Family Cancer Genetics Program at the Moore's Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Madlensky provides cancer risk assessment and genetic counseling for patients and families at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center Family Cancer Genetics Program. In addition to her clinical activities, Dr. Madlensky is a researcher at the Cancer Center, focusing on cancer prevention in those at increased risk of disease because of their family history or genetic predisposition. Her previous research has examined screening behaviors in relatives of colorectal cancer patients, and issues related to genetic testing in hereditary colorectal cancer families.

Topic: Are You at Risk? Cancer in the Family Tree: Heredity, Genetic Testing and the Risk of Cancer

Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Time: 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.

Location: Price Center West - Eleanor Roosevelt College Room

Are you at risk? Do you have family history of any one specific disease, or have family history showing symptoms of any specific genetic disorders? Are you considering starting a family? Genetic tests use a variety of laboratory techniques to determine if a person has a genetic condition or disease or is likely to get the disease. Many diseases have a genetic aspect.

Genes are working subunits of DNA. DNA is a vast chemical information database that carries the complete set of instructions for making all the proteins a cell will ever need. Each gene contains a particular set of instructions, usually coding for a particular protein.

The last decade has seen a tremendous expansion of scientific knowledge in human genetics. Our understanding of human genes and of the genetic basis of disease has grown dramatically. Currently, more than 4,000 diseases such as sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis are known to be genetic and are passed on in families. Moreover, it is now known that alterations in our genes play a role in such common conditions as heart disease, diabetes, and many types of cancer. New tests are being developed to detect predispositions to Alzheimer's disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, and other conditions.

In this presentation, Lisa Madlensky, Ph.D. will address research projects that she is currently working on aimed at to improve the collection of family history information, and examine how cancer family history information is discussed within families. As Director of the Family Cancer Genetics Program, Dr. Madlensky will also provide a brief history of the patient and family registry at UC San Diego. This registry will provide individuals and family members affected by cancer to participate in new research studies, and be updated on new genetic tests that may be appropriate. Dr. Madlensky will talk about her area's other research to include clinical genetic testing and follow-up for families with various mutuations, public health implications of cancer genetic testing, quality of life in those at risk for cancer, integration of cancer risk assessment into family, and family-level cancer prevention.

Please join us for what promises to be a very informative presentation. This event's seating capacity will fill up fast and we will be able to confirm reservations for only a limited number of people. Light refreshments will be served. There will be a prize drawing at 12:00 noon.

To reserve a seat, please register online at:
http://qwl.ucsd.edu/acces_forums/index_acces.cfm

Call (858) 534-6744 for general information. Events are wheelchair accessible. To request American Sign Language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations necessary to enable your participation, please call (858) 534-6744 or send an e-mail request to Alane Reardon at areardon@ucsd.edu as soon as possible to ensure adequate time to arrange for accommodation.

You may view The Health and Wellness Lecture Series calendar and links to streaming videos at: http://haw.ucsd.edu