(DURHAM, December 29, 2004) — One in every four Americans will develop cancer. This stark statistic means that most of us, at some point in our lives, will be touched by the disease.In January, Cancer Story will air only on New Hampshire Public Television Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. A four-part documentary produced by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in partnership with Norris Cotton Cancer Center and New Hampshire Public Television, the series breaks through the misinformation, myth and fear around cancer, and provides a balanced view of the disease.“The presentation is in easy-to-understand language. This is cancer 101 and its benefits are extraordinary," Dr. C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General, said in endorsing the series. Through conversations with New Englanders affected by cancer, as well as experts from the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, National Cancer Institute, and other cancer centers, the series examines what cancer is, how people experience different types of cancer, what researchers are working on, and how we can screen for and prevent cancer. "The producers have taken a complicated disease, broken it down step-by-step, and made it easy to understand," said Dr. William Kassler, M.D., New Hampshire’s state medical director.“This is a revolutionary time for cancer treatment,” points out Dr. Mark Israel, director of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. “In the last 20 years, advances in science and technology have dramatically altered our basic understanding of cancer. We have much better strategies for preventing, diagnosing, and treating it.”"We are pleased to be a partner with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in providing this important information to our viewers in Northern New England," noted Peter Frid, General Manager and CEO of New Hampshire Public Television. "Since cancer affects more people in New Hampshire than any other disease, this series will offer timely and vital information to viewers about understanding, identifying and treating cancer."What is Cancer?, the first program, explains how cancer begins and grows. The concepts of DNA, chromosomes, oncogenes and tumor growth factors come to life through colorful graphics, animation, and re-enactments. The second program, Voices, presents the reality of life with cancer—told by cancer patients themselves. A 28-year old woman is successfully treated for breast cancer, but then must deal with her physician’s advice that she not bear children. A young boy with leukemia and his family describe his three-year journey through treatment. A 54-year-old man with both Hodgkin’s lymphoma and lung cancer goes through radiation and chemotherapy, supported by the love and humor of his wife.New Directions, the third episode, explores promising new treatments at various stages of development, and explains how new therapies are developed and tested through clinical trials. The program begins by looking at Gleevec, a drug that was “fast-tracked” through the Food and Drug Administration’s approval process when it showed remarkable success in treating leukemia. Dartmouth scientists developing a cancer vaccine to stimulate the body’s immune system to attack colon cancer discuss their progress. The fourth program, Prevention and Screening, looks at ways to detect and “predict” cancer, and the decisions people make with that information. A 54-year-old woman who carries a rare breast cancer gene tells about her experience and the choices she made. Two men talk about their very different responses to a positive PSA test for prostate cancer. The effects of environment on cancer, and the changes each of us can make to reduce our risk, also are discussed.More information about the Cancer Story series and resource links are available at www.cancerstory.org.More than 20 experts contributed to the series, including Dr. Andrew Von Eschenbach, director of the National Cancer Institute; Dr. Robert Weinberg of the Whitehead Institute at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Dr. Peter Greenwald, director of the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute; Dr. Robert Smith, director of Cancer Screening at the American Cancer Society; and Dr. Mark Israel, director of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at DHMC. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) is an integrated academic medical center located on a 225-acre campus in the heart of New Hampshire's Upper Connecticut River Valley in Lebanon. DHMC comprises Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic, Dartmouth Medical School and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. For more information about DHMC, call (603) 653-1913.Beyond its award-winning local and national television programs, New Hampshire Public Television is a leader in education and community outreach. NHPTV provides instructional services for 206,000 students from kindergarten through high school; offers Ready To Learn programs and services for children preschool to age 8, parents, and early education professionals; and provides professional development programs and advanced technology training for educators in New Hampshire and neighboring states. For more information about NHPTV programs that entertain, educate and enrich, visit www.nhptv.org.
About New Hampshire PBS: New Hampshire PBS inspires one million Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. www.nhpbs.org
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