(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Top cancer researchers will bring you up to date on the latest in cancer care and research during an evening lecture on Tuesday, Aug. 6, in the first in a series of free talks presented by the UC Davis Center for Healthy Aging.

“UC Davis Cancer Center: Standing Among the Best in the Nation,� is the topic of the lecture, which will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the UC Davis Cancer Center auditorium, 4501 X Street, Sacramento. The talk is part of the “Coming of Age 2002� lecture series, which continues through December. All lectures in the series are free and open to the public.

Ralph deVere White, director of the UC Davis Cancer Center and an internationally respected cancer surgeon and researcher, is the keynote speaker for the Aug. 6 lecture. DeVere White leads a team of more than 200 scientists, physicians and educators dedicated to cancer diagnosis, prevention and treatment. He will discuss how UC Davis Cancer Center’s recent National Cancer Institute designation will increase access to the latest research and treatments for cancer patients throughout Northern California.

Also speaking will be Debora Paterniti, an assistant professor at UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center; Phil Mack, an assistant researcher with the UC Davis Integrated Cancer Research Program; and Richard LeCouteur, chair of surgical and radiological sciences at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

These speakers will discuss:

* similarities between animal and human cancers, and how a better understanding of these similarities can make life better for both animals and humans.

* barriers, such as inadequate health insurance, that may prevent cancer patients from participating in potentially life-saving clinical trials of promising new cancer drugs and treatments.

* how research scientists are translating their findings into better cancer treatments.

The Coming of Age lecture series will be held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Cancer Center auditorium. For more information or to obtain a schedule, please call (916) 734-6441 or (916) 734-4768.

The UC Davis Center for Healthy Aging provides leadership in developing programs to improve the health and quality of life for all older individuals in the region.

More information about the center is available here.