National Cancer Survivors Day celebration

UC Davis Cancer Center hosts weeklong series of programs celebrating survivorship

A forum on cancer clinical trials is among the highlights of the weeklong series of programs and events set at UC Davis Cancer Center to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day. Cancer survivors, their family members, friends and caregivers are invited to take part in the celebration. All activities are free, but registration is required. To register, call (916) 734-0823 or e-mail survivorsweek@ucdavis.edu.

“Clinical Trials: Inside & Out” is set for Thursday, June 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the UC Davis Cancer Center auditorium, 4501 X St., Sacramento. Co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the forum will provide an opportunity to learn about cancer clinical trials and their contribution to survival. Cancer patients who have benefited from their participation in clinical trials will talk about their experiences. Also speaking will be Ted Wun, UC Davis professor of hematology and oncology; Theodore Zwerdling, UC Davis associate professor of pediatric hematology and oncology; Jennifer Opie, UC Davis clinical research associate; and Dave Wesley, Regional Council Chair for the American Cancer Society.

Other events that will take place from Tuesday, May 30, through Saturday, June 3, are:

• “What Does it Mean to be a Cancer Survivor?” Join us for a presentation and discussion on Tuesday, May 30, from noon to 1 p.m. in the UC Davis Cancer Center auditorium, 4501 X St., Sacramento. The event is part of the cancer center's ongoing Learn at Lunch Series.

• “Return to the Garden: Cultivating a Healing Life.” Reconnect with those things that make life worth living in a six-hour workshop on Wednesday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Midtown, 4422 Y St., Sacramento (on the UC Davis Medical Center campus). Participants will be invited to share the wisdom they've gained from their cancer experiences and use their personal stories to create “healing places” and “healing practices” that promote comfort, balance and renewal in their daily lives. Yosaif August, co-author (with Dr. Bernie Siegel) of “Help Me to Heal: A Practical Guidebook for Patients, Visitors and Caregivers,” and president of Healing Environments, International, will co-lead the workshop with his wife, Tsurah August, a health-care chaplain, trainer and rabbi. The Augusts are based in Seattle. This workshop is limited to 100 participants.

• “Cancer for 2.” Explore strategies for dealing with the impact of cancer on intimate relationships in this small-group workshop for couples on Friday, June 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Midtown, 4422 Y St., Sacramento. Alan Brast, a San Ramon therapist whose wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, will lead the workshop. This workshop is limited to 25 couples.

• Survivors Picnic. Join us in a celebration of cancer survivorship on Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at UC Davis Cancer Center, 4501 X St., Sacramento. Highlights will include a cancer survivors' art exhibit, a healthy eating demonstration, special activities for children and teens, and informational booths.

All events are sponsored by UC Davis Cancer Center with support from ImClone Systems, Inc., Abraxis Oncology, Novartis and Lilly. National Cancer Survivors Day, now in its 19th year, is celebrated in hundreds of communities throughout North America. Typically held the first weekend in June, the event honors survivors and their supporters and demonstrates that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.

UC Davis Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, cares for 9,000 adults and children with cancer each year.