Cancer society head to finish series

An international leader in health education and disease prevention will finish on Thursday a series of lectures about cancer. The talk leads up to the second annual "Hoosiers Outrun Cancer" walk and run.\nJohn Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society will conduct a lecture on "The Present and Future State of Cancer" at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Indiana Memorial Union's Whittenberger Auditorium.\nSeffrin will be returning to IU for the lecture after his 13-year term as professor of health education in the school of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and as chairman of the Department of Applied Health Science.\nThe public talk will be the last in the series presented by the HPER.\n"All of us, anymore, are touched by cancer," said Susan Bair, Health, Physical Education and Recreation assistant dean. "Everyone knows someone with cancer, whether it's an aunt, uncle, mother, father, grandmother or friend. Learning more about it will help us cope with it and John is one of the foremost people right now to be on the cutting edge of cancer research and treatment."\nAs an leader in health education, disease prevention and public health, Seffrin is a member of the National Cancer Policy Board and recently named president-elect of the International Union Against Cancer.\nSeffrin has also been recognized by two Indiana governors for outstanding public service and been named a National Scholar -- the American Association for Health Education's highest honor.\n"There's hardly a family that cancer hasn't touched in the last several years. It's one of the leading causes of death," said Tony Mobley, HPER dean. "People need to be informed of the causes and treatments of cancer. John is quite an expert on it."\nWhile at IU, Seffrin created the Department of Applied Health Science's most populated course, "The Nature of Cancer," Mobley said.\n"I told John that nobody is going to want to take a course about cancer. He said, 'You watch and they will,' and he was right," Mobley said.\nSeffrin will spend Thursday traveling around Bloomington, talking with people at hospitals about cancer treatments and meet with the local American Cancer Society in the afternoon.\nImmediately following Thursday's lecture, people will have an opportunity to meet and talk with Seffrin during a reception in the University Club.\nThe lecture series ties into the annual benefit for cancer in the community to be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. "Hoosiers Outrun Cancer," a 5K walk and run and a one-mile family walk, will start at Assembly Hall.\nThe event is open to the public. The event raised $200,000 last year with 2,400 runners and walkers. Dorothy Ellis, event co-chairman, started the benefit to fight cancer with the wife of former basketball coach Bob Knight.