The expanding knowledge of the effects of S.T. include the areas of carcinogenesis, cardiovascular effects, addiction and public health, to name a few. However, much information on S.T. is fragmented. As a result of new advances, since the publication of the Surgeon General's Report and the NIH/Consensus Development Conference on Smokeless Tobacco held in 1986, several nationally and internationally recognized researchers feel there is now a need to draw from the broadest range of disciplines involved in S.T. in order to compile, synthesize and analyze the state-of-the-art in S.T. investigations. The 4 day conference aims to invite investigators who will present overviews on such behavior, carcinogenesis, clinical aspects, histopathology, and to elucidate common problems peculiar to each of the investigative fields on new avenues of research, based on similar problems in other related areas. Of particular concern and interest will be recent information on nicotine and nicotine-related health effects with S.T., cessation, potential bioassays for carcinogenicity, and unresolved questions related to uptake of toxic and tumorigenic agents as well as the capability of cells in target tissues to repair chemical lesions. Oral presentation will be 20 minutes, with a 30-40 minute discussion period for comments and suggested amendments to the papers. These discussion periods will be conducted with the audience at selected points in the program. Chairpersons for the 5 main panel sessions and discussion periods will analyze, synthesize and prioritize recommendations for future needs at the final sessions at the end of the conference. Panel discussions will maximize involvement of presentors. The second day of the conference, will be open for presentations in poster format of recently completed or updates of ongoing works, solicited from the research community at large. Five subsessions are planned, at which further recommendations and amendments will be discussed with all interested individuals. Members of the planning committee will chair the subsessions and further discuss the recommendations prior to the final summarizing session. The conference will be open to 200-300 persons in public health, education, and the general research community. 42 internationally known investigators have been asked to participate in the main panel sessions. The proceedings of the conference will be published by Cancer Research and will be distributed to all participants, libraries and world-wide membership.
