During the second hour (5-6 p.m. ET), Nancy Davenport-Ennis, cancer survivor, CEO and founding executive director of the Patient Advocate Foundation and the National Patient Advocate Foundation, will call in to the cancer talk show about a number of patient-related initiatives on Capitol Hill and to report on the recent Patient Congress III her not-for-profit, Virginia-based organization sponsored in Washington, DC.

The Patient Congress III had 190 attendees from 22 states and the District of Columbia who made a total of 141 visits to Capitol Hill offices. "The visits were made by patients and survivors and their family members as well as other advocates and oncology professionals," said Davenport-Ennis, who explained the issues presented included the Patient's Bill of Rights, the ombudsman program, Medicare prescription drugs, oral anti-cancer drugs, cancer care reimbursement, Medicare administration reform and funding for the National Institutes of Health.

"We hope callers will join this important dialogue since members of Congress need to hear the individual voices of those affected by cancer," said Selma R. Schimmel, host of The Group Room and CEO and Founder of Vital Options® International TeleSupport® Cancer Network, the southern California-based not-for-profit cancer communications, support and advocacy organization that produces the radio show in association with Premiere Radio Networks, the largest radio network in the U.S.

The Group Room airs live every Sunday in select cities throughout the United States, reaching more than half-a-million radio listeners a week in addition to its worldwide web audience, which hears the show simulcast on the Internet at www.vitaloptions.org. Callers can enter discussions by dialing 1-800-GRP-ROOM (1-800-477-7666). All phone calls to The Group Room are screened by a licensed oncology social worker.

Founded in 1983 when Schimmel was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28, Vital Options® was the first organization to address issues related to young adults with cancer before expanding to include patients of all ages and issues related to everyone touched by cancer. In 2001, Vital Options was officially renamed Vital Options International to reflect its international expansion.

In addition to The Group Room, other Vital Options' projects include CancerTalk™, an in- flight audio program on American and Northwest airlines; The Cancer NewsMinute™, a cancer news radio feature; and The Professor and The Survivor™, an international clinical trials awareness project.

Vital Options and The Group Room are supported through educational grants from founding sponsor Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and corporate sponsors Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. and Pharmacia Oncology.

Ortho Biotech is also the lead sponsor of Vital Options International's growth in the European market.