Locally in Los Angeles, The Group Room airs from 2-3 pm PT on KRLA 870AM. The show will also be simulcast live on the Internet at www.vitaloptions.org and on XM Satellite Radio, the ASK! Channel 165. Callers can enter discussions toll-free by dialing 1-800-GRP-ROOM (1-800-477-7666) or sending their comments and questions by email to info@vitaloptions.org.

"In addition to the unique clinical issues of pediatric cancers, there are profound emotional, developmental and educational concerns that also must be addressed when treating a child with cancer. Vital Options has a long history of collaborating with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and we hope that The Group Room will help parents manage the experience and be a voice in supporting their children," said Selma R. Schimmel, host of the radio show and CEO and Founder of Vital Options® International TeleSupport® Cancer Network, which produces the program in association with Premiere Radio Networks, the nation's largest radio network.

"It is estimated that by the year 2010, if current improvements in treatment continue, one in every 300 young adults will be a survivor of cancer diagnosed in childhood or during the teenage years. The Group Room provides an opportunity for these children, teens and young adult survivors, as well as their families and friends to ask important questions about their future, while sharing their concerns with experts in pediatric cancer," said Dr. Stuart Siegel, Director of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases (CCCBD) at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and Professor and Vice Chair of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California.

Dr. Siegel will join Schimmel on the program along with Dr. Ernest Katz, Director, Behavioral Science Section and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology, CCCBD at CHLA, and the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California.

The Group Room airs live every Sunday in cities throughout the United States, reaching more than a half-million radio listeners a week, in addition to others who tune in via XM Satellite Radio or the Internet simulcast at www.vitaloptions.org where the show is also archived.

The show features Schimmel and The Group Room's regular on-air medical experts--medical oncologist Dr. Michael Van Scoy-Mosher, radiation oncologist Dr. Leslie Botnick and therapist Halina Irving, MFCC--who are joined each week by callers affected by cancer, as well as renowned cancer experts and advocates who provide updates on research, medical advances, and advocacy efforts. All phone calls are screened by a licensed oncology social worker. During the week, individuals can reach Vital Options for support or to receive more information about cancer resources or stations carrying the broadcast.

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 and information related to everyone touched by cancer. The Group Room regularly produces remote location broadcasts from the world's leading oncology meetings, such as the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and its European equivalents, ECCO/ESMO, and from preeminent cancer centers in the United States and Europe.

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 Pfizer Oncology.

Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (www.ChildrensHospitalLA.org) has been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century, and it is acknowledged throughout the United States and around the world for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens is one of America's premier teaching hospitals, training more young pediatricians than any other facility in California through its 70-year association with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, and it is a national leader in pediatric research. Since 1990, U.S.News & World Report's panel of board-certified pediatricians has named Childrens Hospital Los Angeles one of the top pediatric facilities in the nation.