Battling Cancer

Put this on your calendar!

The stars will be out Friday, September 5, at 8pm Eastern time in a joint network special. The ABC/NBC/CBS  networks will donate one hour of primetime for a history-making interactive television special, uniting the nation as we Stand Up To Cancer. This network special will feature all three evening news anchors, and will air commercial free.

Are you ready for this line up of stars?

Casey Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Josh Brolin, David Cook, Dana Delany, Fran Drescher, Kirsten Dunst, Elizabeth Edwards, Jon Favreau, America Ferrera, Neil Patrick Harris, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Masi Oka, Danica Patrick, Christina Ricci, Robin Roberts, Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig, Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Meryl Streep, Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, Goran Visnjic, and Forest Whitaker–AND, Jessica Alba, Charles Barkley, Halle Berry, Jack Black, Abigail Breslin, Kate Bosworth, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Garner, Brad Garrett, Angie Harmon, Tony Hawk, Marg Helgenberger, Diane Keaton, Rob Lowe, Mandy Moore, Don Newcombe, Sharon Osbourne, Josh Peck, Mekhi Phifer, Keanu Reeves, Jimmy Smits, David Spade and Carrie Underwood.

It doesn’t stop there…

Check this out!

Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood –  have joined together for “Just Stand Up,” a charity single.

The single will be available exclusively at the iTunes Store September 2.   “Just Stand Up” produced by Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds and Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid More →

The Democratic National Convention has been the news here in Denver this week. I can tell you traffic has been impacted but more importantly; no matter what your party affiliation, we here in the Rockies tasted a piece of history.

Here’s what’s new in cancer news and events around the globe.

Hope on Wheels is a women’s cycling event in Middle Tennessee offering women an opportunity to ride and fundraise in their hope for a cure. Women can ride, train and fundraise throughout the year to prepare for this landmark women’s ride.

100% of participant entry fees are directed to breast cancer research by
the event beneficiary The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation.

An annual one day cycling event for women wishing to find a cure for Breast Cancer, Saturday, September 6, 2008. Register today! Choose 12, 29, 62 or 100 miles!

A Women’s’ Ride to Find A Cure!

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This week 18 California hospitals were fined for poor care violations, some which led to deaths.

How can you protect yourself from poor cancer care?

One way is to find out if your hospital has The Joint Commission Accreditation.

“The Joint Commission has been accrediting hospitals for more than 50 years. Its accreditation is a nationwide seal of approval that indicates a hospital meets high performance standards. JC accreditation helps hospitals improve their performance, raise the level of patient care, and demonstrate accountability in the rapidly changing health care marketplace.”

The Joint Commission sets national patient safety goals each year and along with accreditation programs has certification programs and awards.

How does your hospital measure up?

Find out how your hospital or health care organization rates per The JC. You can also see if they have won any additional awards. You can also file a complaint here. Additionally you can search for the best health care facility in your area for your particular treatment needs on this site.

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In praise of the tomato.

You already know it’s high in lycopene which helps the fight against, stomach, colon and prostate cancer.

But how else do tomatoes affect your cancer battle?

Per the American Dietetic Association: “Antioxidants are dietary substances including some nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamins C and E and selenium, that can prevent damage to your body cells or repair damage that has been done.”

Basically an antioxidant is capable of counteracting the normal damaging effects of oxidation by neutralizing free radicals in the body. The balance of antioxidants to oxidants is disturbed by poor diet, smoking, disease, normal aging, x-rays and many other things. When an antioxidant neutralizes a free radical, the antioxidant becomes oxidized and the body needs to be resupplied with antioxidants.

From the U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, help protect healthy cells from damage by free radicals. Normal body functions such as breathing or physical activity, and other lifestyle habits, such as smoking, produce substances called free radicals that weaken healthy cells. Weakened cells are more susceptible to cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.”

But from the Florida Tomato Growers here are some basic tomato facts:

• One medium tomato (148 g) contains only 25 calories
• And supplies 40 percent of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (U.S. RDA) of vitamin C, 20 percent of vitamin A, some of which is in the form of beta-carotene.
• Tomatoes also contain 1g of dietary fiber, about as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.
• Tomatoes provide potassium, iron, phosphorous and some B vitamins.
• They are low in sodium and contain no cholesterol.

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Acupuncture is used as both an alternative and a complementary cancer therapy and is utilized for cancer and associated treatment symptoms.

Alternative therapy is a plan of care that is utilized instead of the traditionally recommended therapy. Complementary therapy works hand-in-hand with traditional therapies. For more information on complementary and alternative therapies for cancer see the Battling Cancer archives.

The American Cancer Society lists important guidelines to understanding these therapies to help the cancer patient make informed decisions.

Mayo Clinic lists acupuncture in it’s list of recommended alternative treatments saying :

“Alternative cancer treatments can’t cure your cancer, but they may provide some relief from signs and symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments. Common signs and symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, difficulty sleeping, and stress may be lessened by alternative treatments.”

In fact many cancer treatment facilities offer acupuncture as part of their complementary and alternative therapy programs.

Check out MD Anderson’s CancerWise for an in depth interview with an acupuncture physician, The American Cancer Society site on acupuncture.

So how does acupuncture work? There are several theories.

The Western culture theory of acupuncture is that it stimulates nerves, muscles and connective tissues also stimulating the blood flow and stimulating the body’s endorphins to relieve pain or relieves pain via the gate theory. The gate theory is that of not removing pain but of blocking pain.

The Eastern theory of acupuncture is that energy flows through the body at meridians. When these meridians are blocked pain and illness ensue. Acupuncture restores this flow and energy harmony. This Youtube video explains this theory.

Acupuncture sessions require the placement of sterile needles which are inserted at key points and remain in place for approximately twenty minutes.

Acupuncture Facts from the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture:

• Non-physician acupuncturists are required by law in most states to use disposable one-time-use sterilized needles. Physicians because of their experience and background in infection control have the prerogative of using re-usable sterilized needles. These needles would need to be sterilized in the same way as any surgical instrument.

• While the degree of beneficial results from acupuncture treatment is dependent on various clinical factors such as presenting symptoms, clinical staging, timing of the encounter in the course of the illness, areas of involvement, the answer to the opening question “can acupuncture help me?” is, in all probability, that it can help in the care of the cancer patient.

• Acupuncture treatments vary because of the wide variations in the styles of acupuncture performed. Generally three to fifteen needles will be placed. Costs vary depending on locale and practitioners training and experience.

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Here’s what’s new in cancer news around the world.

They’re back!! Harry and Louise that is.

Check out the AP article and you can see Harry and Louise circa 1993/94 on You Tube here and now

Harry and Louise have returned to promote a new multi-million dollar ad campaign that will air on national television throughout the Democratic and Republican conventions. In light of ever increasing health care costs and increasing numbers of people without health insurance coverage, Harry and Louise will urge the next President and Congress to put health care at the top of the domestic agenda.

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I don’t actually have granite countertops. But I want them. Badly.

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I received an interesting (well to me it was) email from my local blood donation center..nudging me to schedule my eight week donation and adding this information:

Did you know that there is another way you can save lives? Each year thousands of people are diagnosed with diseases like leukemia and lymphoma for which a stem cell or marrow transplant could be the only cure. About 70 percent of these people are unable to find a donor match within their family and must search for an unrelated donor on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.

Why the need for stem cells or marrow?

Stem cells are destroyed by chemo or radiation. Stem cells are considered the foundation of blood formation. Stem cells become white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.

For more information on this see the Battling Cancer Archives on neutropenia.

From the National Marrow Donor Program:

The basics:

“Race and ethnicity matter in tissue matches”

Your heritage can make all the difference. If you are from one of the following communities, you are urgently needed as a bone marrow donor or cord blood donor:

• Black and African American
• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Asian
• Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
• Hispanic and Latino
• Multiple race

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I read the New York Times Best-Seller, by Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, way back in 1981. It’s been reissued several times since. While that book proved a comfort during the time of a sudden loss in my life, I admit that some of the biggest struggles I have faced have been dealing with the “not nice” people in my life who are going through disease challenges such as cancer.

You know exactly who I am referring to.

It could be Aunt Marge who humiliated you by mentioning that you have gained weight when you brought your new boyfriend to the family reunion and asked if you had breast implants just as dessert was being served and you were reaching across the table for a cupcake.

Or that coworker who has stabbed you in the back so often you no longer bother to suture up the wound.

What about your cranky neighbor who purposely lets her dog relieve himself on your lawn and left the evidence there AND denied it, though you saw the entire thing live from behind the living room curtains.

Sure some of these scenarios are humorous, but in reality they aren’t very funny.

This post has taken me weeks to finish precisely because it also isn’t very PC. It isn’t a topic we like to discuss let alone fess up to.

I recently decided it was time to deal with the person in my life who was going through a cancer battle while all the time maintaining the amazing ability to annoy, irritate and push my buttons.

Magnanimous, moi, reached out my hand in a gesture of detente, only to have my entire appendage bloodied and bitten off up to the elbow.

On to Plan B.

First I considered Jonah and the Whale. It’s a fable that rings true no matter what your spiritual background.

It is the story of the reluctant prophet who really didn’t want to have anything to do with those nasty Ninevahites.

So I learned that I am a lot like Jonah:

• I don’t like being hurt. I tried and was rejected once and that seems like once too many times.
• Forgive them? How fair is THAT? They’re the ones who are in the wrong.
• It’s much easier to take superior stance than to get down to their level, which is obviously way down there. After all I have my pride to think of.

Of course Jonah wasn’t really victorious until he overcame these obvious issues and went ahead and sucked it up and did what he was called to do and helped the Ninevahites. More →

Raining here in Denver, Colorado. Much needed and much appreciated.

What’s going on in your corner of the globe? Here’s the cancer news from all over the world.

Mixed Reviews on Skin Cream Report

A report on moisturizing cream and the link to skin cancer in mice has caused much controversy this week. The report in the Aug. 14 issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, discusses highlights from research out of Rutgers University.

Albino mice treated with UV radiation were then exposed to skin creams. All four creams caused non melanoma skin cancer. The suspect ingredients are mineral oil and sodium laurel sulfate.

What does this mean for humans? Nothing yet and the report is having controversial and mixed reviews from the scientific community.

Read the articles here:

ABC Science, Friday, August 15, 2008. Controversy over moisturiser-cancer link.

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