Battling Cancer

Sun Smart Campaigns are taking place from Australia to the U.S.

Take a peek at a few videos from all over the world:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Israel
• United States
• United States

Did you know that Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world? According the Cancer Council of Victoria, over 1,600 Australians die from skin cancer each year.

Summer began in February for this country and the Cancer Council of Australia kicked off summer with marie claire magazine’s launch of the SunSmart campaign together with 17 Aussie designers as part of their 150th issue to raise awareness of sun safety. All profits from the sale go to the Cancer Council. “17 designers created limited edition items like sunnies, hats, beach towels and even Swarovski-studded wedges for Australians to get the message: stay in the shade, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat.”

Back in the U.S., Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the American Academy of Dermatology are kicking off the Play Sun Smart Campaign to Strike Out Skin Cancer by raising awareness about skin cancer and offer detection and prevention tips for baseball player, team staff and fans.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States according to the Center for Disease Control, (CDC) who gives risk factors for skin cancer:

• Lighter natural skin color.
• Family history of skin cancer.
• Personal history of skin cancer.
• Exposure to the sun through work and play.
• A history of sunburns early in life.
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
• Blue or green eyes.
• Blond or red hair.
• Certain types and a large number of moles.

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Time for a short break. A health care break.

This is directed to caregivers, friends, loved ones, and survivors.

Have you been in cruise control for a while, letting daily survival and the work jungle take precedence over planning your health care future, and actually proceeding with that plan?

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CURE: The Infinite Power of One.

Your $1 has the infinite power to change the face of cancer.

“What if you had the power to make a difference for someone facing cancer? What if you could help speed progress on life-saving treatments and protocols? What if you could help prevent millions from ever experiencing cancer in the first place?

By donating just $1, you can help accelerate cures for cancer. The Cancer Research Alliance brings 12 of the best cancer centers in the world together to raise much needed funding for research that can change the face of cancer forever. We will give your donation infinite power by adding it to all the other dollars we generate. This money will then be used to speed progress on treatments that are less invasive, more targeted and more powerful.”

Help us make this time of year, between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, a time of hope for families everywhere. Because change starts right here with the infinite power of you.”

The ACS CAN Fight Back Express! ” In 2008, the ACS CAN Bus will travel across the country, stopping in hundreds of communities to build the movement to make cancer issues a national priority. ACS CAN will bring the stories of cancer patients, survivors and friends to the presidential candidates to make cancer a priority issue in their administration. The ACS CAN, is the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy partner of the American Cancer Society. Join the fight, by purchasing miles!

In May 2008, leading right up to the presidential election, The ACS CAN Fight Back Express will hit the road to highlight cancer issues for candidates.

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. May 22, 2008

“Thursday 22 May is the official date of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea 2008, but you can host a morning tea anytime in May in your office, home, school or community centre to raise money for cancer research, education and support services.” This even is sponsored by The Cancer Council Australia. More →

Melanoma

A type of cancer that forms in the melanocyte cells, which are the cells that form the melanin or pigment of the skin. Melanoma is less common than other skin cancers, but is the most serious type of skin cancer. Like other skin cancers, it is often curable in the early stages. It can occur anywhere on the skin, but most likely occurs in the trunk of men and the legs of women. The face and neck are also common sites. Melanoma can spread to other parts of the body.

Risk Factors May Include:

• UV light exposure-natural and artificial and a history of severe sunburns
• Moles-excessive number of normal moles (over 50) and large number of atypical moles (dysplastic nevi)
• Fair Skin-occurs more often in people with fair skin, freckles and light hair
• Family History-10% of all people diagnosed have a family history
• Immune Suppression-a weakened immune system due to other factors
• Age-the most common cancer in people younger than 30, but more likely to occur in older populations
• Sex-Men have a higher incidence
• History of Melanoma-people who have had melanoma are at greater risk for a second diagnosis
• Xeroderma Pigmentosum-a rare inherited genetic condition that prevents the skin from repairing

For more information on risk factors see the American Cancer Society site.

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Battling Cancer isn’t just about the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It’s also about education and prevention for everyone.

Why?

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Recently, my good friend Amanda was inspired by her sister-in-law’s recent diagnosis with cancer diagnosis to get screened herself. Here, she shares her story:

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Because so many of members of my extended family have been diagnosed with cancer, I have always been keenly aware that I may have a stronger genetic predisposition for cancer than other individuals.

Growing up, my parents always stressed the importance of being vigilant when it came to proper screenings and making smart lifestyle choices that could help decrease my risk of major diseases.  One of my best friends, Carey Grayson, understood what I was going through.  In recent years, she’s had a staggering number of family members undergo their own battles with cancer.  Recently, I asked her to comment on her own thoughts about being in a high-risk cancer family.  Below is her reply:

There are so many questions that people have about cancer. The problem is that it never occurs to anyone to ask them until their lives are touched somehow by the disease. I know because I have been there six times now. More →

Looks like a lot more people are going to be adding “Quit Smoking” to their New Year’s Resolution list for 2008.

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I’m still stuck here on the couch sick, but I’ve got great news – because she had such a great time guest posting for me last week, Amanda is back to Battling Cancer for another essay.  Having worked directly across her benchtop space for years, I’ve always told her that she’s got way too much personality for her stodgy lab environment.  Maybe I can talk her into joining the ranks of bloggers who actually are encouraged to have a good time on the job!  At the very least, be expecting her and her unique views as a regular contributor for the new content makeover that we’ll be rolling out soon.

I am one of the lucky persons out there who absolutely adores her mother. She is not only my mother, she is my best friend and the one that I turn to when life is just crumbling around me. About 10 years ago, my mom had to have a hysterectomy to correct some problems associated with the birth of my sister (she was messing things up even way back then [Ed. note -- just kidding!]). I didn’t really give it much thought until my grandmother developed breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. To me, it is a no-brainer. Cancer in boob, get rid of boob. End of cancer = happy me.

The surgery was extremely upsetting to my mom, though. She swore to me that if she developed breast cancer, she would not get a mastectomy, no matter what the prognosis was. She said that if she were to lose her breasts, too, there would be no parts of her left that made her a woman. Naturally, I sat there in shock. How could my mom not opt to save her life? They are just breasts! You can survive without breasts! In this day and age, they can replace them, and make them perkier to boot. I even offered to go through the procedure with her. I would gladly give up both my breasts to save my mom. No matter how much I argued, she would not back down, and to this day maintains that in the event of cancer, she will proceed without the mastectomy, even if it means certain death. I cannot comprehend how anyone would take this kind of gamble with their life, but the ultimate choice is hers, and I have to respect that. More →

The Tepeyac Project was a faith-based health care initiative aimed at encouraging Latina women in Colorado to have breast cancer screenings. The results of the project, which ran from 1999 to 2005, has just been published in the October issue of the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

Over two hundred Catholic churches received culturally-tailored information about breast health either via printed packets or through on-site educators during the participation in the Teypeyac Project.  The study’s investigators at the University of Colorado’s Health Science Center Division of Health Care Policy and Research found that that the use of peer-counselors delivering on-site breast-health education significantly increased the number of mammograms in insured Latinas after adjusting for age, income, disability and location.

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