Stand Up To Cancer

This excellent Wall Street Journal piece looks at the problems cancer poses for elderly patients. Because patients in their seventies and eighties often suffer from multiple health issues, it's a challenge for the clinicians treating them to determine the safest and most effective course of therapy. "We know that older, sicker people are at higher risk of harmful side effects from cancer treatments, but we don't know how best to vary those treatments to accommodate the wide range of health problems common in the elderly," the author writes.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124647445003381775.html

You may have already heard that the diabetes drug Lantus has been linked with an increased risk of cancer according to several European studies. This Q&A helps answer some of the more pressing questions Lantus-takers may be asking themselves, including what may have caused the link and whether the evidence is conclusive enough to cease taking the medication.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLT70133920090629

The cost-effectiveness of cancer treatment, especially for patients with poor prognoses, is a topic of much debate. A recent Journal of the National Cancer Institute study reports, for instance, that a course of lung cancer therapy that costs $80,000 for an 18-week regimen only prolongs a patient's life by around 1.2 months. The piece notes that "some countries, like the United Kingdom, agree to pay for expensive drugs only if they meet a certain threshold of efficacy, but no such rationing exists in the U.S."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970203872404574258302761872972.html

Bad news for carnivores: yet again, the consumption of meat has been linked with an increase drisk of cancer. Looks like those who consume a high amount of animal fat are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of the disease. "Most of the increased risk was associated with total, saturated, and monounsaturated fat from red meat and dairy food sources," the article notes.
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=21802

On a more hopeful note, a new method of attacking cancer cells has been proven to be surprisingly effective in animal testing. The journal Nature Biotechnology reports that Australian researchers implanted mice with a human uterine tumor that was highly aggressive and resistant to drugs; all of the treated animals were free of tumor cells 70 days after treatment. Researchers also obtained a similar outcome in dogs with advanced brain cancer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/health/research/29drug.html?ref=world

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more. In the meantime, have a great holiday weekend!

--Cat

With You, We Stand is a new feature on the SU2C Blog. Each week we'll focus on the stories of people around the world who have fought or are fighting cancer, and we invite you to share your stories with us in the comments below.

Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett, star of the 70s television show "Charlie's Angels," passed away on June 25 after a three-year battle with anal cancer. Fawcett documented her struggle in a television special called "Farrah's Story," which aired May 15 on NBC. In the last few months of her life, she worked to promote awareness of the rarely discussed disease. In this CNN.com article, her friends and loved ones remember her. Craig Nevius, who directed "Farrah's Story," said, "Not many stars can be credited with inspiring both a hair style and changes in legislation (surrounding domestic violence and more recently patient privacy). And she did it without posturing or campaigning but by simply choosing her own path and making her own rules."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/25/fawcett.reax/index.html

Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald

Dr. Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald made headlines in 1999 for her incredible courage and fortitude. While posted at the South Pole, isolated with a small group of researchers, she diagnosed and treated her own breast cancer, performing her own biopsy and chemotherapy with the help of such unlikely clinicians as a welder and a machinist. Following a dramatic rescue in -58 temperatures, she was treated in the US for her cancer, which went into remission before recurring in 2005. She passed away this week from the disease. ''She had incredible zest and enthusiasm for life,'' her husband said. ''She was the kindest soul I ever met. She was intelligent, with a great sense of humor, and she lived each day to the fullest.''
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/24/us/AP-US-Obit-Jerri-Nielsen.html?_r=2&ref=obituarie

Larry Collins

Larry Collins, 68, has been fighting lung cancer since his diagnosis last summer. In the ensuing year, he's lost 75 pounds, and has become so weak that getting off the couch too fast could result in a harrowing fall. But that hasn't stopped him from coaching Little League. For 44 years, the Evansville, Indiana resident has been a fixture in the town's baseball community, and he won't let cancer stop him from working with the kids he loves. "Do the boys know I'm sick?" he says. "Probably, but I don't mention it. I've only missed one game this season. Somehow I find a way to get myself to the dugout."
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/jun/25/little-league-skipper-coaches-through-cancer/

Maimah Karmo

Over at Jayne's Breast Cancer Blog, one remarkable survivor, Jayne England Byrne, profiles the work of another, Maimah Karmo. After Karmo's diagnosis of breast cancer at the age of 32, she created the Tigerlily Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping young women with breast cancer. As she explains it, "younger women have specific needs to their demographic - dating, insurance coverage, financial issues, fertility, coping with a longer lifespan while living with cancer or being metastatic, life after cancer, during college, dating, caring for younger children, not having a strong support system, being single, being in the prime of their lives and then having to face their mortality. Even the issue of them thinking they are too young and not being aware of their risks - someone needs to stand up and create a voice and a change for these younger women."
http://jaynesbreastcancerblog.com/2009/06/interview-with-maimah-karmo-part-1/

--Cat

Like many high school girls in the '80s, I ran home after school for two things: my mom's cooking and Charlie's Angels re-runs. From the first moment when Farrah Fawcett busted out of the screen toting a gun and a perfect up-do, to last month when her raw documentary "Farrah's Story" showed the world the harsh realities of battling cancer, Farrah has been an icon for women everywhere.

Stand Up To Cancer remembers and applauds Farrah, who passed away this morning, for her bravery and commitment to the fight against cancer. A star has been launched in SU2C's Constellation in her honor. To add your own tribute note to Farrah's star, please click here.

--Jules DiBiase

This week brings the news that obesity has been linked to yet another form of cancer - this time, pancreatic cancer, which is the fourth-leading cause of death for men and women in the US. In a study comparing 841 patients with pancreatic cancer to 745 healthy people of similar age, race, and gender, those who were overweight or obese had an increased risk of developing the disease. Obesity was also linked to an earlier onset of pancreatic cancer.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/pancreatic-cancer-and-obesity-linked.html

According to research published in the most recent issue of Cancer, there appears to be a connection between childhood abuse and cancer in adulthood. Childhood physical abuse is associated with a 49% higher risk of developing cancer as an adult, leading scientists to speculate that dysfunctions in the production of cortisol - the hormone responsible for "fight or flight" instinct - may be connected to the disease.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625111425.htm

If antibiotics were the defining medical innovation of the 20th century, what will be the discovery that changes the 21st? How about green tea? Okay, I'm kidding - sort of - but it seems like every week we learn that the delicately flavored caffeinated beverage is preventative of a new type of cancer. Today LSU researchers have indicated that the green tea extract EGCG can slow the growth of prostate cancer. What will they learn tomorrow?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/green-tea-may-slow-prostate-cancer.html

Meanwhile, researchers in Boston are launching a large multi-institutional trial to determine whether vitamin D and fish oil can reduce the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease. The trial will focus particularly on the African American population, which has a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency and a greater occurrence of certain types of cancer and diabetes. Whether the two are connected remains to be seen.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/23/brigham_and_womens_study_to_test_vitamin_d_fish_oil_supplements/

Here's news of relevance to Californians, as well as marijuana users - medical and otherwise - nationwide. Last Friday marijuana smoke was officially classified as a carcinogen by the Golden State. A spokesman for the state office of environmental health noted that marijuana smoke contains 33 of the same harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. But a UCLA study found no association between marijuana smoke and lung cancer, and even suggested a mild protective effect.
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2009/06/chronic_city_california_cannab.php

Finally, you may have heard that on Monday, President Obama - himself known for being an occasional smoker - signed a law giving the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco in hopes of preventing America's younger generations from getting hooked on the cancer-causing leaf. "I was one of these teenagers," Obama said. "And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/06/68375563/1

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

This week brings some bad news when it comes to dietary supplements and cancer prevention. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is suing Bayer over the company's claims that its One A Day vitamins for men decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer. TV and radio ads claim that selenium, an ingredient in the vitamins, is preventative of the disease, but according to the Center, this claim is not backed up by sufficient scientific evidence. Sorry, guys.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcxToIuY_kAPO4UwYhlNA9bnRhtAD98T5D2G0

This article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the South trails the rest of the country in childhood cancer rates. The highest rate was in the Northeast, where 179 cases per million children were reported; in the south, cancer only affects 166 children out of a million. The reasons for the geographical differences remain unclear, however; theories include exposure to nuclear plant emissions and radon gas, which are higher in densely populated areas that experience cold weather.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/06/02/kidcancer.html

More bad news on hormone replacement therapy: a new study indicates that the increased risk cancer persists for two years after women stop taking estrogen and progesterone to ease the symptoms of menopause. "The findings underscore the now-standard recommendation that women who take hormones to relieve hot flashes and other effects of menopause should use the lowest possible dose for the shortest time," the article notes.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/03/05/hormones0305.html

It's summer, and news on skin cancer is everywhere - appropriate given some of our tendencies to sunbathe a little too much during the hottest months of the year. A new study from the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons indicates that melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease, is on the rise among people ages 20 to 29. Combine that with a recent poll indicating that 31% of Americans never use sunscreen and you've got a pretty clear cause-and-effect scenario.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/healthfitness/story/B8341FE702A630B2862575D8007446B5?OpenDocument

I have a special place in my heart for food-related health news, so here's a quick piece noting that cooking carrots whole boosts their anti-cancer properties.
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/health/090618_medical_headlines_with_dr_sapna_parikh

And here's one more to polish off this week's round of links: a new study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that meat, eggs and dairy products are not, I repeat not, consistently linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. So go ahead, enjoy that Denver omelet - for now, at least, its ingredients have been exonerated!
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704525

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more!

--Cat

On the heels of last week's good news - that US cancer rates are on the decline across the board - comes a less positive development. A new study indicates that the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased in 27 countries worldwide. Combined with previous studies linking a rise in colorectal cancer to economic transitions in developing nations, all the data seem to point to Westernization as the culprit. Steer clear of McDonald's!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609124608.htm

There's been a lot of hype surrounding antioxidants in recent years. Their cancer-fighting and general health-promoting properties have been extolled by everyone from top scientists in the field to Oprah. But new evidence indicates that antioxidant supplements might not be the healthiest choice for women battling breast cancer, as the pills may actually interfere with treatment. "The report is the latest to raise concerns about the large number of cancer patients turning to megadoses of vitamin and mineral supplements in hopes of boosting their health," notes Tara Parker-Pope of the NYT's Well Blog.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/worries-about-antioxidant-use-by-breast-cancer-patients/?hp

This piece in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlights a not-often-discussed issue: the lack of women enrolled in clinical trials for cancer treatments. In an analysis of 661 prospective studies encompassing over a million participants, women accounted for just 37% of participants. "It's so important that women are appropriately represented in research," said one of the docs involved in the report. "We know there are biological differences between the sexes, as well as social and cultural differences. Studies need to be able to assess whether there are differences in responses to treatment."

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/-brn/627849.html

In the summertime, when the weather is hot, the news is full of articles on skin cancer risk. But this New York Times piece looks at an often neglected side of the issue. A reader writes in wondering whether people with dark skin should protect themselves differently. And a physician expert replies that skin cancer is on this rise among African-Americans, Latinos and Asians. "Because people with dark skin assume they are not at risk, these cancers frequently are not detected on self-exam," the doc cautions. "Nonetheless, dark skinned people should wear sun protection as part of their daily routine."

http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/dark-skin-sun-dangers-and-self-exams/

Finally, this AP article reports that fully 60% of cancer patients in the US use "nontraditional medicine" either as their only treatment or as a supplement to conventional medical treatment. The piece reports that many hospitals now offer aromatherapy, message, meditation, yoga and acupuncture to cancer patients - but as an accompaniment to treatment, not a replacement for it. But it cautions that cancer patients are particularly susceptible to false "cures" because of a desire to exercise some control over their disease. "There are no herbal or vitamin supplements that we know of that will specifically boost the immune system," said a dietician at Moffett Cancer Center.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5RXjXRWlg4i8NXdjqeKl3xAb4YwD98MLRR01

That's it for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more news you can use!

--Cat

There's lots of exciting news this week, so let's dive right in. Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have created a new, experimental class of drugs called PARP inhibitors. The drugs block the ability of damaged cells to repair themselves, making cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy. The drugs could help with two types of breast cancer that have traditionally been difficult to treat. "While preliminary, these are some of most exciting results we've seen in a long time," said Eric P. Winer, MD, director of the breast oncology center at Dana-Farber.
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20090602/new-drug-for-hard-to-treat-breast-cancer

Meanwhile, another great research site, the Mayo Clinic, has developed a new test that will make it easier to diagnose pancreatic cancer, according to this month's issue of Gastroenterology. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal forms of the disease, largely owing to how long it usually remains undetected. Now, a new kind of endoscopic exam can more than double the detection rate both of this cancer and of cancer of the bile duct.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/06/03/hscout627542.html

I really enjoyed this piece by Dr. Marc Siegel in which he talks about "a new approach to cancer" - the new approach being an emphasis on targeted therapies. Looking at news from this week's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, including the introduction of three new potential targeted therapies, Siegel sees a lot of promise. "These treatments, which are less toxic and more focused, are generally better tolerated and cause less side effects," he writes. "Once you convince the body that cancer is foreign, you can then provoke the immune system to fight it."
http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/03/a-new-approach-to-cancer/

There's more bad news on red meat this week. Steak, burgers and other mainstays of the delicious, morbidly unhealthy American diet have already been shown to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Now Australian researchers have found that you can reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer via a low-fat diet with little red meat and lots of fresh produce. Specifically, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and green tea were all shown to have a positive effect; red meat, dairy products and fats didn't come off looking so good.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/06/04/Diet-may-help-reduce-prostate-cancer-risk/UPI-36321244095281/

Finally, I enjoyed this piece about how to prevent cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research has identified three things people can do to "dramatically affect" their chances of developing cancer. None of them will come as a shock to regular Weekly Links readers, and they're all pretty easy to implement: eat a mostly plant-based diet, maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. "The data is pretty clear that we can make a significant drop in the cancer rate with these three changes," said an AICR nutrition adviser. "We can prevent about one-third of cancers with these changes. And if you add tobacco prevention, which reduces about 30 percent of cancers, over half of today's cancers could be prevented."
http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/wanttostopcanceryoucanexpertssay.html

That's all I've got this week, but check in again next Thursday for more news you can use!

--Cat

Last week Stand Up To Cancer celebrated its first birthday and announced the 2009 SU2C Dream Teams. These five exciting projects will receive $73.6 million in funding from SU2C over the next three years. To learn more about the Dream Teams, check out SU2C Mag.

ABC, CBS and NBC covered the announcement on their morning shows. If you missed it, you can watch here:

In the past year, we've been awed and inspired by our SU2C community. You've shared your stories with us and with each other; you've launched over 30,000 stars in our Constellation and raised over $150,000 through team challenges. You joined us for our big show, helping raise over $100 million for translational research - without which none of this would be possible. Your generous contributions will support the Dream Teams' work, and we want to take a minute to thank you, again, for being a part of our community.

We're very proud of our first Dream Teams, but we know that this year was just the beginning. The battle is far from over, and there were many meritorious scientific proposals that we were unable to support this time around. Help us keep the research moving forward by spreading the word to friends and family or by making another donation - no amount is too small to make a difference.

Thanks again for helping make SU2C what it is today - we couldn't have done it without you!

In case you haven't already heard, SU2C had some exciting news of its own to announce this week. Our Scientific Advisory Committee has announced its first five Dream Teams, slated to receive over $70 million in funding over the next three years. You can read all about our 2009 Dream Teams and their projects here:
http://www.standup2cancer.org/meet_the_dream_teams.php

Using a cutting-edge gene scanning method, Harvard researchers have identified a gene mutation involved in as many as 30% of cancers, according to a study published in the journal Cell. The KRAS mutation has proved resistant to targeted cancer therapies so far, but there could be a way to "silence" them, thereby creating a drug with a better chance of fighting KRAS-mutation cancers like leukemia, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE54R5X420090528

Here's some good news from the American Cancer Society's annual report on "Cancer Facts and Figures": fewer people are getting cancer now, and fewer people are dying from it. A decrease in deaths from lung, prostate and colorectal cancer between 1990 and 2005 accounted for the change in men's death rates, and a similar decrease in colorectal and breast cancer accounted for the change in women's death rates. The incidence of cancer is also on the decline, falling 1.8% per year for men and 0.6% per year for women.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/05/27/2009-05-27_cancer_deaths_are_on_the_decline.html

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute confirms what many already suspected: that survivors of pediatric cancer have a high risk of developing a second primary cancer later in life. The study is the first to look at childhood cancer survivors in the long-term, following a group of over 47,000 people who were diagnosed with pediatric cancer from 1943 to 2005. "This study quantified long-term temporal patterns of increased risk of cancer at specific sites in survivors of childhood cancer," the authors wrote. "The results may be useful in the screening and care of these individuals."\
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526162840.htm

It's summertime again, and that means it's time for the beach, the pool, and the immersion in SPF 15 that comes with both. Except now some experts are saying sunscreen does little to reduce your risk of developing cancer. In fact, by blocking your skin's intake of vitamin D, it could be upping your chances of developing the disease. "Our reliance on sunscreen as protection against skin cancer is about as effective as the emperor's magic clothing," the author of this fascinating - and frightening - article says.
http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1195

Finally, the WaPo has a great article on the food-as-medicine trend. Daphne Miller often prescribes food instead of drugs to patients for whom medication isn't working or is causing untenable side effects. For instance, did you know that white button and shiitake mushrooms can boost your immune system - and that the best way to experience the boost is to eat the actual mushrooms, not take supplements? "A tasty dish made with inexpensive ingredients from the local market could sidestep many [patient] concerns," Miller writes. "After all, food is the one medicine that we seem quite willing to swallow -- at least three times a day."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052202280.html

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more!

--Cat

Thanks to an outpouring of support from philanthropists, people from all walks of life, corporations and public-spirited organizations across the country, we have a chance to strike a real blow against cancer, which still claims more than half a million American lives each year. For me, as for so many, the fight is personal.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), the charitable initiative launched in May 2008, announced the first round of three-year grants this week, totaling $73.6 million. The money is going to SU2C "Dream Teams" of top scientists at different institutions to help them get promising new treatments to cancer patients -- and do it fast.

Cancer took both of my parents -- my father died of lung cancer in 2005 and my mother of ovarian cancer just two years later. I have many friends who are contending with the disease, and we will all somehow be touched by cancer some day.

I am privileged to run the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the collective philanthropy for the television and film businesses. We've been part of an extraordinary coalescing of people within the entertainment community around two ambitious goals this past year: convey to the American people that we are on the cusp of great advances in cancer research, if only we can all come together to support this research; and facilitate new and better ways for scientists doing the research to work together. From the person who can contribute $1 to the corporations and philanthropists who can make a multi-million dollar gift, each and every one of us can make a difference.

ABC, CBS and NBC led the way by donating the air time for a simultaneously broadcast fundraising special last September, and over 100 people from the film, TV and music worlds volunteered their time to participate. Sheryl Crow, Christina Applegate and Melissa Etheridge, wearing shirts with the simple word "survivor," sang, standing side by side. Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson and Brian Williams reported on promising cancer research. Patrick Swayze, Meryl Streep, Beyoncé, James Taylor, Robin Roberts, Salma Hayek, Jimmy Fallon, Dana Delany, Forest Whitaker and many, many others took part.

Donors at all levels responded enthusiastically, and after the broadcast, $100 million had been raised for cancer research programs.

Raising the money was one challenge; devising a model for investing the funds in projects with the greatest potential to bear fruit in a compressed time-frame is quite another. Our scientific partner, the prestigious American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and a core group of scientists developed a roadmap centered on getting new therapies to patients quickly. The clear starting point was that Stand Up To Cancer will fund only "translational" research, which is all about moving science out of the lab and into real-world treatments in the clinic, where they can save cancer patients' lives.

The plan was designed to hit impediments to progress head on, such as the natural boundaries and competitiveness that can exist between research centers. Requiring the "best and the brightest," both from different institutions and disciplines, to collaborate is at the heart of SU2C's Dream Team approach.

When Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp of MIT signed on to chair the committee that would recommend which teams be funded, other august scientists quickly followed. Painstakingly narrowing the initial 237 team ideas to five team grant recipients was a complicated, time-consuming and -- particularly for the finalists -- uniquely interactive process.

The five teams chosen include more than 200 researchers, with representatives from cancer advocacy groups participating to ensure that the patient's point of view is always taken into account. The projects touch on many of the most innovative areas in cancer research, which increasingly focus on deciphering genetic and cellular events that cause cancers to occur and allow them to spread, and on developing interventions that will prevent or reverse these events.

Sherry Lansing, Katie Couric, Laura Ziskin, Noreen Fraser, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Ellen Ziffren and Kathleen Lobb are the core group, as well as myself, from the entertainment and media businesses who worked to develop SU2C. For Laura and Noreen, this is intensely personal as they are cancer survivors. As a tribute to my parents and on behalf of my colleagues, as well as everyone else in our industry and all the scientists involved, I can tell you we are in it for the long haul. And we hope the American people will be, too. The breadth and number of proposals that were received points to how many promising projects are out there going unfunded. Donating to support cancer research, especially in today's economy, is challenging, but working together, we can all stand up to cancer, ending it once and for all.

--Lisa Paulsen, President and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF)