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Posts with tag CancerBlog
Posted Jul 13th 2007 6:00AM by Brian White
Filed under: Thought for the Day
In the last few years, I've suspended my annual donation to the American Cancer Society based on what I perceive as the organization's willingness to "get in bed" with product manufacturers and food makers who have no interest in cancer prevention outside of large donations to the organization so that an official logo can be used.
To a point, just the appearance of impropriety disgusts me. Instead of donating, I've been putting together a research package that I end up talking to people about. Not only does empirical research and double-blind studies talk louder than an ACS logo in a mainstream health magazine, it gets people thinking.
Thinking about what they eat, what they do, how they live, what they expose themselves to, etc. Al of those things, when done in harmful ways, can expose one to cancer-causing agents and just help whatever predisposition you may already have to flourish. Sure, all those may have no effect at all also. Are you willing to take the chance?
Posted Mar 6th 2006 4:27PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Brain Cancer, Leukemia, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Alternative Therapies, Ovarian Cancer, Chemotherapy, Lung Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Colon and Rectal Cancer, Skin Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Melanoma, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Pancreatic Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Mouth Cancer, Prevention, Hodgkin's Lymphoma
"I sat in the car outside our home
for quite awhile, trying to stare through the walls of the house from the inside of my car. My children were in there,
waiting for me to get home, waiting for dinner and all the routine that our family moves by. Just another day. I wanted
to capture what our ordinary everyday life looked like, freeze frame it in my mind, because in the next five minutes,
the life we had always known together would be gone."How do you tell your children you have
cancer?
According to the
Family Doctor, many parents do not
want to burden their child with worries and fears, so they may choose to keep the truth from a child in hopes of
protecting them from pain. But even the youngest child can sense when something is wrong. If they do not know the
truth, they may imagine that things are worse than they are, or they may think that they have done something causing
problems in the family. Ultimately, how much you decide to share with your child will depend upon the age of the child.
If you decide to tell your child about your cancer diagnosis, be sure to include reassurances there are many
people who care about and love them, and they will never be alone in this world. Family Doctor suggests you try to stay
upbeat, but also be realistic and honest with your child. It is okay to tell your child that you do not know exactly
what is going to happen and promise to keep them informed if anything changes.
If your child worries they
have caused your illness, you might ask your physician to talk with your child about cancer. If you are concerned your
child may not be handling emotional issues well, you may consider finding a support group for children who have a
family member with cancer, where they can voice their fears and share experiences with other children. And above all,
try to keep the family routine as normal as possible. Routine, and the sameness to the days as they were before your
cancer diagnosis, is very comforting to a child.
Posted Mar 4th 2006 5:27PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Drug
Welcome to the innovative future of
radiosurgery, where a convergence of high doses of focused multiple radiation beams are delivered with sub-millimeter
accuracy in destroying tumors within the body.
CyberKnife, the world’s
first and only intelligent robotic radiosurgery system, uses the constant surveillance of image guidance cameras to
zero in on moving targets without damaging surrounding healthy tissue. CyberKnife's abilities of image guidance
technology with computer-controlled robotics enables physicians to continuously track, detect, and correct for tumor
and patient movements throughout the treatment.
In the past, if a cancer patient developed new tumors after
they reached their maximum lifetime limit of traditional radiation, there was little else in the way of treatment that
could be offered. CyberKnife can treat tumors considered inoperable or untreatable by conventional methods. CyberKnife
has an active community, with the CyberKnife Society, CyberKnife Patient Group, and CyberKnife Coalition.
Posted Mar 4th 2006 11:22AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Prevention
The story that underarm
antiperspirants cause breast cancer has been referred to as an unfounded and persistent internet email rumor, a myth to
be debunked, an urban legend. The American Cancer Society clearly states the claim of underarm antiperspirants leading
to breast cancer untrue, as there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.
University of Reading's
Dr. Philippa Darbre disagrees, and presents mounting evidence to suggest the breast cancer risk of underarm
antiperspirants is more than myth or urban legend, and is calling for additional studies of the dangers antiperspirants
may pose to a woman's breast health. In a
review
article published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, Dr. Darbre points to an aluminum-based compound found in
antiperspirants, when absorbed into the body mimics estrogen, the hormone responsible for estrogen-positive breast
cancer, the most common type of breast cancer.
"Aluminum salts form a major source of aluminum
exposure in humans," Dr. Darbre said, "but the effects of widespread, long-term and increasing use
remain unknown. It is reasonable this aluminum could influence breast cancer."
Posted Mar 1st 2006 7:07PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Alternative Therapies, Thyroid Cancer
Stephanie Seguin is a thyroid cancer
survivor, and
The Adventures of Follicular Cancer Lady - diary of an impatient
patient - started as a way for her friends and family to share in all of her thyroid cancer adventures. 23 chapters and
23 webpages later, and it becomes very clear, she is one funny lady. No, I take that back. In chapter one, where her
adventures begin, a long time ago in a waiting room far, far away, it becomes clear, she is one funny lady.
If 23 chapters of an online book were not enough, she promises to offer merchandise that includes the action figures
of Follicular Cancer Lady, complete with radio-iodizer gun, backless hospital gown, IV cart and bendy straws. Hospital
bedmobile sold separately. Lord Endocron comes with bottle of Synthroid and hormone ray gun. 5 inch stack of bills sold
separately (call your insurance provider again for details) and a Waiting Room play set.
Posted Mar 1st 2006 5:44PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Prevention
Uplink Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity is a golf classic hosted by
Cristie Kerr, one of the golfing world's premiere female athletes. Kerr has made a pledge to donate $50 dollars for
every birdie she makes in a season, and to date, she has made 299 birdies. In addition, pledges can be made by
individuals and corporations for each birdie Kerr makes in a season.
Kerr's mother is a breast cancer
survivor. On behalf of her mother, and all women, Kerr is determined to win the battle against breast cancer with the
same determination and drive she applies to the competitive sport of golf. The Uplink Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity
golf classic is a day of golfing fun and breast cancer fundraising. All donations from the events and birdie pledges
goes to support Evelyn Lauder's The Breast Cancer Research Foundation programs and the Florida Hospital Cancer
Institute. You can make a pledge on the Uplink Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity website, learn more about the golf
classic, and shop the Birdie's store for merchandise. 100 percent of profits goes to charity.
Posted Feb 27th 2006 10:11AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Drug, Chemotherapy, Prevention
As a breast cancer survivor,
Melissa Etheridge, diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2004, always
believed she would win her battle with breast cancer. On Valentine's Day 2005, she celebrated the end of chemotherapy
and radiation treatments by performing onstage at the Grammy Award show. Etheridge, a two-time Grammy winner,
multi-platinum recording artist, mom, and breast cancer survivor, has released a greatest hits CD, "The Road Less
Traveled," with a song dedicated to breast cancer survivors called "I Run for Life." She donates all
record royalties from that song to breast cancer charities. The chorus lyrics from that song are:
"I
run to hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother, your
sister, your wife.
I run for you and me, my friend. I run for life."
Etheridge fans started a
Pink Bracelet Fund to raise awareness and money for breast cancer, with all donations
going to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. Etheridge has always been a very active supporter of many good causes.
The breast cancer community can expect Etheridge to be just as vocal and active in the cause for breast cancer
awareness, education and research, because women like Etheridge, who stand up front, and live outloud, rock!
Posted Feb 24th 2006 4:00PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Chemotherapy
Dr. Anita Roberts blogs
My Journey, about gastric cancer survivorship to let others know how she
is doing and to share her thoughts and feeling about the difficulties and surrealism of being diagnosed with cancer,
going through cancer treatments and being a cancer survivor. Dr. Roberts, a world-renowned scientist who was chief of
NCI's Laboratory of Cell Regulation and Carcinogenesis, has found blogging a therapeutic tool for introspection and in
communicating and connecting with others online.
Dr. Roberts has a special page in her blog for devotions,
mantras, words of faith, guidance or wisdom tradition, that she collects and shares with others. She invites blog
readers to submit any they would like to share, and she will post them in her blog. Her adult children wrote
The Song
of BellaDonna: a true story of hope when they learned of her cancer diagnosis.
Posted Feb 23rd 2006 10:30PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Colon and Rectal Cancer, Prevention
In 1995, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
Willie L. Leftwich was diagnosed with colon cancer. Shortly after, Leftwich, the founder of a high-powered high-profile
law firm, walked away from a very
fulfilling and gratifying career in law. Facing a year of weekly chemotherapy treatments, he felt he needed a hobby to take his mind
off his colon cancer and the
treatments to come. He discovered
pottery, and he has been a potter ever since. Six years of passionately throwing clay as a potter, and Leftwich creates
beautiful pieces. Leftwich is a colon cancer survivor, who credits pottery for saving his life. You can find a gallery
of his pottery at Willie Pots.Posted Feb 23rd 2006 8:29PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Prevention
In March, the American Cancer Society, ACS, launches the nationwide Daffodil Days program, a chance for individuals
and community groups to contribute to the Society's mission of providing education and support for those who have been
affected by cancer, and to raise funding for continuing research in finding a cancer cure. To the ACS, the daffodil,
one of the first flowers of spring, is a symbol of hope for a world free of cancer. You can contribute online, with the
Daffodil Days e-Card® program, which allows
you to send a Daffodil e-Card to anyone, anywhere, at any time, for any reason. Or, you can give the Gift of Hope, and
by making a contribution in honor of a loved one, a local Society volunteer will deliver a bouquet of daffodils
anonymously to a cancer patient at a medical center in your community.Posted Feb 20th 2006 4:46PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Prevention
You might think that hospitals, in the
business of making people well, would not be engaging in any cancer-causing activity that eventually makes more people
sick. If you do think that now, in a minute, you might be thinking differently.
Health
Care Without Harm, an international coalition of hospitals and health care systems, medical professionals, and
community groups, knows different, and is working to transform the health care industry worldwide, so that it is
ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment.
PVC, or polyvinyl
chloride, is the most widely used plastic in medical devices, and is a known carcinogen. Mercury, a neurotoxin that can
affect the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver, is found in thermometers, blood pressure devices, lab chemicals,
cleaners and other products used in health care. According to Health Without Harm, hospitals commonly use a surprising
number of
highly toxic
chemicals on their premises, including pesticides, cleaners and disinfectants, and fragrance chemicals. These
volatile organic compounds,
VOCs, contribute to
poor overall indoor air quality leading to a variety of health problems, including cancer. There are, in all these
instances, safe alternatives. You might think that hospitals knew this, and acted accordingly, to protect the health of
its patients and the environment from known causes of cancer. But if you think that, you would be wrong.
Posted Feb 19th 2006 12:51PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Colon and Rectal Cancer, Prevention
March is National Colon Cancer Awareness
Month, observed each year to raise awareness about colon cancer. This year, The American Cancer Society, ACS, is
launching the
“Fabulous at 50” campaign to increase
awareness about colon cancer and to encourage everyone approaching 50 years of age, to see their physician to schedule
a
colonoscopy, a screening test for colon cancer.
According to Alfred R. Ashford, American Cancer Society Eastern Division's chief medical officer, “When colon
cancer is caught early, there is a 90 percent chance of survival. Yet fewer than four in 10 of these cancers are
discovered at the earliest, most treatable stage.” On the ACS "Fabulous at 50" website, you can learn
colon cancer facts, find information about colon cancer screening guidelines, send free 50th birthday cards to family
members and friends, and read stories from New York and New Jersey community leaders about their colon cancer screening
experiences.
Thanks to Trish, of Blogging for a Cause, for
this story tip!
Posted Feb 10th 2006 8:30PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Drug, Chemotherapy
Last year, Marisa was diagnosed with an aggressive
type of
Burkitt's Lymphoma while pregnant with her
second child. Because it was caught early, she was able to overcome it with a strength of chemotherapy as aggressive as
her cancer. Spending two-to-three weeks at a time in the hospital for treatments, she kept a handwritten journal of her
experiences. Marisa has a strong network of family support, and she was able to focus on her recovery without worrying
too much about her children at home.
I Have What? is Marisa's blog
about her family, her life before cancer, her life after cancer, and the daily life of a wife, mother, daughter, sister
and friend, one day at a time. Marisa is currently working to bring her handwritten journal online, in a separate blog
called Cancer Get Outta Here.
Posted Feb 9th 2006 5:06PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Ovarian Cancer, Chemotherapy
Creative writing, at its finest, is an
excursion into the world of metaphor. Rae, of
Limbodacious, is a fine
creative writer. Rae was diagnosed two years ago with ovarian cancer. This February, she shares the good news, as told
to her, of her current test results indicating no signs of cancer. She is quietly happy, because she knows it could be
temporary. Cancer has a way of keeping cancer survivors in limbo, even when the cancer is gone. She knows the odds. Rae
endured three courses of chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant, and two courses of radiation.
She gave up her career in the military, lost many friends, and suffered because of her medications. She says, of
herself, that she is not strong, amazing, special, or remarkable in any way. Read the pages of her blog, and I think
you will agree with me, she is all that, and more.
Posted Feb 8th 2006 4:44PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Chemotherapy
Cancer is not funny, but Karen, who posts on
The Adventures of Cancer Girl blog, is an absolute comedic
treasure of a blogger who made me laugh until my under-exercised abdomen muscles hurt. Karen, 30, is a stay-at-home
mother who was diagnosed last year with
multiple myeloma.
She currently has a contest, the Cancer Girl's Official Plasma Cell Renaming Contest, for the naming of cells. As Karen
points out, if a doctor said to you, "I'm sorry, but you have increased numbers of Super Terrific Happy Cells in
your bone marrow," it might take some of the sting out of the bad news. Karen is accepting entries.
Godcella and
Badcell Wrathbone have already been submitted for consideration.
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