The more experience a doctor has at dealing with prostate surgery, the less likely the chance for recurrence according to a new study.

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute stated that doctors were still making improvements to their handling of prostate cancer surgery until they reached an average of 250 surgeries performed. Just like with any other major procedure, physicians get better at certain processes with experience and repetition.

The study found that almost 18% of prostate patients treated by younger doctors saw some kind of cancer recurrence or associate problems within five years of the initial prostate procedure.

On Wednesday, I shared the news of former Texas Governor Ann Richards, 72, esophageal cancer diagnosis. After consulting with the oncology physicians and staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center, she is returning home today. The independently strong and feisty feminist of quick wit, whose personality is as big as her home state of Texas, has stated she plans to fight this cancer. At this time, it has not been made public if Richards will have surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, or a combination of all three. When first diagnosed with cancer, there are many options to consider, and it takes time to research which ones will be the best.

Cancer of the esophagus is considered one of the most lethal cancers. Richards has been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell is typically found in the upper area of the esophagus, where it is often not removable. Her tumor was found in the middle area. Cancer of the esophagus is most easily removed in the lower third. According to The American Cancer Society, 14,500 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus this year and 13,500 will die from it. Richards has been told that her cancer is treatable.

"She's handling it very well," said utility lobbyist John Fainter of Austin, Richards' chief of staff as governor and friend of 30 years. "It's like she attacks most of the problems in her life. She meets them head-on and gets them solved."

The main symptoms of esophageal cancer are difficulty swallowing and weight loss. In rare cases, people can have mid-chest pain or discomfort, a slight sensation of pressure, or burning.

Lonnie Hodge's OneManBandwidth: An American Professor in China is a blog about a professor's life in China. But this is not about Mr. Hodge, it is about his friend, affectionately called "The Unsinkable Ms Yue," and her battle with breast cancer in the Pearl River Delta. He speaks about the environmental pollution and refers to the area as a "cancer zone." He speaks of the medical costs few can afford, for life-saving cancer treatments, and how, without the financial ability to pay, you leap to your death, or you are simply left to die. Hodge is a professor who knows how to take you into the middle of the story, and evoke all the emotion one would feel if physically present to the time and place of the story told. Your heart will break. Your outrage will be profound. Your spirit will be inspired by Ms. Yue.  You will not be able to walk away and remain as you were before, because the stories Hodge tells, will change you forever. Hodge blogs, within the OneManBandwidth: An American Professor in China, the blog The Unsinkable Ms Yue: The Cancer Journals. It reflects all of his admiration and care for the unsinkable Ms. Yue. You will care too. Begin with Black Rivers, Empty Shoes and Cancer in China.

Barry Bradley, 57, a seasoned journalist and news editor for the St. Petersburg Times, died today from lung cancer. Diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2004, he wrote about his battle with cancer in a series of columns called, "A Killer Within" , available at the St. Petersburg Times online edition.

Bradley had surgery to remove part of his left lung, followed by four months of chemotherapy. He was hopeful that the surgery and chemo would be a cure. In his final column, Bradley discusses his decision to end cancer treatments and reflects on the lessons he learned during his struggles with cancer. Bradley's final words, of his final column, were, " Fear will always wither in the face of courage, just as anger will fade in the presence of kindness; the darkness of death will wane in the light of God's love and all sorrow will be washed away. My body will be gone soon, but my soul will survive. I will but wrap the warm blankets of a full life about me and peacefully go to sleep in the arms of the angels. Goodbye and God bless." Mr. Bradley, you will be missed.

Richard Day Gore is a passionately angry blogger looking to start a revolution at Rogue Cell Diary, where he shares his experiences as an uninsured cancer patient who survived cancer in spite of living in the land of for-profit medicine. His blog takes on the issues of the uninsured, a devastatingly pervasive problem in this country of plenty, in creating awareness and dialog about the lack of health insurance for 44 million people. Gore did a Yahoo search, looking for forums and groups of people struggling as one of the medically uninsured, and he became frustrated in the lack of search results. Gore wants to know, "where is everybody?"

Krankipantzen is Stacey, a young woman diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2005. With open candor, vulnerability, and humor, she blogs the cancer patient journey. Yoshi, her cat, sweet and diabolical, as only a cat can be, has shared Stacey's challenges with her, making regular appearances in the blog posts. From a gallery of photos of Stacey sporting various and sometimes hilarious hats given to her when she lost her hair to chemotherapy, to Yoshi smashing the head of Miss Kitty, she is a woman who blogs well. Today, after grueling months of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, Stacey learned she is cancer-free. Cancer-free. Life doesn't get any better than that.

When you are diagnosed with cancer, the world becomes a smaller, gentler place. I have a theory this occurs because any interest in the trivial and all that separates us from one another falls away. The focal point of reality is reset to include only that which is meaningful -- kindness, forgiveness, compassion and love. The awareness of the interconnectedness of life becomes a continuous one. We are all on this planet together. Together we heal. 

Chemo Angels is a dedicated organization of cancer survivors and caring individuals whose lives have been touched by cancer. Each volunteer is paired up with a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy for the purpose of making the physical, emotional and mentally rigorous days of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments a little brighter. Chemo Angels send cards, cheerful notes, and small gifts of encouragement and support.  If you are a cancer patient, you are invited to sign up for a Chemo Angel. The service is provided through the postal mail, so your location is unimportant. Chemo Angels have many international patients.