Leah-Beth Richards was diagnosed six years ago with Wilms' tumor, she was only two years old. Wilms' tumor is a cancer of the kidney that primarily affects children. The peak time of Wilms' tumor occurrence is at age three and it occurs only rarely after age eight.

Leah-Beth has been in remission twice and is currently battling another relapse of her disease. The eight year old says that she does not want to carry on with treatment. Her parents are standing behind her decision and want to discontinue the radiation they are using to fight the cancer.

Leah-Beth's mother says "I just can't put her through it again". "I'm thinking about her quality of life now, not quantity. We'd rather her have some special months than painful years".

Mrs. Richards claimed that when they told the hospital about Leah-Beth's decision not to carry on with treatment, they were told they did not have a choice.

Who do you think should make the final decision? Leah herself, even though she is only eight, the doctors or her parents?

A thirteen year old London girl has become the first in the country to receive the cervical cancer vaccine. The vaccine, Gardasil, launched in Britain last week, protects against the main viruses that cause cervical cancer. Gardasil targets the human papilloma viruses (HPV), which can be transmitted through sex.

Hollie Anderson's mother, Lisa, had the vaccine given to her daughter privately after seeing her own mother battle against cancer. She did this because the government has not yet issued a guidance on which groups will be routinely immunized. Mothers are taking their daughters to private clinics instead to get the vaccination. Dr. George Kassianos, the Royal College of General Practioners' immunization spokesman said: "This vaccine is available on prescription today, but patients should wait for the Department of Health to give us guidance. Everyone agrees that this is a great leap forward. I would ask that department to fast track a decision".

There are 2,800 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in Britain every year. About 1,000 women will die of the disease. Mrs. Anderson said "When I found out from our doctor that these injections were becoming available it wasn't a difficult decision to make" I asked Hollie and she said she wanted it. it was her decision. Afterwards she said 'Thank you mum, I know you're protecting me against a disease'.

The power of positivity is subjective when it comes to cancer survival. There are those who argue that keeping up a positive attitude puts too much pressure on cancer patients. I think it depends on who you are at the time of cancer diagnosis, and what your individual personality style is in facing adversity, that is far more relevant to being a survivor.

Last Wednesday, when the news broke that Farrah Fawcett had been diagnosed with cancer, she asked that her privacy be respected. As is the case with most celebrities, it was not likely to happen. We have seen almost constant coverage in the details of her cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the paparazzi have captured in photographs her every movement.

When Patsy Ramsey passed away from a recurrence of ovarian cancer two months ago, many felt she died under the shadow of suspicion concerning her possible involvement in the murder of her six-year-old daughter JonBenet, whose beaten and strangled body was found by her father John Ramsey in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.

At the time of Patsy Ramsey's death, the family attorney Lin Wood said, "I think people will remember Patsy as being someone who was falsely accused in connection with the death of her daughter when she should be remembered for being an incredibly loving mother, wonderful wife, and person who showed great courage in fighting a vicious disease over the last many years."

Today, breaking news reveals that a suspect has been arrested in the murder of JonBenet. Confessing to elements of the crime, the 42-year-old American second-grade school teacher John Karr was apprehended in Thailand.

John Ramsey confirmed in a written statement that Patsy was aware of the authorities interest in the suspect and she died knowing that the case was about to be solved and the murderer of her child was about to be brought to justice. She did not leave this world not knowing.

To honor and support former 1995 Hooters Calendar Cover Girl, Kelly Jo Dowd, who is battling a recurrence of breast cancer that has spread to her organs and bones -- during the 10th Annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant in Las Vegas, Hooters gave her a check for $135,000 and announced a $1 million dollar breast cancer research grant in her name through the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Dowd, who is 40, successfully went into remission the first time she was diagnosed with breast cancer, only to have the cancer return, is the only woman to climb Hooters restaurant chain's corporate ladder from waitress, to manager, and to general manager. She is also the proud mother of golfing teen phenom Dakoda Dowd.

The V Foundation was launched during the last year of NC State basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster Jim Valvano's life, when he was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma, and told he had a year to live. He spent the last year as an advocate in raising cancer awareness by sharing his personal experience as someone facing life and death with cancer. Valvano's message in the fight against cancer was "Don't Give Up ... Don't Ever Give Up!"

Dowd is fighting for her life, and Hooters has stepped in to help her, and other women facing breast cancer and fighting for their lives, in never giving up in the battle.

When you are in a chat room, belong to an email discussion list, or for that matter, read a blog, you cannot be certain all of the time the other person is who they are representing themselves to be, and on some occasions, they are frauds with evil intent.

When it comes to blogs in the cancer community, given time in reading the blog, I have found most people are who they say they are -- but when it comes to chat rooms, there is a higher probability that the identity of the participant could be different than the person is in real life.

In Leeds Today, a news story has been published exposing a pervert who pretended to be a boy named Ricky with cancer, for the purposes of luring a teenage girl into a sexual encounter. Ricky was really a 45-year-old married man named Glen Marwood. But the 17-year-old girl believed his chat room story and began to offer emotional support and encouragement as Ricky went through cancer treatment. She became attached to Ricky and felt the relationship was developing romantically. Which is what Marwood was hoping and had planned.

Hope is the thing
with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without
the words -
And never stops at all. -- Emily Dickinson

In the summer 2005, when Daisy was only seven-weeks-old, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Her mother Emma blogs the beginning of the story on the night when Daisy was having trouble breathing and they took her to the hospital's emergency room.

Emma and Patrick thought Daisy might be suffering from a cold or asthma. Once at the hospital, they were told something much worse. Their little baby girl was suffering from anemia and her spleen and liver were enlarged due to a large number leukemia cells. Daisy had biphenotypic leukemia.

Daisy would need chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Her mother blogs A Journal of Daisy Gail's battle with Biphenotypic Leukemia to keep all the people who love Daisy updated on her life and progress. It is a poignant, inspiring and beautifully written blog.

On May 20th of this year, Daisy celebrated her first birthday. The birthday party was held for the friends and family who emailed through the months with encouragement, strangers who emailed and said, "You don't know me but...", for everyone who made a Daisy bracelet, bought a Daisy bracelet, who raised money for Daisy, who gave money for Daisy, who looked after Daisy, who donated blood or signed on with Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Gifts for Daisy were graciously declined as Daisy's family wanted to celebrate those who helped Daisy reach her first birthday.

Daisy is a blog about Daisy, and Emma, and Patrick and Molly -- and the power of love and hope -- and for the gratitude of family and friends and people who came to read the blog about a wee little girl's courageous struggle against cancer -- and life ahead for Daisy.

Alyssa Bruno, who is five years old, has been diagnosed with diffuse pontine glioma, a brain stem cancer. With a birthday card and a penny for good luck, you can help little Alyssa of Henrietta celebrate her birthday. On August 2, when Alyssa turns six years old, the Federation of Social Workers will deliver all the birthday cards and lucky pennies to Alyssa.

The request began as an email send out by one of Alyssa's teachers. She sent out the email requesting birthday cards and lucky pennies for Alyssa, with an additional request that the person receiving the email forward it on to others. As of now, the federation has received 35 birthday cards for Alyssa. If you would like to brighten the day of a little girl who is facing cancer on her very special day, send her a birthday card to:

Alyssa Bruno Birthday Cards
Federation of Social Workers
167 Flanders Street (D-12)
Rochester, New York 14619

Don't forget the lucky penny!

When six-year-old Emily Kearney was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, her parents thought a pet might cheer her up after she spent five months in the hospital undergoing intensive cancer treatments. Casper, a Yorkshire Terrier, became a dearly loved pet companion and comfort to Emily when she came home.

Emily, now 12, and cancer-free, has new cancer worries. Her beloved dog has been diagnosed with the same cancer she had six years ago. Casper has been diagnosed with lymphoma and is currently undergoing the exact same cancer treatments she had to go through -- receiving the same chemotherapy drug, called cyclophosphamide.

Two weeks ago, Emily's mother Jackie, found the lump in Casper's neck. Both parents said they just broke down when the vet gave them Casper's diagnosis. Emily is heartbroken and scared her beloved pet is going to die from the same disease she fought so hard against as a little girl. Her parents are telling her Casper can make it too, and the family is now cheering on little Casper, who once cheered on a little girl through the same cancer. 

Patsy Ramsey, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1993, and suffered a recurrence of cancer in 2003, has lost her life to cancer. Ramsey is the mother of murdered child beauty pageant winner JonBenet, whose beaten and strangled body was found by her father John Ramsey in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. JonBenet's murder remains unsolved and while her parents insisted that an unknown intruder entered the home, her parents were extensively investigated as possible suspects in the murder. Although cleared by a grand jury and lie detector testing, suspicion followed both John and Patsy Ramsey regarding JonBenet's death.

According to the family attorney Lin Wood, "I think people will remember Patsy as being someone who was falsely accused in connection with the death of her daughter when she should be remembered for being an incredibly loving mother, wonderful wife, and person who showed great courage in fighting a vicious disease over the last many years." Patsy Ramsey was 49.

08.16.2006 UPDATE: Patsy Ramsey: daughter JonBenet murderer arrested.

Video game icon and gaming legend Lara Croft has been chosen as spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Sun Smart Teens Program. According to the skin cancer awareness foundation, the goal of the Sun Smart Teens Program will be to raise awareness of skin cancer risks and educate teens to the dangers of the sun. Because melanoma is being diagnosed in ever younger populations, the foundation has chosen a spokesmodel they feel teens can relate to -- Lara Croft personifies the benefits of having a healthy body. Beginning November 2006, Lara Croft's image will be used as part of a nationwide tour designed to educate and provide skin cancer awareness information for teens. For more information, visit the  Skin Cancer Awareness Sun Smart Teens Program.