Italian opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti, who had surgery for pancreatic cancer in July 2006 and then was hospitalized this August 8 due to a high fever, will stay in the hospital for further testing related to his disease.

Pavarotti, 71, is now fever-free. Still, he will remain hospitalized so his cancer can be fully investigated.

At the time of Pavarotti's surgery, he had been planning to resume his farewell tour. But he has made no public appearances since this time.

The flu is what caused Australian pop star Kylie Minogue to cut a live London show short on Saturday. Her cancellation had nothing to do with breast cancer, her spokesman says.

Minogue, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005, has endured both surgery and chemotherapy and is back on the Showgirl Homecoming Tour she had to postpone just after her diagnosis. The revival of her tour represents Minogue's cancer comeback -- and this recent health setback is nothing more than a temporary bout with the flu. It is reported that several of her band members also have the bug.

Minogue, 38, kicked off the British leg of her tour on New Year's Eve. She has already played seven dates at London's Wembley Arena.

By popular vote, Australia's beloved pop diva and breast cancer survivor has been chosen as the most inspirational celebrity of 2006. Sugar magazine teen readers indicated that Minogue represents their first choice as an inspirational role model for young women.

From the beginning of her breast cancer diagnosis, Minogue has shared her very personal battle with breast cancer in a very public way, raising awareness for the disease among a younger generation of women whose attention to breast health might not have been as focused otherwise.

Earlier this month, Minogue was named the Gold Choice Celebrity of the Year in the Sydney Confidential People's Choice Awards by Australia's Daily Telegraph readers.


For a retrospective of Kylie Minogue's breast cancer journey:

• Kylie Minogue: voted favorite traveling companion of men.
• Kylie Minogue: world exclusive interview with Sky One.
• Kylie Minogue loses close friend and personal chauffeur to cancer.
• Kylie Minogue: back on stage as a breast cancer survivor.
• Kylie Minogue: laughter is the best medicine for cancer cure.
• Dannii Minogue: sings under pressure about sister Kylie.
• Kylie Minogue breast cancer survivor glows in health.
• Kylie Minogue: cancer survivor writes children's book.
• Kylie Minogue joins women in fight for Herceptin.
• Kylie Minogue in breast cancer remission.

When World Tag Team Champion Rowdy Roddy Piper underwent back surgery for an injury he sustained during the World Wrestling Entertainment tour in Europe last month, the surgeons discovered two small marble-sized areas behind his stomach that gave cause for concern that he might have cancer. After biopsy, a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was made. Because the cancer was found early, Piper is optimistic that he will be able to wrestle cancer to the mat to complete defeat.

"It seems like I have been fighting someone, something, someplace, in some manner, my whole life. But this fight, is one I am gonna win! Ever Forward." stated Piper on his blog.

Canadian-born Piper lives in the Portland, Oregon area. If you are a fan who would like to send Piper your support and best wishes, you can write to him at:

Roddy Piper
18645 S.W. Farmington Rd.
PMB 312
Aloha, Oregon
97007
USA

Piper blogs about wrestling, his family, and now surviving cancer at Piper's Pit.

When Australian pop star Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, there was a sudden surge in the number of young women requesting breast cancer screening. Minogue's breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 37 raised concern among a younger population of women that breast cancer is a diagnosis that could potentially happen to them. Knowledge is power and education saves lives. The increase in breast cancer awareness became known as the Kylie Effect.

However, the awareness that younger women can develop breast cancer has led some women to age-related conclusions about breast cancer that are not true, and this is also being referred to as the Kylie Effect. According to a recent survey of 2,289 women conducted by Cancer Research UK, 77 percent of the survey participants said that breast cancer risk was higher for women under the age of 70, and 33 percent said that women under the age of 50 were most at risk. The fact is cancer risk increases with age, and four out of five women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50.

"Celebrities with breast cancer like Kylie Minogue and Caron Keating have attracted a lot of publicity -- especially in magazines aimed at younger women. This is very beneficial in that it raises awareness of breast cancer. But the down side is that it may also set up a chain of panic among young women, while misleading older women to think that ageing is not a relevant factor in breast cancer," stated Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK.

For a retrospective of Kylie Minogue's breast cancer journey:

• Kylie Minogue: voted favorite traveling companion of men.
• Kylie Minogue: world exclusive interview with Sky One.
• Kylie Minogue loses close friend and personal chauffeur to cancer.
• Kylie Minogue: back on stage as a breast cancer survivor.
• Kylie Minogue: laughter is the best medicine for cancer cure.
• Dannii Minogue: sings under pressure about sister Kylie.
• Kylie Minogue breast cancer survivor glows in health.
• Kylie Minogue: cancer survivor writes children's book.
• Kylie Minogue joins women in fight for Herceptin.
• Kylie Minogue in breast cancer remission.

What should younger women do to be breast cancer smart? Do a monthly self exam and if they notice any abnormalities or lumps, insist that tests be done to rule out breast cancer. Realize that while any woman at any age can get breast cancer, the chances increase with age and 80 percent of breast cancer diagnosis happen for women 50 years and older.

Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter, and breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow was honored with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Humanitarian Award at the annual symposium and luncheon event at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Crow has joined the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) to promote breast cancer prevention and raise funds for research in finding a cure.

During her music tour with John Mayer, Crow donated 50 cents of every concert ticket sold to the breast cancer organization. She also offered a breast cancer t-shirt with her logo design for sale with 100 percent of the profits donated to BCRF. The t-shirt is now available on Crow's website.

In addition, Crow has lent her support to jewelry designer Mauri Pioppo, who created a very special Sundari necklace to benefit BCRF during October. According to the product details, "Sundari is the Hindu Goddess of beauty and grace, and Mauri Pioppo was inspired by Sheryl Crow's courage in the face of her personal experience with breast cancer to createthe Sundari necklace."

Crow is an incredibly talented singer songwriter. She is also an awesome lady with a healthy sense of humor. During the luncheon in which she was given the Humanitarian Award, she remarked to the audience, "In a show business world that puts so much emphasis on cleavage, I was never known for my breasts until I got breast cancer."

I took my boys yesterday for a tour of the University of Florida's Department of Entomology and Nematology. Translation for these little boys -- ages five and three -- involves one simple word. Bugs. They love bugs, hunt for bugs, capture bugs, and reluctantly set them free because I coax them into allowing these itty bitty creatures to continue living with their "mommies and daddies." I have a soft spot for all living beings -- bugs included.

We learned some crazy facts about bugs yesterday -- insects is the proper term really. We learned there is one cockroach that can live for seven days without its head. We learned there are two types of Madagascar cockroaches living in a lab in the very same building we visited that if set free, would reproduce so quickly they would become a major pest problem in the state of Florida. And we learned that of all animals on this planet, most are insects. But not only did we learn some crazy facts, we -- well, Joey -- shared a crazy fact too.

Joey is five years old. He is the boy who remembers much of my breast cancer journey. He is the one who helped shave my head, the one who thought a banana would make my sick tummy feel better. He's the one who would blurt out to people we never knew very well, "My mommy is bald," the one who asked me just last night if the metal thing -- my port -- was still in my chest. When I told him it's gone, he jumped up and announced, "Yeah, it's gone!" Cancer is one of many vocabulary words housed in Joey's brain. And sometimes the word comes up unexpectedly, in strange contexts, in surprising ways. Like today.

Our bug tour guide told us that in Africa, mosquitoes transmit diseases that kill millions of people. But those with sickle cell anemia are immune to the deadly diseases due to their compromised red blood cells that somehow fend off disease. This fact prompted Joey to share with the guide, "Did you know when people have cancer, there are bugs that can kill the cancer?" Our guide listened to this crazy fact and said in a kid-friendly way, "No, I did not know that. Who told you that?" Joey told her, "I don't remember but someone told me."

I am not sure what prompted Joey to make this announcement. Perhaps he was trying to one-up the tour guide, to sound like an expert on one of his favorite subjects. Perhaps his imagination was in overdrive and he blurted out the best story he could offer. Perhaps he jumbled up a story he had heard on the topic of cancer. And perhaps he is just simply hopeful that one day, bugs will help cure cancer. And wouldn't that be nice -- a simple mosquito comes along, pierces the skin, and poof, cancer is gone.

My cancer journey would not be nearly as interesting, as enlightening, as tender if Joey was not along with me for the ride. He keeps me busy and keeps my spirits up. He keeps me grounded and keeps life simple. Best of all -- he keeps me laughing.

Since 1988, Wendy Chioji has been a reporter and anchorwoman for WESH 2 News in Orlando, Florida. She has covered news ranging from the pope's visit to Cuba in 1998 to the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2002. She continuously covered last year's hurricanes, and she has an Emmy award under her belt for a special news report on heroin use.

Wendy is a top notch athlete. She has run five marathons and competed in several triathlons and half-ironman races. She has ridden in parts of several stages of the Tour de France, and traveled across the country with Lance Armstrong in 2003 -- covering 550 miles -- with the Tour of Hope event to raise awareness for cancer research. Wendy has also made a tour with stage II breast cancer. Since 2001, she has been surviving this disease.

Last Monday, singer songwriter and breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show to help Ellen, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, launch the show's recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Six months ago, Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer, and is happy to say that during her last check-up she got an all clear and is in breast cancer remission. Crow talked about the impact breast cancer had -- that when you hit bottom it is a place where you meet yourself. At that time, Crow realized she needed to take care of herself by putting herself first, as opposed to the many years when her focus was on taking care of others. Crow described herself as very self-critical before breast cancer, and was a woman who could not say no to others -- their happiness was a priority that came before her own. Ellen joked that bottom for Crow might mean breaking up with your fiance (Lance Armstrong) and getting a breast cancer diagnosis a month later. Crow laughed and nodded in agreement.

Crow talked about some of the dangers you can avoid to promote cancer prevention such as not leaving bottled water out in the sun. The chemical reaction of the heated plastic to the water is known to be carcinogenic. Other dangers include dietary changes a woman can make, and we have shared her tips in a past post here.

Crow, who is currently touring with John Mayer, stated, "It's what you do with experience that really defines who you become." Crow wears a gold bracelet with the words Breathe and That which does not kill me makes me stronger as well as her diagnosis date inscribed on it as a spiritual reminder.

Late last March fans of rock legend and Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler became concerned over speculation that Tyler had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even though the remaining Rockin' The Joint show dates were cancelled, everyone connected to Tyler assured the public the rumors were false. Steven Tyler did not have cancer. He was suffering from strained vocal cords and needed a rest.

At the time, bassist Tom Hamilton explained the cancelled shows by saying, "You know Steven. Anything worth doing, to him, is worth overdoing," in reference to the fact that the band had been touring more now than it did 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, several months later it was announced that Hamilton had been diagnosed with cancer.

While the rumors had quieted concerning Tyler's health, now and then something new would come to our attention that made us wonder if he was okay. A reader wrote in that he had seen Tyler at the oncology clinic at a hospital he was visiting. We kept that under our hat.

Last night, Tyler appeared on Access Hollywood and for the first time, publicly discussed his health. No, he was not diagnosed with throat cancer -- but he had faced a serious health crisis and decided to speak about it. Tyler said he had been fighting a secret battle with a silent killer -- Hep C. Diagnosed three years ago, he was told by his doctor, Deepak Chopra's brother, that it was time he sought treatment. Tyler agreed to undergo a year of chemotherapy with interferon. He stated it nearly killed him but managed to stay with it and complete treatment. Tyler had Hep C for many years, and was asymptomatic, which is typical.

During the interview, Tyler said, "Hepatitis C is the one that, of all the people in this room, at least three have it and don't know it." He would like to raise awareness about Hep C and mentioned he might appear on Oprah for that purpose. "It's one of those things people don't speak about it, but it is treatable."

Almost 4 million Americans, or 1.8 percent of the U.S. population, have been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV); it is the most prevalent cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. 80 percent of those with Hep C have no symptoms. Chronic hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

If you missed the television Access Hollywood interview with Steven Tyler, the video segment of the program is available online here.

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton announced on Thursday -- via his publicist -- that he will miss the beginning of the band's upcoming tour and will rejoin the band in mid-October once he has fully recovered from radiation treatment for throat cancer.

Hamilton, 55, just completed seven weeks of radiation and plans to rest and heal in the company of family. In his absence, David Hull -- a longtime friend and former member of the Joe Perry Project -- will fill in as bassist. The Aerosmith tour -- Route of All Evil -- will begin on September 5 in Columbus, Ohio.

When the First Lady of Surfing, Rell Sunn was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32, she was told she had months to live. She lived each day as if it were her last -- with complete passion and compassion -- and lived another 15 years.

When I posted that each year during the Luau & Longboard Invitational event to raise money for the Moores UC San Diego Cancer Center, the Rell Sunn-Queen of Makaha Award in memory of Rell Sunn is given to honor the person or organization that best displays the qualities of compassion, unselfishness, aloha spirit and dedication in the fight against cancer -- I went in search to learn more about Rell Sunn.

Right now, its World Poker Tour's Ladies Night IV at The Bicycle Casino, where ten percent of participants buy-ins will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, in addition to a large donation from the World Poker Tour.

On August 31, the winner of this ladies-only event will play against defending champion Jennifer Tilly, Vanessa Rousso, Erica Schoenberg, Anahit Galajian and JJ Liu. This tournament will air on television October 28 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

During this weekend's events, World Poker Tour co-founder Robin Moder, and celebrity poker player Sarah Rue, WPT Ladies Night III defending champion Jennifer Tilly, Camryn Manheim, Victoria Pratt and Poker-Babes.com's Shirley Rosario, who is currently fighting breast cancer, will be on the pink carpet to meet with people who attend the event.

As part of this event, the World Poker Tour is Going All-In for the Cure and hosting an online auction of items and experiences with well-known faces of the Travel Channel and World Poker Tour. You are invited to view the lots and make a bid here. In addition, they provide a way to donate online to benefit the Komen Foundation. The auction runs to September 6.

After completing the Guns n' Roses European tour singer Axl Rose made a surprise visit to the Teenage Cancer Trust Ward at the University College Hospital in London. It is reported that he thrilled the teen cancer patients with his visit.

Teenage Cancer Trust Ward CEO Simon Davies is quoted as saying, "Axl spent time speaking with each of the patients individually asking about their diagnosis and treatment, and what they enjoyed doing when they were not in hospital. Speaking with patients after Axl's visit, I got a real sense of just how excited they were to have met him and how much it lifted their spirits."

The Teenage Cancer Trust provides services, education and support for the special age-related needs of teens diagnosed with cancer. The teen cancer charity hosts Teenage Cancer Trust Challenges such as the Roof of the World Trek - Tibet to Everest Base Camp and Trekking the Deserts and Dunes of Southern Morocco adventures as an escape and way to raise funds for the charity; The Teenage Cancer Trust Find Your Sense of Tumour weekend conferences; and the annual Teenage Cancer Trust week of rock shows at the Royal Albert Hall featuring great acts like The Who, Bloc Party and Razorlight.

Former contestant Elliott Yamin was the third runner-up on the most recent season of American Idol. But he comes in first place for 19-year-old fan Amanda Jones whose dream after her diagnosis with leukemia was was to meet Yamin. Her dream came true this weekend when she got the chance to meet Yamin backstage at the "American Idols Live" tour in Richmond, Virgina -- Yamin's hometown.

Jones, from Jonesboro, Arkansas, is such a fan of Yamin's that in May she camped out at Graceland in Memphis just to catch a glimpse of him when the top Idol contestants were visiting the former home of Elvis. Now that she knows Yamin a bit better, Jones feels a real connection with him. "He's my hero. He went through so much in his childhood, struggled through so much, and in the end, he came out on top. That's what I pray and hope I can do," she said.

Yamin, 28, is no stranger to health concerns. He suffers from Type 1 diabetes and is also deaf in one ear -- as a result of repeated childhood ear infections and an ear-drum replacement surgery at the age of 13 that just didn't work out right. Still, he overcame his obstacles and has made a name for himself as a talented singer. Jones wants to overcome her obstacles too. For now, though, she is just happy Yamin helped her forget for a moment that she is a kid with leukemia.