There's this guy. His name is Matthew Zachary. He's a cancer survivor, a motivational speaker, a concert pianist, and the founder of a resource portal for young adults surviving cancer.

Steps for Living, Inc. -- also known as I'm too young for this -- was created by Zachary because he wants us all to know there are awesome cancer support services out there for adolescents and young adults. He means really awesome opportunities -- like spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, financial scholarships, and more.

You may be too young for cancer, but you are not alone, says Zachary whose mantra is Get Busy Living. And this is exactly what he is doing, despite challenges and setbacks in his own cancer recovery.

Think about this, an e-mail written by Zachary for those near and dear to his heart:

I am writing to share that I have suddenly gone deaf in my left ear. The condition is called Sudden Sensory Neural Hearing Loss.

After consulting with the country's best hearing experts as well as my oncologist, it has been determined that this is unequivocally a latent, long-term side effect of my post-operative cancer treatments from eleven years ago. Evidently, the excessive radiation dosages to the left hemisphere of my brain have caused irreparable neurological damage to my cochlea, which has ceased functioning.

There may be options (cochlear implants) but I will not know more for several weeks. As you can imagine, this is a devastating blow to my personal life and music career, especially since I remember fighting so hard to regain dexterity and muscle control in my left hand when it ceased functioning prior to my initial diagnosis in 1995.

That said, it has only reinvigorated me to stay the course and continue to advocate on behalf of the more than 500,000 young adults living with, through and beyond cancer each and every year. Now more than ever, I stress the importance of recognizing that remission is not a cure and that public awareness and adequate funding for adolescent and young adult cancer survivorship programming is tantamount to that of cancer research.

This is what it means to be a cancer survivor.

To read more about Zachary's powerful journey, click here for an unbelievably moving essay -- titled The Cost Of Living: No Cure For Cancer -- written by this unbelievably grounded guy.

Indie Music For Life non profit raising funds for cancer research and for educational awareness of music as therapy for cancer patients has launched a new entity of their non profit called Laughs For Life. Indie Music For Life works with independent singer songwriters in fund raising concert events and producing yearly compilation CDs. Laughs For Life will work with comedians and will produce comedy events and comedy CDs. Comedian Shelly Ryan in Atlanta Georgia was "MC" at a combination dinner and music fund raising event in Georgia last year and the idea was spawned to start including comedy into the shows and to also set up separate comedy events to bring in funds.

Indie Music For Life just finished the submission process for artists to send in songs to be considered for the 2007 compilation CD project and the selected artists will be announced soon. The CD will go up for sale at online music locations soon.

Shelly Ryan is heading up the comedy CD project and working on events for the Southeast region and can be reached at shellyryancomedy@yahoo.com if you are interested in becoming a part of this project. For more information on music happenings and getting involved with the music event fund raising you can contact indiemusicforlife@yahoo.com.

Journey to the End of the Earth: 26th annual Dawn of a Dream benefit concert to support Children's Cancer Research Fund will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2006. In 1980 after losing their daughter to leukemia, Diana and Norm Hageboeck and their friends organized the first Dawn of a Dream benefit concert, raising $50,000. Today, Dawn of a Dream is one of the largest gala events in the Twin Cities. This year's event, held at Historic Milwaukee Road Depot, Minneapolis, will feature a few surprises along with the traditional silent and live auctions, dinner and live entertainment by Los Lobos.

Children's Cancer Research Fund is a leading non profit organization committed to funding innovative and progressive research in the fight against childhood cancer.

On the Phil Lesh and Friends website, musician and founding member of Grateful Dead Lesh begins, "What do I have in common with Rudy Giuliani, John Kerry, Bob Dole, Joe Torre, Nelson Mandela, Sean Connery, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Emperor Akihito of Japan, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell, Quincy Jones, Roger Moore, Sydney Poitier, and Robert De Niro?" Prostate cancer.

Lesh, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, will be undergoing the da Vinci robotic surgical procedure in December to remove the tumor. As a result of his prostate cancer diagnosis, he is urging all men to have a periodic PSA screening for early detection of prostate cancer.

In 1998, Lesh underwent a liver transplant as a result of chronic Hepatitis C infection. He has become an active advocate for organ donor programs and raising awareness for Hepatitis C. Lesh is expecting a full recovery from prostate cancer because it was caught in its early stage. Here are a few fast facts about prostate cancer:

• Age is the most common risk factor for prostate cancer.
• Prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms for many years.
  
• Two simple tests are performed as part of a prostate cancer screening --a digital rectal exam and a blood test (PSA) to screen for prostate specific antigen.
  

To learn more about prostate cancer, visit Prostate Cancer.

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."

Teenager Abraham Cherrix made national headlines recently with a legal battle that earned him the right to fight cancer on his own terms. Cherrix, 16, who chose to treat his disease with alternative treatments after traditional therapy failed to cure him of Hodgkin's disease, was told by the courts that his choice was not acceptable -- that he must undergo higher doses of chemotherapy in combination with radiation and followed by stem cell transplant. Cherrix ended up a winner in court and is currently receiving the therapy of his choice. But despite the legal win, Cherrix and his family are losing financially.

The Cherrix family owns a kayak company in Virginia, and spring and summer are peak seasons. Since the family had to close shop on many occasions due to court appearances, profits suffered. So on Sunday afternoon, local musicians headlined a fundraising concert -- billed as Voices for Choices -- to help with medical and court costs. Cherrix could not attend -- he's in the midst of treatment in Mississippi -- but the show went on. And while the money raised is not enough to cover all outstanding bills, it is enough to remind the family of all the caring people in the world.

Reports from family indicate Cherrix is doing well with treatment and that his tumor is shrinking. If he continues to make progress, he may be able to return home soon -- so he can thank those whose support is so much more than money can buy.

On July 20 in Portland, Oregon, Pearl Jam held a benefit concert for the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) to raise awareness for a disease no one likes to discuss. Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis twenty years ago and has gone public with what he personally felt for many years was an embarrassing disease.

McCready, a spokesperson for the NW Chapter of CCFA, said, "Having struggled with Crohn's disease for more than 20 years and experienced first hand difficulties in getting a diagnosis and treatment, I want to help others learn about the disease, how it is affecting them and how to find ways to cope."

UCB, a leading global biopharmaceutical company that recently launched Crohns and Me, an information and resource website for people with Crohn's disease, joined with CCFA, in sponsoring the Pearl Jam Portland benefit concert.

Steps For Living just released an inspirational CD fittingly called Both Sides of the Coin by friend and concert pianist Mathew Zachery and Dr. Adam Dachman, an osteopathic surgical oncologist and composer. Zachery a cancer survivor and Dachman a cancer surgeon have produced an 18 song collection of songs that are both relaxing and uplifting. The CD sales for $15 and the total net proceeds of this CD will go to the Steps For Living non profit. What does Steps For Living do?

What does it mean to be a cancer survivor? Steps for Living reaches inside this question and gives answers from a survivor's eyes. Steps For Living non profit and their Art of Survivorship program is working hard to reach the fall 2007 deadline they have chosen to release their Toolkit For Living that includes a comprehensive survivorship 'yellow pages', along with the 22 track Sounds Of Hope compilation audio CD featuring music by cancer survivors and for cancer survivors. There is a lot of information out there on the Internet to sift through when you're trying to find survivorship resources. Steps For Living is taking some of the work out of that for you by compiling a directory to assist you in your survivor resource needs. Their Art of Survivorship program is an educational cancer advocacy project that harnesses the power of music and the arts to foster health literacy and raise awareness for the cause of cancer survivorship.

I have to proudly and selflessly give shouts to the artists on the Sounds of Hope compilation CD that will be included in the Toolkit For Living directory, since I am one of the 22 and also know some of the artists participating in this program. I have enjoyed listening to a preproduction advance copy of the compilation CD of these artists on a daily basis to keep me inspired. So forgive me but kudos to the following in order of appearance on the compilation CD; David M. Bailey, Christine Baze, Vicki Blankenship, Cindy Bullens, Kevin Carlberg, Suzanne Ciani, Adam Dachman, Kyler England, Kevin Hearn, Laura Higgins, Clint Holmes, Eliot Popkin, Mara, The Readings, Denise Rich, Teri Scheinzeit, John Schrader, Michael Tiernan, Michael Troy, and Mathew Zachery who just happens to be the Founder of Steps For Living.

Kaycee Marie Macdonald, now 12 months old, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in May. So far, Kaycee has had 2 operations, one because her kidneys were failing and another to implant a tube in her chest for chemotherapy drugs. Every three weeks, she undergoes three days of chemotherapy. Friday, July 7, was just another day at the Jimmy Fund Clinic for Kaycee and her mother Kerri Macdonald, as Kaycee would be getting chemotherapy.

But that day would be different. As Kerri said in a CBS4 Boston television interview, "It's nice when the adrenaline rush is because of something happy and not for fear." The adrenaline rush of happy had to do with a surprise visit from Sheryl Crow. In town to perform at Fenway Park with Dave Matthews that night, Crow stopped in to visit with children being treated for cancer at the clinic. There she met baby Kaycee, where both cuddled and spent a little time together. For Kaycee's mother, it is a bright moment that she can hang onto in memory for the continued dark journey of worry and concern.

Not only that, but Kaycee, by being featured on the evening news, has captured the hearts of a whole new large family of viewers who will keep her in their thoughts and prayers -- and perhaps help the family out with donations as they struggle to get the care Kaycee needs to survive her cancer. With the visit from Crow, Kerri has started blogging about Kaycee. Kaycee is such a sweet little girl. You can watch the CBS4 Boston television interview video here.

According to Medline Plus, neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that occurs in infants and young children. It is rarely found in children older than 10 years. The cells of this cancer usually resemble very primitive developing nerve cells found in an embryo or fetus. The term neuro indicates nerves, while blastoma refers to a cancer that affects immature or developing cells.

The public liked the idea of Sheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong as a couple, and the media treated them pleasantly when covering them as a couple.

When the marriage was called off, not much was said about it other than announcing it had happened, and the public accepted that sometimes things just don't work out between two people.

However, when the news of Crow's breast cancer diagnosis broke, so soon after the breakup, speculation followed. Had one of the most famous cancer survivors walked out on Crow when the chips were down? It didn't make sense at the time that a man who has dedicated his life to improving the quality of life for cancer survivors would do that -- but since nothing was ever said one way or the other the rumors continued to lurk in the shadows between imagination and fact.

In a two-part exclusive interview with ABC's Good Morning America Diane Sawyer, Sheryl Crow opens up about the breakup with Lance Armstrong and being diagnosed with breast cancer. After being told she had breast cancer, Lance Armstrong was one of the first people she contacted. He was on a solo trip from Lake Tahoe to Oregon. He was about to turn around and return to LA to be with Crow and she told him she did not want him to do that for her. And so, for the personal reasons why the relationship did not work out is a private matter between two good people who insist they still love each other, and past that it should not be our business -- but as Crow makes clear -- Armstrong did not abandon her.

You can watch video clips of the television interview online here, and read the interview in print here. The most inspiring moment came when Crow said,

"People go through challenging moments of losing people and of having their life threatened from illness and real grief. But they get through it. And that's the testament to the human spirit and it's -- we are fragile, but we also are divine."

Part two: Sheryl Crow adopts Eskimo diet to fight breast cancer.

Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson died Monday in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the age of 52. Hunt Lieberson battled breast cancer in the recent past and had canceled performances in 2005 and 2006 due to back problems -- yet no one was prepared for her death, which occured at her home with her husband by her side. The music world is shocked by her passing. There were no obvious warning signs because Hunt Lieberson often kept her health matters private. No public announcement regarding cause of death has been released.

Known for her beautiful voice -- and a repertoire that ranged from Baroque to contemporary -- the singer, a native of the San Francisco Bay area, began her career as a violist and later became a recitalist, a concert singer, and an operatic performer. She was powerful and polished in her unconventional opera delivery, says Richard Gaddes, director of the Santa Fe opera. She could take her audiences to depths so intense and so true, and her level of commitment will be very difficult to match. She was in a class of her own.

Australian singer Kylie Minogue said in a recent interview that she and her family fell to pieces upon hearing her diagnosis of breast cancer this past May. Since that time, she has had surgery and chemotherapy and she currently receives treatment to prevent a recurrence of the disease. And she is now picking up the pieces of her life and is rebounding from the once disbelief that her life would take a detour. Last week, she attended her first public appearance since her illness -- at Elton John's White Tie and Tiara ball -- and she is renaming her Showgirl tour, which was canceled after her cancer battle began. Now the Showgirl Homecoming Tour, Minogue is set to return to performing. Her concert promoter says she will take it slow -- to accommodate her off and on again fatigue -- but she will return with the vigor she is known for. Minogue says she feels like she has a new chance at life now. And she will talk all about it on July 16 when her interview is aired on Britain's Sky News.

"I will never forget what the experience has taught me....who I am, who I want to be, who I can never be again. It was a hard time but I'd rather have the really hard stuff than to never know what I know now." -- Sheryl Crow, Letter from the Road.

Sheryl Crow has returned to performing after her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment last spring, and she keeps an online diary. In the latest post Letter from the Road: The C, The Food, A Star, she shares some of her thoughts about being a cancer survivor and tips from her nutritionist. A few of the tips I already knew, some came as a surprise. Here is a sampling of what Sheryl said her nutritionist Rachel Bellar taught her:

• Don't drink water from a bottle that has been sitting in your car. Heated plastic will bleed toxic substances that can be carcinogenic.
• Do NOT cook in olive oil at high heat. This too is carcinogenic. It is fine to saute in olive oil but if you are browning or frying, use canola oil.
• Spices that are cancer preventative, particularly prostate and colon cancer, are cinnamon and tumeric.
• A high omega 6 diet consisting of fish, colorful vegetables, high fiber foods have proven to be cancer preventative. In Asian and Eskimo cultures, the rate of breast cancer is shockingly lower. Whenever you have a choice, go with color -- brown rice instead of white -- sweet potato instead of regular potato.
  

Basically, bright dark and green. I knew that olive oil is good for you, but I did not know that it is dangerous to cook with it at high heat. To read more tips, and to find out about the star in the title of her latest diary entry, go here.

"A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians." -- Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa -- intelligent and articulate; gifted and prolific as a rock musician and composer; guitarist, singer/songwriter, film director, and satirist -- lost his life to prostate cancer in 1993. During his musical career, he gained a cult-like following of fans by pushing the iconoclastic envelope and by mastering the technology needed to create his complex musical compositions.

One of Frank's sons, Dweezil Zappa, wants to set the record straight about his father. According to Dweezil, "There are so many things that are misunderstood or not recognized about my father's music because they've been filtered by people who work for magazines like Rolling Stone.

For example, Rolling Stone recently printed a poor, artist-rendering of Frank holding a joint.

Frank has always been well-known for being anti-drug yet they would rather continue to perpetuate a false image of him, even after death. It's irresponsible, it's obnoxious and offensive. I think it's time people know what Frank was really about, and they should discover it through his music."

To that end, Dweezil, with his brother Ahmet, are touring Zappa Plays Zappa and introducing a whole new generation to Frank Zappa's music. You can follow the tour at the Zappa Plays Zappa blog.