Cancer sent me into a state of depression. And it took more than a year of counseling and treatment with an anti-depressant to bring me back to a balanced and healthy level of functioning.

My type of depression -- the kind that shows up just after a cancer diagnosis -- is not uncommon. And neither is the spillover that depression can leave on the children of moms depressed because of their disease.

A study at the University of Pittsburgh -- the first to examine the relationship between children's concerns and a mother's cancer-related depression -- found children of depressed breast cancer patients were more likely to be concerned or anxious about their mother's cancer and about how the disease affects their families.

It's not surprising that kids worry about their moms during times of illness. What startled researchers, though, is the fact that children's' anxieties extended to concerns about the entire family.

The results of this study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, has clear implications. As a society, we need to think about how depression affects whole family units. Oncologists must learn to spot depression early and must swiftly assist women in finding appropriate treatment. And parents should talk openly about cancer and it's emotional side effects with their children in an effort to protect them from withdrawing, hiding their concerns, and suffering in silence.

Most estimates indicate nearly one quarter of women diagnosed with breast cancer have young children. And about 100,000 kids will be affected by a cancer diagnosis this year alone.

Two years ago, during Thanksgiving weekend, my nephew, a fine young man of exceptional character, was killed by a roadside bomb in Ad Duilayah, Iraq. We miss him daily, and it is with special interest I noticed a news story release today about another American soldier in Afghanistan, separated from family and homeland, who is planning to do a run to raise money for breast cancer in the desert of a foreign land. Army 1st Lt. Michael G. Clark, Task Force Muleskinner air movement officer, will run for the Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure, only he won't be doing it in Pittsburgh. Back home, Clark would be running with his family during the annual event they have participated in for the last four years. Clark became involved in the Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure after he lost his grandmother to breast cancer.

"When my grandmother passed away I was very devastated," Clark said. "It was hard on me. Later I decided I wanted to do something to help so that others wouldn't have to go through what I went through, losing someone to breast cancer. That's when I started running for the cure." Although Clark will not be able to run the race with his family members back home, he will be joined by some of his military family members, including his commander and other members of his unit.

Clark will continue collecting donations up until May 14. I went to the Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure website and did a search of race participants for Army 1st Lt. Michael G. Clark and found this donation page. I called the Pittsburgh Race for the Cure affiliate office to verify this is the same person but no one at the office answers. If you wish to donate to his run, I believe this is the correct page to do so, but I cannot verify it with the race officials in Pittsburgh at this time. 

Photo credit:  Sgt. Michael J. Taylor, USA

The Pittsburgh Pirates have boarded the American Academy of Dermatology, AAD, vessel to join forces in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most skin cancer screenings performed in a single day. On May 6, AAD and local dermatologists are hoping to set a world record for the most skin cancer screenings in a single day by asking everyone to participate in a free day of skin cancer screening. The three main locations are New York City; South Street Seaport, Washington, DC; Union Station Mall and Chicago Navy Pier. The AAD world record webpage provides a map showing locations in each state where free skin cancer screenings will take place.

But even if it wasn't free, getting screened for skin cancer is a smart move for pirates and landlubbers alike who spend many hours in the sun. More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year and nearly 11,000 people will die from skin cancer. With early detection and diagnosis, 95 percent of skin cancer can be cured. The Pirates organization has agreed to be screened for skin cancer by local dermatologists this summer as part of the Play Smart When It Comes to the Sun program, a public service partnership with Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association.