June passed away in April, she was 82. She was one of Canada's most celebrated authors and social advocates. She helped the homeless, dealt with issues of racism and injustice. She did much volunteer work.

In 2004, June was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and refused to undergo treatments.

I came across a last interview with her that I thought was very moving. She talks about her life, her marriage, and the fact that her cancer is terminal.

What an amazing woman.

International pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is donating $10 million to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The donation is one of the largest gifts ever received by the ACS and will help provide support for patients in United States hospitals.

Support will come in the form of specially-trained ACS employees who will work in 60 different hospitals and cancer centers and will offer social, emotional, financial, and transportation assistance in medically underserved Atlanta areas.

London-based AstraZeneca, maker of breast cancer drug tamoxifen and other breast and prostate cancer drugs, made $26 billion in sales last year, the same year the company gave $7 million to a Boston Cancer Society for the development of a Hope Lodge.

A U.K. researcher confirms what many dog lovers already know -- dogs are good for your health.

Apparently, dog owners are generally healthier than non-pet-owners. They have lower blood pressure and cholesterol, suffer fewer minor ailments, and stray from serious medical problems too. Dogs can prevent their owners from getting sick, help them recover more quickly when they do fall ill, and they can even warn of cancer, heart attack, epileptic seizures, and hypoglycemia, says Dr. Deborah Wells from the Canine Behaviour Centre of Queens University in Northern Ireland.

Wells, whose study is published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, says dogs buffer us from stress -- a well-known cause of illness -- and promote general well-being. Owning a dog leads to increased physical activity and increases development of social interactions -- both of which minimize stress and contribute to human health.

While Wells found those who own both dogs and cats benefit from their pets, dog owners enjoy improved health for much longer than cat owners.

From houseplants to raised beds, to plant a seed, tend the soil, and watch a plant grow is one of the most inspiringly hopeful of activities. In hopefulness is found a kind of healing. According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, horticulture therapy is defined as "a process utilizing plants and horticultural activities to improve social, educational, psychological and physical adjustment of persons thus improving their body, mind, and spirit." The American Cancer Society offers a list of some of horticulture therapy benefits one can expect from gardening that include:

• Feelings of hope.
• Stress reduction.
• Social interaction.
• Pain relief.
• Improved muscle tone, flexibility, and cardiopulmonary capability.
• Creativity and self-expression.
• Enhanced self-esteem and improved mood.
• Motor skill development.
  

As the New Year arrives, so do the gardening catalogs in the mail. Interested in receiving gardening catalogs but not certain where to start? Cyndi's Catalog of Garden Catalogs lists over 2,000 mail-order gardening catalogs for the home gardener.

Two of my favorite gardening websites and online catalogs are found at Seeds of Change and Seed Savers Exchange.

At Seeds of Change, you can find garden seeds, seed collections, cover crops, seedlings, fruit trees, garden tools, kitchen items, and a bookstore. All organic. In addition, Seeds of Change publishes a newsletter.

Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that saves and shares heirloom seeds. According to Seed Savers Exchange, "Our organization is saving the world's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity."

But, wherever you start, once you catch the gardening bug, you will understand why horticulture therapy is becoming an integrated part in healing programs adopted at some of the medical centers across the country.

Who and what was the most googled in 2006? The Year-End Google Zeitgeist top ten lists for general and news searches on the Internet this year include Paris Hilton and Bebo -- and cancer.

Of the celebrities most searched for, Paris Hilton outranked Orlando Bloom and the social networking site Bebo outranked MySpace. In the news category, cancer ranked as the third most searched for topic, before podcasting, autism, Hurricane Katrina, and bankruptcy.

The top ten Google searches were, in this order: Bebo, MySpace, World Cup, Metacafe, Radioblog, Wikipedia, Video, Rebelde, Mininova and Wiki. The top ten Google news searches were, in this order: Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, cancer, podcasting, Hurricane Katrina, bankruptcy, Martina Hingis, autism, the 2006 NFL Draft and Celebrity Big Brother.

Surprised to see Paris Hilton topping the list of news searches? Sadly, me neither. Personally, I am not certain that she has ever done anything newsworthy, other than having proven a supreme talent for the uniquely cunning ability to stay in the headlines for no particularly meaningful reason.

It is substantially interesting that cancer was the third most searched for news topic this year. I know that those whose lives have been touched by cancer can feel very alone, and if this proves anything, we are certainly not alone in trying to sort through the many issues linked to cancer.

I'm Too Young For This! (i2y) is a recently launched portal for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Featured i2y resources and support services include survivor spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, and financial scholarships.

"The i2y website is primed to become a premiere online resource for AYAs with cancer by eliminating the stress and hassle of navigating through thousands of search engine results," said Matthew Zachary, founder and executive director of Steps For Living and an 11-year young adult survivor of pediatric brain cancer. "Our goal to make I'm Too Young For This! the first place adolescents and young adults with cancer think of to go when in search of credible, targeted support programs, tools and services."

"This website is just what the doctor ordered. Now, with the click of a mouse, they can instantly connect with a universe of others just like them." Doug Ulman, Chief Mission Officer for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and a 10-year young adult survivor says, "We are pleased that Steps For Living is dedicated to making a difference in cancer advocacy for this community."

To raise awareness for the i2y organization, the AYA Steps For Living musician/cancer survivors have released a 21-track benefit CD featuring their original songs and music. You can listen to the playlist here. Included in the album is an i2y online resource guide.

The tagline of i2y reads: Got Cancer? Under 40? Sucks, huh? Get Busy Living. Indeed, if you are between the ages of 15-39, i2y is a destination meant just for you. If you are a caregiver or friend of a teen or young adult who is facing the challenges of cancer survivorship, let them know about i2y. This is a phenomenal group of artists, musicians, writers and photographers who, as young adult cancer survivors, got busy living. Visit I'm Too Young For This! to learn more.

With over 30 celebrities including actor Cheech Marin, NFL MVP John Elway, World Series of Poker Champion Mel Judah, Hall of Fame Philly Mike Schmidt, Cock Blocker Clothing creator Mark James is raising money for the Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3Day Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser by holding an eBay auction of celebrity-autographed Cock Blocker Clothing items. The auction is live now and will run through October 1, 2006 8PM (PST).

Supporting breast cancer research is personal for James of Cock Blocker Clothing, whose mother survives her own diagnosis of breast cancer. He wants to help other women who are going through the same struggles as his mother in contributing to something that can make a positive difference.

In addition to the celebrity-autographed Cock Blocker Clothing online eBay auction, James will be participating in Philadelphia's Breast Cancer 3Day fundraiser, where participants will walk 60 miles in three days, with each participant raising at least $10,000 dollars for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

To help with the cause, you can bid on celebrity-autographed Cock Blocker Clothing during the eBay auction, or donate directly to the 3Day event. The Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3Day Walk will take place on October 4 through the 6th.

"Please remember, all of us have the power to change lives and contribute to society," states James. Visit to learn more about the Cock Blocker Clothing fight against breast cancer.

Luis Carranza is just eight years old. And he is just a few years -- or perhaps a few months -- away from dying as a result of a weakened immune system due to aggressive treatment for leukemia. The same treatment that at one time brought remission for this boy also attacked his central nervous system, caused seizures, brought on terminal and irreversible brain damage, and eventually sent him into a vegetative state. Luis has traveled a rough road -- and so has his mother who illegally slipped him across the Mexican border into the United States in hopes of treatment to save her young son's life.

Guadalupe Carranza did find salvation for her son in a Texas hospital and for more than one year, Luis received chemotherapy and radiation -- and loads of love from staff and volunteers who helped care for him. Guadalupe was not always there for her son, though, because after locating helpful health care and social services, she was deported to Mexico. She tried to return on many occasions and even received assistance from doctors, nurses, social workers, and attorneys who worked to find a legal way to unite Guadalupe and Luis. But not until Luis fell into a coma did efforts pay off.

After negotiation with border and consulate officials, Guadalupe was granted a humanitarian parole visa and legally crossed into the United States on May 8. The visa allowed her 60 days -- but officials agreed to let her stay until Luis passes away. And so she stays -- by her son's bedside where he rests peacefully in a place that gave him a chance at life. A chance his mother says he never would have had in Mexico.

There is someone, or several people -- at the doctor's office, the oncology clinic, the chemotherapy treatment center, the radiation department -- that took the extra moment to comfort you or give you hope or listen to you share your fears or concerns or educate you in how to optimize your chances at cancer survivorship. Perhaps the nutritionist who took a genuine interest and spent time explaining the benefits of a cancer prevention diet.

Healing Baskets features the Miracle Worker Mug and suggests that this might be the perfect gift for a nurse or special caregiver in the health field who took extra time for you during the challenges of cancer treatment. I think it is a delightful idea!

When I first discovered Bella Lucce, I cannot say if I was more impressed with the quality of the bath and beauty products or Lela Barker, the woman behind the company. First, Lela's sister is diagnosed with breast cancer, and based on research, Lela begins making natural bath and beauty products in her kitchen to keep her sister safe from chemicals that might threaten to increase risk of breast cancer recurrence. She shares the bath and beauty products of her hobby with her women friends.

Several years later, Lela, a young mother of two small children, is facing a divorce. Needing to find a way to earn an income to support her and her children, and wanting to be a stay-at-home mom, she turns her bath and beauty product hobby into a business. The success of Bella Lucce has been phenomenal on a worldwide scale because the quality of the products are luxurious and affordable. Lela is socially conscious and gives back to the indigenous communities where she takes what is needed to make Bella Lucce products. Lela employs who she calls, "an amazing group of inspiring women." I find Lela to be an amazing and inspiring woman.

On the Bella Lucce website, Lela writes informative articles explaining antioxidants and a how-to bath and beauty product labels guide. Because identifying bath and beauty products that contain significant antioxidants in the formula can be a challenge, according to Lela, women need to educate themselves what to look for and she offers an overview of antioxidants to watch for in Antioxidants Explained. The article Labels 101 is an essential primer for women who want to learn the basics on how to decipher bath and beauty product labels. In addition, Lela wrote an article called The Dreaded Chicken Skin and The Keys to Healthy Summer Skin.

When it comes to portion control and weight gain, you would think that 85 food and nutritionist experts would know better than to serve themselves heaping bowls of ice cream. One of the common sense theories that links the continuing increase of weight gain in this country has been the tendency of Americans to super-size meals.

Cornell University researchers held an ice cream social and invited 85 food and nutritionist experts to the serve yourself function. The guests were given a choice of bowl and spoon size. The ones that chose the bigger bowls and bigger spoons served themselves over 50 percent more ice cream than the guests who chose the smaller bowls and spoons.

Based on the experiment, the researchers recommend anyone interested in losing weight to downsize their plates, bowls, forks and spoons. It might be as simple as that -- smaller portions on smaller plates looks like more food. Smaller portions on larger plates looks like deprivation and not exactly a motivator to eating less. Perception is everything.

Recently, International Agency for Research on Cancer researchers concluded a study which stated that 3.6 percent of all cancer cases worldwide are related to alcohol drinking. Today, the Centre of Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University published a report that alcoholism and binge drinking in the northern Britain cities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Liverpool and Durham will shorten the lives of men and women who live there and create years of health-related illnesses.

The blame for the drinking problems focuses on the government's allowance of 24-hour drinking, inexpensive booze, a night-time economy of bars and clubs and a failure to educate the public on the dangers of excessive drinking, binge drinking and alcoholism. This report, along with political conservatives, are making a public statement against what they call irresponsible actions on the part of the British government that would create an environment that promotes excess drinking, binge drinking and alcoholism.

The report indicated almost three in ten people admit binge drinking. According to director of the Centre for Public Health Professor Mark Bellis, "We hope that making these statistics widely available will highlight that we are no longer a nation enjoying a harmless tipple but increasingly one developing a dangerous alcohol addiction."

In the 11th report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE), children growing up in an affluent urban environment and children from rural areas are at higher risk for developing many cancers.

Researchers studied cancer clusters where leukemia and other childhood cancers were reported, and have come to the conclusion that affluent children are being raised in an environment that is too clean. Called the dirty hypothesis, children living in too sterile an environment where they are not exposed to infection have weak immune systems.

For rural children, infection brought in to the rural community by people from larger populated urban areas, might be causing genetic damage that leads to cancer.

With the exception of the processing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria, and Dounreay in Scotland, the researchers also state they found no general pattern of increased cancer incidence around nuclear plants.

The researchers feel confident in the reported results of this study. They invite further study into the hypothesis of their findings. The database was constructed from the National Registry of Childhood Tumours by staff of the Childhood Cancer Research Group in Oxford, and included 12,415 cases of childhood leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 19,908 cases of children with solid tumors registered under the age of 15 in England, Wales and Scotland from 1969 to 1993. To download the 160 page report, go here.

"It's said that chemotherapy is like skiing in front of an avalanche. You do one thing wrong, and the avalanche is going to get you." -- Harvey Rushfeldt

Using the principles he learned in Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, helped Harvey Rushfeldt, 72, diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last October, create a strategy for successfully living through the often grueling ordeal of chemotherapy. Rushfeldt sees both cancer and alcoholism as mortal threats and he approached his cancer treatments with the same 12 step attitude and perspectives alcoholics adopt on the one-day-at-a-time road to recovery.

MyCancerPlace is a new cancer community website where cancer patients can give and receive support, learn from the experiences of others, and share information. Modeled after the popular MySpace, MyCancerPlace is the first time this social technology has been used to create an online community  where members in their 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond -- whose lives have been touched by cancer -- can create a free web page with text and photos.

Michael Horwin, founder of Cancer Monthly, launched MyCancerPlace. The Horwin's motivation to create quality resources for the cancer community is a strong one. Michael and Rafaele Horwin's 2-year-old son Alexander died of brain cancer in 1999.

According to the Horwin's, "After doctors administered what they said was the best treatment available, and despite the risk of side effects including infection, heart damage, lung damage, deafness, infertility and a second cancer, just to name a few, we trusted the doctors when they said this was the best option. Alexander's cancer quickly spread through his entire body, and he died four months later. We were horrified and angry to later discover studies that showed the same chemotherapy had hastened the deaths of hundreds of other children the same age with the same brain cancer."

The Horwin's say had they found this research earlier, they would have made different treatment choices. MyCancerPlace is another resource for cancer patients to discover information and explore options in cancer treatments and survivorship, and to connect with others facing the same struggles with cancer.