Seattle, U.S.A. — Since its opening in 2008, the Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment (the Ivy Center) at Swedish Medical Center’s Neuroscience Institute has led the expansion drive of major research projects and expanded treatment options for patients living with brain cancer in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the world. The Ivy Center was founded in 2008 to create a world-class treatment and research facility focused on delivering excellent patient care and advancing progress toward more effective treatments for brain cancer.

While great strides have been made in the treatment of breast, colon and other common cancers, only three new drugs to treat brain cancer have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past 35 years, and these drugs prolong the lives of patients by only a few months. Such a center was needed at the time, said Greg Foltz, M.D., a neurosurgeon and director of the Ivy Center, because brain cancer had been for far too long a neglected or “orphan” disease.

In fact, today the life expectancy of a person diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common form of malignant primary brain cancer, is only about 15 months — only slightly better than it was a century ago, Dr. Foltz said. “We felt we needed to focus our efforts on coming up with better treatment options,” said Dr. Foltz. “We felt someone had to champion this cause so we embarked on a mission to get more researchers and physicians focused on this disease. And we did.”

The Ivy Center at Swedish has partnered with and led major brain cancer programs with the Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation, Institute for Systems Biology, Allen Institute for Brain Science, University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Accium Biosciences and The Elliott Foundation. This has led to a variety of new brain cancer treatment options and research programs for people living with brain cancer in our region. “Previously, none of this existed,” said Dr. Foltz.

Five Years of Progress Made

The goal of the Ivy Center was to create a place where brain tumor patients and their families would have access to the best care and latest clinical research. The Ivy Center has achieved this making it possible for the center’s neurosurgeons, oncologists, radiologists and nursing staff to work in close collaboration with the program’s team of scientists. This collaboration allows clinicians and scientists to provide patients with the best of care as well as direct access to promising new therapies and clinical trials.

The Ivy Center’s clinical team provides comprehensive, integrated care that includes the latest neurosurgery techniques and technology, including intra-operative MRI-guided navigation, precision Gamma Knife radiosurgery as well as the support of a team of physical and occupational therapists, counselors, and other specialists who provide each patient with comprehensive, personalized care.

“People with brain cancer have needs that transcend the traditional requirements of most patients. Care is not just about an operation, it’s not just about a medication,” said Dr. Foltz. “Brain cancer is a life-changing event, so it’s very important from the first meeting that these patients know that we’re there for them, that we care deeply about them and we’re going to provide all the resources that are possible to help them fight their disease.”

Holly Zimmerman, a Bellevue, Wash. resident who has been battling brain cancer and is leading a team in this year’s Seattle Brain Cancer Walk, can speak personally to the importance of the first meeting. “A small seizure led doctors to the discovery of a tumor in my parietal lobe—what immediately followed was brain surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and a very scary prognosis for me and my family,” said Zimmerman. “This disease is unique and it takes an extraordinary team of medical professionals to conquer it. As a one-year survivor of brain cancer, I have great hopes.”

New Strategies in the Search for a Brain Cancer Cure

Over the past five years the Ivy Center has established an international reputation for its expertise in the genetic analysis of individual tumors. At the Ivy Center, a genetic profile is created of every patient’s tumor with the goal to identify each tumor’s individual weaknesses and to develop new, personalized treatment strategies that target these weaknesses.

The Ivy Center’s genomic database — now one of the largest brain tumor research projects in the country — was developed in collaboration with the world-renowned Institute for Systems Biology. This collaboration brings together physicians and scientists in the fields of neurosurgery, neuropathology, systems biology, genomics and biostatistical analysis. Together they are determining how networks of genes and proteins interact in brain cancer to discover new targets for diagnostic tests and treatments.

In another partnership, the Ivy Center and the Allen Institute for Brain Science are creating a 3-D map of gene activity within brain tumors.  These maps can then be compared with maps of gene activity in normal brain tissue to identify which genes are malfunctioning in the cancer tissue. Once these genes are identified the goal is to develop diagnostics and treatments that target these malfunctioning genes.

All data from these projects are being made available online to researchers around the world for free.

The article Brain Cancer Research Leads to New Treatment Options appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Toronto, Canada — The announcement of what is destined to be the world’s largest golf fundraising event ever: Golf to Conquer Cancer presented by Harry Rosen. On a single day, this one-of-a-kind nationwide fundraising event will unite thousands of Canadian golfers of all skill levels, as well as the golf industry and other corporate sponsors, to help conquer cancer. On Thursday, July 25, 2013, golfers from across Canada will step up.

All that is needed to participate are four golf clubs and a commitment to raise funds for cancer research. “One of the best things about Golf To Conquer Cancer is the format: The 4-Club Challenge,”commented Ian Leggatt, former PGA Tour champion. “It’s great for all skill levels, but more importantly, it’s designed to be played in four hours, all while raising funds to conquer cancer.”
Golf To Conquer Cancer offers a compelling format designed to challenge golfers of all levels.

Players each choose only four clubs and work as a team within their foursome to determine their strategy for the day as well as for each hole. Interested golfers can register as a foursome or as an individual at www.golftoconquercancer.ca. Golfers will be grouped into foursomes to participate in the 4-Club Challenge that will be the format of Golf To Conquer Cancer.

Hundreds of courses across Canada will host the inaugural Golf To Conquer Cancer event. Participants choose the area where they want to play and then select a participating course. New host golf courses are being added daily, so interested participants should visit the website regularly.

Harry Rosen Inc. is the national presenting sponsor for this national fundraising event, TaylorMade is the official golf equipment sponsor and the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) is the primary Canadian golf industry partner.

In Ontario, net funds will benefit The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Outside of Ontario, all net funds will be granted to researchers working in the province or region where the funds are raised.

At the request of The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, the Canada-wide Terry Fox Research Institute’s eminent researchers will determine where to allocate net funds in each province or region where they are raised.

Dr. Benjamin Neel, Director of The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, said, “Today, researchers are embarking on a new era of discovery with Personalized Cancer Medicine. Events like Golf to Conquer Cancer have a major impact on the resources needed to conquer cancer.”

Larry Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Harry Rosen Inc., stated, “We are very excited to be the presenting sponsor of this wonderful new event and to support the groundbreaking work that is being done at The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and across the country. Cancer is a cause that my colleagues and I care about deeply and have supported for many years. We hope that with this new initiative, we can all work together to achieve the collective goal of conquering cancer.”

“We are so excited to launch Golf to Conquer Cancer, the world’s largest national golf fundraising event,” stated Paul Alofs, President and CEO of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. “It is a unifying event. It is uniting golfers on a single day, uniting golf courses right across Canada and, in fact, is uniting Canada. And we’re all united in conquering cancer.”

The article World’s Largest National Golf Fundraising Event Launches appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Orlando, U.S.A. — A cross-disciplinary team of international researchers gathered in Orlando, July 6-7 to present emerging research on the role glucose transporters and glucose metabolism may have in the management of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cancer treatment, heart disease, epilepsy Glut1 Deficiency Syndrome and Alzheimer’s. The conference represents the first time researchers and healthcare professionals from different specialties have gathered to present research on the topic.

The organization of the conference is all in a day’s work for the mother of two, Samra Savioz. In 2010, she worked with her husband to start a foundation, the Remi Savioz Glut1 Foundation, aimed at raising awareness for their daughter Remi’s rare neurometabolic brain disease, Glut1 Deficiency.

But with many cases still going undiagnosed because of the lack of information available and the rarity of their daughter’s condition, the Savioz’s started to leverage their own medical backgrounds to help others impacted by the disease.

The Foundation has become a valued asset for parents needing support and guidance on treatment options, like the ketogenic diet, which has been identified as an integral part of disease treatment. Now, Samra provides one-on-one diet training and hopes to expand the understanding of how ketones can impact other diseases.

Sponsored by the Remi Savioz Glut1 Foundation, The Glucose Transporter Conference brought together several medical disciplines including pediatrics, neuro-oncology and endocrinology.

Eighteen abstracts were presented on the role of glucose transporters:

Topics for the conference included:

• The link between glucose starvation in shrinking cancerous tumors or slowing down the progression of cognitive diseases.
• Insights into the structural basis of Glut1 transporters in the brain to expand the clinical spectrum.
• Alternative therapies like ketone esters, which can have broader applications, like restoring cognitive function to Alzheimer’s patients or preventing seizures.
• Applying knowledge about glucose metabolism in the brain for obesity and diabetes treatment.
• Among the highlights of the research will be exploring the role of ketone esters.

“The conference will provide an important platform for us to share research focused on exploiting the anti-seizure and neuroprotective effects of therapeutic ketosis. Ketone esters may offer great hope for patients with drug-resistant seizure disorders and neurodegenerative diseases,” stated Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida before the conference. “Our recent studies have demonstrated that specific ketone esters mimic the anti-seizure effect of fasting and the ketogenic diet.”

Glut1 is a glucose transporter protein, which is directly or indirectly involved in a host of diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Novel therapeutic agents aimed at altering glucose transport activity may have a broad impact on human health. There are four types of glucose transporters with Glut1 being responsible for moving glucose from the bloodstream into all of the cells in the body, especially the brain.

The article Researchers Explore Importance of Glucose Transporters appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

London, UK – Action on Bladder Cancer (ABC) releases findings from a new National survey^[1] exposing how little the general public knows about bladder cancer. Awareness around the main warning sign for bladder cancer – blood in the urine – is gradually increasing (50% in 2010 rising to 55% in 2012), but still only 5% of the public recognise that smoking is a main cause of bladder cancer.

Over 10,000 people are diagnosed every year in the UK^[2] and ABC, the only UK charity dedicated to bladder cancer, wants to encourage more people to understand how to recognise the warning signs and consult their doctor if they are concerned. Up to date information on the disease and advice on how people can help raise awareness is available through the ABC website (http://www.actiononbladdercancer.org).

The work of ABC supports the Be Clear on Cancer Campaign run by the Department of Health as well as Bladder Cancer Awareness Day which is organised out of the US (this year on May 5th).

Bladder cancer is the 4th most common cancer in men and the 11th most common in women^[2]. Across different areas of health, women are traditionally better informed. Yet, in the case of bladder cancer, one quarter (25%) of both men and women wouldn’t know what a sign of possible bladder cancer might be.

Over half of survey respondents have no idea what causes it. One in five people think it is caused by drinking too much alcohol rather than citing the most common cause of smoking. The main area where public awareness has increased over the last two years is around treatment options. More people recognise chemotherapy (32% in 2010 versus 38% in 2012) and radiotherapy (12% in 2010 versus 24% in 2012) as possible treatment approaches for bladder cancer.

Mr Colin Bunce, Chair of ABC and Consultant Urologist in Barnet says: “We don’t expect everyone to be an expert, but such a huge lack of understanding can lead to people being mis-diagnosed and/or diagnosed at a later stage in the disease which can narrow down the best treatment choices. Over the last 15-20 years bladder cancer has been in the shadows. Greater public attention is urgently needed to improve understanding about the disease so that people know when and where to go for help. We also need to help people take steps to reduce their risk of getting the cancer in the first place, such as giving up smoking.”

Dr Mary Archer, who has been affected by bladder cancer, supports the work of Action on Bladder Cancer: “If you notice blood in your urine, you should consult your GP as soon as possible. It may not be bladder cancer, but if it is, the earlier it is caught the better the chances of successful treatment”, comments Dr Archer. ”Blood in the urine is a sign that you need to be seen by a GP and a specialist urgently.”

ABC is working with healthcare professionals, patients, their carers and the general public, to help improve the treatment and prevention rates of bladder cancer through raising awareness, education and research.

Mr Tony Kirkbank, Trustee of ABC and a Service User, says: “The profile of bladder cancer and, as a result, the care of patients can be significantly improved by asking the public and healthcare professionals and providers to become involved in our dedicated advocacy group, ABC (http://www.actiononbladdercancer.org) – we want to work together”.

References:

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/prod_consump/groups/cr_common/@nre/@sta/documents/generalcontent/crukmig_1000ast-2778.pdf

Survey Technical Details:

GfK NOP conducted a nationally representative face-to-face omnibus survey amongst 2055 adults aged 16+ in 2010.  In 2012 Gfk NOP commissioned TNS Research to conduct a face-to-face omnibus survey amongst 1015 adults aged 16+ in Great Britain.

Weighting was applied to the data in both surveys to ensure it matched known population profiles.

The article What Do the People Know about Bladder Cancer in UK? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

To many, cancer remains one of the most frightening diagnoses in modern medicine. But much of this fear is a result of myths that have circulated for years in spite of the good information that is available. Indeed, many of cancer’s mysteries have been solved, and a great deal of success has been achieved in curing patients and helping them live longer and better lives.

In spite of advances in cancer treatment and prognosis, many continue to believe in myths surrounding cancer.  In particular, studies have shown that African Americans are more likely than whites to maintain some erroneous beliefs about cancer.

It is important to separate fact from fiction.  Some of the most common cancer myths not only cultivate false ideas and fears but can interfere with how people think and behave when facing cancer in themselves or in a loved one. It is important that the health messengers within the family and community have the most accurate information about cancer.

In many African American families, that is often the woman running the household. It is good for these health messengers and the people who listen to them to at least be aware of some of the most common cancer myths so that misinformation doesn’t stand in the way of getting counsel from a medical professional.

What Will Happen to Me If I Get Cancer?

Myth––Cancer is a death sentence. The fact is that more than 12 million cancer survivors are living inthe United States. Thanks to improved treatments and earlier diagnosis of some cancers, more than 3 of every 5 cancer patients are alive 5 years after their diagnosis. For children, the 5-year survival rate is 4 in 5.

Who Gets Cancer and Why

Myth––Cancer is contagious. You cannot catch cancer from someone who has it. What can spread among people are microorganisms (viruses and bacteria), and a few of these can cause cancer.

Myth––If a parent or close family member had cancer, you will inherit it. Cancer develops when genes change in certain ways, but most of these changes occur later in life and are not inherited. But some cancer-causing gene changes are inherited, so if a certain cancer seems to run in your family it is important to discuss this with a doctor.

Myth––People get cancer from . . . (just fill in the blank as to what you have heard). Scientists are continuously doing research to determine whether particular natural or manmade substances cause cancer. Research shows that the following are not likely to cause cancer: cell phones, microwaves, fluoridated water, hair dyes, deodorants, sugar, artificial sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame, and low-frequency magnetic fields produced by power lines and household electric appliances.

What You Can Do About It

Myth––You have no control over your own cancer risk. Although scientists haven’t figured out how to completely prevent cancer, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of certain cancers. For example:

• Not smoking or quitting smoking greatly reduces your risk of developing and dying from lung cancer.
• Maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active cuts your risk of several cancers.
• HPV vaccines prevent infection with the virus that causes most cervical cancers. And regular cervical cancer screening detects most cervical abnormalities so that they can be treated before they become cancer.
• Colorectal cancer screening reduces the risk of developing and dying from colorectal cancer.
• For women age 40 and older, getting regular mammograms reduces the chance of dying from breast cancer.

Myth––Your attitudes and beliefs can help you beat cancer. Unfortunately, despite many studies, this appears to be a myth. But a positive attitude may improve the quality of your life during and after treatment. Many people say that focusing on the joys in life and things that they can control helped them get through cancer treatment.

Spending time with family and friends, taking part in hobbies and activities when possible, and enjoying the little things in life may help one better manage the stresses and worries of cancer.

These are only some of the false and misleading ideas that can confuse and mislead people about the progress being made in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. You can learn more from NCI about cancer prevention and screening.

NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers.

For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI web site at www.cancer.gov or call NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). More articles and videos in the culturally relevant Lifelines series are available at www.cancer.gov/lifelines .

The article Myths, False Beliefs and Fears About Cancer appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and fostering community cancer care, has released a new report (http://tiny.cc/9gw8bw) documenting cancer clinic closings and the stresses to the cancer delivery system.

This latest report comes on the heels of studies released by Avalere and Milliman documenting lower costs to patients and payers of cancer treatment provided in community clinics and widespread media reporting of the cancer drug shortage gripping the nation.

The COA report reveals the continuance of a dire negative trending: 241 community cancer clinic sites have closed during the past four and a half years, and 442 practices (often with multiple clinic locations) are struggling financially. Consolidation of cancer care is documented by 392 practices that have been purchased by hospitals, or formed a financial arrangement, and 132 practices that have merged or been acquired by a corporate entity.

“As a practicing oncologist, I am critically concerned about the adverse impact on patients of the dramatic changes in our delivery of cancer care,” said David Eagle, MD, president of COA and an oncologist in Lake Norman, NC. “Patients are falling through the treatment cracks and now we are struggling to find essential cancer care drugs. Forty years ago we declared the war on cancer, and I never thought I would see the day when we would be at risk of losing the war.”

In 2005, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented significant Congress-mandated changes to the way Medicare, which accounts for close to half of all cancer treatment costs, reimburses for cancer care. Unlike other areas of medicine, Medicare has an inordinate influence on how private payers reimburse for cancer care.

This initiated a change in the cancer treatment landscape, as documented by the latest COA report just released. Recent studies by Avalere (http://tiny.cc/ejw8bw) and Milliman (http://tiny.cc/lkw8bw) have documented the lower costs to patients, Medicare, and private payers when care is delivered in oncologists’ community practices.

“Our practice has had to close a clinic in Wyoming because of unworkable changes to payment for cancer care,” said Patrick Cobb, M.D., an oncologist in Billings, MT, and immediate past president of COA. ”The overall crisis in cancer care is hurting patients and increasing costs for them and every American taxpayer. Congress has to act swiftly or we will end up with less access to quality cancer care and higher costs — the exact opposite of healthcare reform.”

“An imploding cancer delivery landscape and drug shortages, combined with the debacle of SGR-based physician Medicare payment cuts, are a recipe for disaster,” said Ted Okon, Executive Director of COA. “We have solutions but the Administration and Congress are more interested in political infighting and short-term patching than stabilizing and strengthening the cancer care delivery system, now and for generations of Americans to come.”

By 2020, there will be an estimated shortage of 4,080 oncologists, the equivalent of one in four cancer patients without an oncologist. National Analysts released a study reporting that 20% of oncologists would discourage a medical student/resident from pursuing a career in oncology, versus only 3% in 2003, prior to the problems caused by severe Medicare payment cuts.

About Community Oncology Alliance (COA)
Formed in 2003 by community oncologists, COA is a non-profit organization dedicated solely to community oncology, where four out of five Americans with cancer are treated.   COA advocates for patients’ access to quality, affordable cancer care in the community setting.  The organization is currently advocating for a solution to the nation’s drug shortage crisis.

COA Past President Dr. Patrick Cobb and COA Executive Director Ted Okon have both been asked to testify before Congress on the reasons for the shortages and their impact on cancer treatment.  COA also has a multi-stakeholder group involved with the implementation of the Oncology Medical Home, a cancer care model that fosters quality and value in cancer care.

The article COA Report Shows Consolidation in Cancer Care Landscape appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

A new patent has been issued to Moffitt Cancer Center for a computerized system that efficiently selects the right patient for the right clinical trial.

The newly patented system matches the registered patient’s own molecular profile – warehoused in a database of thousands of patient-donated biological tissue or tumor samples – to the molecular design of the drug aimed at targeting their disease at the molecular level, and do it quickly. The system promises to accelerate clinical trials and help shorten the time that it takes to get critically needed new drugs into the market.

Getting new drugs to market to fight cancer and other serious diseases requires, on average, 15 years. The drug development process is long and complex, but the three-phase clinical trials process – estimated to take up to half of those 15 years – is often the bottleneck in getting innovative drugs to the patients who need them.

Clinical trials, increasingly becoming more expensive, are also multifaceted. While patients may qualify for a clinical trial based on their age or stage of disease, they may not be, over the long term of the trial, the best candidates to test a drug. Adverse events, changes in a patient’s health status and the potential for a drug not being effective for them slow the process.

Although patients may have met the trial protocol’s criteria, the drug may not be right for them because their molecular profile is not a good match for the chemical and molecular properties of the drug. Because the concept of personalized medicine is selecting the right drug for the right patient, innovations have been needed to bring personalized medicine to reality. Personalizing the selection process for clinical trials is a vital step.

With the development of new and better ways to examine and understand a tumor’s molecular profile, matching the right patient to the right clinical trial becomes increasingly important. But handling the massive data evaluation necessary to accomplish this has been a stumbling block.

The newly patented computer system, Patent Number US 8,095,389 B2, or “Computer Systems and Methods for Selecting Patients for Clinical Trials,” is designed to surmount that problem.

The newly patented computer system is designed to:

• Select patients to clinical trials matching an individual’s/drug’s molecular profile
• Match patients to clinical trials by a patient’s disease/diagnosis
• Match patients to clinical trials by their symptoms
• Match patients to clinical trials by their demographic information and family history
• Track a clinical trial participant’s disease progression compared to drug efficacy

The newly patented computer system and associated products, such as operating system, software, interfaces and data retrieval system, improve clinical trial selection efficacy by making the patient selection process less random and more selective. The technology has the potential to refine clinical trials by eliminating bottlenecks, overhauling the selection process and shortening the timeline, ultimately bringing new drugs to market more efficiently.

The article New Patent Promises to Accelerate Cancer Trials appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Citing the significant quality of life benefits that oral chemotherapy drugs can provide over intravenously (IV) administered chemotherapy, Maryland’s cancer community, patient advocacy representatives and patients themselves called on the state legislature this week to pass key legislation that would ensure Maryland’s cancer patients are able to access their prescribed chemotherapy regimen of choice.

IV chemotherapy can lead to side effects including pain, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and anemia, and can lead to added costs and logistical issues as patients must travel to cancer care facilities for treatment. Although oral chemotherapy drugs taken at home often result in fewer side effects, many health insurance plans’ coverage of orally administered chemotherapy is prohibitive due to higher copays, expensive deductibles or restrictive coverage limits.

“Oral chemotherapy drugs can often provide substantially greater comfort and convenience than IV administered chemotherapy, and Maryland’s cancer patients should have access to the treatments they prefer,” said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, founder and CEO of the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) and the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF).

“We urge Maryland’s legislature to create parity in coverage and help individuals fighting cancer access the chemotherapy treatment of their choice without cost being an unrealistic barrier.”

The Kathleen A. Mathias Chemotherapy Parity Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 179) would prohibit insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and  health maintenance organizations (HMOs) from covering orally administered cancer chemotherapy on terms that are less favorable than coverage for IV administered cancer chemotherapy.

The bill is named in honor of the late Kathy Mathias, wife of Sen. Jim Mathias (D-38), who lost her 14-year battle with cancer last August. The legislation currently has 26 cosponsors in the Senate and will be heard before the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee on February 9.

In testimony this week before the Maryland Senate Finance Committee, Larry L. Lanier, NPAF Vice President of State Government Affairs, noted that parity in chemotherapy drug coverage remains an important issue for patients, with many contacting PAF on a regular basis in need of assistance to cover the cost of oral chemotherapy medications.

Additional testimony was provided by representatives from The Maryland/District of Columbia Society of Clinical Oncology, the Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi), the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), additional Maryland-based advocates, and patients who would benefit from the passage of this legislation.

“Senate Bill 179 would help Maryland’s cancer patients receive the prescribed chemotherapy treatment of their choice, and could help many individuals experience fewer side effects, maintain their jobs, and spend more time at home with their loved ones during a very challenging time,” said Mary Edwards, a registered nurse from Owings Mills who has worked with numerous cancer patients over the years.

“We hope that our lawmakers will join the 15 other states and the District of Columbia in passing similar legislation, and help improve Maryland cancer patients’ physical and emotional well-being while providing them with the treatment choices they deserve.”

The article State Legislature Urged to Create Parity in Coverage for Cancer Drugs appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Hospice of the Western Reserve is kicking off a program to recognize “Hospice Heroes,” a community of individuals, families, and school, church or service groups across Northern Ohio who host fundraising activities that help the non-profit agency provide care to all who need it, regardless of their ability to pay.

Last year, the hospice covered unreimbursed expenses and charity care valued at nearly $5 million in the Northern Ohio region. According to Bill Sluzewski, development officer, fundraising events range from simple activities like selling candy bars, to larger events, like craft shows, benefit concerts and golf outings. “The organizers are often family members or friends of a patient who had been in our care,” he explained.

“Whether it’s a one-time activity or an annual event, it’s a legacy of love that honors their loved one and keeps their memory alive by giving back to other patients and families.” Such is the case for “Misty’s Wish,” created in 2010 by Sherri Viccarone, a resident of Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood, in loving memory of Misty, her teenaged daughter.

Misty, who was diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor, was cared for by Hospice of the Western Reserve during the final stage of her life.  The non-profit agency serving Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Summit Counties, offers one of the few pediatric hospice and palliative programs in the country.

Hospice helped with Misty’s medical supplies, medicine, physical and psychological therapies, and also supported Sherri and the extended family by guiding them the complex healthcare maze and providing emotional and spiritual support throughout the illness.  They also gave Misty an unexpected gift.

One day, a hospice team member asked Misty if there was one wish she would like to have granted before she died. Her response was a surprise to everyone: “I want my Dad to adopt me.” (Her stepfather was the only father she had known as she was growing up.) Within just ten days, Hospice of the Western Reserve’s legal team worked with a Cleveland judge to grant Misty’s wish to be legally adopted.

When Misty died, her mother, Sherri, was determined to tell her story to help other families coping with their children’s terminal illnesses, and to keep her daughter’s memory alive.  She started out by organizing an event called the “Misty Viccarone Christmas Memorium,” which involved collecting teddy bears and donating them to the Cleveland Clinic’s Oncology Department for children undergoing cancer treatment.

In 2010, Mrs. Viccarone and a dedicated group of volunteers expanded upon initial efforts by hosting a commemorative fundraiser with bowling, raffles and prizes. They called the event “Misty’s Wish,” a reference to the final wish Hospice of the Western Reserve helped to fulfill.

The event raised more than$5,000 for the non-profit agency’s pediatric palliative care patients. It was so successful that the group decided to make it an annual event.  Last year’s event, held at Yorktown Lanes in Parma Hts., generated an incredible $8,600. Mrs. Viccarone acknowledges that having a child diagnosed with a terminal illness is something no parent can ever anticipate or be equipped to deal with emotionally or psychologically.

However, she is determined to create something positive from the tragic circumstances.  An important part of her mission is helping other parents and caregivers by expanding awareness of pediatric palliative care.

“When I first tell people about the mission of Misty’s Wish, they’re sometimes shocked and surprised,” she said. “There’s a misconception that hospice care is only for the elderly.  In fact, a co-worker who even knew Misty had died of a brain tumor asked me why there was a need for a pediatric hospice team.

My answer was simple: `Because children die.’” Misty died on July 27, 1996, but thanks to the love and dedication of her family and friends, her memory lives on to help others through Misty’s Wish.

The article ‘Hospice Heroes’ Raise Funds for Western Reserve’s Pediatric Patients appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

As the War on Cancer enters its fifth decade and the number of people being diagnosed with cancer continues to rise, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) called for more aggressive integration of advanced imaging technology and biomedical research to improve prevention, earlier detection and treatment of cancer.

“We have developed remarkable new tools for imaging and biomarker identification that can bring about enormous changes at this moment in time and drive rapid improvements in the entire continuum of care in cancer,” said Laurie Fenton-Ambrose, President and CEO of Lung Cancer Alliance.

“But imaging and biomedical research must be linked together,” she said.

In 1975, when Congress passed the National Cancer Act, dubbed the War on Cancer legislation, 400 new cases of cancer were being diagnosed each year for every 100,000 people in the population. According to the latest figures, in 2008 that number rose to 463 new cases for every 100,000 people.

Over 1.6 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year.

While the rate and number of people being diagnosed with cancer overall continues to climb, some progress has been made in reducing the percentage of people who die from cancer, primarily because of screening and better treatments. However the decline is uneven.

The drop in lung cancer death rates among men reflects the drop in the number of men smoking and being diagnosed with lung cancer, but not a reduction in the lethality of lung cancer, which continues to kill three times as many men as prostate cancer.

For women, incidence or mortality rates are still twice as high as they were in 1975 and nearly twice as many women will die of lung cancer than breast cancer.

In addition the percentage of women with lung cancer who have never smoked is twice as high as men.

“The overall numbers are staggering,” said Fenton-Ambrose.

Of the 577,000 people who will die of some form of cancer this year, one in four women and three in ten men will die of lung cancer – more than the combined total of deaths from breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers.

“However, this past year has also brought us the most significant advance we have ever seen for lung cancer – the validation of CT screening as a life-saving tool that can dramatically reduce lung cancer mortality among those at high risk,” she said.

According to several national and international studies, that reduction would be at least 20% and possibly as high as 50-60%, which translates to 35,000 to 95,000 lives saved a year.

Screening can also stimulate research into precancerous conditions, genetic mutations and biomarkers that will improve risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment for all types of lung cancer, including lung cancers not associated with smoking.

The article War on Cancer Nears 50 Years appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Scotland, a nation known for its feats of strength, is gradually sliding in a self-created tomb of poor health. High alcohol consumption, obesity, lack of adequate exercise, and eating junk food is leading to atrocious levels of illness in Scotland. The chief medical officer of Scotland, Dr. Burns, has warned in his annual report that poor diet, obesity, physical inactivity, and high alcohol consumption is leading to increased health problems in Scotland.

He pointed to figures reported in the Scottish Health Survey which indicated that 27 percent of men and 18 percent of women exceeded the recommended weekly amount of alcohol consumption. Smoking among adults is decreasing, but 25 percent of adults still smoke cigarettes, and 63.3 percent of adults are either overweight or obese. Only 22 percent of adults met the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables a day, and only 39 percent of adults met the recommended levels of physical activity.

Despite a reported reduction in consumption of alcohol from 28 percent in 1995 to 22 percent in 2010, the level of those who exceed the daily amount of alcohol consumption has risen among men from 43 percent to 45 percent, and for women, it fell from 37 percent to 33 percent. He also noted that the data on alcohol consumption is conflicting, i.e comparing purchase data and consumption data.

However, alcohol purchase data indicates that consumption is on the increase. New hospital admissions due to alcohol-related conditions for people under 75 has increased by 18 percent in the last decade. Alcohol-related deaths for those aged 45-74 was also reported to be nine times more in deprived areas than in affluent areas.

On a positive note, the mortality rates due to Scotland’s big three killers: cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke for people under 75 have continued to decline. Premature death rates due to cancer, CHD, and stroke have been reduced by 22 percent, 60 percent, and 54 percent respectively .

Premature mortality rates due to all other cases for those under 75 have been reduced by 28 percent ( from 507 per 100,000 in 1995 to 365 per 100,000 in 2009). Increased survival rates from cancer have been influenced by effective treatment, early diagnosis, and more people have been cured of cancer. Five year survival from cancer over the last two decades rose from 26 percent to 44 percent for men and from 36 percent to 51 percent for women.

Less affluent areas were shown to display more of these risky behaviors. Mental health problems are also becoming worse in deprived areas and among the working class. The lower display of risky behavior among the affluent is largely due to available information from health promotion campaigns which has, for some reason, remained largely ignored in the other sections of the society. Dr. Burns warned, “Scotland continues to have a higher level of ill health than most of our immediate neighbors in Europe.”

The article Scotland: A Nation Facing a Health Crisis appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Asymptomatic patients diagnosed with nonbulky follicular lymphoma, a slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, have traditionally been watched for signs or symptoms of disease progression, then treated with a combination of rituximab and chemotherapy or rituximab alone for select cases.

Recent trials have suggested a role for treatment of asymptomatic patients with single-agent rituximab followed by additional periodic dosing, called “maintenance therapy.” However, new research suggests that these patients may have similar success rates simply with as-needed treatment. Results from the study will be presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

“Current research aims to ensure that we are not only giving our patients the best possible chance to live long, healthy lives after their cancer diagnoses, but also improving their quality of life while reducing their health-care costs,” said Jane N. Winter, MD, moderator of the press conference and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology-Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

“If we can limit the frequency of treatment or reduce the need for chemotherapy and still maintain good outcomes, we can reduce some of the burdens on both the patients and the health care community.”

Results from a study evaluating two different strategies for management of asymptomatic low-tumor-burden (LTB) follicular lymphoma (FL) patients found that, following an induction course of rituximab, repeated treatment with the therapy at time of progression is just as effective in managing the disease as ongoing maintenance therapy.

Historically, patients with LTB (defined as small tumor size, limited lymph node involvement, limited or no symptoms, and other factors) disease have been observed, rather than treated, with treatment deferred until the patient was symptomatic or the disease progressed, risking the individual’s well-being.

This has been called the “watch and wait” strategy, which allows physicians to delay chemotherapy treatment for their patients for three years or more. Researchers have hypothesized that rituximab could delay the need for chemotherapy and that maintenance rituximab (MR) would provide disease control superior to rituximab retreatment (RR) when the disease progressed.

In order to evaluate the two different rituximab dosing strategies for LTB follicular lymphoma, researchers embarked on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Protocol E4402 (RESORT), a randomized, Phase III clinical trial.

The primary endpoint was time to treatment failure (TTTF), defined as disease that progresses within six months of the last rituximab treatment, disease that does not respond to therapy, need for alternative therapy, or inability to complete the treatment protocol. Secondary endpoints included time to first chemotherapy, quality of life (QOL), and safety.

The RESORT trial compared the treatment strategies for 384 patients with previously untreated LTB FL. All patients received rituximab for four weeks, and the 274 patients who achieved a complete or partial response were then randomized to MR (single dose of rituximab every three months, n=140) or RR (four weekly doses of rituximab at disease progression, n=134).

Patients were evaluated every three months and were followed until treatment failure. The average number of total doses in the MR arm was 15.8 per patient versus 4.5 doses per patient in the RR arm. The analysis showed that TTTF was 3.9 years for MR-treated FL patients versus 3.6 years for RR-treated patients, rates longer than historical “watch and wait” strategies in this population.

At three years of follow-up, 95 percent of MR patients had avoided cytotoxic therapy, as compared with 86 percent of RR patients. Less than 5 percent of patients in the trial experienced any severe hematologic or non-hematologic toxicities. At 12 months after randomization, there was no discernible difference in health-related quality of life or burden of stress between the two study arms.

“In summary, our study found no significant difference between administering maintenance therapy and re-treating with rituximab as needed for this patient population.

In addition, given the significant difference in total doses administered, re-treatment with rituximab is less costly than rituximab maintenance therapy,” said lead author Brad S. Kahl, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. “We believe the re-treatment strategy is the preferred option to help patients with low-tumor-burden FL manage their disease.”

The article Living with Cancer; Results Show Progress in Patient Management appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.