Stand Up To Cancer

With just a week to go until Thanksgiving, I thought maybe this time around it would be nice to focus on positive news in the world of cancer research and care. Life isn't easy for women with an inherited BRCA mutation, but researchers at Cedars-Sinai here in LA are working on targeted therapies to help repair their DNA damage - potentially staving off cancer. "I am sure that this is just the beginning of a long list of targeted therapies that will do the same thing," said one of the docs involved in the study. Now there's something to be thankful for.
http://www.wftv.com/health/18024762/detail.html#-

Meanwhile, a new study out of Texas shows that older cancer survivors can benefit from "home-based programs" aimed at helping them eat better and exercise more. The study's participants lost weight and body mass and improved their physical strength - and all that was needed was a few mailings on diet and exercise and some phone calls from counselors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802113.html

According to research presented Tuesday at the AACR's annual meeting, Canadian docs may have found a genetic trait that can predict which former smokers will develop lung cancer and which won't. The researchers looked at former smokers who had had lung cancer and former smokers who hadn't and found differences in the levels of DNA damage between the two, suggesting that one group was more susceptible to damage than the other.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802114.html

And that's not the only lung cancer news to come out this week. Looks like cruciferous veggies (such as broccoli) are loaded with a protective nutrient that helps protect smokers against cancer. Smokers who ate these veggies (also on the list: cauliflower and Brussels sprouts) cut their lung cancer risk by as much as 55%. Of course, the best way to cut your lung cancer risk is still to quit smoking.
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/local/health_wtnh_broccoli_reduces_smokers_risk_lung_cancer_2008111915153_rev1

Chemotherapy may be the best way to fight a host of cancers, but it takes its toll on the patient's body. That's why I was happy to read about new research showing that the enzyme super oxide dismutase can help relieve the side effects of chemo. The enzyme is a powerful antioxidant shown in 19 different studies to increase cancer patients' survival time and their response to treatment.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Photos-Peptides-Discovered-Alleviate-Chemotherapy/story.aspx?guid={6A6CDAB6-F36E-4C17-A80C-78218B5E1D54}

Finally, the same Australian scientist who developed the cervical cancer vaccine believes he may have developed a similar skin cancer vaccine. It works the same way - by targeting papillomavirus, this time in the form of a very common skin infection that can linger in the body, eventually leading to cancer. Already shown to work in animals, the vaccine starts human trials next year and could hit the market as early as 2014.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,453009,00.html

Okey doke - that's all for this week! See you next time and happy Thanksgiving!

--Cat

Note: Cat will be taking a break from Weekly Links next week due to Thanksgiving. Please look for her next installment on December 4th!

- By Laura Ziskin

This past September 5th, Stand Up to Cancer launched in a powerful way. Thanks to a landmark broadcast on three major networks, the passion, support and dedication of leading doctors and scientists, and generous contributions from the entertainment community, corporate sponsors and the general public, we raised more than $100 million for innovative cancer research projects. Now, to paraphrase Tony Kushner, it is time to let the great work begin:

In early October, Lisa Paulsen, Noreen Fraser and I (representing the Executive Leadership of SU2C) traveled to Philadelphia to attend a dinner on the eve of the inaugural meeting of the Stand Up To Cancer Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Raymond DuBois, president, and Dr. Margaret Foti, chief executive officer, of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), our scientific partner, hosted the dinner. Nineteen of the twenty Committee members, including the two representatives of the SU2C Advocate Advisory Council, attended the meeting. Nobel Laureate Dr. Phillip Sharp presided over the meeting, along with vice chairs, Dr. Brian Druker and Dr. Arnold Levine. For Lisa, Noreen and me, it was our first time meeting many of these extraordinary scientists who have generously agreed to donate their time and expertise to our mutual cause.

We already knew Dr. Sharp and Dr. Druker, of course, both of whom were featured in the Stand Up To Cancer broadcast. Dr. Sharp took me around before the dinner and gave me a personal introduction to a number of the other attendees, including Dr. Levine who was a key figure in the discovery of the p53 tumor suppressor gene; Richard Kolodner who has done seminal work in genetic recombination and DNA repair; Tak Mak who co-discovered the T-cell receptor, a key component of the immune system; Cecil Pickett from Biogen Idec, who is a world expert in drug development; Vicki L. Sato, whose expertise is in both drug development and business in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries; and Samuel Wells, who, Dr. Sharp reminded me, is the only surgical oncologist on the Committee, and is a pioneer in treatments for thyroid and other endocrine cancers. It was a heady experience to have this much brain power together in one room. But what was really rewarding was to hear first-hand how genuinely excited and challenged they all were to be such an important part of this endeavor. To learn more about our Scientific Advisory Committee go to: http://www.standup2cancer.org/su2c/advisory.

In July, the AACR put out a broad call for ideas for cancer research "Dream Teams," reflecting the following general SU2C principles:

SU2C is committed to improving the outcomes for cancer patients by raising awareness of the importance of the problem and providing significant incremental resources to apply to its eradication. SU2C understands that its goals can only be achieved through the support of very high quality research and has formed a partnership with AACR to facilitate the distribution of research support in a fashion that both promotes the highest quality science and adheres to the specific priorities of SU2C:

1. SU2C aspires to support proximal translational research. By this we mean both laboratory and clinical research bridging the gap between basic science and the bedside, clearly focused on the problem of human cancer, with a discernible potential to lead to the development of markedly better treatments or preventions for this disease as rapidly as possible. SU2C places the highest priority on initiatives with the greatest potential to translate within the funding period and that address the greatest unmet medical need.


2. SU2C believes that open communication, collaboration and cooperation between the best scientists and clinicians is essential to moving the research agenda forward as rapidly as possible and is therefore critical for cancer patient welfare. SU2C therefore wishes to foster group efforts and discourage individual and institutional competition in its funding activities.


3. SU2C wishes to promote goal-directed research. While it is understood that true innovation and major improvements in cancer prevention and treatment will begin with the best basic laboratory research, projects that are most consistent with SU2C objectives will unambiguously embody and specifically articulate a clear bedside objective.


4. SU2C is committed to maximizing the efficiency with which scientists pursue the research objectives we support. We therefore wish to minimize the time spent in preparing proposals and awaiting funding and optimize the time spent on SU2C projects. Noreen, Lisa and I addressed the group at dinner and thanked them for their commitment. We also each encouraged them to think boldly in their upcoming meetings; to think out of the box; and to think about what will get better treatments to patients in the fastest way possible. It was gratifying when Dr. Sharp, Dr. Druker and Dr. Levine each took the podium to address the group. Dr. Levine spoke about how far we have come since Nixon's war on cancer. How in those days we thought all cancers were caused by viruses. How we have subsequently learned about the effects of chemicals and carcinogens; about the role of aging in cancer; and most importantly about how genetic changes can cause cancer. Indeed, technology has given scientists so many new tools and they now understand the mechanisms of cancer so much better. Dr. Levine reinforced that cancer researchers are on the cusp of real breakthroughs.

Dr. Druker then told the story of a colon cancer patient who asked him when there would be better treatments. He told the patient things were moving forward and that new treatments were just down the road. The patient was not satisfied. When Dr. Druker went home and recounted this to his wife, she reminded him that you cannot ask a cancer patient to have "patience". We need answers now, and Dr. Druker and cancer researchers around the world are committed to finding them. Finally, Dr. Sharp said that the entire Committee understands that the SU2C leadership, and the public we continue to rally, have given them an incredibly difficult challenge, but that they were all really turned on by that challenge and dedicated to doing their very best to deliver results.

We left the dinner more excited than I think we had been throughout the entire year we had been working on SU2C. This was what we had been working and waiting for. The next morning these scientists would meet to discuss their charge from the SU2C and to evaluate the proposals that were submitted. This meeting marked the beginning of an important process to identify the most exciting team projects to be supported by SU2C funds. In the coming weeks and months, Dr. Sharp and the vice chairs of the Committee will be updating all of us on their progress. I will do my best to pass on their findings to all of those who have generously supported our cause. But for all of us who were in the room October 9th, I can tell you there was a feeling of enormous excitement that the end of cancer has begun.

Well, things are finally settling down again in America. The election's over, so now all eyes are on President-elect Obama - including the eyes of the cancer community. In this commentary from SU2C friend Lance Armstrong, Obama is urged to redouble the government's commitment to fighting cancer now.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/09/armstrong.cancer/

Meanwhile, scientists at Washu St. Louis have successfully decoded the complete DNA of a cancer patient for the first time. "This is the first time that we've been able to look at the entire set of genes from a cancer patient," said one of the clinicians involved in the study. "And that's key because that's going to help us understand what goes wrong."
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-11-10-voa31.cfm

In other research news, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a method for viewing individual breast cancer cells for several days at a time. The technique has yielded new information on how cancer cells invade tissues and reach blood vessels in the early stages of metastasis.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/546378/

Speaking of breast cancer, here's a new way to raise awareness: through a film festival. Next week Toronto will play host to the Breast Fest Film Festival (great name, right?), which aims to use the expressive power of film to educate audiences. And what's the opening night feature? Living Proof, of course, the Lifetime movie about SU2C friend Dr. Dennis Slamon.
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/November2008/11/c7242.html

There are plenty of ideas from Canada we should be stealing down here in the good ol' US of A. Here's another one: stricter bans on farm pesticides, which have been shown to pose a cancer risk to farmers, rural residents and possibly even the general eating public.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081112.wpesticides12/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20081112.wpesticides12

We don't see a lot of news about brain cancer, but here's an exciting development: researchers at Tel Aviv University have determined that some people are genetically predisposed to the disease, just like some people are more susceptible to breast, colon and prostate cancers. Scientists now hope to find genes associated with brain tumors to better determine who is at risk.
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=45362654

Finally, did you know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month? The campaign centers on raising awareness and education the American public about the causes of the most lethal form of cancer. To learn more about Lung Cancer Awareness Month, visit the Lung Cancer Alliance online. And to read about this year's Great American Smokeout on November 20th, click here.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20081110/LOCAL1803/811100391/1267/LOCAL01

A side-note: Glam.com has featured SU2C holiday gift items on their blog, including photos of celebrities sporting our star necklaces. Read the Glam.com article: Holiday Gifts That Stand Up To Cancer.

That's it for now. Check back with us Thursday to learn more!

--Cat

As we near the end of an inspiring and historic week in America, I can't help but be excited about all the change and progress our country has seen in the past forty years - and hope that soon we'll see some change in the way our country tackles the issue of healthcare in general and cancer specifically. President-Elect Obama has spoken in the past of his mother's battle against cancer. Sadly, he also lost his grandmother to cancer this week, one day before becoming the country's first black president.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6095465.html

We launched a star in Madelyn Dunham's honor. You can view and add to it here:
http://www.standup2cancer.org/constellation-launch?starId=14977

Earlier this week, the University of California San Francisco launched BreastCancerTrials.org, a free online service that allows women diagnosed with or at risk for breast cancer to find clinical trials. "Every advance in our understanding and treatment of breast cancer has come from clinical trial results," said one of the docs involved with the project. "The more we can empower our patients to find out about and participate in trials, the faster we will be able to complete trials, and the sooner this new knowledge will translate into better care and outcomes for all patients."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/11/06/free-web-site-lists-breast-cancer-clinical-trials.html

There's actually some good news for migraine sufferers this week. New research indicates that women who get migraines may have a much lower risk of developing breast cancer than their headache-free peers. Turns out most migraine triggers in women are hormone-related, same way breast cancer can be hormone-related.
http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20081105/migraines-may-cut-breast-cancer-risk

And now some not so cheery news. The LA Times reports that new research out of Harvard shows that B vitamins and folic acid, while useful in many ways, don't cut cancer risk. Because these supplements help with DNA synthesis and repair, some had theorized that they might be natural cancer-fighters. No cigar this time, though.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/11/folic-acid-and.html

Did you know that worldwide, stomach cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death? Researchers had previously identified risk factors including a high-sodium diet, smoking and H. pylori bacterial infection (seen mostly in underdeveloped nations). Now Columbia scientists have identified elevated levels of a single immune system protein as a major contributor to the disease, proving that chronic inflammation really does significantly raise risk.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081105135126.htm

Finally, this week Michael Crichton, bestselling author of Jurassic Park and many many other novels, died of cancer after a long, private battle with the disease. As anyone who's ever spent an entire day lost in the underseas world of Sphere can attest, we just lost a fantastic imagination. (Seriously, read it.) He was 66.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aYJs56Zfe_X0&refer=muse

To end on a light note, see Christina Applegate on the set of Samatha Who?
http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2008/11/06/christina-applegate-on-the-set-of-samantha-who

That's it for this week - see you next Thursday . . .

--Cat

It's hard to believe October is almost over. As people all over the country put the finishing touches on their Halloween costumes and Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, I thought this article was particularly timely. It's about an "art bra contest" designed to raise awareness of breast cancer. Sixty-three decorated bras were entered in the competition. And yes, there are pictures!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bal-ar.braart30oct30,0,2127349.story

Meanwhile, the incredible Patrick Swayze, already back to work just a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, shares his story with the NYT. "I'm still fine to work, I haven't changed -- oh, I have changed, what am I saying?" he told the paper. "It's a battle zone I go through. Chemo, no matter how you cut it, is hell on wheels."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/arts/television/29sway.html

You've probably heard that a healthy diet can help prevent cancer - good, but vague, advice. But it's not just a matter of eating healthy to be healthy. New research indicates that a complex carbohydrate called pectin, present in fruits and vegetables, is what specifically lowers cancer risk. It seems that pectin binds to (and therefore maybe inhibits) a protein that helps cancer spread. I guess an apple a day really will keep the doctor away!
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE49S78720081029

Anyone with allergies knows what a pain they can be. Just sleeping with the windows open can be enough to have you sneezing and rubbing your eyes for hours the next day. But now a Cornell study shows that allergies can help protect against certain types of cancer. Not only do they help expel foreign particles from the body, they also let the body know when there are substances in the air to be avoided. Nice!
http://www.local6.com/health/17846500/detail.html

The debate about the power of alternative treatments in fighting cancer is ongoing. Now designer Donna Karan is putting her money where her mouth is in backing a project to bring yoga, meditation and aromatherapy to Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan. The eastern therapies will be used in conjunction with chemo and radiation for the next year in hopes of showing that they really can bolster modern medicine.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/designer-backs-yoga-project-at-us-hospital-cancer-ward_100113265.html

Finally, I really enjoyed this article from US News and World Report. It's an excellent, comprehensive overview of the most promising new areas in cancer research - you know, the ones SU2C supports. "We now know the enemy far better than ever before," the article states. "And that promises much more precise targets."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/cancer/2008/10/23/lung-cancer-gene-discovery-a-sign-of-cancers-future.html

Well, that's all for this week. Have a great Halloween and we'll see you next Thursday!

--Cat

With the 2008 presidential election just a week away, do you know the candidates' stance on health care in general and cancer in particular? Both Senator McCain and Senator Obama have pledged to increase federal funding for cancer research, among other measures, and both have sections on their websites dedicated to their plans. Check 'em out:

McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/issues/healthcare/fc.htm
"He will work to better coordinate the efforts between the government sector and the private sector, especially with a focus on translational research so new discoveries in laboratories can be translated quickly and more efficiently to patients' bedsides . . . Importantly, John McCain recognizes the need to understand the reasons behind the onset of cancer are just as important as the research to treat it. He has co-sponsored legislation that would create research centers that would study environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer."

Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/healthcare/Fact_Sheet_Cancer_FINAL.pdf
"Their plan will provide additional funding for research on rare cancers and those without effective treatment options; for the study of health disparities and evaluation of possible interventions; and efforts to better understand genetic factors that can impact cancer onset and outcomes . . . When cancer patients and cancer survivors change health insurance plans, their new insurance companies currently have the ability to deny them insurance benefits because of their "preexisting" condition. The Obama-Biden plan will end insurance company discrimination."


Oh, and in case you missed it, both senators took a few minutes to summarize their plans for SU2C:

To watch the full September 5th Special, click here.

Happy voting!

Big news this week as the President's Cancer Panel - including SU2C friend Lance Armstrong - releases a report stating that the US has become complacent in its war on cancer. The report calls for a three-pronged approach that includes "comprehensive health care reform." And yes, both Senator Obama and Senator McCain got a copy.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/23/AR2008102301209.html

This article from US News & World Report envisions a very different future when it comes to cancer diagnosis and therapy, a world where cancers are treated with a simple, noninvasive outpatient procedure and destroyed at the first hint of recurrence. "Sound like pure fantasy?" the author asks. "It isn't."
health.usnews.com/articles/health/cancer/2008/10/23/breaking-cancers-gene-code.html

Meanwhile, a column in the LA Times looks at just how little we still understand about the disease by telling the incredible story of a patient who survived after undergoing alternative treatment. "Just when I think I can predict a disease's deadly outcome, along comes someone to remind me how little we truly know about cancer," writes Dr. Marc Siegel. "Sometimes, a patient survives against all probability, and I am left not knowing why."
www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-practice20-2008oct20,0,7897777.column

This first-person account of one patient's Relay For Life experience and the lesson he learned as a result is a hilarious and beautiful read. "My father is a southern gentleman of the old school," writes Steve Tuttle. "He is a man of few words, and if he had his druthers, one of those words would not be 'testicular.'"
www.newsweek.com/id/164630

In 1980, black women and white women in Chicago were equally likely to die of breast cancer. In the intervening 28 years, however, the mortality gap grew and grew. Now research shows that twice as many black women in the city are dying of breast cancer. If there were ever a convincing argument for the importance of health care reform, I'd say this is it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-breast-cancer-mainoct22,0,3616297.story

Finally, this week brought yet another update on Gardasil, the sometimes-controversial cervical cancer vaccine - and this time the news is good. After an extensive evaluation, the CDC has concluded that Gardasil is perfectly safe, and that the few deaths previously associated with the vaccination were actually unrelated. With over 4,000 US women dying annually of cervical cancer, that's definitely something to be excited about.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102203058.html

Well, that's all for this week, but check in next Thursday for more up-to-the-minute cancer news!

--Cat

New York City, February 14, 2003. I should have been out with friends, or better yet, with that hot guy from yoga class. Instead I was at the doctor's office, lying on an exam table while a concerned nurse passed an ultrasound scanner across my belly. I'd come in with shortness of breath and abdominal cramps. I just thought I'd overdone it partying at a film festival. Showing off for that guy in yoga class probably didn't help.

When I asked the nurse what she saw, she said, "You'll have to speak with the doctor." The mood in the room immediately changed. Something was wrong. "The surface of your liver is covered with tumors," she told me. "It's so bad it looks like Swiss cheese." I panicked! After a biopsy, more blood tests, and body scans, the doctor found ten more tumors in my lungs. My family came to be with me as I got the diagnosis: epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a rare, inoperable and incurable sarcoma.

I was only 31, an up-and-coming photographer and actress. Just a few weeks ago I'd starred in two Bud Light commercials that had aired during the Super Bowl. How could I have cancer? It seemed so unreal. I didn't look sick, I didn't feel sick. Luckily the cancer was slow-moving. Since I was asymptomatic, the specialist recommended a "watch and wait" approach for the next two months.

No way could I casually sit on a time bomb! "Is there anything I can do?" I pleaded.

"Just try and live a normal life," the doctor said.

What? How could I live with cancer without thinking of dying every day? No thanks. Instead I decided to take a "watch and LIVE approach" and make a plan of action.

The only thing I knew I could control was what I put in my body, and by that I mean what I ate, drank and thought. So I immediately began to focus on building my immune system through diet and lifestyle. To prepare myself for my journey, I made a little sacred space in my apartment. I covered a table with pictures of my favorite people, candles, my grandma's rosary, a rock from my mom's garden. Twenty minutes a day I sat there, giving myself pep talks and saying prayers. For the first time in my life I could hear my inner voice. "Totally renovate your life," it said. Yes! Soon after my revelation, I quit my job to become a full-time healing junkie. My old idea of nutrition was what to eat to whittle away my figure for acting jobs: PowerBars, coffee, fat-free this, takeout that. Now I had to learn how to eat to nourish my body. I read books, took seminars and certification holistic health programs. Finally, I gravitated toward a raw and living foods approach to cleanse and repair my body. The more I flooded my cells with fresh green vegetable juices, flushed my body of toxins and eliminated all processed foods, refined sugar and animal products, the better I felt.

To strengthen my attitude and spirit, I looked for books or movies about young women with cancer. But everything was geared toward either kids or people much older than me, and most of it was really sappy or depressing.

Cancer needed a makeover, and I decided I was just the gal to do it. I began writing and filming my journey. I documented everything and everyone. The video camera was my buddy. I talked, it listened. It made cancer a project. It made me an artist, not a victim; a director, not a patient.

I longed to hear stories from other women, but I wasn't into support groups. (In truth, I was too chicken.) So I called everyone in my address book and asked, "Do you know any young women with cancer?"

I got connected to women who understood me in a way no one else could. Cancer Babes, I call them. Some of them even let me interview them for my documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer, and for my first book Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips.

By August I needed a break, so my best friend and I took a road trip to New Mexico. "Inward Bound," we called it. Our spiritual adventure. We went on daily pilgrimages to churches and monasteries and took in the soulful sights of the desert.

One day, walking through the Santa Fe Indian Market, I came upon two little girls chasing each other, their laughter bursting through the air.

"My heart is jumping," one said to the other. "Is yours?"

"Yes," I said softly. "Yes."

I watched them twirl and spin, wondering what would happen if I let go like that. Maybe my heart would jump so high it would shatter everything that was holding me back. I knew in that moment that everything I needed for the light to shine through was inside me; I just needed to break open.

That sense of possibility must have been what drew me to spend the rest of that summer at Upaya, a beautiful Zen monastery. My mind was cluttered with fear, unable to harness the full spectrum of my healing potential. Getting still was the only solution. Meditation had never been my thing. Those last five minutes of yoga class, where you breathe deeply and meditate, were torture.

My first evening at the monastery was embarrassingly painful. All my emotional junk came pouring out in a flood of tears. But it felt good to release the weight I'd been carrying. As the weeks went by I blossomed. Beneath my junk lay a wealth of healing potential. A new zest for life and mountains of creativity were pouring out of me and I was so grateful. Plus the monks were kinda sexy. Just kidding!

I think all that emotional release opened me up to meeting my soul mate. Brian was an acquaintance, a film editor I asked to help me shoot and edit my documentary. Pretty soon we were together constantly, 16-hour editing sessions full of creativity, laughter and a blossoming friendship.

I knew I was really falling for the guy when I tried to protect him by breaking up with him. "This is my burden," I said. "You have your whole life ahead of you. Find a healthy chick and be normal."

He refused. "I love you, you are healthy, and I'm staying," he said. "Let's take it one day at a time and work with what we've got, okay?"

Brian and I got married and moved to a little house in Woodstock, NY. The cancer is stable, not growing and I am proud to call myself a survivor - with cancer.

Cancer is no gift, but for me, it was a catalyst. It gave me the freedom to dump my baggage, to learn to eat properly and take care of myself, to take risks, to really live a life full of sass and fireworks.

-- Kris Carr

Kris Carr has an online forum at crazysexylife.com. Check out the Crazy Sexy Cancer site at crazysexycancer.com.

It's not always easy to contribute to charitable causes like SU2C - especially when the economy's on a downturn. That's why movies like "Living Proof," which profiles SU2C friend Dr. Dennis Slamon, are so helpful - because they remind us of how even the smallest contributions can make a big difference for researching fighting cancer. "Living Proof" tells the story of the development of Herceptin and airs Saturday at 9 EDT on Lifetime.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/16/entertainment/e085255D01.DTL

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the opportunities to help out in the battle against breast cancer have never been more plentiful. If you use Clinique moisturizer, buy a bottle this month and $10 of your purchase will go to cancer research - and that's just one example of the many "pink products" available this month. The below article details more.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2008274402_zliv16pinkproducts.html

Some research in the past has suggested that caffeine intake could be linked to breast cancer risk. But a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine clears up any confusion on the topic. While caffeine may affect breast cancer progression, researchers say, there is no reason to suggest that it ups breast cancer risk.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/10/caffeine-probab.html

The same cannot be said for cigarettes, of course, and new research indicates that the risk is greater than we previously believed. It's not just cigarette smoke but nicotine in general that spurs the growth of breast cancer - meaning both secondhand smoke and nicotine replacement therapies should be avoided.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/16/nicotine_found_to_spur_breast_cancer_growth/

On to more heartwarming news. Just yesterday, Annette Bloch, the widow of an H&R Block founder and a breast cancer survivor, donated $20 million to the University of Kansas, where she was successfully treated earlier this year. "I feel so lucky and so blessed that I can do this," Bloch said. "I know that if my husband were alive, he would be just thrilled that I am."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jBv4kzoraDAXSY5_t1jOthg-dQbQD93QJPDO0

And finally, more news on this year's most controversial cancer topic, the link between cell phones and brain cancer. A new study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer takes a hard line on mobile phone use, finding that the chances of developing a malignant tumor are "significantly increased" in those who've used a cell phone for ten years. "To underestimate the risk would be a complete disaster," said the professor in charge of the study.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/3208416/Mobile-phones-increase-risk-of-cancer-study-says.html

Got an opinion on cell phones or anything else? Share it in our forums!

That's all for this week, but we'll be back next Thursday with more news you can use . . .

--Cat

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this week brings a lot of news related to the disease, which will strike an estimated one in eight US women. First up: more news on the genetic testing front as an Icelandic company announces it has developed a screening test for some of the most common forms of breast cancer. The DNA test, which uses a blood sample or a cheek swab, costs $1,625 and looks for seven variations in the human genome that have been linked to the disease. But critics question the test's reliability - as well as the notion of genetic testing in general.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100702682.html

Meanwhile, new research indicates that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - known to you and me as painkillers - are associated with a reduced risk for breast cancer. But physicians warn that for the time being, the data should be viewed as an unexpected perk to the commonplace use of aspirin and ibuprofen, not a reason to start taking the over-the-counter drugs even more.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/10/09/nsaids-might-lower-breast-cancer-risk.html

In other women's cancer news, federal health officials say that one in four US teenage girls have received the cervical cancer vaccine since its introduction. Supporters of the vaccine were hoping for much higher vaccination rates, but epidemiologists say that families are wary of new vaccines, doubting their long-term safety and efficacy. (The fact that the shots retail for around $400 doesn't help, either.)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hMjMMeVViJJInF9KTuuG_T23A4lwD93N4QMG0

Speaking of HPV, just the other day Harald zur Hausen, the German scientist credited with discovering the link between the common STD and cervical cancer, was recognized for his groundbreaking work with a little something called the Nobel Prize in medicine. Congrats, Harald!

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/NEWS07/810070373/1009

Good news for smokers! (How often do you hear that?) A new study shows that drinking red wine - and yes, it has to be red - can reduce the risk of lung cancer, especially among current and former smokers. "People who had ever smoked and who drank at least a glass of red wine daily were 60 percent less like to develop lung cancer than ever-smokers who didn't drink alcohol," the researchers found. Another point for resveratrol!

http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE4987L120081009

Unfortunately, the news this week isn't all sunny. Progress against cancer may be continuing apace here in the Western world, but the disease is set to become the next big epidemic in developing countries. Estimates show that the disease is responsible for taking 20 million lives in the developing world annually - and that number could easily rise to over 50 million new cases annually if something isn't done.

http://www.ghanaian-chronicle.com/thestory.asp?id=8775&title=%3Cb%3ECancer%20kills%2020%20million%20people%20in%20%20Africa%20annually%3C/b%3E

How about a little piece of breast cancer news from good old LA, which SU2C calls home, to round out this week's links? An upcoming benefit for breast cancer patients at the Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood could draw an unexpected crowd thanks to its title: "Bowling for Boobies." Hey, you gotta give us Angelenos credit for keeping it real.

http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2008/10/worst-name-for-a-cancer-event.html

That's it for this week. See you next Thursday!

--Cat