Stand Up To Cancer

Earlier this week Eric Shanteau swam in his last Olympic race before heading home, where he'll be treated for the testicular cancer he was diagnosed with two months ago. Though Shanteau didn't bring home any medals, he showed the world that cancer doesn't mean you can't chase your dreams. Good luck, Eric! Get better so we can see you kick butt in London in 2012.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080813.OLYCANCER13/TPStory/Sports

This week cancer took another valiant athlete, although she didn't grab nearly as many headlines. The San Francisco Chronicle carries the story of Deb Mosley, who raced a triathlon, hiked in and out of the Grand Canyon and climbed Half Dome three times - all after finding out she had breast cancer. Even as the disease metastasized through her body, Mosley was out living life to the fullest. She was an inspiring figure who "not only owned her disease, she almost celebrated it."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/13/BAQ5128VG1.DTL

There's been a lot of news recently about the risks and benefits of screening and treatment for various cancers. Patients and practitioners face a lot of tough decisions when the medicine is as brutal as the disease. This week, the NYT's Well blog on how early detection isn't always a good thing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/health/12well.html?ref=science

Meanwhile, MD Anderson Cancer Center has issued a study on the importance of risk assessment in long-term treatment planning for breast cancer patients.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160637.htm

What do you think about the idea that patients shouldn't be screened or treated for cancer if, statistically, the odds of extending their life aren't that great? Is this smart policymaking for an already overburdened health system, or is it abandoning patients when they're at their most vulnerable? Sound off on the topic in the SU2C forums.

Speaking of the Grey Lady, I was shocked by yesterday's story about the lengths some couples have gone to in order to keep each other insured. It's not unheard of for people to marry for health insurance; I've got a friend who kids around about it all the time. But what if you had to get divorced in order to qualify for low-income coverage? Our health care system is driving couples to do just that. Talk about violating the sanctity of marriage . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/us/13marriage.html?ref=us&adxnnlx=1218637863-60xqzc5jsKcP50ZJM7QoQQ&pagewanted=all

We know from past experience that promising new cancer treatments can come from unexpected places - like the tobacco plant. Well, here's another classic for the "WTF" files: Fred Hutchison researchers think scorpion venom may come in handy for treating brain cancer. I love a good underdog story.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4989304

That's it for this week. Check back in next Thursday for more news!

--Cat Vasco