SU2C at the AACR 100th Annual Meeting
My colleagues Noreen Fraser and Sue Schwartz and I had the privilege of representing Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) at the American Association for Cancer Research's (AACR) 100th annual meeting, which was an awe-inspiring experience. Scientific breakthroughs are being made right now that will propel us into a new era in the fight against this disease, and there was palpable energy and excitement among the 17,000 members of the cancer research community gathered in Denver for the meeting. Here's my best layperson's shot at describing some of what I saw and heard there.
As the conference began, several scientists who were being honored spoke. Their accents spanned the globe; their ages, at least a few decades; and their distinctive personal stories ranged from a cancer researcher who is himself a cancer survivor, to a young female investigator -- with a litany of discoveries to her credit -- who is also the mother of four-year-old triplets. The projects run the gamut of cancer research, but all are making significant contributions to the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of the disease. Some were extremely complex, and others readily understandable to a person with no science training. (In the latter category, I was fascinated to hear that a substance produced in the roots of a germinating "curcubita pepo L" -- known to you and me as a common zucchini -- has significant potential for the development of a pharmacologic agent to prevent certain types of cancer.) Three things were reiterated by each scientist recognized: an incredible commitment to stopping cancer in its tracks, compassion for the patients who suffer with it, and profound gratitude for their families' understanding about long hours spent in the lab.
The site of the plenary session, deep within the Mile High City's Convention Center, could have held a few football fields. Looking out over the sea of faces, I was struck by the massive amount of brainpower gathered in that single room . . . you could almost imagine little signs with really high IQ numbers hovering over each person's head! ALL of that brainpower is dedicated to ending cancer, and its potential is enormous. Though the space was huge, it felt bursting with possibility.
While getting to be a "fly on the wall" at this meeting, I thought a lot about the principles on which Stand Up To Cancer is based. Scientists need more money for research, and the type of multi-institutional collaboration SU2C will fund clearly spurs efficiency and innovation. The entertainment industry is uniquely positioned to help catch the public's attention, and our efforts -- to convey how hopeful thing are in cancer research right now and communicate that everyone can help scientists accelerate the pace at which their work produces tangible benefits for patients -- are ongoing.
SU2C actually received an award for that at the conference, but the real heroes (as you may have just heard Katie Couric say in the video) are the scientists, AND all of you who are doing whatever you can to contribute to research. Significant SU2C Dream Team grants will be awarded this spring, and we are profoundly grateful for your support. AACR's distinguished public service award is rightfully shared with everyone who has been a part of Stand Up To Cancer in its first year. Thank you!
Kathleen Lobb, Member, Stand Up To Cancer Executive Leadership Committee
P.S. If you are interested in more information about AACR's 100th meeting, please visit: http://www.aacr.org/home/scientists/meetings--workshops/aacr-100th-annual-meeting-2009.aspx
Posted by Melody Guest Pickett | May 18, 2009 4:08 PM
Dear Ms. Lobb
I recently received an email from the Center for the Advancement Of Cancer Education (C.A.C.E.) saying they're funding contributions have been impacted by the recession and they may have to close their doors. they are in need of grant money. They are, in my humble opinion, the country's leading experts on how to eat and live smart to cure cancer. They've had literally thousands of wins and they're sadly failing because they're nonprofit. For $150 my husband and I received 10-15 phone visits with Dr. Randi Shane at the Center. ( Our local Natropath charge $170 for his first visit and he was clueless) Dr. Shane was amazing: She talked to us about supplements, diet, electromagnetic waves, our cleaning products, and taking the stress out of our lives. My husband had reached stage 4 with one of THE most aggressive cancers on the planet- Merkel Cell Carcinoma. With her help, he became the first person in the world that has had a spontaneous remission from this cancer at stage 4. He will be the first person recognized by medical science, to even achieve recovery at stage 4- the rest die within 2 years. There aren't going to be many medical firsts like this and C.A.C.E. gets much of the credit. (Even pancreatic cancer has had a win at stage 4!) We said "no" to cytotoxic chemicals and boosted our immune system with Dr. Shane's help. (Stage 1 of any cancer represents a significant failure of our immune systems. We understood that stage 4 represented a significant failure of western medicine!) Every single person with our cancer that took chemo was dead within 2 years, and yet, this failed approach was encouraged in a most unrealist and even positve manner! (Dana Farber) It is sad to live in a country where the work of C.A.C.E. goes unnoticed because its success isn't related to pharmeceutical companies. I would like very much for your organization to check out my story with Dr. Paul Nghiem at Fred Hutchinson, a world expert on Melanoma as well as Merkel Cell Carcinoma. He is head of his own lab there and is currently publishing my husband's remission. Please don't hesitate to call this amazing Doctor. He asked us if we wanted to juice and try some medicinal mushrooms after we turned down the chemo at Fred Hutchinson , s well. He was so supportive of alternative treatments. I've encoraged Dr. Nghiem to call the Center and talk to the doctors there so that he can better publish the truth aobut how we achieved this remarkable recovery. His phone number is 206-288-7400 if you'd like to check out our story here. He called our win "a miracle" That's nice but the truth is: We worked really hard for that "miracle". We supplemented his mushrooms and juicing with The Center's advice and achieved success. I've been reading a great deal and discovered this "other way" is very well documented, but people just wait too long to implement alternative approaches. The diet we embraced is NOT macrobiotic, but Dr. Shane told me" We're NOT going to worry about how the diets disagree, We're only going to worry about how they all DO agree." It was strict, but they're extraordinarily knowledgeable there. Let's help more people do what we did. This is achievable by many more people. We're NOT special! Please consider a grant to The Center for The Advancement OF Cancer Education who has aleady achieved much success with patients who, like us who were considered hopeless.
Thank you for hearing me.
Melody Guest Pickett
207-829-3254
Melody Guest Pickett
126 Cumberalnd Road
North Yarmouth, Maine
207-829-3254
Center for Advancement in Cancer Education
300 E. Lancaster Avenue - Suite 100
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
19096
USA
caceinfo@comcast.net
610-642-4810
610-896-6339