This Friday, March 4, friends and families across America are making plans to wear blue in an effort to help raise awareness of colon cancer and the importance of having your colon checked.
Dress in Blue Day began in March of 2006 as a local event in Seattle in an effort to raise awareness of colon cancer, and the importance of screening. However, today it is a nationwide event on the first Friday of every March to raise awareness around the disease itself and the best ways to prevent it.
As the second leading cause of cancer death it the United States over 80 percent of all cases can be prevented when detected early with recommended screening, so it's important to spread the word. Not sure what recommended screening entails? The Colon Cancer Alliance recommends having your colon checked regularly if you are 50 years of age or older, unless you are at higher risk because you:
are African American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Jews of Ashkenazi descent;
have a personal or family history of colon cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease;
have a personal or family history of other types of cancer;
have poor diet and exercise habits, type 2 diabetes, or smoke or drink heavily.
By waiting or avoiding having their colons checked, many people are greatly increase their risk.. Seven out of 10 people with colon cancer have no symptoms at all, which means that getting screened before symptoms develop is crucial. A simple test may save a life.
To celebrate Dress In Blue Day, SU2C is joining this important effort by urging the public to proudly wear blue on March 4 and continue to spread colon cancer awareness, not only in the month of March, but all year long. By standing together we can spread the word in the hopes that one day colon cancer, and all cancer, will be a thing of the past.
To learn more about what you can do to prevent colon cancer, visit the Colon Cancer Alliance website at www.ccalliance.org.
Pearce Quesenberry was only 10 years old when she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor (Medulloblastoma). While in treatment, she went through thirty-one rounds of high dose radiation to her brain and spine, as well as chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. However, somewhere in the midst of her battle she found time to take a stand and help others who were also battling cancer.
In 2008 she flew six thousand miles to be a part of the Stand Up To Cancer live telethon and helped raise over $100 million for cancer research. The very next day she visited Six Flags Great Adventure to support Cure Kids Cancer. Pearce did all of this during her one-week break between treatments.
In November of 2008 Pearce was given the diagnoses of NED - No Evidence of Disease. She has been out of treatment for a little over two years now and continues
to do well. Her organization, The Pearce Q Foundation has had multiple fundraisers and been able to provide financial support tomany families battling childhood cancer. In addition, she has continued to partner with Stand Up ToCancer and many other local organizations to bring constant awareness to the fight against this horrible disease.
Most recently, Pearce was able to give back to Childrens Hospital of Philidelphia (CHOP), where she had personally received cancer treatment. Through the Pearce Q Foundation she was able to raise thousands in donations and presented her oncologist, Dr. Phillips, and CHOP with a check for $12,000. She hopes to continue to give back to the hospital's cancer programs so that more children have a better chance of survival.
We at SU2C are so inspired by the message of perseverance, and hope that Pearce gives to others fighting this terrible disease. Her ability to stand up, and survive while continuing to help others is truly remarkable. To learn more about Pearce and the Pearce Q Foundation check out the video from our 2010 show!
When you think about the world of fashion, you probably don't think about cancer. Instead, you might find the words "fashion show," synonymous with things like: exclusive showings, hard to find tickets and expensive clothing. But what if fashion shows were affordable, and helped benefit cancer research? That's just what the CHIC (Cure Her In Couture Events) Fashion Show, benefitting Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer, aims to do in Boston this Friday March 11th.
The event, hosted by Frances Rivera and featuring Michael De Paulo's 2011 Fall Collection provides fashion fanatics an affordable way to see an upcoming designers new line and give back to a good cause. This traveling fashion show is 100% dedicated to raising awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research. It is a great example of how the fashion community is coming together to take a stand in the fight against cancer. To find out how you can get your tickets or learn more about Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer, the non profit organization responsible for putting the event together, check out their website.
SU2C's IRG series continues with a closer look at IRG investigator William Pao, M.D.,Ph.D. and, his research to: Identify Solid Kinase Fusions via Exon Capture and 454 Sequencing
The cells in our body use different types of molecular switches to carry out their functions. One of these molecular switches is an enzyme called tyrosine kinase (TK). TK works like a light switch--when it's "on" the cell divides; when it's "off," it doesn't.
In a normal cell, the TK switch turns on and off when it should. In a cancer cell, the TK switch is no longer working properly. It has become fused to another protein, and it is stuck in the "on" position. As a result, the cell is constantly dividing, causing the cancer to grow uncontrollably.
This is where IRG investigator William Pao, M.D., Ph.D., comes in. "Historically," explains Pao, "these fusions have been hard to find in solid tumors, like breast and lung cancer. They've only been found in liquid tumors, like leukemia." But Pao has developed a new technology that he believes will be able to find these fusions in solid tumors. And once he finds them, scientists can develop drugs that can attach to them, and turn the TK switch off.
This work will not be easy. But if Pao and his colleagues are successful, new targeted therapies will soon be available for many different types of cancers.
Watch the video below to learn more about Pao's research. This is the sixth blog in our IRG series. If you missed the other four, you can read them here. And check back soon for our next IRG installment.
Recently SU2C had the chance to sit down with Diem Brown, entertainment reporter and founder of MedGift, to discuss her own personal battle with ovarian cancer and how it inspired her to help others.
SU2C: How would you describe your own personal experience with cancer?
Diem: The experience itself was definitely a roller coaster ride. When I was told I had cancer Ididn't even really know what cancer was. I didn't know about chemo or radiation. I just knew it was something that people got, and that some people survived it, while others didn't. So I was scared and had to come to terms with the fact that it wasn't something I could just run away from.
At first I didn't tell anyone, I didn't even tell my dad for about 6 months. I just wanted to live a normal life and forget about it. But the thing about cancer is, when you go through chemo you can't forget about it. You can't even control it. As I continued treatment, one of the hardest things for me was definitely losing my hair. I did everything to try and keep it from falling out.
I also tried to continue my job as an entertainment reporter until one day someone on a red carpet called I was happy for multiple reasons. Yes, I had beaten cancer but I'd also gained a passion for wanting to help others who were also battling cancer. It allowed me to have a new outlook on life. In retrospect, cancer was one of the best things that could have happened to me I looked how I felt and didn't want
anyone to see me. I went into a deep depression and didn't want to leave my apartment. I felt like by being in public I was making people feel uncomfortable. It wasn't until I came up with the idea for MedGift that I really was able to jump a hurdle in my battle against cancer and change my mindset to helping others.
SU2C: As a cancer survivor, can you tell us how you felt when you learned you were NED?
Diem: I found out I was in remission on St. Patrick's Day 5 years ago. It was truly a lucky day! I remember being very excited and telling my doctor I was so happy I wouldn't have to see him as often! It was the happiest day of my life. To celebrate I threw on a green wig and went out with friends to share the good news. I was happy for multiple reasons. Yes, I had beaten cancer but I'd also gained a passion for wanting to help others who were also battling cancer. It allowed me to have a new outlook on life. In retrospect, cancer was one
of the best things that could have happened to me.
SU2C: How did you come up with the idea for MedGift?
Diem: At my lowest point I spent a lot of time online hiding from the outside world. It was also during that time when a lot of my friends back home got engaged and started having babies. I remember looking through their registries thinking how interesting it was that in one click I could buy a friend, who lived across the country, the blender she wanted or some baby clothes. I wanted to get a nice wig to feel better about the way I looked, but when I did some research there wasn't a way for me to register for one.
That's when I got the idea to create a patient focused gift registry with MedGift. All my friends and family had asked what they could do to help me and with a registry they would have the tools to do that. It was this that brought me out of my depression and gave me something to focus on. After the initial idea for MedGift, I worked with the RelayHealth business unit of McKesson in order to bring it to life.
SU2C: How does Med Gift work?
Diem: MedGift is the first and only patient gift registry which works just like a bridal registry. Instead of giving a bride a blender you're giving a patient anything they want or need. It's completely free to register and patient focused so that anyone who wants to help a patient can easily fulfill a gift request.
MedGift allows you to register for things such as Amazon gift cards, wigs, clothes or help with your medical bills. You can even register non-monetary items such as visits or rides to the hospital and letters from friends. It's great because the money you give to the patient goes to directly to them with nothing taken out. For example, if a patient needs help with a medical bill and someone chooses to pay part of it 100% of their money goes directly to that patient's hospital and is deducted from their bill. We want it to be that easy and direct.
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SU2C: Why do you think gifts such as visits or letters are so important to patients going through cancer treatments?
Diem: Those non-monetary gifts are as important if not more important than monetary items. There are so many ways to help someone battling life threatening diseases such as cancer and it's vital to let them know you care. When you're sick you sometimes find that people kind of forget or stop visiting after awhile because they don't want to bother you. As a patient, when you have things like visits, prayers or letters fulfilled on the MedGift registry it shows that the patient hasn't been forgotten and that people are fighting with them.
SU2C:How can patients find out if their hospital is a part of the MedGift program?
Diem: Right now you can go on the MedGift site to see a list of providers. If your provider is not listed, the power is in your hands to tell them about us and help get MedGift into your community. I believe that MedGift users are a community and it's our job to help get the Med Gift resource in the hands of as many patients as possible. If you know anyone that works in a hospital or in the medical field inform them about us and tell them to visit our site to get started. Ultimately, you could be the reason someone in your community gets the help they need.
SU2C: Can you tell us about any personal stories from users of MedGift?
Diem: Some of the things I love most about MedGift are the patients I meet and come to know. One girl was very similar to me in the fact that she had a really hard time when she lost her hair in treatment. All she wanted was a nice wig. However, the nice wig was over $2,000. She registered for it on MedGift and her sorority sisters, some that she hadn't seen in years, gifted money towards it. She was shocked at the outpouring of generosity and told me, "I didn't even know all those people knew my name and they're gifting money to help me get a wig".
Another MedGift user was a mother of 5 who needed treatment and didn't have the money to fund it. She was a single mom, who was terrified that because of her illness she might lose her kids. She registered on MedGift and we were able to send her to the treatment of her choice, and help pay for her stay there rent-free for a year. It was so amazing to see her friends, family and people she didn't even know give money so she didn't have to worry.
That's what I want for every patient, the ability to live with minimal stress. With MedGift I want people to see that you don't realize how many people love you and how many people you affect on this earth. When given that chance patients will realize they have a support system and that fear of getting sick and being isolated goes away, because others are so willing to help.
To find out more about MedGift visit their site at: www.medgift.com
Ken Lussier has made it his mission to eradicate "male stupidity" -- at least when it comes to colonoscopies. Lussier claims that his ego and stubbornness are what caused him to avoid having a colonoscopy for years. When he finally gave in, a 3-inch tumor with a 1-inch diameter was found and he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Lussier has luckily, been cancer-free since May 2009 and now frequently speaks out to dispel the stigma and myth around colonoscopies. "I owe somebody some place. You tend to owe people because you make it and a lot of people don't," Lussier said. "If I can prevent someone else from having to go through what I went through...we've got this beat." http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x13287895/Cancer-survivor-tackles-taboo#axzz1HRpuWDP0
Jessica Breland
UNC-Chapel's 86-74 victory over Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament Monday night was especially sweet for Jessica Breland, a tall talented Tar Heels senior who also happens to be a cancer survivor. Berland, who missed last year while undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma, played a key role in the victory over Kentucky, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. She has inspired her team both on and off the court. In honor of her comeback this season, Coach Sylvia Hatchel and the team established the Jessica Breland Comeback Kids Fund to support pediatric cancer at UNC. http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/2011/03/cancer-survivor-jessica-breland-leads.html
Kim Hill
Kim Hill, the daughter of former Philadelphia Eagles player Fred Hill, whose childhood cancer inspired the creation of Ronald McDonald House, has died. She was 44 and passed away from brain tumors that her father believes developed from radiation treatments she received as a child. Diagnosed with lymphatic leukemia at age three, Kim defied the odds. Over the next three and a half years, she underwent regular chemotherapy - as well as radiation. "The Hill family's struggle to remain close to their daughter Kim while she battled cancer inspired a doctor, a football team, and an entire community to create and build the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia in 1974," Mary Croyne, president and chief executive of Ronald McDonald House Charities, said in a statement. Through it all, her father said, "She was always positive and it never got her down. She just wanted to see her son grow up and be with her family." Ronald McDonald Houses are now in 30 countries and regions, and offer families of young patients a place to stay near hospitals. http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/scimedemail/la-me-kim-hill-20110309,0,6477755.story
Harley Fetterman
Last Saturday, the 15th annual Childhood Cancer Fair and the St. Baldrick's "head shaving" fundraiser at Dell Children's Medical Center drew out hundreds of people. One of the "Shavees" was 12-year-old Harley Fetterman, who got his hair painted green and blue before getting it shaved off for his fourth fundraiser outing. After the tumor growing out of his optic nerve caused Harley to go blind, his mother Beth fully supported Harley's decision to help out with the fundraiser. "I keep doing it because it raises money for cancer research," said Harley, a young cancer survivor. "I went into remission so I want to help other kids go into remission by raising money." http://www.kvue.com/news/12-year-old-cancer-survivor-helps-raise-awareness-118296584.html
SU2C is inspired by stories like these and millions of others. Cancer takes one person every minute and to wait for someone else to save our lives and the lives of those we love is no longer an option. At SU2C, we believe that together, we can end this disease by becoming one unstoppable movement. The end of cancer begins with you.
Did you know colorectal cancer is the 2nd leading killer of men and women in the US? Katie Couric and AOL have come together to tell you how to change that statistic with a new episode in the AOL, "You've Got" series.
"You've Got: What We Found in Katie Couric" is another edition to the humorous AOL series that plays daily on AOL's homepage. This edition focuses on colon cancer awareness and the importance of getting screened. Katie shows viewers that, "it's not that bad," by letting cameras follow her as she gets her own colonoscopy and receives the results. You'll never guess what the doctor finds.
Check out AOL's homepage to find out what Katie's results are today!
