Walking against ovarian cancer (5/6/10)
Chisholm’s fund-raiser will continue through May
BY MARIANNE APFELBAUM
OBSERVER STAFF
Deb Chisholm met Suzi Zetkus in eighth grade. The girls became best friends, and their relationship has endured for 45 years. They’ve weathered all the ups and downs of their teenage and young adult years, supporting each other along the way. But the most recent obstacle facing the now middle-aged Zetkus has become literally the challenge of her life. She has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
OBSERVER PHOTO BY MARIANNE APFELBAUM
The second annual 5K Walk for Ovarian Cancer was held last Saturday in Williston. The event was organized by Williston resident Deb Chisholm (far left), who was joined by (from left) her husband Andrew Beecher and friends Darlene Worth and Kitty Martin in an effort to raise funds and awareness about ovarian cancer research. The group walked in honor of Chisholm’s friend Suzi Zetkus, who has the disease.
OBSERVER PHOTO BY MARIANNE APFELBAUM
Chisholm calls her friend to tell her the walk is about to start.
Chisholm, who lives in Williston with her husband Andrew Becher, said her friend was diagnosed two-and-a-half years ago. So for the second year in a row, Chisholm has chosen to support her friend not just personally, but also publicly — with a 5-kilometer fund-raising walk in Williston. The walk was held May 1 to coincide with the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Revlon Run/Walk For Women in New York City, where Zetkus lives.
According to the EIF Web site, the event was created in 1993 by cancer activist Lilly Tartikoff, Revlon Chairman Ronald Perelman and EIF. It has since grown into one of the nation’s largest 5K fund-raising events for women challenged with breast and ovarian cancer.
“Ovarian cancer doesn’t get as much attention or funding for research as other types of cancer,” Chisholm said.
She hopes the walk will not only raise money, but also awareness about the disease.
A small group of walkers joined Chisholm on Saturday morning for the walk from Williston Central School. The group followed the bike path as it looped through Old Stage, Mountain View and North Williston roads and circled back to the school.
Before they set out, Chisholm, sporting a bright teal Ovarian National Cancer Alliance T-shirt, pulled out her cell phone to call Zetkus and let her know she and the group were about to set out and were thinking of her.
Chisholm hopes to raise at least $500, to be used specifically for ovarian cancer research. She will continue raising funds throughout May, and all money raised will be funneled through EIF to the nonprofit Ovarian National Cancer Alliance.
The ONCA Web site says the alliance is the foremost advocate for women with ovarian cancer in the United States. The organization advocates at a national level for increases in research funding for the development of an early detection test, improved health care practices and life-saving treatments.
“Suzi has been the ultimate volunteer and giver to others all her life. To have the opportunity to give back to her doing this in her honor means a lot,” Chisholm said.
To make a tax-deductible donation to Chisholm’s fund-raiser, call her at 878-0462.
FACTS ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER
• Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among American women.
• The lifetime risk of developing invasive ovarian cancer is 1 in 71.
• Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose because symptoms are often subtle and easily confused with other conditions.
• The majority of women who develop ovarian cancer have symptoms including bloating, pelvic and abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).
• When the cancer is detected before it has spread from the ovaries, 90 percent of women will survive for more than five years. Only 19 percent of women in the United States are diagnosed at this early stage.
• Factors that increase risk include increasing age, personal or family history of ovarian, breast or colon cancer, and never having been pregnant or given birth to a child.
Source: www.ovariancancer.org
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Cancerversary!
Everyone acknowledges a Cancerversary differently. Some people send letters to members of their health care team, thanking them for their help and support. Some people go on trips or have parties. And others, after going through as life-altering an experience as cancer, vow to live each day to the fullest.
If you’re looking for something new to do, grab your family and friends and celebrate your Cancerversary with us! Join NCCS staff and thousands of cancer survivors as we participate in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women from Times Square to Central Park on May 1st!
Participate as either a runner or a walker. Simply register in this year’s event for Team NCCS (3562) to be a part of the race.
Donate! Can’t make it on May 1st? Help raise funds for Team NCCS so we can continue providing valuable services to survivors and their loved ones.
This event is about empowering people that have been affected by cancer, and we look forward to celebrating survivorship with you!
If you’re looking for something new to do, grab your family and friends and celebrate your Cancerversary with us! Join NCCS staff and thousands of cancer survivors as we participate in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women from Times Square to Central Park on May 1st!
Participate as either a runner or a walker. Simply register in this year’s event for Team NCCS (3562) to be a part of the race.
Donate! Can’t make it on May 1st? Help raise funds for Team NCCS so we can continue providing valuable services to survivors and their loved ones.
This event is about empowering people that have been affected by cancer, and we look forward to celebrating survivorship with you!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Gaining a Pound a Year After Age 20 Nearly Doubles Women's Breast Cancer Risk
By DEBORAH KOTZ
Gaining a pound or two a year after age 20 is the norm for most Americans, which explains why two-thirds of us are overweight by the time we hit our 50s. Not only does that put us at increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, but it can also increase a woman's chances of developing postmenopausal breast cancer. A new National Cancer Institute study of 72,000 women found that those who had a normal body mass index at age 20 and gained through the decades to become overweight—an increase of at least 5 BMI units, which is equivalent to a 30- pound gain for a 5- foot, 4- inch woman —had nearly double the risk of developing breast cancer after menopause compared to women who kept their weight steady as they aged. (The average 60- year-old woman's risk of developing breast cancer by age 65 is about 2 percent; her lifetime risk is 13 percent.)
[Want to Age Well? Avoid Midlife Weight Gain]
"Weight gain is a major risk factor for breast cancer," and could play as much of a role as other known risk factors, like family history of cancer, or the age at first menstruation or childbirth, says study coauthor Regina Ziegler, an epidemiologist at NCI. That's probably because the accumulation of excess body fat over time increases the level of estrogen in the body, which is thought to fuel the growth of most postmenopausal breast cancer tumors. Interestingly, the study also found that women who started off overweight or obese at age 20 didn't have any increase in breast cancer risk, which contradicts other research showing that obesity increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer as well as several other cancers including colon, endometrial, kidney, and esophageal, according to the NCI's website.
[Weight Loss Surgery Cuts Obese Women's Cancer Risks]
Unfortunately, few women are able to maintain their post-college dress size, a testament to how tough it is to prevent that mid-life bulge. (Nearly 57 percent of the study participants failed to do so.) "As you progress through mid-life, you'll find your metabolism naturally slows down," says Jana Klauer, a New York City physician and nutritionist specializing in obesity treatment and author of How the Rich Get Thin. In other words, if you maintain the same Big Mac habits you had in college, you'll pack on pounds. So what does it take to keep the scale steady? "A lot of effort," says Klauer. Here are her 7 steps for beating the odds:
1. Cut back on calories. "Your metabolic rate peaks in your 20s," says Klauer, because your body is still adding bone mass and churning out a lot of hormones to keep you fertile. After age 30, your metabolism slows by about 5 to 7 percent per decade. That means if you were eating about 2,500 calories per day to maintain your weight in your 20s, you'd have to eat about 125 to 175 fewer calories each day to keep the scale from inching upward. By the time you hit your 50s, you'd need to cut back by 300 to 500 calories a day to keep the same waistline you had in your 20s.
2. Sweat, sweat, sweat. If you don't want to cut your food intake too much, increase your calorie-burning activities. Those who aren't counting calories probably need to exercise for about an hour each day, every day of the week to truly keep the pounds off, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers looked at 34,000 nondieting women (average age 54) and found that those who worked out for an hour a day—the equivalent of a brisk walk—kept themselves slim through the years. While those who worked out less gained weight, they still benefitted from lower risks of heart disease and diabetes, compared to their sedentary counterparts.
[Exercise Can Help Prevent Weight Gain, but It Won't Be Easy]
3. Lift weights. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so building muscle helps keep your metabolism revved up as you age. Unfortunately, your body begins to shed muscle in your 40s if you don't do anything to maintain it. Doing resistance training with free weights or weight machines at the gym three or four days a week can go a long way towards helping you retain muscle and boost your metabolism. Klauer recommends hiring a personal trainer for three or four sessions to learn the proper form and prevent injuries.
4. Be wary of hormonal birth control. Birth control pills, intrauterine devices that release progesterone, and especially the progesterone-only shot, Depo-Provera, can cause weight gain in some women. A 2009 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women who used the Depo shot gained an average of 11 pounds over three years compared to an average gain of 3 to 4 pounds among women who used other forms of contraception. But the study also found that only 25 percent of Depo users gained a significant amount of weight, and Klauer says the same holds true for other forms of hormonal contraception. For example, some women gain 15 pounds on a particular brand of pill, while others don't. "It's extremely individual and probably related to genetics," she adds. If you're taking hormones and have noticed recent weight gain of five or ten pounds with no obvious explanation, she says, you might want to try switching to a different formulation to see if that helps.
Gaining a pound or two a year after age 20 is the norm for most Americans, which explains why two-thirds of us are overweight by the time we hit our 50s. Not only does that put us at increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, but it can also increase a woman's chances of developing postmenopausal breast cancer. A new National Cancer Institute study of 72,000 women found that those who had a normal body mass index at age 20 and gained through the decades to become overweight—an increase of at least 5 BMI units, which is equivalent to a 30- pound gain for a 5- foot, 4- inch woman —had nearly double the risk of developing breast cancer after menopause compared to women who kept their weight steady as they aged. (The average 60- year-old woman's risk of developing breast cancer by age 65 is about 2 percent; her lifetime risk is 13 percent.)
[Want to Age Well? Avoid Midlife Weight Gain]
"Weight gain is a major risk factor for breast cancer," and could play as much of a role as other known risk factors, like family history of cancer, or the age at first menstruation or childbirth, says study coauthor Regina Ziegler, an epidemiologist at NCI. That's probably because the accumulation of excess body fat over time increases the level of estrogen in the body, which is thought to fuel the growth of most postmenopausal breast cancer tumors. Interestingly, the study also found that women who started off overweight or obese at age 20 didn't have any increase in breast cancer risk, which contradicts other research showing that obesity increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer as well as several other cancers including colon, endometrial, kidney, and esophageal, according to the NCI's website.
[Weight Loss Surgery Cuts Obese Women's Cancer Risks]
Unfortunately, few women are able to maintain their post-college dress size, a testament to how tough it is to prevent that mid-life bulge. (Nearly 57 percent of the study participants failed to do so.) "As you progress through mid-life, you'll find your metabolism naturally slows down," says Jana Klauer, a New York City physician and nutritionist specializing in obesity treatment and author of How the Rich Get Thin. In other words, if you maintain the same Big Mac habits you had in college, you'll pack on pounds. So what does it take to keep the scale steady? "A lot of effort," says Klauer. Here are her 7 steps for beating the odds:
1. Cut back on calories. "Your metabolic rate peaks in your 20s," says Klauer, because your body is still adding bone mass and churning out a lot of hormones to keep you fertile. After age 30, your metabolism slows by about 5 to 7 percent per decade. That means if you were eating about 2,500 calories per day to maintain your weight in your 20s, you'd have to eat about 125 to 175 fewer calories each day to keep the scale from inching upward. By the time you hit your 50s, you'd need to cut back by 300 to 500 calories a day to keep the same waistline you had in your 20s.
2. Sweat, sweat, sweat. If you don't want to cut your food intake too much, increase your calorie-burning activities. Those who aren't counting calories probably need to exercise for about an hour each day, every day of the week to truly keep the pounds off, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers looked at 34,000 nondieting women (average age 54) and found that those who worked out for an hour a day—the equivalent of a brisk walk—kept themselves slim through the years. While those who worked out less gained weight, they still benefitted from lower risks of heart disease and diabetes, compared to their sedentary counterparts.
[Exercise Can Help Prevent Weight Gain, but It Won't Be Easy]
3. Lift weights. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so building muscle helps keep your metabolism revved up as you age. Unfortunately, your body begins to shed muscle in your 40s if you don't do anything to maintain it. Doing resistance training with free weights or weight machines at the gym three or four days a week can go a long way towards helping you retain muscle and boost your metabolism. Klauer recommends hiring a personal trainer for three or four sessions to learn the proper form and prevent injuries.
4. Be wary of hormonal birth control. Birth control pills, intrauterine devices that release progesterone, and especially the progesterone-only shot, Depo-Provera, can cause weight gain in some women. A 2009 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women who used the Depo shot gained an average of 11 pounds over three years compared to an average gain of 3 to 4 pounds among women who used other forms of contraception. But the study also found that only 25 percent of Depo users gained a significant amount of weight, and Klauer says the same holds true for other forms of hormonal contraception. For example, some women gain 15 pounds on a particular brand of pill, while others don't. "It's extremely individual and probably related to genetics," she adds. If you're taking hormones and have noticed recent weight gain of five or ten pounds with no obvious explanation, she says, you might want to try switching to a different formulation to see if that helps.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Join Dr. Jana Klauer & EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women
Breast cancer is the number one cancer risk for women worldwide. All women are at risk but, by thoughtful lifestyle choices, we can lower our risk. Don’t smoke, think of junk food as poison, eat a healthful diet, and daily exercise are behaviors that reduce risk. But I have known far too many women who do all of these things and still develop cancer. I walk for them. We need to learn more. Diagnosis and treatment need to become more precise. I walk to help bring awareness. I walk to raise money because the advances are expensive.
The spring weather could not be more glorious for an aerobic walk. The beauty of nature makes us glad to be alive. Exercise is good for our body, but exercising outdoors is even better. The benefits of outdoor exercise are well documented: outdoor exercise elevates mood and improves self-esteem. The EIF Revlon Walk/Run celebrates your life and health. I invite my friends and patients to join me on Saturday, May 1st so that our daughters and granddaughters can be safer.
Visit my team page to join the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women (CLICK HERE).
May 1, 2010 - 9am: Official start of the 5k Run\Walk begins. The event will begin in Times Square and end in Central Park. The distance of the course is 3.1 miles.
Good Health,
Jana Klauer, M.D.
The spring weather could not be more glorious for an aerobic walk. The beauty of nature makes us glad to be alive. Exercise is good for our body, but exercising outdoors is even better. The benefits of outdoor exercise are well documented: outdoor exercise elevates mood and improves self-esteem. The EIF Revlon Walk/Run celebrates your life and health. I invite my friends and patients to join me on Saturday, May 1st so that our daughters and granddaughters can be safer.
Visit my team page to join the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women (CLICK HERE).
May 1, 2010 - 9am: Official start of the 5k Run\Walk begins. The event will begin in Times Square and end in Central Park. The distance of the course is 3.1 miles.
Good Health,
Jana Klauer, M.D.
Friday, April 9, 2010
NCCS Survivorship Newsletter - April 2010
Last Chance to Register for Sunday’s Breakaway Ride!
Thousands of cycling enthusiasts will get the chance to ride an actual stage of the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday, April 11, in Thousand Oaks, Calif., along with Patrick Dempsey! Learn more and register >>
_______________________________________________
Cancer Advocate Spotlight: Diana Paradowski
While being treated for her most recent cancer diagnosis, Diana Paradowski realized that she was not alone in her struggle to meet the daily challenges complicated by a cancer diagnosis. Read more >>
Did you Know?
93 percent of adults living with chronic disease ask a health professional for information, 60 percent ask a friend or family member, and 44 percent use the Internet, according to the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project. Learn tips for finding credible information from a variety of sources >>
NCCS Applauds Passage of Healthcare Reform
Last month, NCCS announced its support of the passage of the healthcare reform bill and identified key parts of the bill that affect cancer survivors. Learn how healthcare reform affects cancer survivors >>
_______________________________________________
Free Survivorship Teleconference Series Starts Next Week
The Eighth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through and Beyond Cancer kicks off April 13. Sign up online or call 1-800-813-HOPE to reserve a space on these free calls. You can also download recordings of past workshops. Sign up for a free CancerCare workshop today >>
_______________________________________________
NCCS Rays of Hope GalaTM
Honor caregivers and celebrate survivorship at the Rays of Hope Gala in Washington, D.C., on April 28. This year, NCCS is honoring True Compass, a memoir of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, dedicated to his wife. The book bears tribute to the “other survivors” who support people diagnosed with cancer. Members of the Kennedy family will be accepting the award. See all gala honorees or purchase tickets >>
_______________________________________________
Celebrate Your Cancerversary in the Big Apple
Whether you’re celebrating a personal milestone or honoring someone else’s experience with cancer, make a difference for all cancer survivors by joining Team NCCS (3562) at the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York City on Saturday, May 1! Learn more and register >>
_______________________________________________
Let's Go Cancer Care!
When you travel abroad, you go prepared. You have an itinerary listing your flights and connections, and you can buy a guide suggesting where to go, what to see and how to get there. For most people, cancer treatment and follow-up care is far more foreign than another country – so why isn't there a guide for that? With cancer care planning, there would be. You would have a written treatment plan, summary and follow-up care plan that lays out your choices, treatments, risks and screenings. That’s why we must pass the Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act (S. 1773/H.R. 1844.) Please ask your members of Congress to support this important bill >>
Thousands of cycling enthusiasts will get the chance to ride an actual stage of the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday, April 11, in Thousand Oaks, Calif., along with Patrick Dempsey! Learn more and register >>
_______________________________________________
Cancer Advocate Spotlight: Diana Paradowski
While being treated for her most recent cancer diagnosis, Diana Paradowski realized that she was not alone in her struggle to meet the daily challenges complicated by a cancer diagnosis. Read more >>
Did you Know?
93 percent of adults living with chronic disease ask a health professional for information, 60 percent ask a friend or family member, and 44 percent use the Internet, according to the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project. Learn tips for finding credible information from a variety of sources >>
NCCS Applauds Passage of Healthcare Reform
Last month, NCCS announced its support of the passage of the healthcare reform bill and identified key parts of the bill that affect cancer survivors. Learn how healthcare reform affects cancer survivors >>
_______________________________________________
Free Survivorship Teleconference Series Starts Next Week
The Eighth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through and Beyond Cancer kicks off April 13. Sign up online or call 1-800-813-HOPE to reserve a space on these free calls. You can also download recordings of past workshops. Sign up for a free CancerCare workshop today >>
_______________________________________________
NCCS Rays of Hope GalaTM
Honor caregivers and celebrate survivorship at the Rays of Hope Gala in Washington, D.C., on April 28. This year, NCCS is honoring True Compass, a memoir of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, dedicated to his wife. The book bears tribute to the “other survivors” who support people diagnosed with cancer. Members of the Kennedy family will be accepting the award. See all gala honorees or purchase tickets >>
_______________________________________________
Celebrate Your Cancerversary in the Big Apple
Whether you’re celebrating a personal milestone or honoring someone else’s experience with cancer, make a difference for all cancer survivors by joining Team NCCS (3562) at the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York City on Saturday, May 1! Learn more and register >>
_______________________________________________
Let's Go Cancer Care!
When you travel abroad, you go prepared. You have an itinerary listing your flights and connections, and you can buy a guide suggesting where to go, what to see and how to get there. For most people, cancer treatment and follow-up care is far more foreign than another country – so why isn't there a guide for that? With cancer care planning, there would be. You would have a written treatment plan, summary and follow-up care plan that lays out your choices, treatments, risks and screenings. That’s why we must pass the Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act (S. 1773/H.R. 1844.) Please ask your members of Congress to support this important bill >>
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Lessons to Live By
Lessons to Live By
Sheryl Crow reflects on the lessons of her cancer experience and shares the joy of her present life.
By Diana Price
Mentally shelve the nine Grammy Awards and the genuine rock-star status, and a conversation with Sheryl Crow is really like having a chat with another—very cool—mom. Our conversation, a follow-up to our original interview three years ago, is dominated by talk of parenting and new priorities, organic gardening and the value of spiritual practice, and—oh, yeah—cancer.
Now three years out from a diagnosis of Stage I breast cancer, a lumpectomy, and radiation, Sheryl says that life as a 47-year-old cancer-free rock-star mom is full and happy. And though she now sees her oncologist only once a year, she admits that her life is continually influenced by her status as a survivor. “I do think about it often,” she says. “I think that the cancer experience informed my life across the board: It reminded me of lessons I need to carry with me—like not to sweat the small stuff. It made me an easier-going person. It taught me how to let myself off the hook; I’m not nearly so self-critical.”
They are lessons, says Sheryl, that she wants to always remember. “I’ve kept my tattoos [from radiation therapy] to remind me of the experience and of the emotional growth that resulted from having gone through treatment. I think it serves to remind me of the lessons I learned. I reflect on them every day because they’re lessons that were answers to questions I had my whole life about how to put myself first and how to say no without the guilt of letting people down—and that’s a lesson that continues to be a process for me.”
The lesson of self-care has been especially relevant, Sheryl says, since the arrival of her son, Wyatt, two years ago. Now in the midst of what she laughingly calls “the terrifically challenging twos,” Wyatt is clearly his mom’s first priority. “He’s the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and my last thought before I fall asleep at night,” Sheryl says, her voice resonating with the obvious love and a palpable sense of contentment that have transformed her life in the past couple of years.
In addition to bringing her incredible joy, Sheryl says that motherhood has challenged her to remember the value of paying attention to her own needs. Finding time to exercise and carve out time for herself is sometimes difficult. “Although [Wyatt is] my first concern, I’m trying to find ways to squeeze myself back in. I’ve really had to remind myself not to slide back into my old ways.”
One way that Sheryl continues to maintain clarity about her priorities is through daily meditation and prayer. “I’m always trying to enhance my spiritual life,” she says. “I feel the presence of God in me and around me all day long, and I try to tap into that.” Her regular prayer and spiritual dialogue serve to remind her of the gifts in her life, provide an opportunity to offer gratitude, and remind her of the lessons she learned through cancer. “I feel like my spiritual life has really deepened since [my diagnosis]; I feel I’m much more compassionate. Although I’ve always been a compassionate person, now it’s a posture instead of something I work at.”
And in case all this talk of parenthood and spirituality has left the impression that Sheryl the rock star has been swallowed up by motherhood and meditation, one need only look at her still-busy touring schedule to see that her new life has room for all her passions. When we talk she is recently back in Los Angeles (where she lives about half the time, when not on her farm in Nashville) after a touring stint that included performing the National Anthem at the 2009 All Star game in St. Louis, and she is planning a return to the recording studio. “It’s a compelling time to be an artist,” Sheryl says of her continued love of music and songwriting, “but I don’t feel that drive that I used to feel, and I think that’s healthy for me. Now it’s purely about the love of it and about the urgency of writing the truth.”
But writing the truth may not necessarily include writing about her cancer experience. Though she doesn’t rule out the possibility of including those experiences in her work, Sheryl has kept the two things separate up to this point. She kept a journal throughout her treatment, which she says was therapeutic, but she stayed away from songwriting. “I was really conscious of not going to my place of productivity to distract myself from holding the emotion that I really needed to learn how to hold,” Sheryl says.
And experiencing—and working through—all the emotions connected with her diagnosis and treatment was ultimately transformative. “A friend once told me that emotion is the gateway to awakening,” she says, “and I think there’s so much truth in that.” Now, with years and perspective since her diagnosis, she still writes about the experience but not necessarily with the intention of making it public. “Now I write without the intent of recording—and that makes it more enjoyable for me.”
Sheryl’s professional and personal life today exudes joy and balance; she moves forward from her cancer journey empowered and enriched, full of the love of her family and dedicated to showing her gratitude. To offer thanks for her own good prognosis and to acknowledge the many survivors still fighting the disease, she continues to work as an advocate in the cancer community. Most recently, she has become involved with Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), a grassroots fundraising and advocacy movement that aspires to revolutionize the way people think about cancer by funding interdisciplinary “Dream Teams” that will work to bring critical research advances to patients quickly. “They’re cutting right to the chase,” Sheryl says. “The possibility of seeing a cure in our lifetime is really exciting.” The work of groups like SU2C, Sheryl says, is critical. “Almost every day someone I know is diagnosed with cancer. It’s a reminder that it’s not going away.”
By remaining engaged in advocacy work, remembering the value of the lessons she has learned, and thriving in her fulfilling present, Sheryl honors her journey as a breast cancer survivor.
Food for Life
After her diagnosis and throughout her treatment and recovery, Sheryl paid special attention to her diet and to the role that nutrition plays in prevention and overall wellness. Today she remains committed to embracing food as an empowering tool for survivorship.
“So much of what we rely on for our bodies to excel is in the food we eat,” Sheryl says. “There’s so much merit in knowing the effect of various foods.” From her own experience, she knows that it’s not just about the food itself during treatment; it’s also about how making proactive choices can make you feel. “Part of the cancer experience is a sense of helplessness—the feeling like you’re at the disposal and at the whim of your medical treatment and that it’s something being done to you.” By making healthy choices about food, survivors can become actively involved in the process. “The sense that you’re a participant and that you have some role in your own recovery is so empowering,” Sheryl says.
Awareness of the vital role that healthy foods play in our lives is something that Sheryl hopes to pass along to Wyatt. “I’m conscientious about making sure that what he eats is organic and free of pesticides and herbicides and that he learns where food comes from.” To that end the family has a big organic garden at their Nashville home and raises their own chickens. Sheryl acknowledges that her choices are not available to everyone. Though organic food is widely available now, the price can be prohibitive for many families. To get around the cost, she encourages shopping at local farmers’ markets and growing organic produce at home—in a garden or in pots—and she looks forward to a time when eating organic, fresh food is an option for everyone.
Sheryl hopes that Wyatt will come to know the value of the lifestyle she embraces, and she is committed to instilling gratitude along with healthy habits. “Wyatt will be raised to say a prayer of gratitude before he eats anything, which is how I was raised,” she says. “I hope to raise him with the consciousness that we can grow our own food and that the earth really does sustain us. I hope he’ll grow up knowing what good health is and being active and able to correlate his good fortune with the Great Spirit.” It’s clear that Sheryl’s approach to physical nourishment, like so many aspects of her life, is formed by her knowledge of the inevitable connection of body and spirit.
Sheryl Crow reflects on the lessons of her cancer experience and shares the joy of her present life.
By Diana Price
Mentally shelve the nine Grammy Awards and the genuine rock-star status, and a conversation with Sheryl Crow is really like having a chat with another—very cool—mom. Our conversation, a follow-up to our original interview three years ago, is dominated by talk of parenting and new priorities, organic gardening and the value of spiritual practice, and—oh, yeah—cancer.
Now three years out from a diagnosis of Stage I breast cancer, a lumpectomy, and radiation, Sheryl says that life as a 47-year-old cancer-free rock-star mom is full and happy. And though she now sees her oncologist only once a year, she admits that her life is continually influenced by her status as a survivor. “I do think about it often,” she says. “I think that the cancer experience informed my life across the board: It reminded me of lessons I need to carry with me—like not to sweat the small stuff. It made me an easier-going person. It taught me how to let myself off the hook; I’m not nearly so self-critical.”
They are lessons, says Sheryl, that she wants to always remember. “I’ve kept my tattoos [from radiation therapy] to remind me of the experience and of the emotional growth that resulted from having gone through treatment. I think it serves to remind me of the lessons I learned. I reflect on them every day because they’re lessons that were answers to questions I had my whole life about how to put myself first and how to say no without the guilt of letting people down—and that’s a lesson that continues to be a process for me.”
The lesson of self-care has been especially relevant, Sheryl says, since the arrival of her son, Wyatt, two years ago. Now in the midst of what she laughingly calls “the terrifically challenging twos,” Wyatt is clearly his mom’s first priority. “He’s the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and my last thought before I fall asleep at night,” Sheryl says, her voice resonating with the obvious love and a palpable sense of contentment that have transformed her life in the past couple of years.
In addition to bringing her incredible joy, Sheryl says that motherhood has challenged her to remember the value of paying attention to her own needs. Finding time to exercise and carve out time for herself is sometimes difficult. “Although [Wyatt is] my first concern, I’m trying to find ways to squeeze myself back in. I’ve really had to remind myself not to slide back into my old ways.”
One way that Sheryl continues to maintain clarity about her priorities is through daily meditation and prayer. “I’m always trying to enhance my spiritual life,” she says. “I feel the presence of God in me and around me all day long, and I try to tap into that.” Her regular prayer and spiritual dialogue serve to remind her of the gifts in her life, provide an opportunity to offer gratitude, and remind her of the lessons she learned through cancer. “I feel like my spiritual life has really deepened since [my diagnosis]; I feel I’m much more compassionate. Although I’ve always been a compassionate person, now it’s a posture instead of something I work at.”
And in case all this talk of parenthood and spirituality has left the impression that Sheryl the rock star has been swallowed up by motherhood and meditation, one need only look at her still-busy touring schedule to see that her new life has room for all her passions. When we talk she is recently back in Los Angeles (where she lives about half the time, when not on her farm in Nashville) after a touring stint that included performing the National Anthem at the 2009 All Star game in St. Louis, and she is planning a return to the recording studio. “It’s a compelling time to be an artist,” Sheryl says of her continued love of music and songwriting, “but I don’t feel that drive that I used to feel, and I think that’s healthy for me. Now it’s purely about the love of it and about the urgency of writing the truth.”
But writing the truth may not necessarily include writing about her cancer experience. Though she doesn’t rule out the possibility of including those experiences in her work, Sheryl has kept the two things separate up to this point. She kept a journal throughout her treatment, which she says was therapeutic, but she stayed away from songwriting. “I was really conscious of not going to my place of productivity to distract myself from holding the emotion that I really needed to learn how to hold,” Sheryl says.
And experiencing—and working through—all the emotions connected with her diagnosis and treatment was ultimately transformative. “A friend once told me that emotion is the gateway to awakening,” she says, “and I think there’s so much truth in that.” Now, with years and perspective since her diagnosis, she still writes about the experience but not necessarily with the intention of making it public. “Now I write without the intent of recording—and that makes it more enjoyable for me.”
Sheryl’s professional and personal life today exudes joy and balance; she moves forward from her cancer journey empowered and enriched, full of the love of her family and dedicated to showing her gratitude. To offer thanks for her own good prognosis and to acknowledge the many survivors still fighting the disease, she continues to work as an advocate in the cancer community. Most recently, she has become involved with Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), a grassroots fundraising and advocacy movement that aspires to revolutionize the way people think about cancer by funding interdisciplinary “Dream Teams” that will work to bring critical research advances to patients quickly. “They’re cutting right to the chase,” Sheryl says. “The possibility of seeing a cure in our lifetime is really exciting.” The work of groups like SU2C, Sheryl says, is critical. “Almost every day someone I know is diagnosed with cancer. It’s a reminder that it’s not going away.”
By remaining engaged in advocacy work, remembering the value of the lessons she has learned, and thriving in her fulfilling present, Sheryl honors her journey as a breast cancer survivor.
Food for Life
After her diagnosis and throughout her treatment and recovery, Sheryl paid special attention to her diet and to the role that nutrition plays in prevention and overall wellness. Today she remains committed to embracing food as an empowering tool for survivorship.
“So much of what we rely on for our bodies to excel is in the food we eat,” Sheryl says. “There’s so much merit in knowing the effect of various foods.” From her own experience, she knows that it’s not just about the food itself during treatment; it’s also about how making proactive choices can make you feel. “Part of the cancer experience is a sense of helplessness—the feeling like you’re at the disposal and at the whim of your medical treatment and that it’s something being done to you.” By making healthy choices about food, survivors can become actively involved in the process. “The sense that you’re a participant and that you have some role in your own recovery is so empowering,” Sheryl says.
Awareness of the vital role that healthy foods play in our lives is something that Sheryl hopes to pass along to Wyatt. “I’m conscientious about making sure that what he eats is organic and free of pesticides and herbicides and that he learns where food comes from.” To that end the family has a big organic garden at their Nashville home and raises their own chickens. Sheryl acknowledges that her choices are not available to everyone. Though organic food is widely available now, the price can be prohibitive for many families. To get around the cost, she encourages shopping at local farmers’ markets and growing organic produce at home—in a garden or in pots—and she looks forward to a time when eating organic, fresh food is an option for everyone.
Sheryl hopes that Wyatt will come to know the value of the lifestyle she embraces, and she is committed to instilling gratitude along with healthy habits. “Wyatt will be raised to say a prayer of gratitude before he eats anything, which is how I was raised,” she says. “I hope to raise him with the consciousness that we can grow our own food and that the earth really does sustain us. I hope he’ll grow up knowing what good health is and being active and able to correlate his good fortune with the Great Spirit.” It’s clear that Sheryl’s approach to physical nourishment, like so many aspects of her life, is formed by her knowledge of the inevitable connection of body and spirit.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance: Get involved. Mark Your Calendars!
Junior Committee Gala
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New York City
www.ovariancancer.org/juniorcommittee
The Junior Committee's Annual Gala will be held on Wednesday, April 14th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $50 in advance; $55 at the door. Tickets include open bar, music, gift bags and an opportunity to participate in the silent auction. Silent auction items include Broadway tickets, Saturday Night Live tickets, Weekend Getaways and much more.
The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance's Junior Committee is a group of young professionals working to support the mission of the organization through fundraising events, volunteerism and outreach. Join them for a night out in NYC!
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click here.
____________________________________________________
EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women
Saturday, May 1, 2010
New York City
www.ovariancancer.org/revlonrun
On Saturday, May 1st, our Team #136 will be participating in the 13th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women. If you can't join us in the walk, you can join us in the fight by making a pledge or donation on behalf of one of our team members. Your pledge will help fund important research into the cause and cure of women's cancers, prevention, education and support service programs. Every pledge will help bring us one step closer to a cure.
To register or pledge, visit www.ovariancancer.org/revlonrun
Save A Life, Make A Pledge. Sign up today!
____________________________________________________
2010 Ovarian Cancer National Alliance's
Power is Teal Conference
Saturday, July 10 - Tuesday, July 13
Washington, DC
www.ovariancancer.org/conference/2010
The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance's Power is Teal Conference is the national epicenter for researchers, clinicians, survivors and friends to come together and learn about how to improve diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer.
This is the one time a year we can all get together ... don't miss out.
Registration Now Open
To view the full agenda, click here.
____________________________________________________
National Wear TEAL Day!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Nationwide
September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. TEAL is the ovarian cancer community's color. Please join us the first Friday in September by wearng TEAL in your own local community in an effort to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and support the work of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New York City
www.ovariancancer.org/juniorcommittee
The Junior Committee's Annual Gala will be held on Wednesday, April 14th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $50 in advance; $55 at the door. Tickets include open bar, music, gift bags and an opportunity to participate in the silent auction. Silent auction items include Broadway tickets, Saturday Night Live tickets, Weekend Getaways and much more.
The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance's Junior Committee is a group of young professionals working to support the mission of the organization through fundraising events, volunteerism and outreach. Join them for a night out in NYC!
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click here.
____________________________________________________
EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women
Saturday, May 1, 2010
New York City
www.ovariancancer.org/revlonrun
On Saturday, May 1st, our Team #136 will be participating in the 13th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women. If you can't join us in the walk, you can join us in the fight by making a pledge or donation on behalf of one of our team members. Your pledge will help fund important research into the cause and cure of women's cancers, prevention, education and support service programs. Every pledge will help bring us one step closer to a cure.
To register or pledge, visit www.ovariancancer.org/revlonrun
Save A Life, Make A Pledge. Sign up today!
____________________________________________________
2010 Ovarian Cancer National Alliance's
Power is Teal Conference
Saturday, July 10 - Tuesday, July 13
Washington, DC
www.ovariancancer.org/conference/2010
The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance's Power is Teal Conference is the national epicenter for researchers, clinicians, survivors and friends to come together and learn about how to improve diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer.
This is the one time a year we can all get together ... don't miss out.
Registration Now Open
To view the full agenda, click here.
____________________________________________________
National Wear TEAL Day!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Nationwide
September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. TEAL is the ovarian cancer community's color. Please join us the first Friday in September by wearng TEAL in your own local community in an effort to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and support the work of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
P.S. 204 Boy’s Sneakers Put To Use For Cancer Cure
By Paula Katinas; March 18 – march 24, 2010. HOME REPORTER AND SUNSET NEWS, Page 14
In Many ways, Philip Ioannou is a typical 11-year-old. A budding athlete, he plays soccer and basketball and practical karate. He won first prize in his school’s science fair and dreams of becoming a doctor when he grows up.
But Philip isn’t your average kid. Your average 11-year-old doesn’t raise hundreds of dollars for cancer research, as Philip has done.
Philip, a fifth grader at P.S. 204, has single-handedly raised more than $250 for research into cancers that affect women.
Philip said he is well aware of the devastation cancer inflicts on families.
“A few people had cancer in my family. Both my grandfathers died from cancer,” he said during an interview in the offices of the Home Reporter and Sunset News last week.
Philip is also putting his sneakers to use in the fight against cancer.
He plans to take part in the annual Revlon 5K Run/Walk for Women in Central Park on May 1, as part of a team organized by his mom, Kathy Ioannou, who works at Morgan Stanley.
Thousands of participants are expected to take part in the 5K Run/Walk. Many of the participants organize themselves into teams and run or walk the route together. Revlon, the cosmetics giant, has been sponsoring the event for several years.
Philip is the youngest of the Morgan Stanley team’s 40 members.
“I’m very proud of him,” said Kathy Ioannou. “A lot of kids his age are interested primarily in video games or playing on the computer. He’s doing something for other people.”
The Morgan Stanley team has raised more than $3,000 to be donated to cancer research.
Kathy Ioannou said her company has pledged to match at least a portion of the sum raised by her team.
Philip didn’t wait until May 1 to begin his fundraising work.
The media-savvy youngster has a page on Facebook and has sent out hundreds of fliers seeking donations. He has also visited dozens of local stores to ask merchants to post his flier in their store windows.
He also requested donations from his teachers and has asked his classmates at P.S. 204 to give up some of their lunch money.
The response has been positive, he said.
Philip has far surpassed his original fundraising goal of $100.
Philip is looking forward to doing a lot of walking on May 1. “My mom, sister, and cousin took part in it last year. I talked to them about it,” he said.
When he’s not busy raising money for cancer research, or doing his homework, Philip enjoys sports.
Basketball, soccer, and karate are his main sports. “I like to do a lot of different things,” he said.
Philip also has an inventive streak. He won first prize in P.S. 204 Science Fair for his project: a water-powered car.
That wasn’t the only time Philip has won a prize.
He won a coloring contest sponsored by this newspaper three years ago, at age 8, and was awarded a new bicycle.
Philip wants to become a doctor someday.
Anyone interested in making a donation to the cancer cure walk in Philip’s name can visit www.revlonrunwalk.com and follow the link to “Sponsor a participant online.” There, enter Philip’s code, Bib 1736. That way, Philip will be credited with garnering a donation.
In Many ways, Philip Ioannou is a typical 11-year-old. A budding athlete, he plays soccer and basketball and practical karate. He won first prize in his school’s science fair and dreams of becoming a doctor when he grows up.
But Philip isn’t your average kid. Your average 11-year-old doesn’t raise hundreds of dollars for cancer research, as Philip has done.
Philip, a fifth grader at P.S. 204, has single-handedly raised more than $250 for research into cancers that affect women.
Philip said he is well aware of the devastation cancer inflicts on families.
“A few people had cancer in my family. Both my grandfathers died from cancer,” he said during an interview in the offices of the Home Reporter and Sunset News last week.
Philip is also putting his sneakers to use in the fight against cancer.
He plans to take part in the annual Revlon 5K Run/Walk for Women in Central Park on May 1, as part of a team organized by his mom, Kathy Ioannou, who works at Morgan Stanley.
Thousands of participants are expected to take part in the 5K Run/Walk. Many of the participants organize themselves into teams and run or walk the route together. Revlon, the cosmetics giant, has been sponsoring the event for several years.
Philip is the youngest of the Morgan Stanley team’s 40 members.
“I’m very proud of him,” said Kathy Ioannou. “A lot of kids his age are interested primarily in video games or playing on the computer. He’s doing something for other people.”
The Morgan Stanley team has raised more than $3,000 to be donated to cancer research.
Kathy Ioannou said her company has pledged to match at least a portion of the sum raised by her team.
Philip didn’t wait until May 1 to begin his fundraising work.
The media-savvy youngster has a page on Facebook and has sent out hundreds of fliers seeking donations. He has also visited dozens of local stores to ask merchants to post his flier in their store windows.
He also requested donations from his teachers and has asked his classmates at P.S. 204 to give up some of their lunch money.
The response has been positive, he said.
Philip has far surpassed his original fundraising goal of $100.
Philip is looking forward to doing a lot of walking on May 1. “My mom, sister, and cousin took part in it last year. I talked to them about it,” he said.
When he’s not busy raising money for cancer research, or doing his homework, Philip enjoys sports.
Basketball, soccer, and karate are his main sports. “I like to do a lot of different things,” he said.
Philip also has an inventive streak. He won first prize in P.S. 204 Science Fair for his project: a water-powered car.
That wasn’t the only time Philip has won a prize.
He won a coloring contest sponsored by this newspaper three years ago, at age 8, and was awarded a new bicycle.
Philip wants to become a doctor someday.
Anyone interested in making a donation to the cancer cure walk in Philip’s name can visit www.revlonrunwalk.com and follow the link to “Sponsor a participant online.” There, enter Philip’s code, Bib 1736. That way, Philip will be credited with garnering a donation.
Friday, March 12, 2010
NCCS Survivorship Newsletter - March 2010
Sign Up for a Free Survivorship Teleconference Series
The Eighth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through, and Beyond Cancer kicks off next month!
Whether you’re in treatment for cancer now, went through it years ago, or are caring for someone with cancer, you are a cancer survivor. These free telephone workshops can help you deal with some of the issues that affect cancer survivors, and empower you to take charge of difficult situations.
_______________________________________________
NCCS Joins the Commission on Cancer
NCCS has accepted an invitation to join the Commission on Cancer to improve the quality of care and services received by cancer patients.
_______________________________________________
NCCS 2010 Spring Calendar
Check out some of our upcoming events:
• Celebrate survivorship at the annual NCCS Rays of HopeTM Gala, April 28
• Join team NCCS at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York City on May 1
• Get involved in Breakaway from Cancer® with two "Breakaway Rides" in April and the Amgen Tour of California, May 16 - 23
• Register for the Oncology on CanvasSM: Expressions of a Cancer Journey Art Competition, now through June 10
_______________________________________________
A Survivor Like You
When 10-year cancer survivor Suzanne Lindley had a chance to address members of Congress, she told them "If just one physician had written a care plan with options for my treatment, it would have prepared me for the next steps." Her next steps were scary, confusing, and frustrating – marked by poor communication and a lot of surprise.
_______________________________________________
Don't Miss Out - Apply for FREE Advocacy Training by April 2!
Take advantage of an amazing opportunity to learn all about cancer advocacy at the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund’s 2010 Advocacy Training Conference.
This year NCCS is pleased to announce a scholarship program for qualified advocates to attend this conference, held in Washington, D.C., May 22 - 25, 2010.
The Eighth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through, and Beyond Cancer kicks off next month!
Whether you’re in treatment for cancer now, went through it years ago, or are caring for someone with cancer, you are a cancer survivor. These free telephone workshops can help you deal with some of the issues that affect cancer survivors, and empower you to take charge of difficult situations.
_______________________________________________
NCCS Joins the Commission on Cancer
NCCS has accepted an invitation to join the Commission on Cancer to improve the quality of care and services received by cancer patients.
_______________________________________________
NCCS 2010 Spring Calendar
Check out some of our upcoming events:
• Celebrate survivorship at the annual NCCS Rays of HopeTM Gala, April 28
• Join team NCCS at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York City on May 1
• Get involved in Breakaway from Cancer® with two "Breakaway Rides" in April and the Amgen Tour of California, May 16 - 23
• Register for the Oncology on CanvasSM: Expressions of a Cancer Journey Art Competition, now through June 10
_______________________________________________
A Survivor Like You
When 10-year cancer survivor Suzanne Lindley had a chance to address members of Congress, she told them "If just one physician had written a care plan with options for my treatment, it would have prepared me for the next steps." Her next steps were scary, confusing, and frustrating – marked by poor communication and a lot of surprise.
_______________________________________________
Don't Miss Out - Apply for FREE Advocacy Training by April 2!
Take advantage of an amazing opportunity to learn all about cancer advocacy at the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund’s 2010 Advocacy Training Conference.
This year NCCS is pleased to announce a scholarship program for qualified advocates to attend this conference, held in Washington, D.C., May 22 - 25, 2010.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance March Newsletter!
The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance welcomes two new members to our team – Andrea Glazer and Madiha Khan.
Andrea Glazer comes to us from the Jewish Council for the Aging where she served as Director of Development. In charge of annual giving, she was responsible for developing direct mail campaigns, researching and writing grant proposals, finding ways to fund research, identifying major donors and managing the donor recognition process. Andrea will join us as the Vice President for Development.
Madiha Khan previously served as the Communications and Events intern for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance in the summer of 2008. She then joined KAI Research where she managed and monitored database systems, particularly for the National Institute of Health. Madiha is currently studying for the MCAT in pursuit of becoming a gynecologic oncologist. We are happy to have her back as the Senior Development Associate.
Join us in welcoming both Andrea and Madiha!
From the Policy Department
Action Alert
We urgently need scientists to continue searching for new treatments and screening methods for ovarian cancer. However, this work cannot continue if Congress cuts funding for ovarian cancer research. If we don’t speak up, our Elected Officials will assume that their constituents do not care if ovarian cancer research funding is cut and the money is spent to fund other federal projects. We need to raise our voices and tell our Elected Officials to support ovarian cancer research that is so important to us! Now is the time to e-mail your Representative to tell them to sign a “Dear Colleague” letter that has just been released in the House of Representatives. The letter requests $30 million in funding to the Department of Defense’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) in 2011.
Take action now to help increase funding for ovarian cancer research.
Has your Representative signed on yet?
Click here to view the full list – updated daily.
Health Reform Update
While both Houses of Congress have passed health reform bills, there is no final proposal or definitive plan of action to enact a health reform law at this time. The House and Senate bills are different, which means neither can be enacted into law without further action.
In order to bridge the gaps between the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Republican party, the President held a bipartisan meeting on health reform on February 25th. Leadership from the House of Representatives and the Senate were invited to discuss the concerns about the current health reform proposals and potential new proposals.
The President opened the summit with the following remarks:
My mother, who was self-employed, didn’t have reliable health care, and she died of ovarian cancer. And there’s probably nothing that modern medicine could have done about that.
It was caught late and that’s a hard cancer to diagnose, but I do remember the last six months of her life, insurance companies threatening that they would not reimburse her for her costs and her having to be on the phone in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies when what she should have been doing is spending time with her family. I do remember that.
To read the full article, click here.
What’s New?
Our 2009 Annual Report
We are delighted to present to you the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance’s Annual Report for 2009. The Report outlines our many accomplishments, made possible because of your interest in, and commitment to the organization. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Click here to check it out and print your copy today.
Survivors Teaching Students Program reaches 81
The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance’s Survivors Teaching Students (STS) program has impacted the landscape of medical, nursing and physician’s assistants schools nationwide. Although, there is not yet a screening tool for ovarian cancer, the STS program educates medical professionals about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, so that more women will be diagnosed sooner.
The STS program is now incorporated in 81 medical schools and 35 nursing and physician’s assistants schools across the country.
For more information about this program, click here.
Upcoming Events
2010 Revlon Run/Walk May 1, 2010 New York City, New York
Registration is now open!
Register today at www.ovariancancer.org/revlonrun
13 Annual Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Conference
July 10-12, 2010
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
July 13, 2010
Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
Wear TEAL Day!
Friday, September 3, 2010
*first Friday in September
Update
Last week, we issued a news announcement in regards to the Avastin trial. Please visit the link below for clarification regarding this study.
www.ovariancancer.org/2010/03/01/news-announcement-avastin-trial/
Andrea Glazer comes to us from the Jewish Council for the Aging where she served as Director of Development. In charge of annual giving, she was responsible for developing direct mail campaigns, researching and writing grant proposals, finding ways to fund research, identifying major donors and managing the donor recognition process. Andrea will join us as the Vice President for Development.
Madiha Khan previously served as the Communications and Events intern for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance in the summer of 2008. She then joined KAI Research where she managed and monitored database systems, particularly for the National Institute of Health. Madiha is currently studying for the MCAT in pursuit of becoming a gynecologic oncologist. We are happy to have her back as the Senior Development Associate.
Join us in welcoming both Andrea and Madiha!
From the Policy Department
Action Alert
We urgently need scientists to continue searching for new treatments and screening methods for ovarian cancer. However, this work cannot continue if Congress cuts funding for ovarian cancer research. If we don’t speak up, our Elected Officials will assume that their constituents do not care if ovarian cancer research funding is cut and the money is spent to fund other federal projects. We need to raise our voices and tell our Elected Officials to support ovarian cancer research that is so important to us! Now is the time to e-mail your Representative to tell them to sign a “Dear Colleague” letter that has just been released in the House of Representatives. The letter requests $30 million in funding to the Department of Defense’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) in 2011.
Take action now to help increase funding for ovarian cancer research.
Has your Representative signed on yet?
Click here to view the full list – updated daily.
Health Reform Update
While both Houses of Congress have passed health reform bills, there is no final proposal or definitive plan of action to enact a health reform law at this time. The House and Senate bills are different, which means neither can be enacted into law without further action.
In order to bridge the gaps between the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Republican party, the President held a bipartisan meeting on health reform on February 25th. Leadership from the House of Representatives and the Senate were invited to discuss the concerns about the current health reform proposals and potential new proposals.
The President opened the summit with the following remarks:
My mother, who was self-employed, didn’t have reliable health care, and she died of ovarian cancer. And there’s probably nothing that modern medicine could have done about that.
It was caught late and that’s a hard cancer to diagnose, but I do remember the last six months of her life, insurance companies threatening that they would not reimburse her for her costs and her having to be on the phone in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies when what she should have been doing is spending time with her family. I do remember that.
To read the full article, click here.
What’s New?
Our 2009 Annual Report
We are delighted to present to you the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance’s Annual Report for 2009. The Report outlines our many accomplishments, made possible because of your interest in, and commitment to the organization. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Click here to check it out and print your copy today.
Survivors Teaching Students Program reaches 81
The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance’s Survivors Teaching Students (STS) program has impacted the landscape of medical, nursing and physician’s assistants schools nationwide. Although, there is not yet a screening tool for ovarian cancer, the STS program educates medical professionals about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, so that more women will be diagnosed sooner.
The STS program is now incorporated in 81 medical schools and 35 nursing and physician’s assistants schools across the country.
For more information about this program, click here.
Upcoming Events
2010 Revlon Run/Walk May 1, 2010 New York City, New York
Registration is now open!
Register today at www.ovariancancer.org/revlonrun
13 Annual Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Conference
July 10-12, 2010
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
July 13, 2010
Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
Wear TEAL Day!
Friday, September 3, 2010
*first Friday in September
Update
Last week, we issued a news announcement in regards to the Avastin trial. Please visit the link below for clarification regarding this study.
www.ovariancancer.org/2010/03/01/news-announcement-avastin-trial/
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: The post-treatment resource program
“Mom, will I get breast cancer too?”
Initiating Conversations Between Mothers and Daughters About Breast Cancer
David W. Kissane, Attending Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | Karen Hurley, PhD, Assistant Attending, Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | Mark Robson, MD, Clinic Director, Clinical Genetics Service | Sherry Boyar, CGC, Clinical Genetics Service
A panel of experts will discuss how mothers with breast cancer and their adolescent/young adult daughters can better communicate about complex issues. Discussion will also focus on recommendations for surveillance, risks and benefits of hormone therapy, timing of genetic testing, what families can do with new and often confusing information, and how to best explore ongoing options. Registration is necessary — please call 646.888.4740.
Please bring your daughters! Come together and begin to discuss key issues for the future of young women.
Wednesday, April 28
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
William Paul Hoffman Auditorium
(between 67th & 68th Streets)
Initiating Conversations Between Mothers and Daughters About Breast Cancer
David W. Kissane, Attending Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | Karen Hurley, PhD, Assistant Attending, Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | Mark Robson, MD, Clinic Director, Clinical Genetics Service | Sherry Boyar, CGC, Clinical Genetics Service
A panel of experts will discuss how mothers with breast cancer and their adolescent/young adult daughters can better communicate about complex issues. Discussion will also focus on recommendations for surveillance, risks and benefits of hormone therapy, timing of genetic testing, what families can do with new and often confusing information, and how to best explore ongoing options. Registration is necessary — please call 646.888.4740.
Please bring your daughters! Come together and begin to discuss key issues for the future of young women.
Wednesday, April 28
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
William Paul Hoffman Auditorium
(between 67th & 68th Streets)
Friday, February 19, 2010
How to Live Well Beyond Breast Cancer
By TARA PARKER-POPE
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/how-to-live-well-beyond-breast-cancer/
Most books about breast cancer are focused on a woman’s immediate crisis, helping them learn more about the disease and make urgent treatment decisions. But what happens to women after all the decisions are made, the treatment is finished and life is supposed to go back to normal?
The American Cancer Society estimates there are some 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, and for most of them, life never goes back to what it used to be, said Dr. Marisa C. Weiss, a breast oncologist and founder of the nonprofit information Web site BreastCancer.org.
Dr. Weiss is the co-author of a new book, “Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer: A Survivor’s Guide for When Treatment Ends and the Rest of Your Life Begins.’’ The book, written with her mother, Ellen Weiss, was originally published in 1998 as “Living Beyond Breast Cancer.” The updated version reflects not only the dramatic changes in breast cancer treatment and advice over the past 12 years but also addresses a range of issues now more commonly faced by women after treatment, like “chemo” brain and sleep problems. In addition, the book reflects the personal experience of Ellen Weiss, who learned she had breast cancer five years ago. Dr. Weiss said her mother was doing well and “was able to provide deeper and more useful insights into the experience of surviving breast cancer.”
For the Friday “Well Bookshelf” series, I recently spoke to Dr. Weiss about her new book and why women need more information about life after breast cancer. Here is our conversation.
Q.
There are so many books now about breast cancer. Why did you decide to write this book?
A.
More and more women are surviving breast cancer because of advances in early detection and treatment. They want to know how to move on with their lives. The whole point of diagnosing breast cancer and treating it effectively, it’s not to give treatment. It’s to give them back a life worth living that’s meaningful, that’s fun, where they’re contributing. We want to make sure that women have all the information they need to get past their treatment, move on with their lives and overcome or manage a lot of the lingering issues.
Q.
People often talk about getting back to “normal” life. Is that possible after breast cancer?
A.
It used to be when we talked about women getting past breast cancer, we talked about how long would it be to return to normal. They never go back to where they were. Their lives are transformed by this experience. What’s realistic is they get to a new normal. Life won’t look the same as it did, but with time they can reestablish a sense of normalcy and feel much more like themselves again.
Q.
Why did you change the title to “Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer”?
A.
Because people don’t want to just be living beyond breast cancer. They don’t need to just live. They want to live well. And they want to live well beyond this disease. When the C.D.C. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) issue survivorship data, they usually give five year survivorship. Women are like: “Five years? Tell me my chance of living 10 years, 15 years, 25 years.” They say, “I have a 5-year-old kid. I want to see her walk down the aisle 20 years from now.”
Q.
Does this book have treatment advice for a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer?
A.
The book picks up where your primary treatment drops off. After surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, that’s where women start to ask themselves: When this is over, what do I do next? Do I ever see these doctors again? How do I move beyond it? There are a lot of treatments ongoing. Hormonal therapy like tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, those go on for five years. Herceptin goes on for a full year. For anybody who is living with metastatic disease, they are on continuous treatment. So we have information in the book about ongoing therapies.
Q.
What’s one of the most common questions women ask after breast cancer treatment ends?
A.
One thing women don’t anticipate is that at the end of treatment, instead of feeling jubilant and completely relieved and happy, they often feel depressed and anxious and worried and isolated. They were in this continuous whirlwind tour of the medical system, and then all of a sudden they are abandoned and there is separation anxiety when they no longer see their doctors on a regular basis for treatment. Everybody expects they will get back to normal right away and go back to a full time job, go back to their prior expectations and performance. That’s not always realistic. There is a reality check of being different than you were and not having active sympathy since treatment is over.
Q.
What are some of the other common experiences of women after breast cancer treatment?
A.
Another big side effect is fatigue. There are hot flashes from premature menopause and side effects of ongoing hormonal therapies. Another one is difficulty with cognition. People call it “chemo” brain or mind fog – that’s also a big issue. Difficulty sleeping. Waking up with anxiety, hot flashes, restlessness – you no longer feel as rested during the day. And especially for any young woman who goes through this, they also struggle with body image issues.
Q.
Did you talk about “chemo” brain in the first edition of the book?
A.
There was some information, but it was really small. We know now that women really suffer from not being able to perform as well as they used to. More women get chemotherapy and are taking ongoing therapies. These things can affect their cognitive ability and ability to multitask. A woman today is on the cellphone, the BlackBerry, on the computer, kids are calling her and she’s meeting a deadline for work. The need to multitask constantly is so much more today than it used to be. It’s not a surprise that this issue should be much bigger today than it was even 12 years go.
Q.
Do you ever hear from women who say that the new normal after breast cancer is better than the old normal before their diagnosis?
A.
Many people have transformational experiences where they feel like: “I know what really matters to me. My priorities have been reordered. I know who my friends are, I know who I want to spend time with. I’m going to make sure I travel more.’’ They realize how precious life is and that life is your greatest gift. The whole reason you subject yourself to chemo, radiation, surgery and all this rough stuff is to get back to a life you find worth living. On the other side, people say, “I’ve worked hard to get to this point, I’m not going to take anything for granted.” I hear a lot of times women say: “My life is better than it ever was before. My relationship is stronger with my husband,” or “I’m getting out of a dysfunctional relationship.’’
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/how-to-live-well-beyond-breast-cancer/
Most books about breast cancer are focused on a woman’s immediate crisis, helping them learn more about the disease and make urgent treatment decisions. But what happens to women after all the decisions are made, the treatment is finished and life is supposed to go back to normal?
The American Cancer Society estimates there are some 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, and for most of them, life never goes back to what it used to be, said Dr. Marisa C. Weiss, a breast oncologist and founder of the nonprofit information Web site BreastCancer.org.
Dr. Weiss is the co-author of a new book, “Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer: A Survivor’s Guide for When Treatment Ends and the Rest of Your Life Begins.’’ The book, written with her mother, Ellen Weiss, was originally published in 1998 as “Living Beyond Breast Cancer.” The updated version reflects not only the dramatic changes in breast cancer treatment and advice over the past 12 years but also addresses a range of issues now more commonly faced by women after treatment, like “chemo” brain and sleep problems. In addition, the book reflects the personal experience of Ellen Weiss, who learned she had breast cancer five years ago. Dr. Weiss said her mother was doing well and “was able to provide deeper and more useful insights into the experience of surviving breast cancer.”
For the Friday “Well Bookshelf” series, I recently spoke to Dr. Weiss about her new book and why women need more information about life after breast cancer. Here is our conversation.
Q.
There are so many books now about breast cancer. Why did you decide to write this book?
A.
More and more women are surviving breast cancer because of advances in early detection and treatment. They want to know how to move on with their lives. The whole point of diagnosing breast cancer and treating it effectively, it’s not to give treatment. It’s to give them back a life worth living that’s meaningful, that’s fun, where they’re contributing. We want to make sure that women have all the information they need to get past their treatment, move on with their lives and overcome or manage a lot of the lingering issues.
Q.
People often talk about getting back to “normal” life. Is that possible after breast cancer?
A.
It used to be when we talked about women getting past breast cancer, we talked about how long would it be to return to normal. They never go back to where they were. Their lives are transformed by this experience. What’s realistic is they get to a new normal. Life won’t look the same as it did, but with time they can reestablish a sense of normalcy and feel much more like themselves again.
Q.
Why did you change the title to “Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer”?
A.
Because people don’t want to just be living beyond breast cancer. They don’t need to just live. They want to live well. And they want to live well beyond this disease. When the C.D.C. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) issue survivorship data, they usually give five year survivorship. Women are like: “Five years? Tell me my chance of living 10 years, 15 years, 25 years.” They say, “I have a 5-year-old kid. I want to see her walk down the aisle 20 years from now.”
Q.
Does this book have treatment advice for a woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer?
A.
The book picks up where your primary treatment drops off. After surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, that’s where women start to ask themselves: When this is over, what do I do next? Do I ever see these doctors again? How do I move beyond it? There are a lot of treatments ongoing. Hormonal therapy like tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, those go on for five years. Herceptin goes on for a full year. For anybody who is living with metastatic disease, they are on continuous treatment. So we have information in the book about ongoing therapies.
Q.
What’s one of the most common questions women ask after breast cancer treatment ends?
A.
One thing women don’t anticipate is that at the end of treatment, instead of feeling jubilant and completely relieved and happy, they often feel depressed and anxious and worried and isolated. They were in this continuous whirlwind tour of the medical system, and then all of a sudden they are abandoned and there is separation anxiety when they no longer see their doctors on a regular basis for treatment. Everybody expects they will get back to normal right away and go back to a full time job, go back to their prior expectations and performance. That’s not always realistic. There is a reality check of being different than you were and not having active sympathy since treatment is over.
Q.
What are some of the other common experiences of women after breast cancer treatment?
A.
Another big side effect is fatigue. There are hot flashes from premature menopause and side effects of ongoing hormonal therapies. Another one is difficulty with cognition. People call it “chemo” brain or mind fog – that’s also a big issue. Difficulty sleeping. Waking up with anxiety, hot flashes, restlessness – you no longer feel as rested during the day. And especially for any young woman who goes through this, they also struggle with body image issues.
Q.
Did you talk about “chemo” brain in the first edition of the book?
A.
There was some information, but it was really small. We know now that women really suffer from not being able to perform as well as they used to. More women get chemotherapy and are taking ongoing therapies. These things can affect their cognitive ability and ability to multitask. A woman today is on the cellphone, the BlackBerry, on the computer, kids are calling her and she’s meeting a deadline for work. The need to multitask constantly is so much more today than it used to be. It’s not a surprise that this issue should be much bigger today than it was even 12 years go.
Q.
Do you ever hear from women who say that the new normal after breast cancer is better than the old normal before their diagnosis?
A.
Many people have transformational experiences where they feel like: “I know what really matters to me. My priorities have been reordered. I know who my friends are, I know who I want to spend time with. I’m going to make sure I travel more.’’ They realize how precious life is and that life is your greatest gift. The whole reason you subject yourself to chemo, radiation, surgery and all this rough stuff is to get back to a life you find worth living. On the other side, people say, “I’ve worked hard to get to this point, I’m not going to take anything for granted.” I hear a lot of times women say: “My life is better than it ever was before. My relationship is stronger with my husband,” or “I’m getting out of a dysfunctional relationship.’’
Monday, February 8, 2010
Few Women Take Tamoxifen to Prevent Breast Cancer
ScienceDaily.com (Feb. 8, 2010) — Researchers with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have found that the prevalence of tamoxifen use for the prevention of breast cancer among women without a personal history of breast cancer is very low.
Tamoxifen can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in women who are at increased risk for developing the disease. Details of this survey are published in the February issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The low prevalence of tamoxifen use may stem from various sources, which were not investigated in this study, according to the study's coauthor Andrew N. Freedman, Ph.D., chief of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI.
However, he stressed that "counseling individual women about using tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer must include a patient's discussion with her physician about the drug's risks and benefits, as well as consideration of the patient's personal values, preferences, lifestyle and specific medical situation."
Lead author of this study Erika A. Waters, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues at the NCI wanted to gain an understanding of how many women aged 40 to 79 years were taking tamoxifen for the prevention of breast cancer. They answered this question using data from the National Health Interview Surveys from years 2000 and 2005, which are nationwide surveys designed to be representative of the entire United States. The surveys included more than 10,000 women for each year.
"Our results indicated that very few women were using tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer," said Waters. "However, we don't know exactly why."
The researchers found that the prevalence of tamoxifen use in this survey population was very low -- 0.2 percent in 2000 and 0.08 percent in 2005. The difference between the two years was not statistically meaningful, according to the researchers.
Freedman and Waters speculated that the drug's low uptake may be linked to many factors including the fact that tamoxifen is associated with several side effects.
These side effects include hot flashes, sexual problems, uterine cancer, blood clots and cataracts. Other possible explanations that the researchers gave for the low uptake may be that physicians are unaware of the drug's availability, physicians are reluctant to prescribe it, patients are reluctant to take it, there is a lack of patient or physician education about the drug, or skepticism about whether the benefits outweigh the risks. It could also be that physicians and patients are, in fact, very educated and are making very informed decisions, according to the researchers.
"The decision to use a drug like tamoxifen in women at high-risk for, but who do not yet have a diagnosis of breast cancer is not easy. It is dependent upon the woman's personal choice, which can be influenced by many factors, not just her medical eligibility. There is no right answer," said Waters, who at the time of the study was a fellow in the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Center for Cancer Training, NCI.
Susan Gapstur, Ph.D., M.P.H., vice president of epidemiology, American Cancer Society, and editorial board member of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, said that "overall, these results provide an important snapshot of the very low uptake of tamoxifen for cancer prevention."
"Although the researchers speculate on a number of possible explanations, it remains unclear to what extent the low uptake might be attributed to physician reluctance to prescribe tamoxifen and/or patient reluctance to take it," said Gapstur.
Tamoxifen can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in women who are at increased risk for developing the disease. Details of this survey are published in the February issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The low prevalence of tamoxifen use may stem from various sources, which were not investigated in this study, according to the study's coauthor Andrew N. Freedman, Ph.D., chief of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI.
However, he stressed that "counseling individual women about using tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer must include a patient's discussion with her physician about the drug's risks and benefits, as well as consideration of the patient's personal values, preferences, lifestyle and specific medical situation."
Lead author of this study Erika A. Waters, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues at the NCI wanted to gain an understanding of how many women aged 40 to 79 years were taking tamoxifen for the prevention of breast cancer. They answered this question using data from the National Health Interview Surveys from years 2000 and 2005, which are nationwide surveys designed to be representative of the entire United States. The surveys included more than 10,000 women for each year.
"Our results indicated that very few women were using tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer," said Waters. "However, we don't know exactly why."
The researchers found that the prevalence of tamoxifen use in this survey population was very low -- 0.2 percent in 2000 and 0.08 percent in 2005. The difference between the two years was not statistically meaningful, according to the researchers.
Freedman and Waters speculated that the drug's low uptake may be linked to many factors including the fact that tamoxifen is associated with several side effects.
These side effects include hot flashes, sexual problems, uterine cancer, blood clots and cataracts. Other possible explanations that the researchers gave for the low uptake may be that physicians are unaware of the drug's availability, physicians are reluctant to prescribe it, patients are reluctant to take it, there is a lack of patient or physician education about the drug, or skepticism about whether the benefits outweigh the risks. It could also be that physicians and patients are, in fact, very educated and are making very informed decisions, according to the researchers.
"The decision to use a drug like tamoxifen in women at high-risk for, but who do not yet have a diagnosis of breast cancer is not easy. It is dependent upon the woman's personal choice, which can be influenced by many factors, not just her medical eligibility. There is no right answer," said Waters, who at the time of the study was a fellow in the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Center for Cancer Training, NCI.
Susan Gapstur, Ph.D., M.P.H., vice president of epidemiology, American Cancer Society, and editorial board member of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, said that "overall, these results provide an important snapshot of the very low uptake of tamoxifen for cancer prevention."
"Although the researchers speculate on a number of possible explanations, it remains unclear to what extent the low uptake might be attributed to physician reluctance to prescribe tamoxifen and/or patient reluctance to take it," said Gapstur.
Friday, October 16, 2009
October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
| October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
| |||
|
Friday, April 10, 2009
Challenge Your Friends on ibeatyou.com!
Visit: http://www.ibeatyou.com/event/revlonrunwalk You can challenge all of your friends to see who can raise the most money for the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women! In order to support the cause, Jessica Alba, Entertainment Industry Foundation and REVLON want to see you compete in the special competitions and support your ibeatyou EIF REVLON team by donating whatever you can. Top three winners in each competition will receive a REVLON Prize Pack (1st prize valued at $500)! See you there!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
Join Team NCCS in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women
Get your walking shoes on, do a few stretches, and gather your family and best friends - cancer survivors need you! Join the NCCS team and pound the pavement to honor and celebrate people affected by cancer. On Saturday, May 2, thousands of people will come together in
It’s all hands on deck in
Volunteer: This is a huge event and we need people to support the team of runners and walkers. Help us staff our booth, pass out water, sign in participants, meet survivors, and celebrate survivorship. Volunteers can run/walk, too. Be sure to indicate team #3562 for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship on your volunteer registration form. Sign up now >>
Participate: Gather your supporters and run/walk (even crawl, it’s not a race) to raise money for the cause. You do the walk and we’ll do the work: Just fill in your information to set up your personal fundraising page. To join the NCCS run/walk team, make sure your form indicates team #3562 for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Register now >>
Donate: We need your help to meet our $20,000 team fundraising goal. If you can’t make it to the race, you can still pitch in. Make a tax-deductible donation to support team NCCS (Team # 3562.) Donate now >>
Spread the word: Tell your family and friends you don’t want to miss out on this fun event; ask your local school to help raise money or sponsor you on the NCCS team; challenge your colleagues to a fundraising contest; inspire your neighbors to give back to the community.
It takes a team to fight cancer; join the team that’s making a difference. Learn more >>
Tell a Friend | Donate to the Cause | Sign up for News
NCCS advocates for quality cancer care for all Americans and provides tools that empower people affected by cancer to advocate for themselves. Founded by and for cancer survivors in 1986, NCCS created the widely-accepted definition of survivorship and considers someone a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through the balance of life. Its free publications and resources include the award-winning Cancer Survival Toolbox®, a self-learning audio program created by leading cancer organizations to help people develop essential skills to meet the challenges of their illness. More information is available at www.canceradvocacy.org or 1-888-650-9127.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Cancer Schmancer
Hey all,
I want to share with you this article that a friend of mine forwarded to me; a story I hear much too often. A woman in
Cancer Schmancer addresses this very issue and it shows all the more how important it is to take control of your body! Women with gynecologic cancers are very often misdiagnosed for benign illnesses. We must educate ourselves on the early warning signs of cancer and be proactive in our own health care. As medical consumers, we cannot worry about insulting our primary physicians. It’s your life, it’s your body, so get a second opinion if you aren’t receiving the undivided attention you deserve. It’s an absolute must!
So read the following article and spread the word. Together, we can work together to ensure all women learn how to take control of their bodies so no more of these stories are told. Stage 1 is the cure!
Be well,
Fran
Doctor Missed Woman's Cancer 20 Times
(March 4) - A British woman says her ovarian cancer was misdiagnosed even after she visited her doctor 20 times complaining of symptoms ranging from severe stomach pain to loss of bladder control, according to London’s Daily Mail.
One simple test would have found that Sue Edwards, of
Experts say about a third of women with ovarian cancer have a mass that would be easily detectable by a pelvic exam. Over the period of a year, Edwards said she suffered from a range of symptoms that included fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, swelling, exhaustion and loss of bladder control. She went to see her doctor on 20 different occasions, but was told the symptoms were likely due to sinus infection and the fact she was overweight, the Daily Mail said.
The mass was only caught when a student doctor asked if she could examine Edwards as part of her training — and felt the large mass. The student doctor sent Edwards straight to the hospital. A few days later, the mass was removed. Tests found the growth was cancerous, but luckily, the cancer had not spread to other organs. The Mail said Edwards’ cancer is in remission following 4 1/2 months of chemotherapy.
“I am hopeful, but realistic about my chances of long-term survival,” she told the newspaper.
Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the
Early detection of ovarian cancer offers a 90 percent cure rate, but about 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases will have spread to the abdomen by the time they are detected. In those cases, the chance of five-year survival drops to less than 25 percent. In addition to a pelvic exam, a blood test or ultrasound scan also can help detect the cancer early.
Monday, March 9, 2009
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
Join Team NCCS in New York City!
NCCS is building a team to walk or run in the annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women, one of the nation’s largest 5K fundraising events. Money raised at this event helps fund important research into the cause and cure of women's cancers, prevention, education and support service programs.
Join Team NCCS in New York City on Saturday, May 2, by registering for the Run/Walk or by volunteering to help us at the event. If you can’t attend, show your support by making a donation!
New Survivorship Program Offers Follow-Up Care Plans
NCCS is proud to be part of a new program providing tools and resources that pave the way for survivors and their physicians to build individualized plans of follow-up care after cancer treatment.
Journey Forward, a combined effort of NCCS, WellPoint, Inc., the UCLA Cancer Survivorship Center and Genentech launched in February 2009 in five pilot states for survivors of breast and colon cancers and will later include plans for survivors of other cancer types throughout the country.
Integrative Medicine Starts with the Empowered Patient
Last week, hundreds of key leaders in healthcare engaged in a national conversation about integrative medicine at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public. NCCS’s Acting President & CEO, Ellen Stovall, participated in a discussion panel with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Kaiser Permanente CEO George Halvorson, and AARP CEO William Novelli. Stovall emphasized the need for patients to be good self-advocates. Learn more about the summit.
Spotlight on Cancer Survivor, Rob Read
Last month Rob Read, a 27-year, two-time cancer survivor, participated in an honorary Breakaway Mile bike ride in his hometown of Santa Rosa, Calif. The ride, which is part of the Breakaway from Cancer initiative, (a complementary component of the Amgen Tour of California cycling race that raises awareness about the free resources and programs available to cancer survivors and their loved ones) celebrates a survivor and the support team that helped through his or her cancer journey. Rob was joined by his parents and friends in this fun and inspiring event that took place during Stage One of the Amgen Tour of California, just moments before professional cyclists including Lance Armstrong crossed the finish line. Thanks to Rob for sharing the story of his incredible cancer journey with the crowd in Santa Rosa!
CancerCare Telephone Workshops
Coping with cancer can be difficult and affect life in ways you never imagined. CancerCare partners with NCCS and other organizations to bring you free, informative telephone workshops addressing a wide range of these issues. Workshops coming up in the next few weeks include:
- March 5, 2009: Coping with Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know
- March 12, 2009: Balancing Cancer and Careers: Living and Working with Cancer
- April 14, 2009: The Seventh Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through and Beyond Cancer, Part I: Managing the Stress of Survivorship.
Cancer Survival Toolbox Series: Finding Information
Every person, regardless of the type of cancer they have or the treatment they choose, needs certain, basic information. The need for good information continues after treatment starts and even after it ends. Information is not only helpful for making educated decisions, but it can also be a source of comfort; easing doubt, fear, worry and stress. Good information can help you understand your kind of cancer and its treatment, how to pick the experts you respect and trust to be part of your healthcare team, and much more. The Finding Information module will teach you basic skills to help you determine which resources might be useful to you or your loved one during this difficult time.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Actors Fund
Join The Women in the Biz May 2nd
As We Walk to Fight Women's Cancers!
Join The Women in the Biz and people from all corners of the entertainment world on Saturday, May 2nd, as part of The Actors Fund (Team 23) at the 12th Annual Revlon Run/Walk for Women and support The Fund’s Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative (PNWHI), created to address the myriad of concerns women face when dealing with a serious medical condition!
See you May 2nd for a great event and a great cause!
Photo Credit: Tracey Huffman
The Actors Fund Women in the Biz NYC - Leadership Committee 2009
Lynn Redgrave: Trustee, The Actors Fund
Barbara Davis: Deputy Executive Director, The Actors Fund
Nina Lannan: General Manager, Nina Lannan & Associates
Lynne Meadow: Artistic Director, Manhattan Theatre Club
Phyllis Newman: Trustee, The Actors Fund
Wendy Orshan: General Manager, 101 Productions
Kathleen Raitt: Vice President-Corporate Relations, Nederlander Producing Company of America, Inc.
Roberta Reardon: National President, AFTRA
Kate Shindle: Actor, Actors’ Equity Council Member
Jae Je Simmons: New York Division Executive Director, Screen Actors Guild
Charlotte St. Martin: Executive Director, The Broadway League
Abbie Strassler: Broadway General Manager
Click here to register for Actors Fund Team 23
Click here to volunteer for Actors Fund Team 23
NOTE: When signing up to volunteer for The Actors Fund team 23, turn off your “pop-up” blocker and select team 23 under team number. Then hit “tab,” and The Actors Fund will pop up as your team. Then select “The Actors Fund” from the pull down menu under “Group/Organization,” but DO NOT select a job assignment. The assignment for The Fund is pre–selected for you.
Questions? Please contact:
David Engelman, Manager, Special Events
The Actors Fund
212.221.7300 ext.134 or dengelman@actorsfund.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)