Something In the Air

When a Smoker Gets Lung Cancer, Sympathy Is Stained With Blame

By: Petula Dvorak Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 16, 2008

It took me a while to figure out why my dad refused the free blanket in the cancer ward.
The lady from the Cancer Society came into his room wheeling a cart stacked with colorful blankets. Crocheted by volunteers, they offered homespun comfort to folks recovering from surgeries that had cut out tumors, lesions, slabs of skin, pieces of colon, entire breasts or, in my father's case, a lobe of his left lung.
"No, not for me," said my father, a rugged brick mason who kicked his 45-year, pack-a-day smoking habit two months before the surgery.
I took one of the blankets for him, but for days it lay untouched on the chair in his hospital room. "That's for the other people," he said, pointing to rooms where cancer battles were also being fought.
My answer about his blanket aversion came a couple of days later. The stitches were bothering him, he was sick of the hospital food, but most of all, the 63-year-old fly fisherman who bicycles to work was furious at being debilitated. He offered the entire ordeal's one bit of analysis in his thick Eastern European accent.
"All these years of smoking. I had all that pleasure," he said. "Now, I pay."
He had been beating himself up for having lung cancer. And the rest of us in the family, though we didn't want to admit it, weren't exactly showering him with forgiveness.
It's a common syndrome for this particular type of cancer, which is consistently marginalized, stigmatized, under-funded and under-studied, even though it kills more people in the United States every year than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and melanoma cancers combined, according to the Lung Cancer Alliance, an advocacy group in Washington.
It is becoming clear to patient advocates that the mental health of lung cancer patients -- who rarely get the positive reinforcement, unfettered support and kindness of society -- is also worth defending.
-- To finish the article, click on the title above.

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In this issue, we celebrate ways we are working to keep our efforts to fund Lung Cancer research and save more lives, alive and thriving, despite tough times. As we prepare to enter a new year, we look forward to our ongoing lifesaving efforts and we look back with gratitude on the last almost three years and the tremendous strides we have made.
Since we began, and because of you, we have been able to make considerable contributions to early detection, Lung Cancer research specific to patients, education to countless patients for better treatment paths, a plan for an unprecedented prevention and cessation program targeted at adolescents, and last but not least...building the framework for the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute which will increase that unforgivable survival rate of 15.5%.Thank you for your generosity.
Happy holidays and cheers to what lies ahead…
With Love,Bonnie J. Addario

Iressa Proves Just As Effective As Chemotherapy For Lung Cancer

ScienceDaily (Dec. 8, 2008) — Gefitinib, also known as Iressa, the once-promising targeted therapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, has proven as effective as chemotherapy as a second-line therapy for the disease with far fewer side effects, according to an international Phase III clinical trial, led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
However, in contrast to earlier Iressa findings, the study showed that there was no additional survival benefit for patients who expressed an elevated level of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation.
The Iressa in Non-small cell lung cancer Trial Evaluating REsponse and Survival versus Taxotere (INTERST) study, published today in The Lancet, represents a paradigm shift for the treatment of the disease, according to lead author Edward S. Kim, M.D., assistant professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology. It marks the first time in lung cancer that an oral pill has proven as effective as chemotherapy in a head-to-head trial.
"This is the largest study in lung cancer comparing an oral biologic therapy to chemotherapy, and shows, for the first time, that an oral biologic therapy is just as effective as chemotherapy," said Kim, the study's corresponding author. "Based on our findings, I'm hopeful that Iressa can return as a treatment for lung cancer in the United States, offering this some patients a therapy with far fewer side effects."
The study also should offer both physicians and patients some confidence in another biological oral therapy, erlotinib, commercially known as Tarceva, that hits similar targets as Iressa and is commercially available for the treatment of lung cancer in the second line setting, explained Kim.

Gene Which Protects Against Lung Cancer Identified

ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2008) — A study led by researchers at The University of Nottingham has identified a gene that protects the body from lung cancer. The research has found that the tumour suppressor gene, LIMD1, is responsible for protecting the body from developing lung cancer — paving the way for possible new treatments and early screening techniques.

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From the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation -
GIVE... and Efforts to Wipe Out Lung Cancer Shall RECEIVEIn this traditional season of giving and gratefulness, I am delighted to report that we continue to make monumental strides in our efforts to eradicate Lung Cancer.Last week's third annual Simply the Best Dinner Gala was a celebration of giving to our cause. Thanks to your efforts and generosity, the event drew a packed house of 650 at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco and raised over $800,000.A special THANK YOU to Kayce Jennings and Lynn Sherr, guests of honor, who helped us pay tribute to the life and legacy of Peter Jennings, the ABC anchor of "World News Tonight," who battled Lung Cancer with the same intensity, sense of humor and passionate spirit he brought to sharing the world's events with us for decades. Thanks to them - and you - we continue to raise the profile of and gain global awareness for Lung Cancer.

Cancer rate declines for first time in ten years

By Octavia Mitchell
Anchor / Reporter WCBD - Charleston
Published: November 25, 2008
...Although the report brings good news, there are large state and regional differences in lung cancer rates. Dr. Alberg (Hollings Cancer Center) says, “As a nation these results are great news. I think we do need to look at our situation in South Carolina, so there are not as favorable news as the nation as a whole. For example, the lung cancer mortality rates that have been decreasing, we have the 13th highest lung cancer mortality rate, and that’s directly attributable to our lack of attention to smoking control in South Carolina.”

Lung Cancer Needs Awareness Too

Newswise/University of Michigan Health System — Lung cancer kills more than four times as many Americans as breast cancer. But while pink ribbons trumpet Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October, little attention is paid to lung cancer in November, which is that disease’s awareness month.
“My wish is the world would stand up and say we’ve done so well with breast cancer, let’s now do the same for lung cancer,” says Douglas Arenberg, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and a lung cancer specialist at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Once people are aware of the facts, they start scratching their heads and thinking we need to do something about this,” Arenberg says.

Declines In U.S. Cancer Incidence And Death Rates According to Annual Report

ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2008) — A new report from the nation's leading cancer organizations shows that, for the first time since the report was first issued in 1998, both incidence and death rates for all cancers combined are decreasing for both men and women, driven largely by declines in some of the most common types of cancer. The report notes that, although the decreases in overall cancer incidence and death rates are encouraging, large state and regional differences in lung cancer trends among women underscore the need to strengthen many state tobacco control programs.

Why Only Some Former Smokers Develop Lung Cancer

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2008) — Canadian researchers are trying to answer why some smokers develop lung cancer while others remain disease free, despite similar lifestyle changes.

Broccoli May Lower Lung Cancer Risk In Smokers

ScienceDaily (Nov. 19, 2008) — The cancer preventive properties of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables appear to work specifically in smokers, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research

Differing Genetic Makeup Of Lung Cancer In African-American Patients Shown

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2008) — The tumors of African-American non-small cell lung cancer patients are more likely to carry a higher number of copies of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene and fewer mutations of EGFR itself than Caucasians according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, cosponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago.

LCA President and Advocates Ring NASDAQ Opening Bell

Today, LCA President & CEO Laurie Fenton Ambrose and LCA-NY advocates joined NASDAQ Executive Vice President, John Jacobs to open the market. At 9:30am, flanked by advocates, LCA staff and lung cancer researchers Laurie ceremoniously "rang" the opening bell for NASDAQ. The entire ceremony can be viewed here. In addition, LCA's Public Service Announcement featuring Cal Ripken, Jr. played on the NASDAQ Tower throughout the morning. Special thanks to LCA-NY advocate Richard Heimler for making this happen!

Proton Therapy And Concurrent Chemotherapy May Reduce Bone Marrow Toxicity In Advanced Lung Cancer

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2008) — Patients treated for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer who receive chemotherapy and proton beam therapy have fewer instances of bone marrow toxicity than patients who receive the standard treatment of intensity-modulated radiation (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy, according to researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Novel Four-drug Combination Proves Safe For Lung Cancer Treatment

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2008) — The four drug-combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel, with the targeted therapies bevacizumab (Avastin) and cetuximab (Erbitux), is safe and may improve survival for patients with advanced lung cancer, according to a cooperative group study led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Gender Is Key Factor In Determining Overall Survival Of Lung Cancer Patients

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2008) — Even though some combinations of gender, race and/or marital status can factor into the overall survival of nonoperative non-small cell lung cancer patients, gender is the most significant factor impacting overall survival, according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago.

LCA News:LCA and AstraZeneca Release Stigma Survey Results

SURVEY SHOWS LUNG CANCER PATIENTS BLAMED FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS
As public support decreases, so do research dollars and patient hope

Washington, DC, November 12, 2008 – Survey results released today show that the general population blames lung cancer patients for their diagnosis, confirming the stigma that patients reportedly feel. Findings also demonstrate a lack of public support for patients and a need for greater research for the number one cancer killer. Conducted by Lung Cancer Alliance and AstraZeneca, LP (NYSE: AZN), the national survey assessed the views of lung cancer patients, oncologists and the general public on lung cancer, support for lung cancer organizations, research funding for the disease, and availability of appropriate treatment options.
“This survey reinforces what the lung cancer community has felt for decades – public perception of this disease is overwhelmingly negative,” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, President and CEO of Lung Cancer Alliance. “We’ve got to do more to overcome this pervasive stigma and focus attention where it should be -- on research for early detection and treatment for lung cancer.”

ABC of San Francisco reports: Survivor urges early lung cancer screening

November 12, 2008
By Cheryl Jennings
REDWOOD CITY, CA (KGO) -- You may be surprised to know that lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. People do not like to talk about it because there is a stigma associated with smoking, but lung cancer is also striking down more non-smokers. We talked to a lung cancer survivor whose family is using every tool available to save lives.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=6502358

Greenville News: Join the race and support Lungs for Life

By Rick Pennell • November 5, 2008

I still cannot believe that my friend, Caine Halter, is gone. Caine was a 45-year-old nonsmoker and his life was cut short by lung cancer. Caine was my same age. We shared similar interests and priorities in our lives -- family, friends, community and faith. Our children were growing up together and forging relationships, like ours, that would last a lifetime. Caine was engaging and always positive and always brought out the best of those around him.
(Read more by clicking on the title above.)

Caine Halter Lungs for Life run/walk in Greenville, SC

Join other South Carolinians for the inaugural Caine Halter Lungs for Life run/walk and join the fight against lung cancer. The Lungs for Life mission is to promote awareness of this deadly disease, fund critical research and help to provide hope for the future.
Caine Halter was a healthy, 45-year old non-smoker whose life was taken by lung cancer in August 2007 after a valiant 13-month battle. Inspired by his courage and grace, Caine's family and friends are committed to raising funds for lung cancer research in his honor, so that others diagnosed may have a fighting chance to live.

Lung cancer is the #1 cancer-killer of both men and women in the US, but receives the least research funding. Your participation and support CAN make a difference in this fight. Run or Walk. Start or Join a Team. Raise Pledges. Make Donations. Give Any Way You Can.

All proceeds from the Caine Halter Lungs for Life event will benefit Uniting Against Lung Cancer, a 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to funding innovative research and finding a cure for lung cancer.

Date & Time
Saturday, November 8, 20089:00 a.m. 1 Mile Fun Walk9:30 a.m. 5K Run/Walk
Race Location
YMCA - Caine Halter Family Branch721 Cleveland StreetGreenville, SC 29601

LCA Kicks off Lung Cancer Awareness Month with the release of the 2008 National Report Card.

Lung Cancer Alliance has released its “4th Annual National Report Card on Lung Cancer” along with our LCA-CA, LCA-GA and LCA-MA chapters “State Report Cards on Lung Cancer”. These annual assessments measure progress on the federal and state levels to reduce lung cancer’s high mortality. Read the "grades" at the link above.

President George W. Bush Recognizes Lung Cancer Awareness Month

CancerCare reports: MEDIA COVERAGE OF LUNG CANCER IS INCREASING — AND INCREASINGLY NEGATIVE, NEW REPORT SHOWS

More focus on smoking and tobacco use in lung cancer reporting, less on survivorship

NEW YORK, October 28, 2008 — CancerCare today announced that despite an overall increase in news reporting on lung cancer, the overall tone of lung cancer media coverage has become significantly more negative. "How the U.S. Media Report on Cancer" an analysis of lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer coverage, was an independent report conducted by CARMA International Inc. for CancerCare; previous analyses were issued in 2000 and 2004. The report evaluated volume of coverage for each of the cancer types, topics of discussion, favorability and tone for the period August 2007 through July 2008.
For the first time since the 2000 report, coverage of smoking and tobacco use as it relates to lung cancer increased. Smoking and tobacco use featured prominently in 44 percent of lung cancer coverage—up from 31 percent in the 2003–2004 analysis.
"The prominence of smoking in media reports on lung cancer may be contributing to the stigma that lung cancer patients say they feel, regardless of whether or not they have smoked," said Diane Blum, Executive Director of CancerCare. "We're hopeful that research on new screening methods and new treatments will broaden the scope of lung cancer coverage and help reduce the stigma that people with lung cancer feel."
The report also noted that breast cancer coverage, with the highest favorability rating, often featured personal stories of breast cancer survivors or a celebrity advocating for greater awareness of the disease. In contrast, none of the lung cancer articles and reports analyzed included a lung cancer survivor story, likely contributing to the negative favorability rating. Moreover, of the four cancers analyzed, lung cancer garnered the lowest volume of stories discussing treatment.
Across all four cancers, media reporting on cancer research increased since the 2004 report, accounting for 39 percent of coverage. Cancer treatment remained an important topic for all cancers.
"CancerCare works with lung cancer patients and survivors every day, and we know a lung cancer diagnosis can be frightening for patients, families and caregivers," said Win Boerckel, CancerCare's National Lung Cancer Program coordinator. "We encourage the press to consider how they report on lung cancer, specifically the prominence of smoking as a risk factor, and to include survivor stories and resources when possible."
Lung cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in men and women (after prostate and breast, respectively). Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death in both men and women. There are more than 50,000 people who survive lung cancer each year.
Important findings from the analysis include:

• Cancer research was the most discussed issue in cancer coverage during the 2007–2008 period


• Of the four cancers, lung cancer had the greatest increase in coverage volume between this period and last period


• Positive message penetration—that is, stories carrying at least one positive message—declined from 36 percent during the 1999–2000 period to only 28 percent in 2007–2008


• Of the four cancers analyzed, lung cancer garnered the lowest percentage of stories discussing treatment (24 percent)


• No lung cancer survivors were quoted in the lung cancer coverage analyzed for the 2007–2008 period

Science Daily reports: Gene Panel Predicts Lung Cancer Survival, Study Finds

Researchers from four leading cancer centers have confirmed that an analysis involving a panel of genes can be used to predict which lung cancer patients will have the worst survival. The finding could one day lead to a test that would help determine who needs more aggressive treatment.

The study, the largest of its kind, appears online in Nature Medicine.
The researchers looked at 442 lung cancer tissue samples collected from six cancer hospitals in North America. They tested the cancer samples to look at the expression of hundreds of genes, and factored in clinical predictors such as tumor stage and the patients' gender and age. The results showed that the lung cancers could be divided into groups with better and worse survival rates.
Typically, lung cancer patients receive chemotherapy after surgery to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. But specialists know that some patients with stage I disease, the earliest stage, have an aggressive disease with poor prognosis while some patients with more advanced stage II disease have a relatively good prognosis. The question is how to identify which patients need the additional therapy and which patients could potentially avoid it.
"We found that looking at clinical data along with gene expression can be a more reliable indicator. Gene expression is not just a black box approach -- which a lot of researchers think it is. Sometimes knowing the context actually helps you use that information more efficiently," says study author David Beer, Ph.D., professor of surgery and radiation oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School and co-director of the Cancer Genetics Program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To read the complete article, click the following link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721110309.htm

The State reports: Black members of Congress split over issue of menthol cigarettes

By STEPHANIE SAUL - The New York Times

Free cigarettes are no longer handed out at Congressional Black Caucus functions. But the Congressional Black Caucus has not severed its financial ties to big tobacco. And that can complicate matters when the political discussion involves smoking’s impact on African-Americans.
A rift has opened in the 43-member caucus over a menthol provision in legislation that would enable the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco. To reduce smoking’s appeal to teenagers, the legislation would outlaw flavored cigarettes — except for menthol cigarettes, which are exempted. The exemption was seen as a compromise to win broad backing for the legislation.
But menthol has become a politically charged subject in Washington because an estimated 75 percent of black smokers choose mentholated brands.
Critics of the menthol exemption tend to denounce it as a sellout to the tobacco industry, and some members of the black caucus are pressing to narrow the exemption or ban menthol outright. But other caucus members oppose any changes, saying that pushing too hard now on menthol could endanger the entire legislation.

Philip Morris has been one of the biggest contributors to the caucus’ nonprofit Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. That financial support has been the reason some critics perceived an alliance between big tobacco and black lawmakers, some of whom were willing to help fend off anti-tobacco efforts.

Black lawmakers who maintain strong tobacco industry ties include Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., who represents a tobacco-growing region of South Carolina and is majority whip of the House.

To read the complete article, click the following link:
http://www.thestate.com/nation-extra/story/470931.html

The New York Times reports: Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort

Article By: Donald G. McNeil Jr.
Photo By: Nicole Bengiveno

Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop people around the world from smoking.

The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco will kill up to a billion people in the 21st century, 10 times as many as it killed in the 20th.
This time, most are expected to be in poor countries like Bangladesh and middle-income countries like Russia. In an effort to cut that number, Mr. Bloomberg’s foundation plans to commit $250 million over four years on top of a $125 million gift he announced two years ago. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is allocating $125 million over five years.

To read the complete article, click the following link: http: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/health/24smoke.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=bill%20gates%20smoking&st=cse&oref=slogin

Editorial from The State: Cities, counties can save lives by adopting smoking bans

By WARREN BOLTON - Associate Editor

SMOKING BANS save lives. A recent government study affirming that fact shouldn’t shock anyone.
Instead, it should prompt more cities and counties in South Carolina to act.
It’s hard to understand why even more local governments haven’t jumped at the opportunity to protect the health and lives of workers and patrons since the S.C. Supreme Court gave them the green light.
Many have been wringing their hands over the prospects because some bar and restaurant owners won’t like it. Those business owners should be able to make the decision themselves, some argue.
But this is a matter of life and death. And — now, this may be a shock for some — keeping people alive and healthy is a higher priority than personal preference.
Innocent people ought not be at risk of getting sick and dying because of someone else’s bad, and dangerous, habit. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke. Cigarettes cause lung cancer and other deadly illnesses — in smokers, and in nonsmokers who inhale smoke.
Health officials say secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer in nonsmoking adults by at least 20 percent.

Just think of what would happen if our state raised the cigarette tax and passed a statewide smoking ban. Unfortunately, state elected leaders haven’t seen fit to do either. They came close to raising the tax this past legislative session, but the governor vetoed it. And lawmakers haven’t summoned the will to pass a smoking ban, largely due to the strong tobacco lobby.
So, for now, local governments are South Carolinians’ only chance for relief.
And there’s a great need for relief. While there’s been a great decline in the number of nonsmokers who take in secondhand smoke, that’s tempered by the fact that nearly half of nonsmokers continue to involuntarily inhale poison.
The new CDC report has somber news for some groups, particularly children and black people who are nonsmokers. While the proportion of blacks with a recent exposure to smoke dropped from 94 percent to about 71 percent, it dropped from 83 percent to 43 percent for whites.
Also unsettling is the fact that exposures for children didn’t drop as steeply as for adults. More than 60 percent of children ages 4 through 11 had recent exposure to cigarette smoke in the 1999-2004 period.
It’s time to kick the habit.
Governments must ban smoking in public places, including bars and restaurants. Families and individuals must stop lighting up at home and in cars.
I know quitting isn’t easy.
But it’s easier than watching friends, loved ones and neighbors suffer and perish from the effects of secondhand smoke.

Reach Mr. Bolton at (803) 771-8631 or wbolton@thestate.com.

Read the complete editorial at the following link: http://www.thestate.com/editorial-columns/story/468617.html

Study: High cancer in Great Falls

The News & Reporter of Chester County
Photo by Stephen Guilfoyle
editor@onlinechester.com

Lung cancer and deaths from lung cancer are "significantly" higher than expected in the Great Falls area, a state study shows.

The area has almost 20 percent higher than expected cases of cancer, according to a survey done by the state at the request of a former Chester County councilman.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control has now done "cancer cluster" surveys of the ZIP codes for the county's four major towns at its request.

Separate surveys for each area show that from 2001 to 2005, expected incidents of cancer in:

• the Fort Lawn ZIP were 10 percent higher than expected;

• the Great Falls ZIP were 19.8 percent higher than expected; and

• the Richburg ZIP were 2 pecent higher than expected; and

Combined, that's about 8.2 percent higher than expected for the four ZIP codes.

The N&R previously reported on the Chester ZIP code findings.Former County Coun-cilman Tom Hamilton, himself a cancer survivor, requested the surveys. He received a report on the Chester ZIP code last month, and last week, he received "the rest of the story."

He said people have been coming up to him since The N&R reported the Chester ZIP code results two weeks ago. Comments range from curiosity to concern, he says.

"People are talking about this," he said. Almost everyone has had some form of cancer hit them or their family. "It strikes a nerve."

To read the complete article, follow this link:
http://www.onlinechester.com/cgi-bin/storyviewnew.cgi?155+News.2008718-5934-155-155007.Full+News

Study on why the South is the Cancer Belt

UPI.com - Health News

NASHVILLE, July 22 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers are trying to determine why the South has become the Cancer Belt and why African-Americans experience higher rates of several cancers.
"When you look at a map of brain cancer incidence in the United States the Southeast just lights up in red," Dr. Reid Thompson, of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville said in a statement.
"When we found this hot-spot on the National Cancer Institute's mortality maps we realized something unusual is going on in this region."
Brain cancer is one of the most alarming malignancies disproportionately affecting people who live in this cancer hot-spot, Thompson said.
However, the most prevalent cancer in the South is lung cancer. Southerners continue to smoke more than individuals in other regions of the country, the researchers said.
"We're asking patients about their diets, possible job-related exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, and we're collecting DNA samples," Thompson said. "We know there are some genetic markers that are linked to other forms of cancer and they may play a role in brain cancer, as well."
The Southern Community Cohort Study hopes to recruit 90,000 people in 12 Southern states to learn about their lifestyles, their family medical histories and their risk factors for cancer and other serious diseases.

WIS News 10 reports: Loss shapes bond for Clemson football duo

Former Florida high school teammates used friendship to overcome adversity

By Paul Strelow - pstrelow@thestate.com

Photo credit and notes: Lindsay Semple - lsemple@thestate.com

Left to right, Daniel Andrews and Jamie Harper, both incoming Clemson football players, have been on the same team since elementary school. They share the lose of a parent to cancer and the love of football.

The news came as Jamie Harper reached his public-speaking class late one March morning.
His teacher had received a phone call with word that the father of Harper’s close friend and future Clemson football teammate Daniel Andrews Jr. had died after a relatively brief bout with cancer.
Harper and another friend skipped the class and made the quick drive to Andrews’ home.
“If we had gotten into trouble, well, we’d have gotten into trouble,” Harper said.
Harper and Andrews, recent graduates of Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla., have been by each other’s sides for more than a decade — a key factor in their decisions to play football at the same college.
Life circumstances have stitched their bond tighter, making both all the more appreciative they began their lives away from home this month as college roommates.
Harper’s mother, Dietria, died of lung cancer when Harper was 9. Her name is tattooed across his back.
As Andrews continues coping, Harper has made a point to stick close as a sounding board.
“Whenever it first happened, people don’t know what to say,” Andrews said. “With most, it’s kind of awkward. But he knew how it felt. And ever since then, our relationship has grown stronger.”

Read the complete article here: http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/465759.html

WIS News 10 reports: Gene Profiles Might Help Guide Lung Cancer Care

By Jeffrey Perkel, HealthDay Reporter

A sweeping genetic analysis suggests that the activity of certain genes might someday allow doctors to predict which lung cancer patients need more aggressive therapies and which do not.
But the findings also underscore the difficulty of making such predictions, especially in the case of people with the earliest forms of the disease, when aggressive therapies could be of greatest value.
The goal is to build effective predictors based on gene expression (activity) and use them prospectively to guide treatment decisions, experts said.
However, to do that, "you have to know what are the potential issues that might influence how well gene expression might predict," said researcher David Beer, a professor in the department of thoracic surgery at the University of Michigan. "I guess the bottom line from this study is that because of the heterogeneity of lung adenocarcinoma, it is not an easy problem. There are still significant issues."

Still, this study -- the most comprehensive yet to date -- could pave the way to more tailored lung cancer treatment based on gene expression profiles, said one expert.
"The goal is five years from now, if I had this data on a stage 1 or stage 2 lung cancer patient, that I could say, 'Hey, you have a very low-risk profile, you don't need chemotherapy' and vice-versa, of course," said Dr. Edward Kim, an assistant professor of medicine in the department of thoracic/head and neck oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston.

To read the complete article, click on the following link: http://www.wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=8704838

GoUpstate.com reports: Basketball teams aim to D up on lung cancer

By Dudley Browndudley.brown@shj.com

Next weekend, basketball teams will take the court at the T.K. Gregg Recreation Center for bragging rights. They'll also be honoring Barbara Haywood.

Haywood, the aunt of Leroy Wilks, died in December from bone marrow cancer. Wilks, the recreation center's assistant director, wanted to do something to recognize her and possibly extend her legacy beyond his family.
In January, he started sending e-mails to organizations fighting cancer and learned about the Chicago-based LUNGevity Foundation, which raises money for lung cancer research. Wilks said the foundation was the first to respond, so he decided to get involved, even though his aunt didn't have lung cancer.
A basketball tournament made sense because of the sport's popularity at the center, he said.
"Everybody else is doing walks and runs, and we decided to put our touch on it," Wilks said. "We thought we'd do basketball. It's different."

Wilks plans to have at least six teams playing in the tournament, which also will include games for kids, food, poetry readings and gospel singing. Trophies will be given to the top three finishing teams.

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080701/NEWS/807010306/1106/living06&title=Basketball_teams_aim_to_D_up_on_lung_cancer#

Special place for those with cancer is tribute to woman’s late sister

Penny Cunningham’s high energy level is contagious.

When she walks into the vestibule of Candy’s Place, the nonprofit organization she founded in April 1998, she’s greeted by smiles and laughter from volunteers, staff and anyone else who happens to be at the Forty Fort location.Named after Cunningham’s sister, the late Candice Vincent-Mamary, who died of lung cancer at the age of 47, Candy’s Place is a hangout of hope, support, inspiration and relaxation for cancer patients and their families.

In addition to the prerequisite positive attitude one needs to keep a facility like Candy’s Place running, Cunningham has created what she calls a “homelike atmosphere”: meeting rooms with large, comfortable furniture, color collages on the walls, and a bright, beach-themed exercise room.

Read the complete article from the The Citizens Voice of Pennsylvania at: http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19849079&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=457355&rfi=6

North Carolina's NBC 17 reports: Minimally Invasive Lung Cancer Surgery Speeds Recovery

By: Julie Henry Health & Fitness Reporter

YOUNGSVILLE, N.C. - It started with a spot on her lung. Erin Sampson's doctor found it during a routine chest x-ray. As a lifelong smoker, the former nurse knew it was cancer.

"It's a terrible thing to be told that you've got lung cancer," she said.
But the odds were in her favor. Sampson was one of only 15 percent of patients whose cancer is localized to one area of the lung, making her a candidate for surgery.
That could have meant a large incision on her back and maybe even removal of ribs to get to the lung. But Duke thoracic surgeon Dr. Tommy D'Amico chose a minimally invasive technique called thoracoscopic lobectomy. A national leader in the procedure, he used camera operated equipment to remove the large lobe of her lung through an incision just two inches long.

"Patients go home after the minimally invasive approach and they can return to normal activity faster," he said. "If they work, they can go back to their jobs. Because they're not taking pain medicine, they can drive again. They get back to their life much sooner."
When Sampson reported for pulmonary rehab less than two weeks after her surgery, therapists and other lung cancer patients were shocked.

Read more and view the video at: http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2008-07-12-0008.html

Free Screenings of Why We Smoke Film Documentary at Nickelodeon

COLUMBIA (JULY 9, 2008) - There will be free screenings of Why We Smoke on Thursday, July 10 at the Nickelodeon Theatre on 937 Main Street in Columbia. Film times are at 3PM, 6PM and 8PM. The Musicians & Songwriters Guild of SC is also featuring a music video release for the song "Her Life" during the screenings.

Why We Smoke gives smokers, friends of smokers, social workers, public health representatives and medical experts a new look at America’s number one preventable cause of death. The film documents three important components of this topic: 1) smokers, 2) the experts who study them, 3) and the ways in which media and advertising has been, and is still, a major reinforcement of smoking behavior.

Why We Smoke represents a unique experiment in a college media center. Eighteen Undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina traveled to meet smokers in their hometowns and researchers in the labs where they studied tobacco and nicotine. They also interviewed media experts who revealed the tactics of advertising to induce behaviors.

Why We Smoke is funded by the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative and the University of South Carolina, Department of Art and sponsored by Healthy Carolina and The Free Times. The film is part of the Nickelodeon Theatre’s monthly “Community Film Forum” and will feature a Q&A and panel forum following the film.

View the film trailer at http://www.cas.sc.edu/art/WhyWeSmoke/trailer.html

The sooner you quit, the better it is

By Jeremy Manier - the Chicago Tribune

Both of this year's presidential candidates say they are ex-smokers, but recent research suggests that they may face increased health risks from cigarettes for years to come.Some of the damage that cigarettes inflict on the body subsides quickly, halving the risk of heart disease and stroke within five years after a smoker quits. But the effect of smoking on risks of cancer and other diseases can persist for decades, experts say.Even Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), 71, who quit smoking in 1980, still faces some increased risk of cancer from smoking two packs a day for 25 years, studies suggest. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), 46, who says he has struggled to stay off cigarettes since quitting last year, may have less long-term risk because he smoked fewer cigarettes per day.

Better to quit youngA major message of the research is that people who quit at a young age are far better off than those who put it off until later. Obama and McCain, both of whom waited until their mid-40s to quit, would have been measurably better off if they had stopped a decade sooner, experts said.

The danger intensifies as smokers approach their 30th year of addiction, Pechacek said. The risk of getting lung cancer for a person who has smoked for 30 years can be six times greater than the risk for someone who has smoked for 20 years.

Test can find tiny tumor level in blood

By Stephen Smith of The Boston Globe - July 3, 2008
Boston researchers have developed a test that can identify minute amounts of tumor cells floating in the blood of cancer patients, a discovery that could lead to better treatments with fewer side effects.
The technology, invented at Massachusetts General Hospital, uses a microchip scanner no bigger than a business card to analyze a patient's blood, hunting for stray cells shed by tumors. The device is so powerful that it can detect a single cancer cell among 1 billion healthy blood cells.
Once those cells are captured, their genetic fingerprints can help determine the most effective drug for a patient whose cancer has already begun spreading, and also show whether medication has lost its power. The technology is now being tried in patients whose cancer has already spread, but scientists hope in the fu ture the chip will be able to detect cancer's spread before secondary tumors have become established.
Although the device is not yet ready for widespread use, a report posted online yesterday by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that it successfully identified migrating cancer cells in lung cancer patients and spotted important genetic quirks in those cells.
Scientists not involved with the research said the innovation represents a significant improvement on existing cancer blood tests and predicted that it could revolutionize treatment, especially for lung cancer, which kills more Americans than any other cancer.
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Lung Cancer Alliance Mourns the Loss of Board Chairman Rear Admiral Philip J. Coady, USN (Ret.)

...he was our hero, who led Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) with the same unflinching conviction and steady purpose as he did when commanding naval destroyers, cruisers and battleship groups.
Indeed, he was uniquely qualified for this assignment. He was an avid hiker, rower and outdoor enthusiast. As a non-smoker, Admiral Coady never imagined himself as someone at risk for lung cancer.
The rude shock of his unexpected diagnosis spurred him to investigate the disease, its treatment and the status of efforts to find a cure. He was stunned at what he learned -- especially the fact that few cancer research dollars spent by the Veterans Administration and U.S. Department of Defense were directed at lung cancer, even though it is the largest cause of cancer deaths among Veterans.
Admiral Coady immediately set to work and resolved to help permanently change public perceptions and public health funding for lung cancer research. He engaged Congress, Agency officials, national media, and business leaders on the need to increase compassion and support for the entire lung cancer community. He commanded attention – and got it - as just last week the first-ever lung cancer research funding legislation was introduced in the United States Senate.
Admiral Coady was an extraordinary man – a natural born leader. He exuded confidence, determination and purpose. He was principled, compassionate, honorable, and resolute. He sought truth and justice. It was easy to “fall in behind” as he led with such dignity, intelligence and grace. He was -- simply put – a “cut above”.
Laurie Fenton Ambrose
President & CEO
Lung Cancer Alliance

Five Genes Identified In Metastasis Of Breast Tumors To The Lung

ScienceDaily (June 24, 2008) — The identification of five genes involve in the metastasis of breast tumours to the lung is the principal finding of a scientific team made up of two bodies from the University of Navarra, the Applied Medical Research Centre (CIMA) and the University Hospital of the University of Navarra.
According to the results of this study, of the five genes identified, the Tenascina-C gene seems to be a good therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In fact, the blocking of the expression of this gene in the animal model enabled a significant reduction, both in tumour growth and in the incidence of pulmonary metastasis.
This new discovery in the complex network that is the metastasis process of tumours provides key data on the knowledge of cancer and its spreading, at the same time identifying new targets for which new pharmaceutical medicines that contribute to more efficacious treatment of this disease can be designed.

Faulty DNA Repair Could Be A Risk Factor For Lung Cancer In Nonsmokers

ScienceDaily (June 27, 2008) — People who have never smoked but whose cells cannot efficiently repair environmental insults to DNA are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than those with effective genomic repair capability, according to researchers from the Department of Epidemiology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"About 15 percent of lung cancers occur in lifetime never smokers. Risk factors for lung cancer in people who have never smoked are poorly understood, but this study demonstrates that poor DNA repair capacity is an important predictor of lung cancer risk in never smokers," said the study's lead author, Olga Gorlova, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology.
In the June issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, the researchers say that, overall, nonsmokers with suboptimal DNA repair capacity (DRC) are almost twice as likely to develop lung cancer, compared with nonsmokers with normal DRC. Study participants with the lowest ability to repair their DNA had a more than a threefold increased risk, compared with individuals with efficient DRC.
Secondhand smoke exposure is another established risk factor; in participants with inefficient DRC who also reported such exposure, the risk of lung cancer was almost fourfold.
Although the research team has not pinpointed the gene or genes that cause suboptimal DRC, their data suggest that the trait is heritable to some degree. Notably they found that first-degree relatives of those with lowest DRC were 2.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than were first-degree relatives of people with efficient DRC.
"Our findings demonstrate that suboptimal DNA repair capacity together with secondhand smoke exposure are strong lung cancer risk factors in lifetime never smokers," Gorlova said.

Lung Cancer Alliance Takes Action

Help increase lung cancer research funding. Ask your Senators to add their support to the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2008.

History has been made! Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) have introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate creating and authorizing at least $75 million for lung cancer research. This is the first ever multi-agency, comprehensive program targeted at reducing lung cancer mortality.
Contact your U.S. Senators today and ask them to add their support to the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act!

the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting

There were many encouraging results for the future of lung cancer treatments that emerged from the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting:

• Cetuximab (Erbitux) was shown to provide an overall survival benefit in lung cancer when paired with standard chemotherapy.

Intriguing early results suggest that:

• celecoxib (Celebrex) may help to prevent lung cancer in those with a substantial smoking history,


• genetic analysis may predict which early-stage lung cancer patients will benefit from chemotherapy, and


• an investigational drug called CP-751,871 may improve response to chemotherapy.

To learn more about these results and others, please visit ASCO's website.

The State reports Quitting smoking just got tougher

By JOHN O’CONNOR - joconnor@thestate.com

State budget cuts and the failure to raise the state cigarette tax means S.C. smokers trying to quit the habit will get no help from the state next year.
Among the items cut from the state’s $7 billion-a-year budget by lawmakers was $2 million to pay for anti-smoking and cessation efforts.
A proposed 50-cent-a-pack cigarette tax would have budgeted $5 million of the $160 million raised by the higher tax to cessation and anti-smoking programs. But lawmakers failed to override Gov. Mark Sanford’s veto of a bill to increase South Carolina’s lowest-in-the-nation tax.
That means a state quit line — where smokers can call to get advice — will have to provide only bare-bones assistance, paid for with a federal grant. Youth anti-smoking programs will have to raise their own money, and South Carolina’s already low ranking for anti-smoking efforts will likely worsen.

South Carolina has received $364 million from its $910 million settlement with tobacco companies to pay the cost of providing health care to smokers.
But the state has spent just $5.4 million of that settlement on anti-smoking efforts — 1.5 percent of spending — according to the Office of State Budget.
The state should spend 11 times what it does on smoking cessation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends spending based on the number of smokers in a state.
Starting July 1, however, the state will spend no money on smoking cessation. That has anti-smoking advocates worried they could lose ground in the gains that they have made in reducing smoking since 1999.

Young fan battling cancer honored at Evergreen Speedway

By Scott Whitmore Herald writer - Everett, Washington

Mini-stock division driver Mark Weedin (left) and Kelton Little, 11, of Everett celebrate Weedin's feature race victory on Saturday, June 21 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.

Kelton Little knows how to pick a winner.Standing on Evergreen Speedway’s frontstretch during the autograph session before Saturday’s races, the 11-year-old from Everett didn’t hesitate when asked who would win the mini-stock division feature race.“Him, the red 01 car” Kelton said, pointing to former champion Mark Weedin, who was standing next to his car.Kelton, who is battling cancer, was a guest of the speedway’s mini-stock division on Saturday. He was presented with a trophy and an autographed driver’s helmet, and Kelton also took a ride in the pace car.After Weedin made good on his prediction, Kelton also got to climb to the top step of victory stage with the four-time winner.“Kelton, you’re awesome,” Weedin said, holding his winner’s trophy. “This one is for you.”When he was 10, Kelton noticed a lump on the left side of his jaw. He was diagnosed with adenoma carcinoma of his parotid salivary gland — a rare cancer for someone so young.After surgery to remove the lump and radiation treatments, Kelton’s follow-up tests were cancer-free until last February, when spots were noticed on his lungs.It was determined that the cancer — stage 4 metastatic non-small cell lung cancer — had moved into his lungs, kidneys and his left leg.

A Website, www.keltonlittle.com, has been set up to give people a chance to learn more about Kelton, and make donations to help offset the cost of his treatment.

Yerington plaintiff in Wyeth case dies at 65

BY MARTHA BELLISLE of the Reno Gazette-Journal • mbellisle@rgj.com

June 21, 2008

One of three Northern Nevada women who recently was awarded millions in damages against pharmaceutical giant Wyeth has died.

Pamela Forrester of Yerington died Thursday at noon, said one of her Reno lawyers, Geoff White. She was under hospice care for her lung cancer, he said. She was 65.
Forrester, Arlene Rowatt, 67, of Incline Village and Jeraldine Scofield, 74, of Fallon, were awarded $58 million after a jury found that Wyeth drug, Prempro, used to counter menopausal symptoms, caused their breast cancer.
The jury initially ordered Wyeth to pay $134 million, but Washoe District Judge Robert Perry ruled that the verdicts were the "result of passion and prejudice" and should be lowered.
The $58 million remains the highest amount awarded yet as Wyeth faces thousands of similar cases across the country. Wyeth has appealed the verdict to the Nevada Supreme Court.
"One of her best events was her ability to get some degree of justice from Wyeth even though she knew she was going to die," White said.

WMFX’s rock loses battle with cancer

MIKE SCOTT 1962-2008

By OTIS R. TAYLOR JR. - otaylor@thestate.com

When Charles Wilkie, a local booking agent and concert promoter, thinks of classic rock, one person comes to mind: Mike Scott.
Scott, the WMFX-FM Fox 102.3 afternoon DJ, died of lung cancer Wednesday morning at age 46.
“He always cared about how the shows did, and that meant a lot to me,” Wilkie said.
Scott, whose real last name was Uischner, began his career at the classic rock Fox in 1988, a year after the station started broadcasting.
For more than 15 years, it was Scott’s voice that introduced segments with the familiar “Aah, Fox.”
“He was one of the true lovers of classic rock,” said Benji Norton, who hosts “The Early Game” on 107.5 The Game.

Congratulations to our Georgia neighbors, Ed and Linda Levitt, advocates of LCA!

Washington, D.C. [June 16, 2008]— Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) praised Georgia State Senators John Wiles (R-37th), Chip Rogers (R-21st), Judson Hill (R-32nd), Steve Thompson (D-33rd) and Doug Stoner (D-6th) for introducing Georgia Senate Resolution 1215 (S.R. 1215).
Adopted by the GA Senate at the end of the 2008 legislative session, S.R. 1215 recognizes the tireless work and dedication of LCA-GA Chairs Ed and Linda Levitt to the lung cancer movement.
Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in the United States and in Georgia, taking more lives than breast, prostate and colon cancers--combined. This year alone, over 4,500 Georgians will die from the disease. Of those diagnosed over 60% are former smokers or never smoked at all.

Watch the video of Matt Lauer's interview entitled, "Golfer Defies the Odds."

On Monday's Today show, Matt Lauer interviewed lung cancer survivor and golfer John Atkinson, who won the opportunity to participate with him in the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge at Torrey Pines over the weekend.

"...John Atkinson, with all he's going through, and the fact that he had never been in a pressure-packed golf situation like this before -- or really ever faced any crowds or the attention like this -- he was a true gentleman. I know he didn't play as well as he wanted to play, but he inspired us out there.
I think the most emotional moment was on the 18th hole, when he and his brother and his family all embraced on the green. We all started crying, it was very moving."

a quote from Matt Lauer taken from allDAY (the Today show's blog)

CT Lung Cancer Screening No Cure-all For Smokers

ScienceDaily (Jun. 13, 2008) — Screening for lung cancer with computed tomography (CT) may help reduce lung cancer deaths in current and former smokers, but it won't protect them from other causes of death associated with smoking, according to a new study.

Another article on the loss of Jerry Fowler by Bill Robinson of The State:Jerry Fowler, innovative broker dies

In early 2007, Fowler was diagnosed with lung cancer and won the admiration of many for persevering with a busy schedule of 14-hour work days in spite of debilitating treatments. Fowler even posted a set of “before and after” photographs of himself with and without hair.Fowler sold real estate in the Columbia area for nearly two decades and in 1998 coined the slogan “the Results Team” to describe his newly formed company and its employees.
For the past 17 years, he was a regular on WVOC radio, offering real estate and related advice weekdays. He also was host of a talk show on Saturday mornings that focused on the subject.
“He’s been so much more than a radio host,” said L.J. Smith, programming and operations director for Clear Channel radio in Columbia. “He’s been mentor, adviser, friend, advocate and leader — not only his radio audience, but to those who’ve worked in this building with him.”
“His optimism was unrivaled,” Smith said. “While battling through his sickness, he was continually planning and looking toward the future of his life, both personally and professionally. He had plans for another radio show in the works, laying plans right up to just a week or two ago.”

The State reports Radio Realtor loses battle with cancer

Bill Robinson of The State newspaper reported that Jerry Fowler of Chapin, a self-employed real estate broker who pioneered the use of radio in the Columbia area to educate the public about buying and selling property, died Thursday, May 15th, a spokesman for the Lexington-Richland 5 school system said.
Fowler, 61, conducted a public battle with lung cancer and kept a diary of the ups and downs of his treatment. Until being hospitalized recently, the weekly installments were published in an Irmo weekly newspaper and posted on his company’s web site.

"Paws for the Cure" - Friends of Mary Louise Pawlowski

This shirt was designed by Mr. Knickerbocker to support Mary-Louise Pawlowski, daughter of former pitcher and Clemson Baseball coach John Pawlowski. Five dollars of every shirt sold goes directly to help offset the cost of her treatment.

Go to the Mr. Knickerbocker site to order a shirt: http://www.mrknickerbocker.com/pc-625-18-paws-for-the-cure.aspx

What makes Mr. Knickerbocker unique is its dedication to Clemson as 100% of our merchandise is licensed Clemson products. With its total focus on Clemson University, Mr. Knickerbocker has a national reputation with Tiger fans, and the success of this unique philosophy has earned us the respect of manufacturers and other retailers.
"A Clemson Tradition for over Twenty Five Years."
The College of Charleston Baseball team plays at Clemson on Tuesday May 13, 2008 at 7:15pm

13 year old Mary-Louise Pawlowiski of North Augusta has been diagnosed with PNET (primitive neuroectodermal tumors), a rare malignancy seen in only two percent of children with cancer. X-rays showed a spot on her lung. They thought it might be pneumonia, but by mid-December the spot had doubled in size. Five days before Christmas, the doctors delivered the diagnosis.