Say 'thank you' to smokers

The Daily Gamecock's Emily Weithman, second-year broadcast journalism student, says "thank you" to smokers and weighs in on the cigarette tax debate.

Well, I never thought I'd say this, but hooray for smokers.

Yes, that's right, I am condoning smoking. Make no mistake, I still despise the habit, but since the 50 cent-a-pack tax increase looks like it's finally going to pass this year, I say, full speed ahead Marlboro lovers.

South Carolina has historically had the lowest cigarette taxes in the nation, a statistic that was almost changed last year when the House and Senate approved a 50-cent increase. However, there was disagreement over how the money should be spent and so the House could not override Gov. Mark Sanford's veto.

This year, all that is subject to change with the new plan modeled after Oklahoma's federal match plan, which uses the extra money to help low-income or high-risk residents obtain health insurance.

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Carolinian Staff burns smoking ban from both ends

from The Independent Student Newspapter of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

"There is currently a university rule banning smoking within 25 feet of any building entrance. When we were contacted by the Eta Sigma Gamma, the National Health Education Honorary, about their plans to petition that the distance be increased to 100 feet, it spurred some conversation in our newsroom."

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Mayo Clinic - Even a little smoking can do great harm

Q: In my 20s and early 30s, I was a pack-a-day smoker who tried frequently to kick the habit. For the past 13 years, I have smoked only periodically — about six days a year (when getting together with college friends). On those days, I smoke about two packs a day. What is the risk to my health posed by those six days of heavy smoking?

A: Your risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is clearly lower now than when you smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. There is no data that can accurately answer your question. We do know that there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke, whether it's from smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke. By smoking occasionally, you definitely increase your chances of developing a tobacco-related disease, particularly heart disease.

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A Week in the Life Of a Lung Cancer Survivor

Being alive and dragged at is a heck of a lot better than the alternative, so full speed ahead it is. Maybe the medicines will help the rash. The cold is much better already. Hopefully the rash means the Tarceva is working and my next scan will be a thing of beauty. Maybe the girls will win tonight’s volleyball game and the Cubs will win the World Series. See, there’s my old optimist finding the sunlight once again.

www.nationallungcancerpartnership.org

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Lung Tube coming April 23rd

LungTube–Carol Lin Reports

The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and Carol Lin Reporting are teaming up to bring you the most provocative, compelling and relevant stories about Lung Cancer patients and caregivers—their solutions, stories of survival and what it means to be “One In A Million.”

Stories, reported by award-winning, veteran broadcast journalist and former ABC News and CNN anchor/correspondent Carol Lin, will help the world understand the courage of survivors, the need for early detection and the truth that Lung Cancer is everyone’s challenge. You’ll meet Doreen Schmitt, NEVER-smoker, mother of three, who is outwitting her fatal diagnosis with grit and courage even as her husband is battling colon cancer. Then there’s Gabby, age seven, whose own diagnosis has made her the youngest of heroes as she raises awareness. This is just a taste of what’s to come.

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Mesothelioma Cause Reconfirmed

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC) reconfirmed this week that all commercial asbestos fibers cause lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Read more.

A simple puff may save smokers' lives

Blowing into a tube could help find people at increased risk of getting lung cancer.

The test, called a spirometry, is used to diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, also known as smoker's lung or emphysema.

A study by Kiwi researchers has found people with COPD are six times more likely to get lung cancer than smokers without the disease.

But project leader associate professor Robert Young of Auckland University said spirometry tests should be given more often, especially as many doctors already had the equipment.

"It's not used all that much. This is not really acceptable, as nearly all patients with lung cancer express feelings of guilt or regret that they smoked and wished they had given up sooner."

Read more.

Reuters reports: Novartis-Antisoma lung cancer drug tested in Japan

Clinical trials of an experimental lung cancer drug being developed by Novartis AG (NOVN.VX) in partnership with Britain's Antisoma Plc (ASM.L) have been extended to Japan.

Antisoma said on Wednesday that the Phase III programme evaluating ASA404 as a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer was now enrolling patients in Japan -- an important step towards a potential application to sell the drug in the country.

Read more.

Reuters reports: Cancer cure rates on the rise in Europe: study

More Europeans are beating cancer, perhaps due to more widespread screening and earlier diagnosis, according to a study published on Tuesday.

The study compared two periods -- 1988 to 1990 and 1997 to 1999 -- and found that the proportion of men and women cured of lung cancer rose from 6 percent to 8 percent, stomach cancer cures from 15 percent to 18 percent and colorectal cancer cure rates went from 42 percent to 49 percent.

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Carotenoid supplements tied to lung cancer risk

Based on the findings from a new study, it appears that people who take higher than recommended doses of carotenoid supplements hoping to keep from getting sick, may actually be doing themselves harm. The long-term use of beta-carotene, retinol, and lutein supplements at doses higher than in multivitamins, increases lung cancer risk, especially in smokers and former smokers, according to investigators from the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) study.

High-dose beta-carotene supplements increase the lung cancer rates in high-risk individuals, even though carotenoids from dietary sources tend to lower risk, Dr. Jessie A. Satia and co-researchers note in the American Journal of Epidemiology. "Whether effects are similar in the general population is unclear."

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USA Today reports: Lawsuit targets Lake County polluters

Ron Kurth grew up in Gary and worked in the steel mills, and he raised his family in the region near the outskirts of Chicago. And he always wondered about the smoke and smog that overcast the Lake Michigan shoreline.

"It's just a horrible atmosphere ... bringing a family up in this area," he said.

Kurth, who has a 16-year-old daughter who attends high school in Crown Point, decided someone ought to do something about the pollution, and Wednesday, he did.

He filed a lawsuit on behalf of his daughter against 11 northwest Indiana industries, including U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal, claiming the air pollution they emit from their smokestacks endangers the long-term health of Lake County children. The lawsuit seeks class action status on behalf of thousands of the county's schoolchildren.

The complaint cites a study that appeared in USA Today earlier this year that reported children in the heavily industrialized county are exposed to higher levels of airborne toxins than elsewhere in the United States, based on EPA data on air quality outside 127,800 schools nationwide.

Four schools in East Chicago -- Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, East Chicago Lighthouse, and Eugene Field Elementary School -- ranked in the study's first percentile, among the most polluted air.

Read more.

USA Today reports: Granholm wants to halt Mich. asbestos inspections

Michigan's environmental regulatory agency says it no longer can afford to inspect buildings scheduled for demolition or renovation to prevent asbestos releases into the air.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed budget recommends dropping the Department of Environmental Quality program designed to ensure compliance with federal asbestos rules. Significant exposure to the fibrous mineral is believed to boost risk of lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses.

If the Legislature approves, responsibility for conducting inspections and punishing violators will revert to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional office in Chicago, which critics say lacks the resources to do an adequate job.

Read more.

The Los Angeles Times: Dying for some red meat? You may be

There are many explanations for how red meat might be unhealthy: Cooking red meat generates cancer-causing compounds; red meat is also high in saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer; and meat is high in iron, which also is believed to promote cancer.

Read more.

The Post and Courier reports: Cigarette tax increase gets 1st review

Charging smokers more for a pack of cigarettes as a way to help uninsured South Carolinians gain health care coverage will face its first hurdle before a legislative panel today (Tuesday, March 24th).

House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, crafted a proposal to raise the state's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax to 57 cents a pack. The tax, set in 1977, currently is 7 cents a pack, well below the national average of $1.21.

Read more.

The State reports: Some SC teens call for cigarette tax hike

Dozens of South Carolina teenagers are calling on lawmakers to raise the state's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax.

Members of a youth anti-tobacco group came to Columbia on national Kick Butts Day to urge legislators to hike tobacco taxes and fund smoking prevention programs like theirs. About 6,700 teens statewide ages 13 to 17 participate in Rage Against the Haze.

Read more.

South Carolina Kids 'Kick Butts' on March 25

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco with events that range from "They put WHAT in a cigarette?" demonstrations to mock-funerals for the Marlboro Man to rallies at state capitols. Activities in South Carolina include (all events are on March 25 unless otherwise noted):

Youth from the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative in Columbia will encourage state legislators to pass a significant increase to South Carolina's cigarette tax. Time: 11 AM. Location: 1101 Gervais Street, South Carolina State House (Rotunda), Columbia. Contact: Kelly Davis (803) 479-0411.

At Cleveland Park, the Greenville Family Partnership in Greenville will be displaying household products that contain the same dangerous chemicals as cigarettes, such as ammonia and arsenic. Time: 2 PM. Location: 150 Cleveland Park Drive, Greenville. Contact: Alesia McFarlin (864) 467-4099.

Note to the media: For a list of Kick Butts Day events in South Carolina visit www.kickbuttsday.org/events. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

WIS News: 5K race hopes to raise awareness of how to quit smoking

Are you ready to kick some butt, as in cigarette butts?

The South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative and several other groups are teaming up for their 3rd annual "Strong Bodies Kick Butts" 5K race.

Read more.

Science Daily reports: Lung Cancer: Molecular Scissors Determine Therapy Effectiveness

In the past few years, a number of anti-cancer drugs have been developed which are directed selectively against specific key molecules of tumor cells. Among these is an antibody called cetuximab, which attaches to a protein molecule that is found in large amounts on the surface of many types of cancer cells.

When this surface molecule, called epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGF-R for short, is blocked by cetuximab, the cancer cell receives less signals stimulating cell division.

Clinical studies of non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most frequent type of lung cancer, have shown so far that only part of the patients treated with cetuximab benefit from the treatment. Therefore, doctors are urgently searching for biomarkers which reliably predict responsiveness to the antibody therapy.

Tigard's McCormick is fighting to teach

A Tigard middle school teacher refuses to let cancer get in between her and her students

Fowler Middle School teacher Susan McCormick sat in her sixth-grade classroom for the first time in a long time Friday, looking up at her whiteboard. Nearly all of her 120 students had made a pilgrimage to her whiteboard over the past few months to scribble notes in dry-erase marker saying they missed her, wishing her well, or writing in big blue letters “Go Dodgers” – one of her favorite baseball teams.

“These kids are my medicine,” McCormick sighed, looking up at what she calls her “wall of support” with a smile and wet eyes.

Her other medicine is chemotherapy and radiation to treat her two cancers doctors found last year. Diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer in October and then with pancreatic cancer just weeks later during a PET scan, McCormick has lost her hair, her physical strength and months of seeing her students – but refuses to lose her will to live.

“Currently, I’m a cancer patient, but you can refer to me as a cancer survivor,” McCormick said.

Lung cancer leading cause of cancer death in U.S. women

What's the leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States? The answer might surprise you, because it is lung cancer, not breast cancer. According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer accounts for almost twice as many deaths as breast cancer. And while smokers are more likely to develop the disease, one in every five people with lung cancer has never touched a cigarette.

Blount Memorial thoracic services coordinator Michelle McPherson says there are a couple of key reasons why lung cancer doesn't receive wide media attention. "Lung cancer doesn't have a powerful advocacy group like breast cancer. In addition, lung cancer research is unfunded because the survival rate is typically short, and people who get lung cancer are often times blamed for it being their own fault."

The State reports: Worker alleges Smithsonian mishandled asbestos

An ill museum worker alleged in a whistleblower complaint Tuesday that the Smithsonian Institution didn't properly contain asbestos-laden dust from construction at the National Air and Space Museum and penalized him after he complained.

The federal complaint said workers weren't informed of the material's presence until March 2008, even though the Smithsonian acknowledges it knew about the asbestos in the 33-year-old building's outer walls since at least 1992.

Also Tuesday, a congressman who oversees the Smithsonian announced an April 1 hearing to examine workplace conditions at the world's largest museum and research complex.

The Smithsonian, which denies it retaliated against exhibits specialist Richard Pullman, said it has no current plans to remove the material that can cause cancer and lung disease because of prohibitive costs. It said studies show the asbestos at the museum poses no threat to workers or the its 5 million yearly visitors if properly handled or left undisturbed.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the Smithsonian for violating three federal asbestos regulations in July 2008, months after Pullman first reported problems to federal officials.

Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation Makes $15,000 Donation to Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute

The national, virtual lung cancer institute is dedicated to accelerating the discovery, development, and delivery of new and more efficient treatment options for lung cancer patients.

March 17th, 2009 (Atlanta, GA)

Today, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation announced their first donation explicitly geared toward lung cancer treatment research. The foundation is donating $15,000 to the newly-created Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI).

ALCMI was established by lung cancer survivor Bonnie J. Addario in 2008. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, it was created to be a national, virtual lung cancer institute – an honest third-party broker that will develop and direct high-quality tissue specimen repositories, data systems, and foster collaboration.

“Our mission statement includes advocating for research,” said foundation president Joe Gaeta. “We believe that ALCMI and its collaboration model will advance the research and treatment of lung cancer and finally begin to increase the survival rate of this horrible disease – a survival rate that has remained virtually unchanged for nearly 40 years. We are extremely confident that ALCMI is the single-best use of our research funds.”

“We are eternally grateful to the Gaeta foundation for their extremely generous donation and, more importantly, for their historic endorsement and partnership with ALCMI,” said ALCMI founder, Bonnie Addario. “Thanks to donations like this, we move one step closer to increasing the survival rate of lung cancer. We are so very happy to have the Gaetas join us in our common fight.”

The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation is grateful for all of their donors who have supported them since their inception in the fall of 2007. “Without the generosity of our supporters, we could not have made this investment in the future of lung cancer research. We thank each and every one of them,” said Joe Gaeta.

About The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute

Concerned by the continued lack of meaningful progress against Lung Cancer, in 2006-2007, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation assembled the field’s foremost researchers, clinicians, and business leaders from academic and community medical centers, biopharmaceutical companies, and the investment community in order to ask a fundamental question: “If money for research and development was not a barrier, and a true collaboration could be achieved, what would you require to achieve a cure for Lung Cancer in the least amount of time?”

The overwhelming consensus response was to establish a national, virtual Lung Cancer institute—an honest third-party broker that would develop and direct high-quality tissue specimen repositories, data systems, and fostered collaborations. As a result, Lung Cancer survivor Bonnie J. Addario established the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

ALCMI is dedicated to catalyzing and accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of new and more effective treatment options for Lung Cancer patients.
Contact: Tony Addario, CEO, tony@lungcancerfoundation.org or Sheila Von Driska, Secretary, svondriska@alcmi.net

About The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation

Established in the fall of 2007, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation was created to raise awareness, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research. They also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and support survivors and their loved ones in our local community.

A life long non-smoker, Joan Gaeta was a devoted wife, teacher, and mother of five. Diagnosed in early 2004, she fought a three and a half year battle before succumbing to the cancer in July of 2007.

Contact: Joe Gaeta, President, (404) 435-7376, gaetafoundation@gmail.com.

Blue Cross: Secondhand smoke pinned at $289M in NC

The state Division of Public Health is backing an estimate by North Carolina's largest health insurer that pins the statewide healthcare costs from secondhand smoke at about $289 million a year.

The chief of the division's chronic disease section plans to discuss the report with a legislative committee in Raleigh on Tuesday. The committee is considering a bill that would ban smoking in public places, including workplaces.

The $289 million figure comes from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina staffers based on increased cases of lung cancer and other diseases. The insurance company's calculations are modeled on a peer-reviewed study published last month of the likely cost of secondhand smoke in Minnesota.

Fear of routine tests often triggers 'scanxiety' in cancer patients

Judi Rothman found out a year ago that she had colon cancer that had spread to her liver.

Every day since then, she has lived with worry.

She can push it beneath the surface of her life most of the time. But the minute her doctor tells her it's time for another CAT scan, the fear springs like a cobra, suddenly too big and menacing to ignore.

"In the back of your mind, it's always there that the other shoe is going to drop, and that becomes more active in the days before that CAT scan until I hear what happened," said Rothman, who is 61 and lives in the Northeast. She gets CAT scans every other month to monitor her cancer.

"I always think the worst," she said.

Rothman suffers from what cancer patients call "scanxiety," the fear that punctuates their lives as "routine" tests approach.

The New York Times: No Single Path for Cancer Care in Elderly

Don’t Forget the Patient

Still another consideration, Dr. Yates said, and not a small one, is what the patient wants. He described a former patient, a 78-year-old woman with diabetes who had lost a leg to osteogenic sarcoma. The cancer had spread to her lungs, and she faced possible treatment with chemotherapy that would cause nausea and hair loss and carried the risk of a fatal lung infection. Her four college-educated children agreed with the doctor’s suggestion to skip chemotherapy and administer comfort care, since treating her cancer was likely to kill her.

“But she said she wanted to be treated — she was adamant,” recalled Dr. Yates, who will be leaving the cancer society for the National Institute on Aging. “To my surprise, she had a dramatic response to the treatment. Her lung tumors all but disappeared, and she lived another two years.”

Lung Cancer Alliance: Capitol Hill Update

This week, the U.S. Senate finally approved funding for nine agencies of the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2009. The $410 billion package, delayed for over a week by debate over earmarks, boosts funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to $30.3 billion, a $938 million increase over last year’s total. That higher amount included a $186 million increase (for a total of $4.968 billion) for the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Over and above this funding is the $700 billion stimulus package, requested by the President and passed by Congress two weeks ago to jump start the economy. Under that funding stream, NIH will receive an additional $10.4 billion for additional biomedical research into diseases such as cancer, heart, Alzeheimers and Parkinsons, renovations to federal and non-federal research facilities and research into the comparative effectiveness of drugs, diagnostics and treatment protocols.

LCA was joined by 14 other lung cancer organizations in writing to the Acting Director of NIH, Dr. Raynard S. Kington, and the Director of NCI, Dr. John E. Niederhuber in urging that $100 million in additional funding be set aside for lung cancer research.

With all that funding going into NIH and NCI, major agencies of the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS), filling the now long vacant position of HHS Secretary becomes even more urgent. Last week the President nominated Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to the post but the Senate, which must vote on the nomination, has not yet scheduled hearings.

Meanwhile reports this week indicated that President Barack Obama plans to nominate former New York City health commissioner Margaret Hamburg to head the Food and Drug Administration.

Healthcare reform continues to pick up steam as many members of the House and Senate who as recently as February were predicting it would take 3 to 4 years to complete are now talking about a package of reforms by this fall.

USA Today: Health officials want volunteers for dust study

State health officials and the Environmental Protection Agency want to test western North Dakota residents who have had long-term exposure to erionite, an asbestos-like mineral that can collect in the lungs of people who breathe it.

Health officials say hundreds of miles of roads in western North Dakota are covered with gravel containing erionite, a mineral found in chalky white rock mined for decades in Dunn, Slope and Stark counties.

State geologist Ed Murphy notified the EPA of the erionite in the region about years ago. Federal and state officials have been testing rocks and airborne samples since then but they say more tests, including tests on humans, are needed.

In the nation of Turkey, erionite has been linked to mesothelioma, an incurable form of lung cancer commonly associated with asbestos exposure, health officials say.

USA Today: Ore. school buses filled with fumes

The state Department of Environmental Quality says many Oregon students are riding to school in diesel-powered buses filled with potentially harmful fumes. "I don't think most parents realize that when they're sending their children off to school, how dangerous it can be," Dana Kaye, executive director of the American Lung Association of Oregon, told The Oregonian newspaper.

More than two-thirds of the state's 5,200 school buses leak fumes through a hole in the crankcase or through tailpipe emissions, and those fumes could lead to serious health problems in adulthood, according to the DEQ.

"There is a growing body of evidence showing the increased risk of cancer, heart disease, impaired neurological development and pulmonary disorders associated with exposure to diesel fumes," said Kevin Downing, coordinator of the DEQ's Clean Diesel Initiative.

The Los Angeles Times: Yerba mate tea: Drink in moderation

Even as the antioxidant-filled drink catches on, researchers sound a note of caution: People who consume a lot of the tea may have higher risk of certain cancers.

One study of roughly 1,000 adults in Uruguay, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention in 1996, found the risk of lung cancer to be 60% higher among mate drinkers. Another Uruguayan study, published in the same journal in 2003, found that in a group of about 800 adults, mate drinking tripled the risk of esophageal cancer.

Tom Glassey loses brave battle with cancer

Born in Castletown in 1953, Tom lost his sight as a baby after he contracted cancer in one eye — the cancer also threatened his other eye.

Diagnosed with lung cancer just over a year ago, an instinctive writer, he chartered his battle in a blog that was aimed at persuading smokers to give up the habit that caused his own condition.

The blog was read by tens of thousands of people around the world and recommended by doctors to their cancer patients. Relentlessly upbeat, philosophical and humorous, his words led readers on a journey that was, despite everything, an inspiration.

In this month's issue he described embarking on the second round of chemotherapy treatment and wrote: "I know that some of you may feel that you are in a hopeless situation right now. I know what that feels like, I have been there."

"To be without hope is to have nothing. Yet no matter how damn hopeless life appears, the door can open at any time and you simply have no control of who might pass through it."

Biomoda Approved To Begin Screening Veterans For Lung Cancer

Biomoda, Inc. (OTCBB: BMOD), a medical diagnostics company based in Albuquerque, received approval from an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) to begin Phase I clinical trials of its cytology-based screening technology for early detection of cancer.

Citing the IRB's approval of Biomoda's protocol as a significant step forward, Biomoda President and CEO John Cousins said, "This not only launches our Phase I clinical study, but it also puts us in a position to have a meaningful impact on people's lives today. Our initial study is directed at military veterans who are at high risk for developing lung cancer. If our screening reveals early-stage cancer in one of our volunteers, that person's chance of being alive five years from now goes from 15 percent to 80 percent, all because of early diagnosis and treatment." It is our intent in this pilot program to identify five to ten such cases and have a dramatic impact on saving lives here in New Mexico now.

Science Daily reports: Surviving Lung Cancer

Countless people have heard the phrase, “You have lung cancer,” but only 50 can say they’ve completed a new treatment at Temple University that doubles their chances of surviving the deadly disease — and without the conventional radiation regimen or surgery.

Doctors in the Radiation Oncology Department say the technique, stereotactic body radiotherapy, or SBRT, not only improves a person’s odds of surviving early stage lung cancer, but may reduce the need for future surgeries.

“This is a big trend in radiation oncology for early stage lung cancer patients who either can’t undergo surgery or refuse it,” says Curtis Miyamoto, M.D., chair and professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the School of Medicine. “With the success of this technique, we’re now questioning whether we’ll even be doing surgeries on these patients in the future.”

MSNBC: Control your DNA destiny

Genes aren’t the boss of your health — you are

Some genetic traits are easier to defy than others, like your mom’s mousy hair and petite stature. (Bring on the highlights and heels!) Others, such as cancer or diabetes, are not so simple to escape. But now you can reduce your risk with proven tips for protecting your health from head to toe....

Experts have long known that heredity plays a role in respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies, and they’ve added lung cancer to that list. True, smoking is linked to 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, but that leaves 13 percent of victims who are nonsmokers. What’s more, “many smokers don’t get lung cancer, which suggests a genetic difference in those who do,” says Ming You, M.D., director of the Chemoprevention Program at the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University in St. Louis. He has found a more than five times higher risk for lung cancer among puffers and nonsmokers alike who have both a family history of the disease and a specific cluster of genetic variations.

MSNBC: Frieden Sets Standard for Health Commissioners

He deserves a medal for his pioneering actions in protecting the health of all New Yorkers.

Thomas Frieden, 49, has set a standard for health commissioners everywhere. His anti-smoking initiatives have changed the life style and the habits of millions of New Yorkers. Some day, when the history of lung cancer in New York is written, Frieden may be credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

The impact of his stringent anti-smoking policy can be seen in front of nearly every office building during every day. Tiny groups of smokers huddle outside the front door. These people are catching a quick smoke, outside, because city policy prohibits smoking in many private buildings and in restaurants and bars. The sidewalk smokers are almost furtive, pathetic refugees from an anti-smoking crusade launched by Frieden and backed to the hilt by the man who appointed him, Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Frieden is a powerhouse and it’s not surprising he is being considered for a top job in the Obama administration.

When Genes Cooperate, Lung Cancer Grows and Spreads

By Duke Medicine News and Communications

The combined expression of three specific genes in lung cancer tumors may predict both cancer growth and a poorer prognosis, according to a study led by researchers in the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy and the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"Previous work had shown that three genes -- TTF-1, NKX2-8 and PAX9 -- were amplified in early stage lung cancer tumors," said David Hsu, MD, a medical oncologist at Duke and lead investigator on this study.

"Our study showed that these genes actually work together to provide an environment conductive to the growth and proliferation of cancer cells." The researchers published their findings in the March 9, 2009 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study was funded by the Emilene Brown Cancer Research Fund, the Jimmy V Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Joan's Legacy Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

OPI's "Breathe Life" supporting Lung Cancer Foundation of America

OPI Breathe Life Nail Lacquer is created exclusively to help the Lung Cancer Foundation of America in its efforts to raise funds for early detection, diagnosis & most of all, a cure.

Choose to wear this fresh-air, silvery blue to show your support.

Lung cancer has stopped our breathing long enough. Let's cure it!

The New York Times: Genetic Tests May Reveal Source of Mystery Tumors

When Jo Symons was found to have cancer, there was an extra complication: doctors could not tell what type of cancer she had.

Tumors were found in her neck, chest and lymph nodes. But those tumors had spread there from someplace else, and her doctors could not determine whether the original site was the breast, the colon, the ovary or some other organ. Without that knowledge, they could not offer optimal treatment.

Such mystery tumors are estimated to account for 2 percent to 5 percent of all cancer, or at least 30,000 new cases a year in the United States, making them more common than brain, liver or stomach cancers. For patients, such a diagnosis can amount to a double agony — not only do they have cancer, but doctors cannot treat it properly.

“You don’t believe that in the 21st century it is possible for the medical profession not to know where the cancer is coming from,” said Ms. Symons’s husband, John.

But now 21st-century medicine may help. New genetic tests may pinpoint the origin of the mystery tumors. The tests, which cost more than $3,000 each, still need to prove their worth better, experts say, though some of them are hopeful.

Gene defect raises lung cancer risk

A study in the United States has found that an often undetected gene defect can double the risk of contracting lung cancer.

A deficiency of a protein called alpha 1-antitrypsin can make the body more receptive to carcinogenic substances, says Professor Helmut Teschler of Germany's Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP) in reference to the study's findings.

People with the gene defect are more susceptible to the harmful substances contained in tobacco products and are advised to quit smoking immediately.

New Edward Hospital clinic aids lung cancer treatment

Chicago, Illinois --

Doctors at Edward Hospital in Naperville say they will be able to expedite lung cancer treatments with a just-opened clinic.

Dr. Maria Quejada said the hospital's new multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic allows patients to determine a course of treatment in one day rather than the weeks- to months-long process traditional treatment plans take to develop.

"The advantage to this type of program is a patient will come into the cancer center and see different specialists all in one visit," she said. "The case is then discussed by a team and they come up with a plan of care that day."

For the area, it is a one-of-a-kind approach to patient care, Edward officials said. Patients will see oncologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, social workers, coordinating nurses as well as take any necessary tests the day they visit.

Dana Reeve's Nephew Champions Aunt's Legacy

Representing the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation's New Generation of Crusaders, James Lichtenthal Traveled to New York City on March 5, 2009 for the American Cancer Society's Awareness Day Last Thursday, three years almost to the date of his aunt Dana Reeve's untimely death from Lung Cancer, James Lichtenthal, 18, boarded a 5:30 a.m. plane to New York City from Boston, carrying with him expectations of hope and change to more than 200 high school students and guests gathered at a rally to raise awareness for all cancers held at Fiorello LaGuardia High School.

New lung cancer radiation therapy created

U.S. radiologists say they have developed a new lung cancer treatment
that avoids conventional radiation regimens or surgical procedures.

Temple University Professor Curtis Miyamoto, who led the research, said the technique -- stereotactic body radiotherapy -- improves the odds of surviving early stage lung cancer.

"With the success of this technique, we're now questioning whether we'll even be doing surgeries on these patients in the future," Miyamoto said.

Ad campaign goal to raise lung cancer awareness

Why are there no lapel ribbons for lung cancer? There simply aren't enough survivors to amass a movement.

Every day, about 500 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer. The disease surpassed breast cancer in 1985 as the largest killer of women.

With few early symptoms and no techniques for early detection, lung cancer is rarely caught before reaching stage 4. Five years after diagnosis, only 15 percent of lung cancer victims are still alive, a statistic that has been static for 40 years.

Also, there is a stigma attached, because lung cancer is seen as a smoker's disease. On that point, it's time for an update.

"Sixty percent of the newly diagnosed lung cancer cases are either people who never smoked or people who quit smoking decades ago," says Bonnie Addario, a lung cancer survivor and founder of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, based in San Francisco.

The State reports: Online Extra: A great step forward in cancer research

By JENNY SANFORD, South Carolina's First Lady

My mother has taught me some important things in her 3½ decades fighting cancer. Cancer is multi-causal, with more than one factor setting it on its course. Likewise, the key to survival often includes a number of things working together — strong faith, positive attitude, early detection and of course the best possible care and treatment. These things work together and collaborate to save lives.

The news that the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has received designation from the National Cancer Institute should be cheered across the state. This designation means that Hollings Cancer Center is conducting research capable of contributing to the war on cancer in South Carolina and beyond.

The State reports: Woman, 84, gets the ride of her life for birthday

BUCKHEAD RIDGE, Fla. - What do you get an 84-year-old lady for her birthday? That's what Carol Brown was thinking a few weeks ago. Her mother, June Pearce, was turning 84. The idea of buying and giving more stuff just didn't appeal to Brown.

"When you're 84, what is there?" she thought.

Pearce lives in a slow-paced retirement area near Lake Okeechobee in rural Florida. She's been married to the same man, Fred, for 64 years. Pearce is a wife and a mother. She's had a few strokes, which have robbed her mind of short-term memories. Lung cancer has claimed much of her strength.

But one memory has stuck with her: riding on the back of a boy's motorcycle in the 1930s.

"I wasn't scared at all," Pearce remembers.

The State reports: Roche raises price in hostile offer for Genentech

Hanging over the talk of Genentech's value has been upcoming study data on the blockbuster cancer drug Avastin's effectiveness in treating early-stage colon cancer. The drug is already approved for various types of breast, lung and colon cancers and is the company's best-selling product. If the latest study is successful, the share price will likely rise, several analysts have said, but the opposite could also hold true.

Upstate meets clean air standards

The Greenville News
By Nan Lundeen • STAFF WRITER • March 2, 2009

Feds may tighten rules, making it harder to attract industry, jobs

New data show that the Upstate is meeting federal Clean Air Act standards for fine particles, but even as the area moves toward winning that longstanding battle, a federal court ruling last week laid down a path for the Environmental Protection Agency to consider tighter rules.

Veteran Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins remains a fierce performer

The Post and Courier
By: Sydney Smith

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins is a black woman who has been active in the blues world since the '50s. Because of that, she has stories to share through her music.

Drop her name in conversation with Charleston blues artists and fans and you'll hear two things: She rocks, and she's lived the blues.

"She's from another era," Blues Bash organizer Gary Erwin said. "She is cool."

"She kicks butt," Juke Joint Johnny said. "She's engaging. She's entertaining, she was born with an umbilical cord to American blues."

Beverly turns 70 this year. She's opened for Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. She's survived lung cancer and a minor heart attack.

But nothing has stopped her yet, and she has no intentions of slowing down. She knows she'll surprise and entertain you with her performance.

The State reports: Neb.'s Sen. Johanns undergoing surgery

The office of Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns says the senator is having surgery on his left lung following the discovery of a spot.

The State reports: Morris: Vols assistant tackles a bigger opponent

When IRMO HIGH’S Brooks Savage took off for Tennessee five years ago, he set his sights on one day being a college basketball coach. Little did Savage know he would also become a fundraiser for cancer research.

The State reports: Is my chemo working? Scans may give faster answer

When Mike Stevens learned his lungs were riddled with cancer, it took only a week to start chemotherapy - but six weeks to find out if it was doing any good. "You're going through all this suffering and stuff and you want to know, am I going to survive? Is this stuff working?" said Stevens, 48, of La Jolla, Calif. "Your whole life is in sort of a limbo."

Doctors typically must wait weeks or months to see if a treatment is shrinking tumors or at least halting their growth. But researchers are exploring a new use for medical imaging that could shorten the stay in purgatory, possibly revealing within a few days whether chemo is working.

The New York Times: Alan Landers, Winston Man, Dies at 68

By DOUGLAS MARTIN
Published: March 3, 2009

Alan Landers, who started smoking at 9 and became a model for advertisements of Winston cigarettes and Tiparillo cigars, then contracted lung cancer and became a highly visible crusader against smoking, died Friday at his home in Lauderhill, Fla. He was 68.

Robin Levine Carns, a niece, said the cause was complications of treatment for cancer of the larynx, which Mr. Landers attributed to smoking, as he did his two lung cancers and heart disease.

Second Annual “Dancing For Joan” Raises $35,000

Marietta, Georgia Event Brings Together over 200 People to Help End Lung Cancer
Mar 03, 2009 – (Atlanta, GA)

The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation announced today that the organization raised $35,000 at its second annual gala event on Saturday, February 21st, 2009. Hours of music, dancing, dining, and silent auction were the order of evening - along with some very important information about lung cancer.

The event was emceed by CNN’s Nancy Grace. Ms. Grace also promoted the foundation on her television program throughout the weeks before and after the event.

Party-goers viewed an important informational video entitled “This is Lung Cancer” which detailed the unfortunate statistics about the disease and its lack of significant research funding. The presentation also put a human face on the number one cancer killer in the world.

Honorary Chairman Paul Scheinberg, Chief of Staff at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta spoke to the crowd as well, highlighting the need for much more awareness and research funding.

The specific use of the money raised will be announced by the foundation in the coming weeks. The information will be publicly available at their web site, www.forjoan.org. It will also be communicated to their supporters individually.

AWARDS

Honored with the 2009 Hummingbird Award for Dedication was Mr. William Erb of Atlanta for his $5 million donation to Saint Joseph’s Hospital as well as for his subsidizing the lung cancer screenings of his employees. The 2009 Hummingbird Award for Community Service went to Mr. Tom Simon of Atlanta for his extensive work with lung cancer support groups in and around Atlanta.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT LUNG CANCER

Even if you have never smoked, you can get lung cancer. 60% of new cases are now diagnosed in non-smokers and former smokers. Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer of both men and women. Every three minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease. It kills more people each year than breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, melanoma, and kidney cancer combined. It surpassed breast cancer of the #1 killer of women in 1987. The five year survival rate for lung cancer is still only 15% - the same as it was over 35 years ago. By contrast, breast cancer now has a five year survival rate of well over 85% and prostate cancer has over a 99% survival rate.

# # #

Established in the fall of 2007, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation was created to raise awareness, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research. They also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and support survivors and their loved ones in our local community.

A life long non-smoker, Joan Gaeta was a devoted wife, teacher, and mother of five. Diagnosed in early 2004, she fought a three and a half year battle before succumbing to the cancer in July of 2007.

If you would like more information about this foundation and this annual event - or to schedule and interview with Joe Gaeta - please call 404-435-7376 or send an e-mail to gaetafoundation@gmail.com. You may also visit www.forjoan.org.

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA HOLLINGS CANCER CENTER RECEIVES NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE DESIGNATION

Hollings Cancer Center One of Only 64 U.S. Cancer Centers with Special Status

Charleston, S.C. (March 2, 2009) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center has attained National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, a distinction held by only 63 other cancer centers in the U.S. The Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) is the only institution in South Carolina with this prestigious status.

Andrew S. Kraft, MD, Director of the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC), said being named one of the top cancer research centers in the country signals that MUSC/HCC researchers and physicians are leaders in discovering, developing, and delivering cutting-edge treatments based on laboratory research to patients in South Carolina and beyond. The immediate benefit to patients is increased access to early clinical trials offering promising new treatments.

“We are honored and proud to have earned this recognition. It is a distinction earned over many years through collaboration and innovation by dedicated researchers, clinicians, and staff throughout Hollings Cancer Center and MUSC,” Dr. Kraft said. “By sharing what we know with other cancer centers and practices throughout our state, we can step up our war on cancer in South Carolina and beyond. Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center – we have one right here in our back yard.”
NCI designation is accompanied by more than $7 million in funding to sustain and grow research efforts at MUSC. The NCI awarded designation to HCC based on its outstanding facilities, commitment to research, leadership, and vision.

Former U.S. Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, for whom the cancer center was named in 1993, hailed the federal designation as nothing less than South Carolinians deserve.

“This is a true milestone for the Medical University of South Carolina. One can see that the cancer building is a winner, but now all in the state can know that the doctors and staff of MUSC Cancer Center are winners. Dr. Greenberg, Dr. Kraft, and the staff are to be congratulated.”
NCI-designated cancer centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate diverse research approaches that focus on cancer. They play a vital role in advancing the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer through increased clinical trials that offer patients new drugs and treatment protocols that would be unavailable to them otherwise.
U.S. Senator Lindsey L. Graham called the designation a “game-changer” for the thousands of South Carolinians with cancer.

“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the nation and practically every family in our state has been impacted by this horrible disease. The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research,” Graham said.

“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest. It is a compliment to the men and women who put in countless hours at this facility and recognition that the Hollings Cancer Center is among the best of the best in cancer research.”

Designation also holds the potential to spur South Carolina’s economy by attracting public and private funding for new endeavors.

U.S. Rep. Henry Brown said NCI status offer hope for a bright future in the state’s cancer research endeavors.

“The NCI designation for the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is recognition of excellence in cancer research. The discoveries made here will leave the laboratories and reach the patients, both in our state and throughout the world.”

Raymond S. Greenberg, MD, PhD, MUSC President, praised the efforts of many that made designation possible.

“Under the leadership of former MUSC President Jim Edwards, and with the support of Senator Hollings, MUSC set the goal of obtaining NCI designation more than a decade ago,” Dr. Greenberg said. “Now that this dream has come true, we gratefully acknowledge all who have made it possible, especially Dr. Kraft and his outstanding team. We also thank those like Jim Edwards and Fritz Hollings, whose vision and determination set this entire process in motion.”
According to the NCI, designated cancer centers are a major source of discovery of the nature of cancer and of the development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. They also deliver medical advances to patients and their families, educate healthcare professionals and the public, and reach out to underserved populations. They are characterized by strong organizational capabilities, institutional commitment, and trans-disciplinary, cancer-focused science; experienced scientific and administrative leadership, and state-of-the-art cancer research and patient care facilities. ###

About Hollings Cancer Center
Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is the largest academic-based cancer program in South Carolina. The Hollings Cancer Center is currently a developing National Cancer Institute designated cancer center and has more than $35M in cancer research funding. More than 500 people are currently participating on a cancer clinical trial at HCC. To expand patient access to clinical trials, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center has established the Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Partnering with nine cancer programs in S.C., the CTN broadens the reach of new research that may one day be the new standards of care.

Hollings Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques and has multidisciplinary clinics that involve surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and many other specialists seeing patients under one roof. Multidisciplinary care is provided in disease specific clinics such as thoracic, breast, head & neck, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, hematological, and pediatric cancers. For more information, please visit www.hcc.musc.edu.

About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including approximately 2,000 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.6 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic or clinical services, visit http://www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.

The State reports: State cancer center wins top ranking

National Cancer Institute designation brings prestige, $8 million in funding for MUSC’s Hollings facility

By WAYNE WASHINGTON - wwashington@thestate.com


The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has been designated a National Cancer Institute, a nod that brings prestige and $8 million in funding for administrative and equipment costs.

There are only 64 National Cancer Institute centers in the United States. The Hollings Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated center in South Carolina. Previously, the closest NCI-designated facilities were in North Carolina in Winston-Salem, Chapel Hill and Durham.
“Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center,” said Dr. Andrew Kraft, director of the Hollings Cancer Center. “We have one right here in our backyard.”

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., traveled to Charleston on day to announce the center’s NCI designation.

“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest,” Graham said. “The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research.”

The National Cancer Institute is a division of the National Institutes of Health, which distributes millions of dollars each year to universities, hospitals and foundations for health-related research.

NCI-designated facilities are expected to be leaders in cancer research and treatment.

Kraft said the designation’s resulting $8 million in funding, which will be given to the center in chunks of $1.6 million per year for five years, will be used for facilities, equipment and salaries.

But the center won’t be the sole beneficiary of the NCI designation, MUSC officials said.

They pointed out the NCI designation will increase patient access to clinical trials, which can offer new treatment options in difficult cases.

The university said the designation also should help the Hollings Cancer Center attract top researchers and additional research funding.

Kraft said the NIH sets aside a separate pool of money NCI-designated facilities can compete to receive.

MUSC pulled in $101 million in research funding from the NIH last year. That total represented half the research money the university received.

MUSC has made some high-profile strides in cancer research, including:

• Discovering new procedures that could increase the accuracy of testing for bladder cancer

• A study showing the importance of attitudes and beliefs in the use of a vaccine to prevent a disease that can lead to cervical cancer

• Research showing the risk of cancer from exposure to radiation during a computed tomography (CT) for heart disease has been significantly overstated

• A study showing people with skin cancer could have a higher risk of developing another form of cancer

Kraft said the NCI designation is one people across the state, not just those at MUSC, can take pride in.

“It recognizes that the state has gotten together to support cutting-edge research,” he said.

The State reports: Cancer Center wins national status, federal funds

By: SUSANNE M. SCHAFER - Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston has been named one of the nation's top institutes for cancer research, opening the way to more federal dollars and increasing the number of South Carolinians with access to cutting-edge cancer treatments, officials said Monday.

The distinction, bestowed by the federally funded National Cancer Institute, was announced Monday at the Medical University of South Carolina, where the Hollings Center is located.

That makes it one of 64 in the country and the only one in the Palmetto State.

"We hope this designation will increase the number of patients involved in our cancer studies," said the director of the Hollings Center, Dr. Andrew S. Kraft. "There's a lot of excitement here over this."

Kraft said the recognition means the center will obtain a startup grant of $7 million, which can be renewed every five years.

The application was more than 1,000 pages long and involved 10 years of effort. It required lengthy, onsite inspections by National Cancer Institute officials of the Hollings Center's research studies, also known as clinical trials, that may pave the way to innovative treatments of disease, Kraft said in a telephone interview.

"When they give their imprimatur, the ultimate goal is for them to encourage us to take it to the next level, and that is to better understand and cure cancer," Kraft said.

The center records about 80,000 patient visits annually, and nearly 2,000 patients were diagnosed with cancer last year, said a spokeswoman for the Center, Vicki Agnew. The center has about 170 researchers, physicians and medical specialists dealing with cancer.

Of the 2,000 cancer patients, the center has been able to place 11 percent to 14 percent in its clinical trials. The influx of federal money means that number could double, the director said.
"A clear goal is to take that to 20 or 25 percent," Kraft said.

Kraft said patients with all types of cancer are seen at the center, but its staff specializes in cancers of the head, neck and blood, as well as gastric and pediatric cancers.
Among its many studies, researchers are looking into new drugs for cancer treatments; what role the immune system might play in cancer treatment and researching the role of genetics, the director said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement that the step means "the Hollings Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research."