The Cancer Blog

For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Cancer Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cardio and Diabetes blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group. The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go. Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here. Brad Hill Programming Director, Weblogs / AOL Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Drug , All Cancers It's interesting when a drug is re-purposed into something aimed at fighting cancer, but that is what has happened to Evista, a prescription drug made by Eli Lilly which was originally for osteoporosis patients. The FDA has officially approved Evista for use in breast cancer patients as of late this week, although the drug will now come with a box warning advising patients of a heightened risk for stroke by taking the drug. I'm not sure -- are some drugs worth the possible benefits when certain side effects can be just as bad as what is trying to be treated? Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: All Cancers , Events , Services , Cancer Caregivers , Cancer Survivors , Cancer Pre-vivors Experience Project is launching a new online cancer support network , The Cancer Support Project, on October 1st, 2007. Experience Project is built around dynamic groups of users who come onto the platform, share narratives and personal stories about their life experiences, and then connect with others who are going through the same experiences. Experience Project will never ask for your name; you can keep your identity completely private while meeting new friends who can understand you. The central goal of The Cancer Support Project is to provide a hub for emotional and psychological support for all experiences involving cancer, including experiences as a survivor or a caregiver, something that is not currently widely addressed as many sites focus on sharing information regarding therapies. The Experience Project will also be launching a Facebook application within The Cancer Support Project to enable people to show their support and raise cancer awareness via Facebook, MySpace, blogs and web pages. The Cancer Support Project will be launching on October 1st, but you can check it out now. I know I will be checking it out for sure! The Cancer Support Project is located here. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Pancreatic Cancer , Politics Luciano Pavarotti, possibly the most famous classical singer on earth, received a final sendoff this past weekend in his hometown of Modena, Italy. Pavarotti died last week of pancreatic cancer. More than 100,000 people filed through the cathedral and plaza, more than 700 guests attended the funeral mass and millions watched the live broadcast on television. Pavarotti underwent surgery for a malignant pancreatic mass in July 2006. A month later, after his surgery, Pavarotti told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, "I was a fortunate and happy man. After that, this blow arrived. And now I am paying the penalty for this fortune and happiness." One could not be surprised that Pavarotti felt this way. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers, with a five-year survival rate here in the U.S. of less than 5%, although surgery can improve survival greatly. Pancreatic cancer is also one of the most underfunded research areas in cancer. For more information about what you can do to increase funding for pancreatic cancer research and raise awareness of this deadly disease, please see PanCAN's action page . Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: All Cancers In the last decade, we've seen studies that try to link mobile phone use to all kinds of cancer, the most common type being brain cancer. The thinking is that the radiation output from these devices affects the brain when those phones are held close to the head for extended periods. Well, here's one to shoot this theory down, I guess. In Australia, authorities there have said that mobile phone use does not cause cancer , and talking on a phone in the car is no more dangerous than having a passenger aboard. Wow-- those are heavy hitters. For many of us, those ultra low-power Bluetooth headsets are the solution for not holding that cellphone near your head for along periods of time. You? Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Drug Millions of people around the world die in severe pain due to bans of morphine, reports The New York Times. While poverty plays a role, doctors also fear law enforcement of morphine bans. The World Health Organization estimates that 4.8 million people around the world suffer with moderate to severe cancer pain in addition to millions who suffer needless from late-state AIDS pain. At pain conferences, doctors from Africa describe patients whose pain is so bad that they throw themselves in front of trucks. In another related article , the newspaper examines the slow movement of the Japanese culture away from the fear of painkillers. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Fundraisers I'm a big fan of Fat Bastard wine, which I picked up a bottle of a few years back simply because of the odd name. If you enjoy their wine too be sure to pick some up during the months of September and October because the makers will be donating $0.25 from every bottle sold to breast cancer charities . It might seem to be a bit of a contradiction to sell alcohol in support of cancer, but actually wine (in moderation) can help reduce to your risk of several types of cancer, not to mention heart disease. Just make sure you stick to one glass a night and enjoy the benefits of a good vintage. I'm curious to know that you think though. Is it wrong to sell wine to raise money for breast cancer? Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Drug , All Cancers It's never a good thing when a drugmaker sends letters to doctors saying that a drug they are prescribing has resulted in confirmed deaths. But that is what Cephalon did this week, as it admitted its cancer drug -- Fentora - has been linked to some patient deaths . Fentora, used to treat acute cancer pain , are sometimes prescribed for other pain-related ailments. Cephalon took issue with the apparent claim that it markets Fentora for uses other than cancer pain, even though some doctors use it "off label" in normal practice. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Testicular Cancer There might be some bad news out there for men with above or below normal birth weights -- new studies are showing that they might be at a high risk for testicular cancer than those who were born a more normal size . To be more precise, men with low birth weights were 18% more likely to develop testicular cancer than their normal-sized counterparts, and high birth weight men were 12% more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. It should be noted, however, that the findings are only try to seminoma testicular cancer, which is the most prevalent type. Researchers are not indicating whether they believe there might be a reason to these findings. I wonder if some unhealthy habits of mothers that may have lead to low or high birth weights could be playing a role in the health of their sons later in life? What do you think? Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Celebrity fundraisers Popular celebrities like Kate Moss and Scarlett Johansson have lent their signature style to the fight against cancer by designing charms that reflect their own character, which will be sold with the profits going to a prominent UK cancer charity. The charms are appearing on a necklace that is being sold at Wallis for about $51USD each. Moss' charm is a petite swallow, while Johansson's is a vibrant yellow and orange lilly. Other contributors include designer Christian Louboutin and comedian Catherin Tate. I think it's great to see celebrities and designers offering their time and their good taste towards a good cause. Don't you agree? Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments