A CURE for CANCER?!!!!!

Oh my God. I just saw something that gave me chills down my spine and I went weak in the knees. I had tears of joy quietly squeezing out. This is the most promising thing I've ever seen!! I have a sense, this one just might work!!!! And go figure, the idea was sparked by a 16 year old!....

You can see the video here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/husband-searches-cancer-cure-wifes-death/story?id=9212102&page=1

or you can read the below from ABC:

Did a Devoted Husband Find a Cancer Breakthrough?
After His Wife Died From Breast Cancer, Husband Turned to Cancer Research
By CLAIRE SHIPMAN
Dec. 1, 2009
Throughout his years of groundbreaking research, endocrinologist Dr. David Vesely never gave curing cancer a lot of thought.
But then it became personal.

"We started to work on cancer when my wife died of breast cancer seven years ago," Vesely said.

His wife, Clo, died in 2002, leaving Vesely and their five children behind. Vesely said he directed his sorrow into his work at the James A. Haley Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and seven years later he may have a breakthrough.

An Idea From the Heart

Vesely said it was originally his son's idea to conduct research. Brian, who was 16 when his mother died, was looking for a way to channel his grief a month after his mother's death.
In the late 1980s, Vesely, focusing on heart disease, discovered three hormones made by the heart that prevented normal heart cells from getting bigger and multiplying. He wondered if they could also control cancer cell growth.

Vesely and Brian set up an experiment and left cancer cells and heart hormones alone in a Petri dish. The cancer cells were blown apart by the body's own hormones.

"Well, the cells blew apart. So we thought, 'maybe we did something wrong,'" Vesely said. "Because you never know ... but the second time, we knew it was real."

Vesely began studying the effect on mice that had been injected with human cancer cells, by pumping the hormones under their skin.

"Usually after a month, they eliminate up to 80 percent of human pancreatic cancers growing in the mice," Vesely said.

Since then Vesely said he has eliminated other deadly forms of human cancers in mice, including 67 percent of breast cancers and 86 percent of small cell lung cancers, all with almost no side effects.

Although Vesely, 66, said he wouldn't go as far as to call it a cure for cancer, he is hopeful.

"But if it does cure one cancer in human, it will cure almost all of them, or eliminate them," Vesely said.
Human Clinical Trials to Begin

Kalos Therapeutics is raising money for the first human clinical trials for Vesely's findings. But as Vesely waits, he said he is feeling the urgency from hundreds of e-mails from people dying of cancer asking when his treatment will be ready.

"It's mostly funding. They need money to move ahead," Vesely said.

"If we can make some dent in cancer ... it will be spectacular," Vesely added.
Vesely's Finding Met With Hope and Caution

Vesely published his work, and although the medical world is intrigued, it is also cautious.

"I think that there's potentially promise here, but I think the real question is whether these very potent hormones will be tolerable at the doses required," said Dr. Mark Ratain from the University of Chicago.

Vesely said he is also cautious about raising expectations "because you don't want to get too far ahead of yourself."

Our Daughter's & Son's...

Wouldn’t it be great if our daughters (and some sons too!) weren’t just sitting ducks?

There is a buzz about a breast cancer VACCINE…. Wouldn’t that be AMAZING? I heard it through the grape vine and am anxious to find more information. One important factor for this is research research research.

A very dear friend is taking a hike. In one short month, August, she is walking for 3 days to raise money for breast cancer with Susan G Koman For the Cure. Cure. What an awesome word that could be! Not only does she have women around her that have had or are currently suffering from this disease, her mother sadly had a reoccurrence 12 years out from the first diagnosis. Colleen would give the shirt off her back to help anyone, and is almost half way to her goal, I’d like to see if we can get her PAST her goal! There is so much more research needed to be done, especially in the area for those that are at a higher stage. The quiet ones that don’t want to express their fear to lower level stage women. They need hope too. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could give severe stage IV more then just a little more time? It brings tears of joy to my eyes to hear her say... "If you know or have someone who is diagnosed with Breast Cancer, (or any type of cancer) please give me their name so I can carry them with me through all 60 miles. " I know we are in very tough economic times, but if you can even just a little, please support Colleen in her crusade... click here to help Colleen help our future and our children's future! You can donate or even join her team!

THANKS EVERYBODY!!

Below is a note from Colleen:

Dear Family & Friends,

I have taken on an incredible challenge! On August 7th, 8th & 9th, I'll be walking 60 miles over the course of three days. Each day of the event, my teammates and thousands of others, will walk 20 miles and spend two nights camping under the stars with thousands of other women and men on this same journey.It's for an event called the Breast Cancer 3-Day, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant. They are working hard to build a future without breast cancer.I am required to raise a minimum of $2,300 to participate in the event. By the time that you finish reading this, two more women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and another one just died from it. In fact, while I am walking those 60 miles, 110 women will die from this horrible disease. 110 families will lose a mother, or a daughter, or a best friend.An amazing thing happened the other night! While attending a meeting I mentioned that I would be participating in the 3 day . . . And a woman, whom I did not know, walked up to me after the meeting and handed me a donation! We talked about when she had participated in the walk a few years ago, how difficult yet rewarding it was and she truly inspired and motivated me even more!So here is why I choose to walk:I walk because...Too many of my family and friends have been affected by breast cancer.I will walk knowing the money I raise will be helping so many.I will walk praying for a cure so our daughters and sons will only know breast cancer as a thing of the past.I will walk because I can!Times are hard, we all know. But every dollar counts, and brings us closer to a cure. Please look in your hearts and consider a donation. If you would like to donate you can donate online at http://www.the3day.org/. Just click on Donate Now and search for my personal fundraising page. You can also call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone.

If you know or have someone who is diagnosed with Breast Cancer, (or any type of cancer) please give me their name so I can carry them with me through all 60 miles.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and thank you for your support.

Colleen

If you are unable to donate online, please print out a donation form.
Click here to visit my personal page. If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/ChicagoEvent?px=3292672&pg=personal&fr_id=1293&et=Y268ckfK4AF9MTxODFrpVQ..&s_tafId=182530
Click here to view the team page for Mamas for Tatas If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/ChicagoEvent?team_id=85260&pg=team&fr_id=1293&et=OBi5R6M5rU79t-qbPyhWAA..&s_tafId=182530
For more information about the Breast Cancer 3-Day, Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, visit http://www.the3day.org/ or call 800.996.3DAY.

© 2009 Breast Cancer 3-Day. 205 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2640, Chicago IL 60601

HANG ing Tough

To anyone fighting cancer or living with it...
I’d like to share with you, MY MANTRA.
These powerful words truly got me through chemotherapy as they ran through my head over and over and over again. Reminds me to keep fighting every day...
((Oh! And my Tumor Marker & CellSearch tests came back clean from last week! ... WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!! I remain on pills to inhibit cancer growth for 5 years... I’ll be retested every 3 months. Somewhere down the line more scans…. but so far... STILL KICKIN'!))

TESLA ~Hang Tough
(the ever so inspiring (partial) lyrics below for those that insist you can't understand a word he is singing)




"Took a shot to the chin
Looks like you just can't win
In this do or die situation.
And it's harder than it seems
To survive, keep alive and make your dreams,
Make your dreams all come true.

You gotta, you gotta give it your best shot.
Give it ev'rything you got.
Oh, you gotta hang tough.
Hang tough. Hang tough.
Sometimes love can make you blue.
A heartache made just for you.
But you can't let it bring ya down.

If you should stumble, if you should fall,
Pick yourself up off the floor.
Fight for what's right and stand your ground.
You gotta give it your best shot.
Give it ev'rything you got.
Oh, you gotta hang tough.
Hang tough. Hang tough.
When the goin' gets rough. Hang tough.
You got to give it all you've got. Hang tough.
Keep your head above the ground.
Don't you let it get you down.
Oh, you gotta hang tough.
Hey! Oh! Hey! Oh!....."

CellSearch™ - testing cancer cells

Something from the depths of the ocean? Attractive as it may be, it ain’t pretty as it looks. No. It is something I worry about almost every day. Just one of these. Something anyone who has or had cancer. A single cancer cell. Just one, can change your life forever. Just one haunts you.

There is a new-ish test out there now called CellSearch™. It detects cancer cells differently then tumor marker tests and much more accurately!

Below excerpts from RARITAN, N.J.,…
“Veridex, LLC… (Feb 2008)… announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an expanded clearance for the CellSearch™ System to be used as an aid in the monitoring of metastatic prostate cancer (MPC) patients. The CellSearch™ System currently is cleared for monitoring metastatic breast and metastatic colorectal cancer patients. The CellSearch™ System identifies and counts circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a blood sample to predict progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast, colorectal or prostate cancer, and can do so earlier than the current standard of care. The results of serial testing for CTCs with the CellSearch™ System provide additional information to the oncologist and does so earlier than other currently approved diagnostic modalities, thereby allowing the oncologist to make more-informed patient care decisions.”

If you are concerned with your regular testing’s accuracy, ask your doctor to do the CellSearch™ test. Mine did. It can give you piece of mind, or a heads up for your doctor on which treatments are working for your, if you need a full course of treatment or if just a couple is enough .

… “Currently, oncologists often have to wait several months before they can determine if a specific treatment is beneficial to the patient. The CellSearch™ System helps physicians to predict disease progression and patient
survival any time during therapy. "I am extremely pleased that we now can offer this test to patients with metastatic prostate cancer," said Dr. Louis Fink of the Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We have been evaluating the clinical utility of the CellSearchTM System in patients with metastatic prostate cancer since January 2007. Our findings demonstrate a strong indication that the baseline number of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) is prognostic, and that the number of prostate CTCs is altered by the therapy." Dr. Nick Vogelzang, also of the Nevada Cancer Institute, continued, "We have compared CellSearch™ CTC test results to the standard clinical and biomedical parameters, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) measured in MPC patients. A decrease in the number of CTCs is most often associated with patients successfully responding to therapy. Further analysis of CTCs may provide information as to the most efficacious treatments for specific individuals."…”
… “The CellSearch™ System is the first diagnostic test to automate the detection and enumeration of CTCs, cancer cells that detach from solid tumors and enter the blood stream, and is a new class of diagnostic tools. The system's specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility allow for serial assessment of CTCs as early as the first cycle of treatment to help evaluate disease progression sooner. The CellSearchTM System was originally cleared by the FDA in January 2004 as a diagnostic tool for identifying and counting CTCs in a blood sample to predict progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. …”

Wait. I kind of wonder, why haven’t we heard MORE about this if it has been around for metastatic breast cancer for FIVE YEARS?!

… “The authors of this study concluded: "The very short median progression-free survival in patients with elevated circulating tumor cells at the first follow-up visit suggests that these patients are receiving ineffective therapy." In addition, as recently as November 2006, a metastatic breast cancer study was published in Clinical Cancer Research where the authors concluded: "The results reported here indicate that the evaluation of CTCs is an accurate measure of treatment efficacy." Additionally, the authors said: "The ability to serially quantitate and interrogate CTCs in patients with breast cancer makes possible new ways of managing and investigating the disease." Dr. N. Vogelzang is the recipient of a research fellowship grant from Veridex for the purpose of supporting independent research in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

For case studies, and more complete detailed information visit Veridex directly:
http://www.veridex.com/CellSearch/CellSearchHCP.aspx