Donna G

We are having a speaker at my church in a couple of weeks. I was looking at her web site and saw this. I wanted to share it with you. Donna G The Enthusiastic Person by Janie Jasin Loves Deeply Laughs Often Weeps Openly Dreams Dreams Lives in the Present Reflects on Blessings Believes in the Future Takes Physical, Mental & Spiritual Health Seriously Holds Life Sacred & the World's Children to Heart Prepares for Closures & Endings "I believe these 10 qualities say it all to people who want to grow personally and professionally. Perhaps you'll find them part of your world, too." Janie Jasin

Dianne, I also am so sorry that your Dad has passed. I pray for you and your family for peace. Donna G

Thanks so much for your efforts. Katie, Rick, were you able to take any pictures? Donna G

Kasey, great job posting, I have been on this site a while so I have seen the great features added slowly and had a chance to get used to them gradually. Believe me this is a wonderful site. Hope soon you figure out how to put your profile or "signature " at the bottom of your post, it helps others to see a summary of your journey. Yes I got your message and have put in a post to call to order the Pancoast Survivors. Sometimes it take a couple of days, and some have asked for " hall passes" because they will be away from the board for vacation etc. This is an emotional disease as well as physical. Most all of us have been there! YOU are at a great site to help with the support you need. Donna G

Thanks Don, he is so right, the mind and the soul need healing also. Donna G

Wow, what a great event! We here in Minnesota had events in the capital rotundra for several years, got some polititians to show but could not get the media really interested. I am impressed with your efforts! great job! Donna G

Where is every body? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have not gathered in so long! Please update us on how things have been going. We all miss Judy B. Rita, Laurene Relyag, Tracy, Rocco, Kelly for her dad, Keith, Rita Bubb, Grammy bear ,Gary, mhutch1366 Please tell us how we are doing? Pancoast tumors are squamous or adenocarcinoma tumors located in the superior sulcus or apex or the lung cause symptom of shoulder pain, weakness and other problems because they press on nerves , blood vessels, and the pleura. _________________

Yes, great job. Donna G

Hi Tom. I also read your story in "My Story". Ran a newsroom! Boy many of us have knocked on the doors of newsrooms . Some of us have gotten our story in a local paper. We feel people need to know about us, to know about how badly lung cancer needs an accepted screening tool, funding for research, etc. You wrote a book! Great. I have asked David to write a book. He is over 20 yr survivor! He was diagnosed very young. People need to know it comes to the young also, people who never smoked, people who quit years and years ago. I hope your book is a success but most of all I hope you stay in remission for as one of our local survivors says " It is another great day to be alive!" Again, welcome. Donna G

Welcome Tee Tee. This is a very hard disease. Hope we can be of help. There are great people here. Donna G

Hi Karen. Welcome. Donna G

Welcome Heather. I hope your Mom is doing better. Donna G

So sorry to hear about your Mom. I am on my way to church, I will remember you in my prayers. May you find peace. Donna G

We have had a request for a meeting of the Pancoast Tumor Survivors. A new member who just started treatment would like to join. His name is Kasey. He would love to hear from us and find support for this journey that he is taking. Meeting Called to Order Just in case you missed my post, my 2 nodules did not change on my last CT and they feel they are not to worry about. My 7 yr survival party is coming up the first week of December, all are invited. I continue to keep a close friendship with our good friend NED. Please introduce your selves to Kasey. I am looking forward to this meeting and having all check in on how they are. Thanks Donna G

Chemotherapy improves lung cancer survival By DANIEL Q. HANEY Associated Press NEW ORLEANS - Two landmark studies convincingly show that standard chemotherapy markedly improves survival in victims of early stage lung cancer, a discovery that should quickly change the way the common disease is treated. Doctors typically cut out lung tumors that have not noticeably spread, but they do not routinely put patients through the rigors of chemotherapy, because there has been no clear evidence it improves their chances. Experts believe that dogma will change as a result of the data released Saturday. The studies show chemotherapy indeed can make a substantial difference in lung cancer, just as it does in breast and colon cancer. "This will translate into thousands of lives saved every year," predicted Dr. Bruce Johnson, a lung cancer expert at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The two studies involved patients with what's called non-small lung cancer. Lung cancer is the world's most common malignancy, and about 80 percent of cases are this type. The new data were presented at the annual scientific meeting in New Orleans of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. At the same meeting last year, an international study offered the first hint of a small benefit to adding chemo to surgery for this kind of cancer. Nevertheless, many doctors wondered afterward whether the payoff was big enough to change the way they treat lung cancer. The latest studies, which show an even bigger benefit, should tip the profession toward making chemotherapy a standard part of treatment, experts say. "This will convince even the most skeptical," predicted Dr. David Johnson of Vanderbilt University. At the same meeting Saturday, other teams reported encouraging data on two newer, so-called targeted drugs that jam up cancer's internal signaling circuits without producing major side effects. These are OSI Pharmaceuticals' Tarceva and ImClone system's Erbitux, the drug that enmeshed Martha Stewart in an insider trading scandal. Last year's lung cancer study involved somewhat more advanced cases and showed a 5 percentage point improvement in survival after five years in those getting chemo. The latest studies were carefully confined to the patients with the best chances - those with relatively small tumors and no sign of cancer in lymph nodes beyond the lung - and found a larger benefit, roughly 15 percentage points. "These are paradigm-shifting studies," said Dr. Frances Shepherd of the National Cancer Institute of Canada. The two studies were financed by the government cancer institutes of the United States and Canada and involved different drug regimens, but they had remarkably similar outcomes: The U.S. study enrolled 344 patients who were randomly given either surgery alone or surgery plus Taxol and carboplatin. After four years, 71 percent getting chemo were still alive, compared with 59 percent getting only surgery. The Canadian-sponsored study involved 482 patients and used the drugs vinorelbine and cisplatin. After five years, 69 percent getting chemo were still alive, compared with 54 percent receiving surgery alone. After these results, "I would have difficulty not offering chemotherapy to my patients," said Dr. Gary Strauss of Rhode Island Hospital, who headed the U.S. study. In the United States and Canada alone, about 200,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed annually, and 80 percent are non-small cell. Of these, about 30 percent are the same early stage that can be removed surgically. Another Canadian cancer institute study showed that Tarceva, which has not yet been approved for routine use, can slightly improve survival in people with advanced non-small lung cancer who do not respond to other treatments. In testing on 731 patients, survival increased by two months. Doctors hope results will be better if the drug is started earlier. Both Tarceva and Erbitux work by blocking epidermal growth factor, one of the errant stimulants that keeps cancer alive. Erbitux was approved in February for use in colon cancer, and Saturday's study shows remarkable benefit against tumors of the tongue, tonsils and voice box. Dr. James Bonner of the University of Alabama headed a company-sponsored study of 424 patients with cancer that had not spread beyond the neck. The treatment doubled median survival from 28 months to 54 months. "Nobody anticipated this degree of positive outcome," said Dr. Robert Mayer of Dana-Farber. The drug was central to Martha Stewart's conviction by a federal jury in March for lying to investigators about why she sold ImClone stock on Dec. 27, 2001. That was the day before the company received a setback from regulators in its eventually successful quest to market Erbitux. On the Web: http://www.asco.org/ Sorry , does'nt differenciate between I A and I B

I have read that Lovenox ( low molecular weight heparin given by shot in the abdomen) is the best treatment for clots caused by cancer. As far as Warfarin ( Coumadin) any vegetable or food that contains Vitamin K will throw off your INR. Donna G www.drugs.com/coumadin.html - 62k - Nov 8, 2004 http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/a ... cer/hep_4/

If your wife is diabetic and smokes she is really asking for many problems. Do you smoke also? If so, you bothe need to quit. She needs to have that cough evaluated by a doctor.

I am confused also. I had a pancoast tumor and I had to have chemo and radiation before they even would do surgery, and chemo after. A pancoast tumor is up in the apex of the lung and is pressing on or very close to the pluera, blood vessels and nerves. They usually want to shrink it first. Donna G

Great job! Donna G

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I pray for your peace. Donna G

Hi Karen, sorry to hear that you evidently had micrometastasis, for which an excepted test is still in the making. Did you have an Onocologist when first diagnosed? It suprises me how many only see a surgeon. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Donna G

A Cancer Drug's Long Journey From Cuba What It Took to Bring a Promising Lung Cancer Drug to U.S. - When the president of a small California biotech firm heard of a promising new treatment for lung cancer, he was intrigued. "It stimulates a very strong immune response in patients," said David Hale, CEO of CancerVax Corp. There was just one hitch -- the drug, referred to as SAI-EGF -- is made in Cuba as part of Fidel Castro's $1 billion biotech program. Still, Hale was determined to bring the drug to the United States. "I had no idea what an overwhelming task this was going to be," he said. In early testing, SAI-EGF prolonged the lives of those with advanced lung cancer by as much as eight months. The drug triggers the body's own immune system to fight the tumor and slow its growth. Scientists hope it may also be effective in treating breast and other cancers. Cuban scientists were willing to help Americans gain access to the drug. "There is no reason why scientists here and there cannot cooperate," said Dr. Augustin Lage, director of the Center of Molecular Immunology in Havana, which developed the drug. Exception to Trade Embargo But in order for the drug to come to the United States, the State Department had to recommend that an exception be made to the 44-year-old U.S.-Cuban trade embargo. The Treasury Department later approved that request. The deal came together just as the Bush administration was getting tougher on Cuban trade. "The Bush administration doesn't want to do anything to validate the [Cuban] revolution, whether it be public relations terms or financial terms, and that was the quandary with CancerVax," said John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. CancerVax hired lobbyists to build political support. Their pitch hit home with many. Among the top-level decision-makers at the State Department, two had recently lost relatives to lung cancer. "A lot of the people that might normally be opposed to such a transaction actually were supportive of our efforts to bring the product into the U.S.," said Hale. The U.S. government did not want the Cuban government to benefit from the sale of the drug. So instead of paying $6 million in cash for the drug, CancerVax was told to pay in food and medical supplies. For Castro, the deal was the prefect opportunity to show the world that Cuba had something the United States wanted. After years of effort, CancerVax hopes to begin clinical trials next year. If all goes well, and the drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it may be on the market by 2009. ABC News' Lisa Stark filed this report for World News Tonight. Copyright © 2004 ABC News Internet Ventures

Karen, I am so sorry that you have lost your Dad. May you have peace. Donna G

I posted this a while ago. Well yesterday I got to the meeting of twin cities thoracic Onocology Consortium. Very Interesting day. Since I was told I had 2 nodules this spring that part would be of interest to me! Dr Swenson of Mayo spoke re low dose Spiral CT for early diagnosis as a screening tool. In 1998 they had 4520 volunteers , 50 and older + smokers. In 5 yrs they found 68 with Stage I cancer. They found 3356 Nodules, or 74% of the patients had nodules! Of these nodules 98% were benign. He said there are 50,000 people in the national screening study. So far no one yet recommends screening. It could lead to a 10 % mortality reduction, but it is too costly to follow up on all those benign or slow growing ( as BAC) tumors. 10 % reduction is saving 16,000 people!. He said the ideal would be to come up with a serum test for lung cancer. - Boy that would be nice. _________________I think to save a life follow up on nodules in well worth it. Glad to see your doctor thinks so also. Welcome. Have they thought of doing a CT guided needle biopsy? Donna G

Hi Irene. Welcome. I was also motivated to go to the doctor because of chest pain. I had chemo and radiation ,then surgery and more chemo after. I know you could be stage IV just because you have it in more than one lobe. Do you have it any where out side your lung or positive lymph nodes? Do you have Emphysema? Wonder why if none of the above, they just don't take your right lung at this point, any one said? Keep us updated . Donna G