MsC1210

Hello cmays and welcome! I am glad to see you posting. Please stop by often and let us know how we can help you.. My best to you Chris

Paulette My prayers continue for you and your husband. I am so sorry about how much pain he is in. Could you speak to the doctor and try something different for the pain? I wish I could offer more... Please let us know how the scans go. My best to you, Chris

Michele Just wanted to let you know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Your love for your Mom comes through in your words so clearly. I am sorry you have to have the sadness along with the impending joy of your new baby. Wishing you all the best in the coming weeks. Please be sure and let us know!! Prayers will continue for you and yours, Chris

Free and Low Cost Prescription Drug Programs How to get help paying for your medications If you are uninsured or your insurance does cover your prescriptions, getting the medications you need can be expensive. This is especially true with cancer patients. Let's say you have a prescription for chemotherapy, but it cause stomach upset, so you need a anti-nausea medication to go along with it, then the chemo has caused you to become anemic, so you need a prescription for an iron supplement. The list can go on and on. The bottom line is that the prescriptions costs for a cancer patient paying out of pocket can exceed a mortgage payment! When You Need Help Paying for Your Medications The worst thing a person can do is to stop taking their medications. There are several programs available that offer free and reduced cost prescription drug assistance. Hospital Social Worker Every hospital has a social worker that can help you find grants and other programs aimed at assisting you with your healthcare needs. This should be your first stop in looking for help. Always inform your doctor if you cannot pay for drugs or care. He or she may know of a program firsthand to assist you, also. Partnership for Prescription Assistance The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is an organization aimed at helping those who can't afford their medications. They have created a database of over 400 programs and over 5000 medications available for reduced or no cost assistance. They help in determining what you are eligible for and applying for the assistance. The service is free and available online. Drug Companies A lot of people wouldn't think prescription drug companies offer assistance, but many do. Merck offers a prescription meds program for those taking Merck meds and cannot afford them. Find out the manufacturer of your drugs by asking your physician or pharmacist and check their website for prescription assistance programs. Updated: October 25, 2006

Vion Pharmaceuticals Presents Initial Data From A Phase II Trial Of Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) In Patients With Refractory Small Cell Lung Cancer 27 Oct 2006 Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: VION) will present data today at The Fourth International Chicago Symposium on Malignancies of the Chest and Head & Neck in a poster session on its lead anticancer agent Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) as a single agent in a Phase II trial in patients with relapsed or refractory small cell lung cancer. The exhibits are being displayed at The Sheraton Chicago Hotel in the Chicago Ballrooms VIII, IX, & X from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Phase II trial evaluates Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) in two separate subpopulations of small cell lung cancer: (i) sensitive relapsed disease and (ii) refractory disease. Sensitive relapsed disease is defined as relapse after three months of first-line therapy and refractory disease is defined as relapse within three months of first-line therapy. Data are presented on a total of 36 evaluable patients: (i) 19 patients in the sensitive relapsed arm and (ii) 17 patients in the refractory arm. Patients on the trial initially received 125 mg/m2 of Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) weekly for three weeks, every six weeks. This dose was later reduced by protocol amendment to 100 mg/m2 weekly for three weeks every six weeks due to significant thrombocytopenia at the initial dose level. Of the evaluable patients on the sensitive relapsed arm, there have been 5 patients with partial response and one patient awaiting confirmation of response (overall, 32% response rate), and 2 patients have stable disease. Of those patients with refractory disease treated with Cloretazine® (VNP40101M), 1 patient achieved a partial response and 3 patients have demonstrated stable disease. Grade 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia has been the most serious toxicity observed, and delayed additional treatment in several patients. Early results suggest that the reduced dose of Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) causes less thrombocytopenia (no grade 3 or 4 thromobocytopenia in the first four patients at this dose) but maintains disease activity. The trial is a Simon two-stage design. Both arms of the trial met the criteria for advancement to the second stage and continue to accrue patients. If both arms complete full accrual, there will be a total of 50 patients on the sensitive relapsed arm and 37 patients on the refractory arm of the trial. Dr. F. Anthony Greco, Director of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, commented, "Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) has impressive activity to date in the second-line small cell lung cancer setting. These data provide a strong rationale for further study of this drug." Ann Cahill, Vion's Vice President of Clinical Development, said, "We are pleased that these preliminary data suggest that Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) is active as a single agent in a solid tumor. Small cell lung cancer accounts for up to 20% of all lung cancer cases according to the American Cancer Society. It is an aggressive cancer and at relapse has a median survival typically less than 4 months." Ms. Cahill concluded, "The data presented indicate that Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) warrants further investigation as a potential improvement on treatment options for patients with this life-threatening disease." Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is committed to extending the lives and improving the quality of life of cancer patients worldwide by developing and commercializing innovative cancer therapeutics. Vion has two agents in clinical trials. Cloretazine® (VNP40101M), a unique alkylating agent, is being evaluated in: (i) a Phase III trial in combination with cytarabine in relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia and (ii) a Phase II pivotal trial as a single agent in elderly patients with previously untreated de novo poor-risk acute myelogenous leukemia. Additional trials of Cloretazine® (VNP40101M) as a single agent in pediatric brain tumors, small cell lung cancer, and in combination with temozolomide in hematologic malignancies, are also underway. Triapine®, a potent inhibitor of a key step in DNA synthesis, is being evaluated in clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. In preclinical studies, Vion is also evaluating VNP40541, a hypoxia-selective compound, and hydrazone compounds. The Company also is seeking development partners for TAPET®, its modified Salmonella vector used to deliver anticancer agents directly to tumors. For additional information on Vion and its product development programs, visit the Company's Internet web site at http://www.vionpharm.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risk factors which may cause Vion's plans to differ or results to vary from those expected, including Vion's ability to secure external sources of funding to continue its operations, the inability to access capital and funding on favorable terms, continued operating losses and the inability to continue operations as a result, its dependence on regulatory approval for its products, delayed or unfavorable results of drug trials, the possibility that favorable results of earlier clinical trials are not predictive of safety and efficacy results in later clinical trials, the need for additional research and testing, and a variety of other risks set forth from time to time in Vion's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risks discussed in Vion's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005. Except in special circumstances in which a duty to update arises under law when prior disclosure becomes materially misleading in light of subsequent events, Vion does not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Vion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. http://www.vionpharm.com Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=55210

Brian and Joanie Continued prayers for you both. Chris

I am so sorry to read this. My deepest sympathies and condolences. Please know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Chris

First off, let me say my prayers continue for you. It is so hard to have just recently have suffered the loss of your mom, but now having to face this "something" with Dad? UGH! I was just reading a report about the extensive wait time in Canada. How sad. (Brad was from Canada so I am somewhat familiar with the healthcare system there.) I am wondering about a 2nd opinion for your father, maybe even to have someone new read the scan/test results? You might get someone to have a peek at those sooner than getting an appt. As difficult as this is to do, try to breathe and relax. I can understand the stress is unbearable. Perhaps your own dr could give you an anti anxiety med? Please keep us posted and feel free to PM me anytime if I can be of more help. In the meantime my thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your family. Hugs Chris

Netadmin, My prayers and thoughts remain with you and your family at this difficult time. I am very glad your MIL is not in pain and that Hospice has been able to give you some comfort. Chris

EntreMed Commences Clinical Trial For MKC-1 In Lung Cancer Patients 26 Oct 2006 EntreMed, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENMD), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, today announced commencement of a multi-center study with its drug candidate, MKC-1, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The lead institution for this Phase 1/2, open label, dose escalation study will be the Indiana University Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Nasser H. Hanna, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology at IUCCI, will serve as Principal Investigator. MKC-1 is being evaluated currently in Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies against breast cancer and in patients with leukemia. The objective of the Phase 1 portion of this study will be to assess the safety and maximum tolerated dose of MKC-1 when administered orally in combination with pemetrexed (Alimta®). Alimta® is a multi-targeted antifolate, which blocks the activity of folic acid and is approved for the treatment of metastatic NSCLC. The Phase 2 component of this study will assess the antitumor activity and progression free survival (PFS) in up to 60 patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Patients whose disease has progressed following initial therapy may be eligible to enroll. Patients will receive orally administered MKC-1 in combination with pemetrexed (Alimta®). A secondary endpoint of the Phase 2 study will be to evaluate other parameters of antitumor activity including response duration and overall survival. MKC-1 is a novel, orally active cell cycle inhibitor with in vitro and in vivo efficacy against a wide range of human solid tumor cell lines, including multi-drug resistant cell lines. MKC-1 has demonstrated broad-acting antitumor effects, showing tumor growth inhibition or regression in multiple animal models, including paclitaxel-resistant models. MKC-1 has been shown to inhibit mitotic spindle formation, prevent chromosome segregation in the M- phase (mitosis) of the cell cycle, and induce apoptosis. These effects are consistent with a mechanism resulting from MKC-1 binding to multiple intracellular targets, including tubulin and the importin beta proteins. The importin beta family of proteins plays a critical role in nuclear transport and cell division. Dr. Nasser Hanna commented, "We look forward to initiating this important study to determine the effects that MKC-1 in combination with Alimta® has against lung cancer." Carolyn F. Sidor, M.D., M.B.A., EntreMed's Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, further commented, "We continue to expand our development program for MKC-1. The NSCLC clinical trial represents the third clinical study initiated this year and our first clinical trial combining MKC-1 with an approved therapeutic agent. Dr. Hanna, the study's principal investigator, and his colleagues at the Indiana University Cancer Center participated in the initial clinical study of MKC-1 as a single agent in NSCLC patients. By combining MKC-1 with Alimta®, we hope to improve the clinical benefit over either agent given alone in patients who have failed prior chemotherapy." For information on this study, visit the Clinical Trials section of the Company's web site at http://www.entremed.com/. Alimta® is a registered trademark of its owner and is not a registered trademark of EntreMed, Inc. About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer For treatment purposes, lung cancer is classified clinically as small cell or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors and represents approximately 87% of all primary lung cancers. The tumors can reduce the capacity of the lungs or block the movement of air through the bronchi in the lungs. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 174,000 new lung cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2006, resulting in approximately 162,000 deaths. About EntreMed EntreMed, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENMD) is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutic candidates primarily for the treatment of cancer and inflammation. Panzem® (2-methoxyestradiol or 2ME2), the Company's lead drug candidate, is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for cancer, as well as in preclinical development for rheumatoid arthritis. MKC-1, an oral cell cycle regulator, is in Phase 2 studies for metastatic breast cancer. ENMD-1198, a novel tubulin binding agent, is also in Phase 1 studies in advanced cancers. EntreMed's goal is to develop and commercialize new compounds based on the Company's expertise in angiogenesis, cell cycle regulation and inflammation -- processes vital to the treatment of cancer and other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Additional information about EntreMed is available on the Company's website at http://www.entremed.com and in various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act with respect to the outlook for expectations for future financial or business performance (including the timing of royalty revenues and future R&D expenditures), strategies, expectations and goals. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and no duty to update forward-looking statements is assumed. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, including those set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission filings under "Risk Factors," including risks relating to the need for additional capital and the uncertainty of additional funding; variations in actual sales of Thalomid®, risks associated with the integration of Miikana and its product candidates; the early-stage products under development; results in preclinical models are not necessarily indicative of clinical results, uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical trials; success in the clinical development of any products; dependence on third parties; future capital needs; and risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of the Company's proposed products (such as marketing, safety, regulatory, patent, product liability, supply, competition and other risks). EntreMed, Inc. http://www.entremed.com/ Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=55101

John I am so very sorry. My prayers, sympathies and condolences to you and your family. Chris

Lynda My sincere sympathies and condolences on the loss of your father. I am so sorry. Chris

Crystal I think what you are experiencing is pretty much normal for everyone and anyone touched in any way by this disease. I know personally, until last September, lung cancer was something that only effected other people, surely not ME or my friends and family. I know, that was wayyyyyyy too naive! From the point of hearing the initial diagnosis until present day, I see and hear so much about cancer, everywhere. I know so many people who are battling one form of it or another, have recently lost another very, very close family friend to it, and it seems to be just everywhere. My line of thinking is we are or were all naive about the realities of the sheer numbers of people this disease touches. Until we are personally faced with having first hand knowledge I guess we can pretty much shove the concept to the back of our minds and live blissfully unaware. I wish so much we could all achieve that again with the eradication of this disease. Okay, my sincere apologies for having ranted probably a bit too much. What I say is said with nothing but the best of intentions. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and send you tons of positive thoughts. Keep us posted, we are here for you. Chris

Hi all This may be a duplicate of some other posts, but thought it was worth repeating. Chris -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 26, 2006 Study Says Better Scans May Discover Lung Cancer Sooner By GINA KOLATA Researchers in New York report that millions of lives could be saved by detecting lung cancer early with annual CT scans and treating it immediately, when it can still be cured. The stakes are high: while death rates for other cancers have fallen, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in this country, killing more than 160,000 people a year. For years, doctors have thought there was little they could do for lung cancer, but now with more sensitive scans, many are rethinking that view. “You could prevent 80 percent of deaths,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Claudia Henschke, a professor of radiology and cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. But the report is controversial. Some medical experts and a patient advocacy group say that because this study is so much bigger than previous studies and so carefully done, it should change the testing landscape, while others say that it did not include comparison groups to demonstrate clearly that there is any benefit from annual CT exams. The study, by researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell hospital and published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved more than 31,000 people in seven countries. The participants included smokers and former smokers, but also included people in Japan who had never smoked but had the scans as part of annual physical exams. The scans found 484 lung cancers, 412 of which were at a very early stage. Then the researchers tracked those cancer patients for an average of about three years after the cancer was detected. After three years, most patients were still alive. The researchers projected that more than 80 percent of those with early-stage cancer would live at least 10 years after their cancer was diagnosed. Supporters of the findings include Dr. James Mulshine, a professor of internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The study design may not have been perfect, he said, and there is more to be learned from other studies that are now under way, but he said the data from this one was convincing. “This is a profoundly important report,” Dr. Mulshine said. “It is a remarkable result.” Members of an advocacy group for lung cancer patients, the Lung Cancer Alliance, agreed. “This is the most important breakthrough for the lung cancer community,” Laurie Fenton, the group’s president, said in a news release. And, says Dr. Henschke’s colleague Dr. David Yankelevitz, it makes sense that early detection can save lives. Lung cancer screening is analogous to screening for breast cancer, Dr. Yankelevitz said. In both situations, he added, “treatment is easier and the outcomes are better when the tumor is small.” But mammograms are endorsed by many national groups, whereas lung cancer screening is not. And while praising the new study’s careful accumulation of data, representatives of groups like the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, say the study is unlikely to persuade them to recommend screening as a public policy. One reason is that everyone in Dr. Henschke’s study had CT scans. And so, researchers say, with no comparison group of people who did not have scans, they are left wondering: Does screening, in the end, save lives? “Intuitively, it makes sense,” said Dr. Stephen Swensen, a professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic who conducted a study that was similar to Dr. Henschke’s but smaller. Dr. Swensen added, “It makes sense that if you find a cancer earlier you will save lives.” But “the science hasn’t backed that up yet,” he said. Cancer specialists have long known that there are cancers of all types — and lung cancers are no exception — that stop growing on their own, or that grow so slowly that they never cause problems. So, some ask, how many of the people said to be cured were never in danger? And how often will people have operations that can involve removing part of a lung, which is risky in itself, when their cancer was not lethal? The problem, as with other cancer scans, is that science cannot always tell the difference between cancers that will stop and those that will not. The researchers also ask another question: How often did the scans find cancers early but without affecting the person’s life expectancy? “Everyone knows we can pick up things better with screening,” said Dr. Elliott Fishman, a professor of radiology and oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. “But is picking up the same thing as curing? If I pick up a tumor that is one centimeter today and you live five years or I pick it up four years later and you live one year, it’s the same thing.” Even evaluating patients with suspicious CT results can be risky, more dangerous, say, than evaluating women with suspicious lumps on a mammogram, said Dr. David Johnson, deputy director of the cancer center at Vanderbilt University and a past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In Dr. Henschke’s study, doctors investigated more than 4,000 nodules in patients, finding about 400 early-stage cancers. “This is not sticking a needle in a breast,” Dr. Johnson said. “It is sticking a needle in the chest, where it can collapse a lung.” In some cases, that is followed by surgery to further evaluate a lump. “How many people do we subject to needless evaluations?” Dr. Johnson asked. It is not even clear, some researchers said, whether the patients in Dr. Henschke’s study really would survive 10 years on average. The investigators used a statistical model to estimate how long patients would be expected to live after most had survived about three years. “Ten years should be 10 years,” Dr. Fishman said. “It’s being guesstimated out. Let’s look in 10 years and see what happens.” More definitive answers about the value of CT testing may come in a few years when another study, by the National Cancer Institute, is over. It randomly assigned its nearly 55,000 participants, smokers or former smokers, to have annual CT scans or, for comparison, chest X-rays. Based on previous studies, many researchers consider chest X-rays largely ineffective for early diagnosis of the cancer, so it can serve as a placebo control in this study. Another institute study is assessing chest X-rays by randomly assigning participants to have an annual X-rays or to have no screening. In the meantime, cancer specialists say doctors and their patients must decide, on an individual basis, what to do. They could wait for the clinical trials to be completed, or they could decide to have scans now, while the data may not be ideal. And the scans can be expensive. Dr. Howard Forman, a professor of diagnostic radiology at Yale, says that Yale charges $802.39 for the scan and the doctor’s interpretation. And while many insurers do not pay for CT lung cancer screening tests, that may change, Dr. Forman said. He said he did not find this study to be convincing — like others, he said he needed to see control group data. But Dr. Forman, who is on the Medical Policy and Technology Assessment Committee for Wellpoint, an insurance company, said it would be hard to deny paying for the test now that the data were in The New England Journal of Medicine. “The New England Journal of Medicine is a de facto Good Housekeeping seal of approval,” Dr. Forman said. “It is not proof that screening saves lives,” he said. But, he added, “proof for a lot of medicine is not there.” For now, said Dr. Robert Smith, director of cancer screening at the American Cancer Society, it may make sense for smokers or former smokers to have scans for early lung cancer detection. Patients, Dr. Smith added, should discuss the test with their doctors first, going over potential benefits and potential dangers. And they should be careful to go to a center that has the expertise and experience to do the scans and any follow-up medical procedures properly. But, he said, the new study adds to the information that CT scans might save lives. “There is a lot of promise here,” he said. And so, he said, “it is not at all unreasonable for individuals at high risk of lung cancer to seek testing on their own.” Others, like Dr. Ned Patz, a professor of radiology, pharmacology and cancer biology at Duke University Medical Center, say they suspect that patients’ desire for the tests may cool once they know of the risks. “A lot of patients ask about it,” Dr. Patz said. “We counsel them and tell them what the data are. Then they are not interested.” Home World U.S. N.Y. / Region Business Technology Science Health Sports Opinion Arts Style Travel Job Market Real Estate Automobiles Back to Top Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company Privacy Policy Search Corrections RSS First Look Help Contact Us Work for Us Site Map

Hello Flowergirlie and welcome I am so sorry about your husbands diagnosis and everything you are going through. You mentioned that you have been reading posts here for a while now so you have a good idea of how helpful these people here can be. This is a very overwhelming time for your husband and yourself as well as the entire family. Cancer effects and touches everyone and your situation is no different. Try and keep the communication lines open between your husband and yourself and stay positive. If the doctor you are dealing with presently is not doing what you feel he/she should be, get another opinion. There are so many lines of treatment out there, find a dr who will treat this aggressively. Keep us posted and let us know how we can help you. We are here and we care! Chris

Hello Paulette and welcome I am sorry about your husband's diagnosis but glad you have found this site. Unlike the one you spoke of in one of your posts here, this site is full of hope. I am not overly familiar with the UK's healthcare but there are several members on this site from the UK and perhaps they can be of more help to you? Never give up, as bleak as things sound, another dr might see this differently and be of more help and HOPE to you and your husband than the first. Please let us know how we can help you and keep us posted. We care! Chris

Lung Cancer 10-Year Survival Dramatically Improves With Annual CT Screening And Prompt Treatment 24 Oct 2006 Lung cancer can be detected at its very earliest stage in 85 percent of patients using annual low-dose CT screening, and when followed by prompt surgical removal, the 10-year survival rate is 92 percent. These results, to be reported in the October 26 New England Journal of Medicine, would dramatically decrease the number of deaths from lung cancer -- the number one cause of cancer deaths among both men and women in the U.S. The study was launched by a team of researchers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in 1993 and has expanded into an international collaboration of 38 institutions in 7 countries, the International Early Lung Cancer Action Project (I-ELCAP). The I-ELCAP study is the largest, long-term study to determine the usefulness of annual screening by CT. Stage I lung cancer is the only stage at which cure by surgery is highly likely. While survival rates have been climbing for other forms of cancer, the survival rates for lung cancer have remained dismal. Approximately 95 percent of the 173,000 people diagnosed each year die from the disease -- more than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined. The high death rates are a consequence of lung cancer not being detected early enough for treatment to be curative. Among the 31,567 people in the study, CT screening detected 484 people who were diagnosed with lung cancer, 412 of whom were Stage I. Of the Stage I patients who chose not to be treated, all died within five years. Overall, the estimated 10-year survival rate for the 484 participants with lung cancer was 80 percent. The participants were 40 years of age and older and at risk for lung cancer because of a history of cigarette smoking, occupational exposure (to asbestos, beryllium, uranium or radon), or exposure to secondhand smoke. "We believe this study provides compelling evidence that CT screening for lung cancer offers new hope for millions of people at risk for this disease and could dramatically reverse lung cancer death rates," said Dr. Claudia Henschke, the study's lead author and principal investigator who is chief of the chest imaging division at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and professor of radiology and cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Since the early 1990s, there have been remarkable advances in CT scanners. Sub-millimeter "slicing" can now be applied to the entire chest in a single breath-hold. As a result, lung cancer may be detected when it is smaller than it was possible to diagnose previously. Although CT scans once yielded only 30 images, current technology yields over 600 images. As the technology advanced, the approaches for studying the usefulness of this technology have also advanced. The charge for a low-dose CT screening varies, but ranges from $200 to $300. Treatment for Stage I lung cancer is less than half the cost of late-stage treatment. Estimates of the cost-effectiveness of CT screening for lung cancer are similar or better than those for mammography screening for breast cancer. Members of the study's writing committee were New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's Drs. David F. Yankelevitz (attending radiologist and professor of radiology and cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College), Daniel Libby (attending pulmonologist and professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Weill Cornell), James P. Smith (attending pulmonologist and professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine), Mark Pasmantier (attending oncologist and professor of medicine), and Olli S. Miettinen (epidemiologist and professor of medicine). Also contributing to the study at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell were Drs. Nasser Altorki (director of thoracic surgery and professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College), Dorothy I. McCauley (attending radiologist and professor of radiology at Weill Cornell), Madeline Vazquez (attending pathologist and professor of pathology), Ali Farooqi (radiology fellow), and at Cornell University in Ithaca, Anthony Reeves (professor of electrical and computer engineering). Additionally, physician-scientists from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center participated in the current study: Dr. John H.M. Austin (attending radiologist and professor of radiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons) and Dr. Gregory D.N. Pearson (associate attending radiologist and associate professor of radiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons). The current study was supported by numerous private and public grants, including a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). About NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and its academic partner, Weill Cornell Medical College. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian is ranked sixth on the U.S. News & World Report's list of top hospitals. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center 525 East 68th Street, Box 144 New York, NY 10021 http://www.nyp.org Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=54969

Prayers and positive thoughts heading your way for wonderfully GREAT news for you all!!! Hugs Chris

Congratulations on all the good news!!! Chris

Hello Crystal and welcome I am sorry about your Mom's diagnosis. Please know that you have found a wonderful source of information, support and hope here on this site. What you are going through now is pretty normal I think. As the treatment plan gets into place and you have some more information and answers this will get easier to deal with. Let us know how we can help and know that we are and will be here for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Chris

Tami Prayers and positive thoughts being sent your way. Chris

Tracy Congrats on the wonderful news! Glad you had a great trip, too. Chris

Joanie, Congratulations!!!!!!! Chris

High Tech Detectives Screen Thousands Of Genes, Proteins To Solve Puzzle Of Lung Disease 23 Oct 2006 Recent advances in computer and imaging technology allow the scanning of tens of thousands of genes and proteins in little more than a blink of an eye. This high speed technology has already produced advances in the understanding of disease, including lung disease, and the already blistering pace is picking up. To take stock of this quickly changing field, scientists and doctors will gather at The American Physiological Society meeting, "Physiological genomics and proteomics of lung disease," to be held Nov. 2-5 in Fort Lauderdale. "Up until a few years ago, we investigated one protein, one gene, at a time," said Bruce R. Pitt, of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, and a member of the conference organizing committee. "Now we have more robust gene profiling techniques, better apparatus and better means of statistical analysis," said Brooke T. Mossman, of the University of Vermont College of Medicine, another member of the conference organizing committee. Lung diseases not well understood Lung diseases are among the most common and recognizable to the public: asthma, emphysema, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis, to name a few. But the lung is a very complicated organ and these diseases are not well understood, Pitt said. One puzzle has been why, when different people are exposed to toxic agents like asbestos or cigarette smoke, some develop disease and others don't. "Environmental agents such as asbestos cause disease, but there is also a genetic susceptibility," Mossman explained. Because individuals react differently to the same exposure, progress in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases has been slowed. If researchers can find the genes that make some people susceptible, it will greatly enhance progress toward early detection, treatment and a cure, she said. Using cutting edge methods, researchers are now finding molecules, known as biomarkers, associated with particular diseases. In most instances, it is not yet clear whether they cause the disease or are simply associated with it. But researchers hope these biomarkers can be used to * predict who will develop a disease * direct earlier treatment to those at risk * develop animal models to study the development of the disease and find out what role, if any, the biomarkers play Some biomarkers have already been found and put to use, Mossman noted. For instance, Harvey Pass and colleagues at the NYU School of Medicine found that the protein, osteopontin, predicts who will develop mesothelioma, a tumor of the lung cavity, after being exposed to asbestos. Best of all, the marker can be detected with a blood test. Another scientist, Jan Schnitzer of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in San Diego, has developed a technique that allows the study of key genes and proteins of the lung's blood vessels without removing them from the lung, Pitt said. When researchers remove these cells from the lung, they can behave in unpredictable ways, a shortcoming to research in this area up to this point, he added. Once scientists have identified the molecules that are crucial to a disease, said Pitt, they become the target for new therapeutic interventions such as drugs, he said. Among the symposia that will take place at the conference are the genomic and proteomic approaches to * studying lung disease * developing therapeutic targets for new drugs * understanding airway and vascular disease * understanding acute lung injury and inflammation ### The American Physiological Society was founded in 1887 to foster basic and applied bioscience. The Bethesda, Maryland-based society has 10,500 members and publishes 14 peer-reviewed journals containing almost 4,000 articles annually. APS provides a wide range of research, educational and career support and programming to further the contributions of physiology to understanding the mechanisms of diseased and healthy states. In 2004, APS received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Contact: Christine Guilfoy American Physiological Society Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=54548

I am very glad to read that you are at least getting some relief and help. As difficult as it is to involve Hospice, it was time. I continue to keep you and your mom in my prayers. Chris