MsC1210

Jen My sincere sympathies and condolences on the loss of your father. You and your family are in my prayers. Chris

Andrea Best wishes for a successful procedure~ Chris

Hi Maryanne, I just thought I would let you (and everyone else)know that I spoke with Darrell on Sunday evening. He was doing pretty well, as upbeat and cheerful as always. That attitude and outlook of his is contagious and will only serve to help him in this battle. Chris

Adding my prayers Chris

Hi Nancy So sorry to hear how icky you are feeling. I wondered how you were, but was hoping for better news. I can only suggest what worked so~so for Brad. He managed Pedialyte, (made for babies with diarrhea and vomitting) and crystallized ginger. He had such issues even with the anti~nausea meds that out of desperation he/we tried everything we could think of. Hopefully this will be of some help to you. Sending prayers and positive thoughts! Chris

Jen, love and prayers for you and your family. I am so very sorry, Chris

Continued prayers and well wishes to you both Brian and Joanie. Chris

Hello and welcome I cannot offer more than the excellent advice you have already gotten but wanted to say hi and welcome you to the site. Praying that your doctors will listen and that things turn out to be better than you are fearing. Chris

Hello Laura and welcome. I am so sorry you had need to find a site like this, but glad you have come and posted. It definitely sounds like you have your hands full but your attitude and outlook on things is so good. Please know that you are not alone. We have all been in similar situations, in one way or another and we are all here for one another. Keep us posted on your mom and let us know how we can help. This is the greatest bunch of people, so knowledgeable and willing to help in whatever way we can. The support system here is incredible as well. Sending you and your family prayers and positive thoughts, Chris

http://www.biooncology.com/bioonc/profe ... nt/index.m This link will direct you through the Genetech remibursement program. I hope this helps. Chris

Betty So glad your sister's surgery went well. Continued prayers for an effective treatment plan as well as prayers for you and your family, Chris

Jen Sending prayers for strength and comfort for you and your family. Chris

Hello Amanda and welcome, You got some very good advice from Shelly when she said LIVE around your father. Keep the positive attitude and fighting spirit and know that we are all here to help you through this. Keep us posted and know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Chris

Evalani, Hello and welcome to this wonderful site. I can only echo the sentiments you have already heard, try not to worry and stay positive. It sounds like you have a great attitude and that helps so very much, too. Keep us posted, Chris

Hi Meredith I am so sorry you are down. I think those days do come with the territory, for us all when cancer has invaded our lives. I was talking with a friend last night and she made the comment that once you have been touched by this nightmare it just becomes a part of your life, there is just no getting away from it. I think she is right. I have days from hell, not quite in the way you are having, but days where I cannot deal with anything. I cry, and scream and feel so blue. Days like that suck, but I do believe they help in the long run somehow. Allow yourself time to grieve, you are entitled to that and do not let ANYONE tell you differently. Be kind to yourself but know that tomorrow is a whole new day and you have beaten this beast. Knowledge is power and learning all you can about this disease makes it easier for you to make informed choices in the future, should that need arise and I pray it never will. Just remember you are an individual, a person and not a number or statistic. Ignore those numbers! PM me anytime if you want to talk. And know that you are in my thoughts and prayers, Big hugs to you, Chris

I am so sorry about your father. My sincere sympathies and condolences to you and your family. Chris

Adding my prayers.. Chris

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

Lisa Hello and welcome. I cannot add much to what the others have said already but wanted to welcome you. I think Mary had some good suggestions about seeking out some help with all you have happening there. Perhaps the hospital or doctors office can offer some other options as well. It is very important for YOU to take care of yourself as well as your mom and your own family. Sending you and your family prayers of strength, Chris

Jen, I have no words that can help. Just sending prayers, prayers and more prayers. I am so sorry this is happening. You are all in my thoughts, Chris

Kim I am glad your mom is home and doing better. I do hope the doctors can find a treatment that will work well for her. And glad you have that 2nd opinion in mind, just in case. Continued prayers for you and your mom and family, Chris

Kathleen I agree very much with what Kelly said.. Distance guilt. It certainly sounds as if that may well be the problem. You are a wonderful daughter to care so selflessly for your mom AND your dad as well. My feeling is, and of course this is only my opinion, keep on doing what you are doing as long as you feel comfortable with it. Please remember to take some time for yourself as well. You have to take care of YOU along the way. My prayers are with you and your family, Chris

Hello and welcome~ I am so glad your mom is doing well. Chris

Betty So very sorry to read this. Sending you and your family prayers and positive thoughts. Chris

Safety And Effectiveness Of Therapeutic Virus That Fights Cancer Enhanced By Mayo Clinic Researchers 05 Aug 2006 Mayo Clinic researchers working with colleagues in Germany have devised a much-needed multilevel safety feature for viruses used to treat cancer. In the process of making cancer-killing viruses more specific to cancer tumor cells, they report having improved the therapeutic effectiveness of viruses. They did this by engineering a modified measles virus that turns on only in the presence of secretions specific to malignant cancer cells. In effect, the Mayo Clinic virus makeover uses proteins secreted by cancer cells as the unique key to the virus' ignition. Their report on the topic appears in the August edition of Cancer Research (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/). The investigation was performed in laboratory mice that were transplanted with a human cancer. The process is still experimental -- and thus, years away from clinical use in humans. However, the Mayo results may be immediately useful in designing improved cancer treatments for humans. "Our work shows that oncolytic measles virus particle activation can be made dependent on substances secreted by cancer cells, and this enhances safety," explains Roberto Cattaneo, Ph.D., lead researcher on the Mayo team. "By doing this, our study broadens the safeguarding strategies possible to tightly restrict the targeted virus to cancer cells." Significance of the Mayo Clinic Research The Mayo researchers say their contribution is a key advance because it provides a method of designing a therapeutic virus that is safe, stable and that reliably targets and kills cancer cells. Importantly, it appears to greatly reduce the possibility that the virus would erroneously turn on and harm the patient by causing unintended infection. As such, the Mayo innovation of the cancer-activated virus is a helpful safety advance for the promising experimental field of "oncolytic virotherapy." The phrase refers to the natural ability of certain viruses to kill cancer cells. It's a promising approach that has been known for nearly a century -- but constrained by safety concerns. Measles virus is one example of an oncolytic virus. For example, the live attenuated Edmonston measles vaccine strain can reduce or eliminate human lymphoma, myeloma, ovarian cancer and glioma tumors that are transplanted into laboratory mice. Enhanced Safety and Effectiveness The success of oncolytic virotherapy depends on restriction of viral growth to cancer cells --and only cancer cells -- to prevent unintended rogue infections elsewhere in the healthy body. The Mayo cancer-activated virus adds one more layer to a multiple safeguard system, so it now consists of three levels. The resulting enhanced security system now works at the level of: * activation of the virus particle * receptor recognition necessary for the virus to enter a cancer cell * ability of the virus to multiply preferentially in cancer cells These multiple safeguards are specific to and dependent on cancer cells -- and are therefore vital to fully transforming viruses into safe therapeutic agents. ### Collaboration and Support Others on the research team include: Christoph Springfeld, M.D., Ph.D.; Veronika von Messling, D.V.M.; Marie Frenzke and Guy Ungerechts, M.D., Ph.D. In Langen, Germany, Christian Buchholz, M.D., collaborated. The work was supported by Mayo Clinic and the Siebens Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and research scholarships from the German research foundation and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. Contact: Bob Nellis Mayo Clinic Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=48610