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Part 1 of a 2 part series Does lung cancer get short shrift? Sunday, June 21, 2009 By Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09172/978938-114.stm

(((Debbie))) I am very sorry for your loss. Kelly

I am very sorry for your loss. Kelly

Hi Everyone!!!!! I think of you all so often!!! Can't ever express how grateful I am for you and this site! I just found out yesterday that I was accepted to nursing school!!! I'll be going to UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing starting in September 2008!! I want to be an Oncology nurse!!! I have a long way to go but I know that is what I am called to be doing now!! Prayers are appreciated!! Wasn't there someone else here who through the illness of a loved one, went to nursing school??? I'll keep you posted!!! Kelly

Hi Everyone!!!!! I think of you all so often!!! Can't ever express how grateful I am for you and this site! I just found out yesterday that I was accepted to nursing school!!! I'll be going to UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing starting in September 2008!! I want to be an Oncology nurse!!! I have a long way to go but I know that is what I am called to be doing now!! Prayers are appreciated!! Wasn't there someone else here who through the illness of a loved one, went to nursing school??? I'll keep you posted!!! Kelly

A good friend's mom has lung cancer. Told him that I would post on here for other opinions. Here is the situation: His mom is stage 3b. Had an MRI two months ago and it was clear. She has had no med. change since then. She has completely passed out or gotten dizzy and fallen at least 3 times in the last couple of weeks. She and my friend were reading the Bible to each other and she was having trouble with words she has known forever! My advice was to call her onc ASAP and let him know what is going on as it could be brain mets. What are your thoughts? Thank you in advance!! I know with my mom, I was constantly monitoring her neurological situation. She never did get brain mets but liver. Kelly

Friends, First, I must apologize profusely for not sharing this with you much, much sooner. Obviously, I am still struggling with denial. This is the only "place" that I haven't told yet. I am not sure why. Maybe telling you all makes it really real. I am so sorry to all of you who has lost a loved one in the many months that I have not been here. Please accept my deepest sympathy. My mom had vertebroplasty (http://www.vertebroplasty.com/index.php?pageId=75) in about February 2007. Her lung function was so poor that she never fully recovered although she did go home then shortly after had to have a vertebrectomy (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/513321_5) in March 2007 as her condition worsened. Her lungs were so bad from emphysema, COPD and lung cancer on top of that, her lungs simply gave out on April 5, 2007 (which is also my dad's birthday.) It was a very peaceful passing and the most glorious thing happened- my mom invited Jesus Christ into her heart just a few hours before she died. She had been very set in her rote religious ways so I know for sure that it truly was the Holy Spirit working in her heart for her to recognize her need to acknowledge that she was a helpless sinner and needed the Savior. I like to think that that is why the end was so peaceful- she knew finally, where she going for eternity. Thank you for your patience with me. I am hopeful that I will be able to be a support to people on here now. I have learned so much about myself, family dynamics and life in general that it just can't be wasted and kept to myself. I still really need all of you too. Love to you all, Kelly

My mom had cyberknife and the first was very helpful! There is a link for it on my profile. Kelly

(((Flowegirlie & Family))) I am very sorry for your loss. Kelly

I am so very sorry! I always felt a kinship with him since I am from Pittsburgh. I haven't been on in awhile so I am late with this. Prayers for the family. Kelly

So Sorry for the loss of your dad. We are here for you. Kelly

Lab disaster may lead to new cancer drug By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Sun Feb 4, 9:55 AM ET Her carefully cultured cells were dead and Katherine Schaefer was annoyed, but just a few minutes later, the researcher realized she had stumbled onto a potential new cancer treatment. Schaefer and colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York believe they have discovered a new way to attack tumors that have learned how to evade existing drugs. Tests in mice suggest the compound helps break down the cell walls of tumors, almost like destroying a tumor cell's "skeleton." The researchers will test the new compound for safety and hope they can develop it to treat cancers such as colon cancer, esophageal cancer, liver and skin cancers. "I was using these cancer cells as models of the normal intestine," Schaefer said in a telephone interview. Normal human cells are difficult to grow and study in the lab, because they tend to die. But cancer cells live much longer and are harder to kill, so scientists often use them. Schaefer was looking for drugs to treat the inflammation seen in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which cause pain and diarrhea. She was testing a compound called a PPAR-gamma modulator. It would never normally have been thought of as a cancer drug, or in fact a drug of any kind. "I made a calculation error and used a lot more than I should have. And my cells died," Schaefer said. A colleague overheard her complaining. "The co-author on my paper said,' Did I hear you say you killed some cancer?' I said 'Oh', and took a closer look." They ran several tests and found the compound killed "pretty much every epithelial tumor cell lines we have seen," Schaefer said. Epithelial cells line organs such as the colon, and also make up skin. It also killed colon tumors in mice without making the mice sick, they reported in the journal International Cancer Research. The compound works in much the same way as the taxane drugs, including Taxol, which were originally derived from Pacific yew trees. "It targets part of the cell cytoskeleton called tubulin," Schaefer said. Tubulin is used to build microtubules, which in turn make up the cell's structure. Destroying it kills the cell, but cancer cells eventually evolve mechanisms to pump out the drugs that do this, a problem called resistance. "Resistance to anti-tubulin therapies is a huge problem in many cancers. We see this as another way to get to the tubulin," Schaefer said. The PPAR-gamma compound does this in a different way from the taxanes, which might mean it could overcome the resistance that tumor cells often develop to chemotherapy. "Most of the drugs like Taxol affect the ability of tubulin to forms into microtubules. This doesn't do that -- it causes the tubulin itself to disappear. We do not know why." Schaefer's team plans more safety tests in mice. As the compound is already patented, her team will probably have to design something slightly different to be able to patent it as a new drug. Taxol, developed by U.S. National Cancer Institute researchers and manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 1993, had annual sales of $1.6 billion at its peak in 2000.

I'll be praying for all of you! Kelly

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!" Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly...... Leave the rest to God.

Love clean scans!!! Kelly

So sweet!!! Happy Birthday Mom!!! Kelly

I can't say I know anything about shaking but I hope that it all works out! Happy Birthday, Chloe!!! Kelly

I love unremarkable!!! Put the refunded co-pay toward a nice dinner!! Kelly

GREAT NEWS!!! January 18, 2007 New reports from Lung Cancer Alliance detailed. This trend article is an immediate alert from NewsRx to identify the most recent news developments at Lung Cancer Alliance. Report 1: The Lung Cancer Alliance, an organization providing patient support and advocacy to those living with or at risk for lung cancer, hailed the research work of the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) published in the October 26, 2006 New England Journal of Medicine, which demonstrates early detection leads to higher survival rates. The I-ELCAP study - the largest long-term study ever conducted by the world's leading experts in early detection of lung cancer - demonstrates that if lung cancer is detected and treated early, 92% of patients could expect to live 10 years. Lung cancer currently has a 15% 5-year survival rate and is considered to be one of the most lethal cancers. "This is the most important breakthrough for the lung cancer community that has ever happened - and will happen for years to come," said Laurie Fenton, president of Lung Cancer Alliance. "It is a watershed moment." Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. The vast majority (70%) of diagnoses are late stage, causing most deaths in the first year. Report 2: The Lung Cancer Alliance disputes an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute claiming lung cancer screening can lead to over diagnosis of the disease. "That's exactly what was said by the opponents of mammography screening 30 years ago," Laurie Fenton, president of Lung Cancer Alliance, said. "Yet, this is even more ludicrous. First of all, the study they refer to is forty years old and was so badly designed that it has already been repudiated by the experts years ago." "Secondly, the study focused on x-rays not CT scans which, it is widely agreed, more accurately detect lung cancer tumors. I do not know why NCI would spend badly needed funding to rehash an old meaningless study when so much needs to be done on lung cancer. This disease continues to claim more lives each year than breast, prostate, colon, kidney, melanoma and liver cancers combined." Report 3: A milestone was reached recently as the first ever bicameral bipartisan legislation was introduced in Congress declaring lung cancer a major national public health priority and calling for a 50% reduction in mortality within 9 years. Unveiled during the Lung Cancer Alliance Advocacy Conference, Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced S.Res. 408 for Senate consideration. Congressman Clay Shaw (R-FL) introduced H.Res. 739, a similar resolution, in the House of Representatives. Laurie Fenton, President of the Lung Cancer Alliance, praised the legislation as historic. "This is tremendous," she said. "It is the first time we have the House and Senate recognizing that lung cancer is not a political issue, rather, it's a major public health epidemic affecting smokers and non-smokers. This must be addressed as a disease - not a punishment." The bipartisan resolution requests the President to declare lung cancer a national public health priority and calls for a 50% reduction in lung cancer's high mortality rate by 2015. It lays out a multi -agency action blueprint emphasizing the need for a carefully coordinated approach among the federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the U.S. Department of Defense. Currently, lung cancer is under-funded and under-researched. Only $1,829 is spent per lung cancer death, the least amount of cancer research dollars per death for the nation's leading cancer killer. By comparison, breast cancer research receives $23,474 per estimated death, and prostate cancer receives $14,369. "Lung cancer is the most lethal form of cancer in the United States," said Senator Hagel, whose state will be the first in the nation to initiate a state-wide screening program for lung cancer. "Over 900 Nebraskans will die from lung cancer in 2006. We have made great advances in breast and prostate cancer survival rates. We must commit ourselves to making the same progress in lung cancer." Senator Clinton noted that lung cancer is now killing nearly twice as many women as breast cancer, with a disturbing increase of lung cancer in non-smoking women. "Despite the gains we have made in cancer treatment and research, we have made far too little progress in addressing lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in our nation. As part of our overall battle against cancer, we must improve our research, treatment and detection efforts in order to increase the 5-year survival rate beyond 15%," Senator Clinton said. Congressman Shaw, himself a lung cancer survivor, has been a spokesman for lung cancer in the House of Representatives. Recently he sent a letter signed by 73 members of both parties of the House asking the U.S. National Cancer Institute about their oft-quoted 2015 target for "ending the pain and death from all cancer." "That cannot be done," said Shaw, "if we continue to under-fund research and early diagnosis in the biggest cancer killer." The Lung Cancer Alliance is a national non-profit organization solely dedicated to patient support and advocacy for people living with lung cancer and those at risk for the disease. © Copyright 2007, Pharma Business Week via NewsRx.com

Thank God you are there for them and now you can FIGHT knowing what is wrong! You are a great Aunt!!! Kelly

((Flowergirlie)) That doc is -as my 8th grade best friend used to say- a jerkface. That's all I have to say about that. Kelly

I like to My Profile/timeline. It has helped with understanding and learning other options. Sometimes they are very hard to read. They should be- this is horrific for everyone involved!! When I posed a question to Dr. West on Onctalk I copied and pasted it under my question and he said something about it being very detailed. It helped him help me!! Kelly

Beth~ I am so very sorry for your loss. Kelly

Hi~ So happy to hear that things were beautiful for her and all of you!! I love that song too! He is watching you and holding you so tightly. I think that sitting Shiva would be very God-ordained. Many times in the Old and New Testaments He called people to radically alter their lifestyles for short periods of time. Jesus Himself went away from all the Apostles, other followers and left His daily routine to spend time with the Father before the crucifixion. I think you will be found to be very, very close to Him while you are sitting Shiva. You have given me something to think about. Blessings, Kelly

I am sorry for all of this. I'm so glad, though, that you were able to get there and be with your family. Kelly