NEWS
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Chicago cancer patients say laughter is strong medicine. Swedish covenant hospital introduces laughter yoga for chemotherapy and rehab.
Have you ever found yourself laughing so hard your stomach hurt? Laughter is a great emotional release – but have you ever thought of it as a form of exercise, too?
Laughter Yoga is a new physical and emotional exercise movement recently featured on Oprah. All over the world Laughter Yoga is becoming known and sought after. The fun and the health benefits are amazing, plus we all know that laughter just feels great! It's easy to lead, anyone can do it, all ages, all walks of life. Developed by Dr. Madan Kataria of Mumbai, India, the mindbody "medicine" combines yoga breathing and laughter exercises to enhance well-being and aid in the healing process. From a medical perspective, the therapy strengthens the immune system and combats the negative effects of stress.
Laughter Yoga is echoing through the halls of Swedish Covenant Hospital and helping cancer patients focus on positive thoughts to improve their physical and mental health. The hospital recently introduced the program to patients undergoing chemotherapy.... [read more]
You can find more information about Laughter Yoga at laughteryoga.org and laughteryoga.us.
Mastectomy hospital bill in congress
A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.
It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important... You need not give more than your name, e-mail address and zip code. Follow the link to lifetimetv.com.
There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the "drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.
Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.
2007 Meetings
- SSO: March 15-18, 2007; Washington, DC
- ASBD: April 12-14, 2007; San Francisco, CA
- AACR: April 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA
- ACS: April 22-25, 2007; Las Vegas, NV
- NSABP: April 27-30, 2007; Jacksonville, FL
- ACOG: May 5-9, 2007; San Diego, CA
- AAPA: May 26-31, 2007; Philadelphia, PA
- ASCO: June 1-5, 2007; Chicago, IL
- ECOG Spring Mtg: June 8-10, 2007; Washington, DC
- ECOG Fall Mtg: November 9-10, 2007; Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- SABCS: December 13-16, 2007; San Antonio, TX
p53 revealed as a better biomarker for prediction of survival in african-american women with breast cancer
Detection of a protein called p53 using a specific antibody test may be an improved biomarker for predicting worse survival in African-American women with breast cancer, according to a study at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The study revealed that compared to Basal Subtype, a well known marker of poor prognosis for breast cancer, only p53 status was able to independently predict significantly worse survival for African-American women... [read more]
New research presented at ASCO 2006 in Atlanta
New research presented by Dr. Keith A. Dookeran at the recent ASCO 2006 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, shows that abnormal levels of the tumor suppressor gene, p53, in breast cancer is more likely to predict survival in African-American than Hispanic or white women. Dr. Dookeran found that for all races, p53 expression demonstrated similar trends of association and correlation with high grade, hormone receptor negative, aggressive type tumors. Survival between racial groups was not different according to p53 status, however within racial groups, abnormal p53 expression was only able to predict significantly worse survival in African-American women, and this association appeared to be independent of stage and age. This is the first study of p53 as detected by immunohistochemistry to demonstrate a survival difference for a subset of AA women. This information is important since abnormal p53 tumor biology may be a factor which contributes to the survival disparity seen African-American women with breast cancer.
New research suggests access, genetic differences play role in high minority cancer death rate
The reason for higher African American cancer death rates may be doctors' failure to recommend appropriate chemotherapy and minorities' ability to access expensive treatment. Or it could be a matter of genetics that predispose some people to hard-totreat tumors. African Americans have a higher chance of developing cancer and dying than that of any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. But new research, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in April, suggests that both access to health care and a propensity to develop hard-to-treat tumors play a role in the diagnosis and mortality disparities... [read more at JNCI Cancer Spectrum (PDF)]
Poverty, genetics linked to cancer risks in blacks
At a time when blacks share a disproportionate share of the nation's cancer burden, new research presented here suggests that poverty and genetics may be at least partly to blame. "These studies dispel the myth that it's all about race," says Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, PhD, director of the Howard University Cancer Center in Washington. "Health disparities go beyond color and ethnicity."
"African-American women are more commonly poor and uninsured, so some studies suggest socioeconomic status, not race, is associated with a poor prognostic profile," says researcher Keith A. Dookeran, MBBS, of Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Illinois.... [read more at foxnews.com, webmd.com (local link)]
Abstract #3696 was published in AACR news release
Our abstract #3696 was included in American Association of Cancer Research 2006 news release on racial disparities in cancer... [read more at aacr.org, mydna.com (local link)]
Avon Walk 2006. Take the first step.
The Avon Walk Chicago is unlike any other. A Walker's perspective offers an entirely unique way to experience the vast lakefront, stunning architecture and vibrant ethnic neighborhoods that make Chicago a world-class city in the heart of the Midwest... [read more]
Fraud earns researcher time in jail.
A Veterans Administration researcher based in New York was sentenced to almost 6 years in jail after he admitted to doctoring patient test results - an extreme punishment for an extreme crime, experts say... [read more]
