MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'cancer'. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:07:00 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385512&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-funny-surprise-from-breast-cancer%2F There is one positive thing that I can honestly say came out of chemotherapy. It came up with my hairdresser today when she happened to notice that I have great eyebrows. I know it sounds funny, but hey, let me have this one thing. I have always had darker and thicker eyebrows than most women, but not quite as great as Brooke Shields. I was constantly plucking and shaping them and then breast cancer hit. Chemotherapy thinned them out quite a bit, but it couldn’t quite get rid of them. After my hair grew back, my eyebrows took on a new shape – and I couldn’t be happier. So today, my hair dresser commented on how great my eyebrows looked. When I told her I did not have to pluck or shape them ever, I knew she was impressed. We suffer so much through chemotherapy. Many of us struggle wit... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3385512 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:05:55 +0100 3385512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3383135&cid=t_91991_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F19%2Fprostate-cancer-screening-called-into-question%2F Screening for illness is based on a simple concept: catch the disease early and more timely treatment will (inevitably) lead to better outcomes. However, as with most things in life, things turn out to be not a clear-cut as they sometimes seem. Tests are not foolproof, of course. And sometimes tests can detect things that [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3383135 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:58:10 +0100 3383135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382768&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fscreening-for-colon-cancer.html We looked a few days ago at the most cringe-making video ever produced by the NHS. Now, from the USA (thanks to KevinMD),take a look the Colonoscopy Song.I rather like it. (Source: NHS Blog Doctor) NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382768 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:21:00 +0100 3382768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3383048&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Flost-group.html Teenagers with cancer don't really fit into a kids group or an adult group. You are too old for a pediatrician never mind a pediatric cancer group full of little kids. You are too young to be treated as an adult because you aren't able to make your own medical decisions or, if you are 18 or 19, all of a sudden HAVE to make your own decisions. Also, as a teenager, doctors ask embarrassing questions about bodily functions you wish everyone would ignore and then there are all these people who look at your body. When I had my thyroid cancer surgery, I remember waking up in a different johnny than I had gone into surgery with. This meant people had seen me naked! How appalling!I have a friend who had cancer at a similar age, both of us nearly 30 years ago. Back then no one talked about cancer. ... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3383048 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:32:00 +0100 3383048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3383027&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Frace-and-cancer.html A couple of cancer news items caught my eye, because they both concern race and cancer. The first story says that blacks, although they have the highest cancer rates of all U.S. ethnic groups, feel less at risk than do whites. A study done at the University of Buffalo says that as a result of this attitude, blacks are less likely to get screened for various cancers with mammograms, pap smears, or tests for prostate cancer. One reason for this difference in attitudes, when compared to whites, is that blacks are less likely to report a family cancer history, meaning that they may be unaware of it. Read more: Blacks Feel Less at Risk The second story confirms something that I think we all know: poor and minority cancer patients get poorer care. The story says tha... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3383027 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:03:31 +0100 3383027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3383028&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fwelcome-to-a-new-cancer-blogger.html I "met" a new cancer blogger just a few days ago. His name is Chris, he lives in the UK, and he has advanced esophageal cancer (which he spells differently, being from the UK). He writes, "I was diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer in December 2009, just before Christmas. That was a bad time, but I'm a lot happier now. I live from day to day, trying to make each day the best it can be. Reading blogs such as yours and Joan Lil's  (Me and the Big C) are very inspirational in keeping me fighting and positive." As you might imagine, one of our first e-mail conversations was about "terminal" cancer vs. "incurable" cancer. Chris was a research scientist before he was laid off, and he seems to enjoy this kind of conversation.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3383028 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:14:04 +0100 3383028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378761&cid=t_91991_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F18%2Fwhy-are-melanoma-survivors-found-to-be-at-increased-risk-of-other-cancers%2F Malignant melanoma is a form of skin cancer we are repeatedly warned about. As long as I can remember, just as things start to hot up, we are subjected to dire warning about the hazards of exposing ourselves to the sun’s rays. As a prelude to this this year, we have a recently published study [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378761 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:27:28 +0100 3378761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378440&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwhat-happens-to-your-body-if-you-stop-smoking-right-now-2%2F When Blisstree re-launched last week, we hoped to make new friends and keep the old, as the Girl Scout song goes. In that spirit, we’re bringing back a topic that many readers seem to miss: Smoking. Or, quitting smoking, to be exact. Back in 2006, Blisstree posted a timeline of “What happens to your body when you quit smoking now”. The timeline, posted on cancer.org, is as follows: 20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drop. (Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification, Mahmud, A, Feely, J. 2003. Hypertension: 41:183.) 12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1988, p. 202) Two weeks to three months after quitting: Your circulation improves an... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378440 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:26:47 +0100 3378440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378419&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007030.html 2 grams per day of omega 3 fatty acid EPA cut precancerous bowel polyps in those at especially high genetic risk of bowel cancer. A purified form of an omega 3 cuts the number and size of precancerous bowel growths (polyps) in people whose genetic make-up predisposes them to bowel cancer, finds research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. Furthermore, this particular omega 3 (eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA) seems to be as effective as the prescription medicine used to treat familial bowel polyps, but without the associated cardiovascular side effects. The researchers base their findings on 55 patients, all of whom had the inherited genetic mutation that prompts the development of precancerous polyps in the bowel - known... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378419 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378412&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2010%2F03%2F18%2Fcancer-leads-to-more-cancer%2F Filed under: ResearchIt seems as though many types of cancer are related. You'll hear of people being diagnosed with one cancer and then, years later, when they are cured from the original cancer, they are diagnosed with another form of the disease. What gives? Cancer is a group of diseases that cause cells to change in abnormal ways and grow out of control. Most types of cancer form a tumor, which is a lump or mass of cancerous cells. Although cancers can spread, like when cells from a tumor break away and travel to other parts of the body, experts say that one type of cancer does not lead to another. There are many other factors at play. Cancers that occur late in life, like prostate cancer, or are especially common among certain groups, like lung cancer in smokers, will not change... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378412 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378684&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Ftravel-advice.html Yesterday was a crazy day. Younger Son needed me to go with him to get his state ID card, and we drove all over town searching for a driver's licensing office, because the one in the north end of Seattle, our part of town, had closed while I wasn't paying attention. Of course, we didn't find out that it was closed until we drove up there. Then, after calling information, we drove to the south end, only to find that that office had also closed--why directory assistance gave us the phone number and address, I have no idea. So we ended up downtown, which is always difficult because of traffic and parking, plus that office is really busy. Anyway, he got the ID card, and I renewed my driver's license as well. Turns out I was driving on an expired license.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378684 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:35:32 +0100 3378684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378445&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fqmp4Jyh433I%2F Ever since Harold Varmus’s January public letter stating he asked Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s board to start looking for his successor as president, people have been wondering what the Nobel laureate is going to do next. Now there may be an answer: Varmus is expected to be nominated by the White House very soon to head the National Cancer Institute, according to The Cancer Letter, a publication read by many in the cancer field. There hasn’t been any official confirmation of the news. Rumors about his imminent appointment have circulated before but they were shot down earlier this month by Varmus in an email to Science. The Health Blog tried to reach Varmus today without success. A spokeswoman at the NCI said today after the latest report: “We know nothing. The ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378445 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:10:13 +0100 3378445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378688&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fchemotherapy-shows-us-at-our-worst%2F The only thing more challenging than living with a teenager is living with a college kid home for spring break. Like most parents I get to see a side of my son that no one else does. If you were to meet the Big Guy you would tell me that I had a polite, charming, intelligent and sensitive young man and congratulate me for raising such a great kid, most people do. If you do meet that kid, please send him home because I think I got the wrong one. Actually though, I need to cut him some slack since he is cranky because of the pain he is experiencing from his recovering knee injury. I can relate to that. When I was going through chemotherapy there were times when I was a little cranky too. Trying to handle chemotherapy and the world at the same time can be a little overwhelming. We are run dow... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378688 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:08:47 +0100 3378688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378685&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Flondon-bound.html Back when I was on major doses of decadron and feeling invincible, I told Younger Son I would take him to London on his spring break, which begins at the end of this week. (See: My Decadron-Fueled Creativity)Then after the whole Hawaii travel debacle, I was quite sure I wouldn't be able to go, so I didn't write about the trip. I was in wait-and-see mode. (See: Hawaii--Crashed and Burned ...)Plus, Younger Son, being the darling that he is, didn't seem to be able to get his passport renewed. He couldn't get into the federal building where the passport office is because he didn't have a valid, government-issued photo ID. So he wasted a lot of time there. (Yes, the boy is 19 and doesn't have a driver's license. His decision, not mine.)He made a tot... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378685 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:00:53 +0100 3378685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374375&cid=t_91991_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJHNZMyRf0k8%2F A new research collaboration involving the National Institutes of Health, the FDA and three drugmakers will be launched today in hopes of getting cancer drugs to the market faster, and test five experimental breast cancer medsReuters writes. The $26 million, five-year study will be called Investigation of Serial Studies to Predict your Therapeutic Response with Imaging and Molecular Analysis, or I-SPY2, and use DNA to match the best drug to each patient, and more quickly toss approaches that don’t work or are too toxic. The companies - Amgen, Abbott Labs and Pfizer - agreed to share info on using genes to predict how well patients respond as part of The Biomarkers Consortium, which includes the FDA, the NIH and PhRMA, the industry trade group. “I think it is the theme for the f... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374375 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:56:09 +0100 3374375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378420&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007029.html 2 grams per day of omega 3 fatty acid EPA cut precancerous bowel polyps in those at especially high genetic risk of bowel cancer. A purified form of an omega 3 cuts the number and size of precancerous bowel growths (polyps) in people whose genetic make-up predisposes them to bowel cancer, finds research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. Furthermore, this particular omega 3 (eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA) seems to be as effective as the prescription medicine used to treat familial bowel polyps, but without the associated cardiovascular side effects. The researchers base their findings on 55 patients, all of whom had the inherited genetic mutation that prompts the development of precancerous polyps in the bowel - known... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378420 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3378420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370624&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fcancer-news-roundup.html My dear friend Teri, the Cheeky Librarian, and I have often talked about the differences between having a common cancer, as I do, and a rare cancer, as Teri does. I have metastatic breast cancer, and I can't walk down the street without meeting a woman who has had breast cancer. My next-door neighbor is a breast cancer survivor. My aunt had breast cancer 11 years ago and has been cancer-free ever since. And I can't begin to count the number of friends who are either living with breast cancer or are breast cancer survivors. The fact that breast cancer is so common is not something to celebrate, that's not what I'm saying. But there is a lot of support available to women with breast cancer, and there are also many, many treatment options. Because so many wom... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370624 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:18:41 +0100 3370624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370438&cid=t_91991_101_f&fid=38979&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCrzegrlnet%2F%7E3%2FMv3e_Bb9G6Y%2F We would fight to scrape the pan and eat the melt-in-your-mouth fudge bits left after mom was done.  After it cooled, the fudge squares were dumped over a huge bowl of popcorn which four small children devoured during the annual playing of “The Wizard of Oz,” on television in the days before VCRs or streaming video. As an adult, who moved back home against all odds, my life is now more about reliving the traditions created for my siblings and I by my mother. This winter, I spent countless hours with Ben trying to remember the names of the birds which swarmed our feeders.  With my mother’s cancer treatment wrecking her body this summer, I took the time to sit with her and relearn to knit.  Time normally spent writing or engrossed in social media, I spent remembering why... crzegrl, flight nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370438 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:46:42 +0100 3370438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370626&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fmonday-monday.html  Not to repeat myself, but I keep getting stronger every day. Connie didn't get a walk today, because I had errands to do, including mailing a lot of jewelry. It felt good to get those packages off, because some were orders from before the Hawaii trip, and I hate taking so long to get things in the mail. Normally, I mail them out the day after I get the order. (If you are expecting a package from me, you should have it this week. If it doesn't come by Monday, please e-mail me. All my packages are insured.)I went by Bead World to get a few supplies, including some silk beading cord, the same kind I used to restring Virginia's pearls. See: Virginia's Pearls But this time I bought coral silk cord to string some beautiful vintage beads that are reddish-o... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370626 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:19:08 +0100 3370626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370377&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fdo-phones-cause-cancer-andrea-boland-thinks-so%2F Past fears of a connection between cell phone radiation and brain cancer seemed to dissipate faster as cell phones got smaller, and today most Americans cradle phone to ear without batting an eye. But Maine state representative Andrea Boland wants us to worry, and some researchers think she might be right, according to a TIME magazine article. Boland is lobbying for cell phone companies to print electromagnetic radiation warnings on their products, alerting consumers to associated risks of brain cancer. Both the National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization deny that there’s evidence to support a public health warning, but research is inconclusive, according to TIME. Read more: “How safe is your cell phone?” Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370377 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:55:45 +0100 3370377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366127&cid=t_91991_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fpsa-prostate-cancer-screening-continue.html Originally published in MedPage Today by Crystal Phend The ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium met recently, just after the American Cancer Society updated its prostate cancer screening guidelines to emphasize shared decision making and Congress heard testimony over use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in prostate cancer screening. Now urology is no stranger to debate. Controversy continues on overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and other issues raised by use of PSA for screening. But the emotional, anecdote-driven can of worms opened up last fall when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against mammography for women under 50 sparked some fear of a repeat. The Cleveland Clinic’s Eric Klein, MD, reportedly declared it impossible to change the prostate cancer screening g... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366127 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:00:40 +0100 3366127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366437&cid=t_91991_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FfEgrD3bNONY%2F A study conducted by researchers at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (UK) has indicated that eating small amounts of chocolate every day can help to reduce the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). People who took part in the study earlier this year reported feeling significantly less fatigue after eating 45g of specially formulated dark chocolate each day for eight weeks. They also reported feeling more fatigue when they stopped eating the dark chocolate and were receiving a placebo instead. CFS has long been a condition which has challenged the NHS as its causes are still not fully understood. Diagnosing the condition is difficult as many of the symptoms are similar to other illnesses and, since there is currently no known cure, treatment concentrates mainly on managing ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366437 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:34:22 +0100 3366437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366387&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fdelicious-pizza.html My friend Amy, a blogger friend who lives in California, e-mailed me on Friday and asked if she could have a pizza delivered for me. Now, at first pass, it didn't sound appealing, because I haven't had much of an appetite (probably from the Tykerb), but then I thought about it and I said yes. We agreed on a garlic and artichoke pizza (with feta cheese too) to be delivered on Saturday, last night. Amy ordered it from Pagliacci, my favorite pizza place, and it arrived at the door, hot and fragrant, just before 6 p.m. I have to say, that was the most delicious pizza! Thank you, Amy. I ate two huge slices while watching a very forgettable movie on Hulu, and then moved things around in the fridge to make enough room to cram the box in--did I say she ordered me a large?... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366387 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:26:38 +0100 3366387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363794&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F03%2F14%2Fin-defense-of-sean-penn%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up: The outspoken director, actor and political activist Sean Penn is no stranger to controversy. Now, however, he’s insulted the rectal cancer folks. At least, that’s the conventional wisdom. But what did Penn actually say? Sean Penn In response to CBS reporter Lara Logan’s question on how Penn felt about criticism of celebrities in Haiti, Penn replied, “Do I hope that those people die screaming of rectal cancer, yeah… But I’m not going to spend a lot of energy on it.” Sean Penn is not one for moderation. Just a week ago on comedian Bill Maher’s HBO show “Real Time,” Penn said that reporters and pundits who refer to Hugo Chavez as a dictator should go to jail. (Like Christopher McCandless, th... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363794 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:39:11 +0100 3363794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363629&cid=t_91991_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fdefending-psa-screening-prostate-cancer-congress.html Originally posted in MedPage Today by Emily P. Walker, MedPage Today Washington Correspondent A day after the American Cancer Society (ACS) released updated prostate cancer screening guidelines, the group’s chief medical officer was before Congress urging the government to fund research into alternative screening methods for prostate cancer. Otis Brawley, MD, an oncologist and chief medical officer for the ACS, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that the country needs to move beyond PSA tests and discover new screening modalities that can better detect only cancers that will turn deadly. “We need a better test than PSA,” said Brawley, who is a vocal critic of over-reliance on PSA screenings and overtreatment of prostate cancer. “PSA is a lousy... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363629 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:00:31 +0100 3363629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363802&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fit-is-all-in-your-head.html While wasting time online and stressing about my health yesterday (oops I mean expanding my intellectual horizons), I came across this article. Now it is long but definitely worth the read.First of all there are lots of us who have had the privilege of getting cancer. (You note I call it a privilege because anything else just wouldn't be worthy.) And the ones of us who do the best in the long run are the ones for whom outreach and hope keep us going. I can tell you when I changed from hopeless to hopeful. Shortly after finishing chemo, my husband and I went to a museum where the gift store was selling off their supply of holiday items. One of the things on sale for 90% off was the word "Hope" in big red letters, a foot tall, to hang on the wall. I splurged the whole $3 and brought it home ... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363802 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:28:00 +0100 3363802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366152&cid=t_91991_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F14%2Fsugar-sweetened-beverages-diet-coke-health-part-i%2F At Medical and Technology of Joseph Kim, the upcoming Grand Rounds host, I saw the blog post “Need your help on Facebook to get Diet Coke to Donate $50,000 to the Foundation for NIH”. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has started a national campaign in the US, The Heart Truth®. They issued a challenge in [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366152 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:59:54 +0100 3366152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363821&cid=t_91991_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2F_gS7hjkATkc%2F Therapy steps Twelve Steps can help manage various types of chronic illness For more than 75 years, the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have worked for many people with alcohol and other drug problems. Today, the therapeutic value of the steps extends far beyond the field of addiction. Physicians, therapists and other health care professionals are finding that the steps can help people with other chronic illnesses (eg, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and mental illness) find hope and healing. There is increased recognition that a spiritual component, such as the Twelve Steps, is important in addressing mental and physical illness. One of the first things people realize when they have a chronic illness is, “Oh my God. I’m going to die and I don’t have the ability to ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363821 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:14:00 +0100 3363821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363791&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fno-more-pain.html  When I was in Hawaii last week, I noticed that I didn't have any bone pain. I figured the warm weather was responsible, because I've noticed during previous trips to Hawaii that my bone pain goes away. But then just this afternoon, I was working (slowly, mind you) and playing in the backyard with Connie--pulling weeds, scooping poop, and adding the rotting vegis from the fridge to my compost bin--and I realized that I have no pain at all. None. Zippo.So thank all the gods and goddesses for radiation therapy, which is a bitch to go through, but it works. I skimmed back through my "pain" category and I realized that I've been in pain since some time in December, pain so bad that I couldn't sleep, so bad that I had to walk with a cane. I don&... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363791 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:59:03 +0100 3363791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362541&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fquiet-friday-night.html It's a quiet Friday night, and I'm hanging out with Connie, trying to get a little bit of work done, at least. Puttering on the computer, catching up with e-mail, trying to make myself eat (red pepper tomato soup seems to be the winner), any trying to plan a day for tomorrow that will be productive without knocking me on my butt.  I lost 8 pounds in 10 days in Hawaii, which would be great, except I lost it being sick. Not good. I'm still a bit dehydrated even now, and I have no appetite, so during the day I sipped on an organic smoothie that had lots of protein and also potassium from banana and other fruits. I'd never had one of these before, but it was just what I needed. Now I'm working on my second cup of organic tomato soup.I managed to handle one chore... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362541 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:52:07 +0100 3362541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362542&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fincluding-family-in-breast-cancer-decisions%2F My son – The Big Guy – injured his knee last fall and had minor surgery to repair a torn meniscus. This is huge in his world because he is a college football player attending school on an athletic scholarship. This past week he injured his knee again and I am beside myself with worry about him, his emotions, and his future. Of course I am not at all concerned about his football, that is the least important to me, but not to him. We have different perspectives and different priorities. Truthfully though this is a minor injury and if we can get him to rest and stay off his knee this should clear on its own, but I still worry. The Big Guy is only 18 and can’t see beyond the next few years. For many of us that face breast cancer we often find that our priorities are different than our fa... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362542 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:26:00 +0100 3362542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362375&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fdefinition-decoder-green-dry-cleaning%2F photo: Thinkstock In the quest for a greener tomorrow, “eco-friendly” dry cleaning was only a matter of time. According to a Wall Street Journal.com article, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun to phase out the old, tried-and-true method of dry cleaning our clothes. That process didn’t involve water, but instead, a chemical called perchloroethylene, or “PERC,” that violates the Clean Air Act, and, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, contains a probable human carcinogen. These days, you have four ways to dry clean your clothes that are allegedly kinder to the environment. One is “wet-cleaning,” which involves water, a special detergent, and high-tech machinery. The other three are eerily similar to the PERC method: no water,... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362375 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:57:44 +0100 3362375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3359214&cid=t_91991_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FbgsGsCr248w%2F The controversy over the Gardasil vaccine for HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer, has never really gone away and this morning six women will hold a teleconference with several FDA officials to discuss numerous adverse events they say they have collected from various countries in hopes of convincing the agency to take a tougher look at the Merck product. They call themsevles the “Little Women,” and they say they’ve spent the past three years documenting Gardasil. They also run a web site called TruthAboutGardasil, which displays pictures of young women who, their families claim, were harmed by the vaccine. For its part, Merck has always stood by the safety of Gardasil and last year, both the FDA and the CDC reaffirmed the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness (see ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3359214 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:21:55 +0100 3359214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3359216&cid=t_91991_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FzEiv7-Y0wkk%2F There are gray skies hovering over the Pharmalot corporate campus this morning, but our spirits are sunny. And why not? If nothing else, the weekend is just around the corner. Yes, there are deadlines and meetings between now and then, but still, we look ahead to spending time with the short people and catching up on our to-do list. What will you do? While you ponder, here are a few items to help you along. Whatever your choice, have a nice weekend… Birth Control Pills May Help Women Live Longer (Bloomberg News) Nigerian Start-Up Fights Counterfeit Drugs (The Wall Street Journal) Arena Will Launch Diet Drug With Or Without A Partner (Reuters) Roche’s Avastin Fails Prostate Cancer Study Goal (Bloomberg News) Merck’s Vytorin Effectiveness Study To Continue (Associated Press... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3359216 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:35:59 +0100 3359216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358913&cid=t_91991_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fmammogram-screening-divides-doctors-patients.html Mammogram screening for breast cancer continues to simmer in the news. The recent USPSTF guidelines, no longer recommending a routine mammogram for women between the ages of 40 and 49, continue to stir controversy between physicians and their patients. In a recent survey from the Annals of Internal Medicine, it looks like the debate between doctors and patients will continue for the foreseeable future: . . . a divide has emerged between doctors and patients — with the doctors more inclined to accept the new recommendations and the patients wanting to stick to early and annual screening . . . Most of the 345 doctors who responded said they would stop offering routine mammograms to women in their 40s, and most said they would advise women 50 to 74 to have mammograms only every other year ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358913 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:00:55 +0100 3358913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358976&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=38962&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbeatblog.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fthe-doctor-who-invented-psa-test-calls-it-a-profitdriven-public-health-disaster-why-this-is-good-new.html Times are changing. Americans are beginning to acknowledge that “early detection” is not the absolute answer to cancer. And many are  recognizing that what seems a simple diagnostic test can carry more risks than benefits.Tuesday, the New York Times ran an Op-ed by Richard J. Ablin,  the man who invented the prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) test which is widely used to detect signs of  early-stage prostate cancer.  Ablin, who is  now a research professor of immunobiology and pathology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and the president of the Robert Benjamin Ablin Foundation for Cancer Research,  reveals that “in approving the procedure, the Food and Drug Administration relied heavily on a study that showed testing could detect 3.8 pe... Health Beat blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358976 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:14:33 +0100 3358976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358955&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqFehJkDCY2c%2F Fast-growing spending on imaging tests in Massachusetts gives a closeup view to the many-sided question of whether improved technology is really worth the extra cost. The facts, as laid out by the Boston Globe this morning: Spending on MRIs, mammograms, and other imaging tests for privately insured Massachusetts residents jumped 20%, or $214 million, between 2006 and 2008, according to consultants hired by the state. Doctors ordering more tests was one reason for the added spending. Digital mammography was another prime driver as some insurers pay more for these breast-screening tests and hospitals have invested upward of $400,000 for such new machines, compared with $100,000 for earlier units. The digital technology is faster and can be used with electronic health records. But there hasn... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358955 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:26:39 +0100 3358955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354529&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fguess-what.html Guess what? Breast cancer patients like to read the stories of other women with breast cancer on the Web. Now, I think we all knew that, but it's always funny when researchers actually document something like this. Because my response is, yeah, duh, of course they do. And women with other cancers as well. Men not quite so much, for various reasons that have to do with being male. In any case, in the world of science, anecdotal evidence is not enough, they need to do "randomized, controlled" experiments. I understand that. Anyway, here's the link to the study, which was done in Denmark:Breast Cancer Online Stories @ Jeanne Sather 2010. (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354529 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:25:33 +0100 3354529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354530&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fhome-sweet-home.html I'm home again in Seattle and happy to be here. The trip home was uneventful--except for some pain in my right ear because of the swollen lymph nodes on that side--and the plane even landed early.I used a wheelchair all the way through both airports--from the gate to the curb--and I've got to say that except for the embarrassment factor it is the way to go. Airports are exhausting, and you have to walk miles pulling or carrying all your stuff--the wheelchair saves a lot of energy.It's raining and cool here in Seattle, and I'm waiting for Constant to arrive home, by dog taxi, for Younger Son to show up to get some papers he needs to renew his passport, and for Dr. Lee to call to discuss the problems I had during the Hawaii trip. Plus he has some test rests for me from before... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354530 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:06:33 +0100 3354530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354545&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FGosCX5SK1jA%2Fcancer-crisis-support-hotlin A few days ago I had a fever. Sometimes simple aches and pains catapult me into an irrational headspace where I’m reminded of treatment, begin to sweat bullets, tremble, and my heart races. (I know I’m not alone in this as many of you weighed in on similar experiences in my post Scared of Every Little Ache and Pain?) When I’m in this snowballing panic mode it helps to talk to someone about my fears. Often it’s my mom, my husband, or a friend. But the other night I wanted to talk to an insider. So I called a cancer hot line. I didn’t care if the person on the other end was a patient, professional, or a caring volunteer. It just felt cool calling someone whose whole goal was to be awake in the middle of the night waiting for a call like mine. I described to the woman what was going... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354545 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:03:16 +0100 3354545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354345&cid=t_91991_93_f&fid=35707&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHemodynamics%2F%7E3%2FZy9Hfm8ZZ40%2Fif-you-thought-talking-smack-about-cac.html The man who discovered PSA writes an op-ed piece arguing for scrapping it as a screening tool. (Source: hemodynamics) hemodynamics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354345 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:46:00 +0100 3354345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354532&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fremembering-farrahs-brave-cancer-battle%2F The Oscars are always fun to watch. This year’s awards couldn’t pass without a little controversy though. During the In Memoriam segment, Farrah Fawcett was not included among the actors shown and I was a little perturbed when the segment ended and her face was not shown on screen with the other actors that had passed away during the year. Farah lost her battle with anal cancer and I wrote a blog to commemorate her just after her death. I think she was such a big icon during my life, and especially when I was a young woman, that I almost feel snubbed that they forgot her. Her battle with cancer was chronicled by herself and was terrifically brave.  Her death reminded me that although I beat cancer once I still need to be vigilant against this foe. In my life it claimed a breast, i... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354532 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:59:10 +0100 3354532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350509&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fgetting-there-hard-way.html At the end last month, I attended the 10th Annual Conference For Young Women Affected By Breast Cancer. The conference was a wonderful experience, the getting there, however, was a traumatic experience.The kind of experience that made me think that if I never see the inside of an airplane again, it will be too soon.Please bear with me (or feel free to move on to more interesting places) while I rant. This is my story.February 251-At 8:15am (my flight is at 11:15 and I live fifteen minutes from the airport but I have become paranoid extremely cautious about long lines and security), as I the taxi pulls up, I get a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. I ask my spouse to check on my flight status. It turns out that it's been cancelled. The cab driver is none too pleased when I send him on ... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350509 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:18:00 +0100 3350509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350508&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fhawaiicrashed-and-burned-.html I came to Hawaii with my friend Monica to recover from the month of January--which was nothing but treatments, back to back--but it didn't turn out that way. I suspect I brought the bug with me, since I was already feeling sick the first day after we arrived, but it ran the full course: sore throat, sinus infection, clogged up lungs, and swollen, tender lymph nodes. As you can imagine, I spent most of the week in bed, feeling like crap, wishing I were at home, but also afraid to fly there with these sore lymph nodes. Not much fun for Monica either, she got lots of exercise--alone--and took care of me. She also helped me get an antibiotic called in by my doctor in Seattle. That seems to be working, so today's flight home will be uneventful--cross your fingers.&#016... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350508 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:19:08 +0100 3350508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350225&cid=t_91991_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Frobotic-surgery-driven-patient-demand.html Robotic surgery, which mostly used for prostate surgery, is one of the newer trends that hospitals are embracing. But are the costs, which can reach into the millions of dollars, worth the expense? That’s a question discussed in a recent New York Times piece. There’s no question that robotic surgery costs more — almost $2,000 more per patient. And indeed, some patients are more comfortable post-op. But there is little data that long-term outcomes, like prostate cancer control, are actually improved. And a large study of Medicare patients “indicated that surgery with a robot might lead to fewer in-hospital complications, but that it might also lead to more impotence and incontinence.” So despite these questionable results, why are more hospitals clamoring for ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350225 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:58 +0100 3350225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354277&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8392 Spotted in Science Blog (via Dr. Anas Younes in Facebook) The humble papaya is gaining credibility in Western medicine for anticancer powers that folk cultures have recognized for generations. University of Florida researcher Nam Dang, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues in Japan have documented papaya’s dramatic anticancer effect against a broad range of lab-grown tumors, including cancers of the cervix, breast, liver, lung and pancreas. The researchers used an extract made from dried papaya leaves, and the anticancer effects were stronger when cells received larger doses of the tea. In a paper published in the Feb. 17 issue of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Dang and his colleagues also documented for the first time that papaya leaf extract boosts the production of key signaling molecule... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354277 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3354277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354274&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007004.html Death rates from cancer declined over the period of 1970 to 2006 in the United States. ATLANTA--A new American Cancer Society study finds progress in reducing cancer death rates is evident whether measured against baseline rates in 1970 or in 1990. The study appears in the open access journal PLos ONE, and finds a downturn in cancer death rates since 1990 results mostly from reductions in tobacco use, increased screening allowing early detection of several cancers, and modest to large improvements in treatment for specific cancers. Temporal trends in death rates are the most reliable measure of progress against cancer, reflecting improvements in prevention, early detection, and treatment. Although age-standardized cancer death rates in the U.S. have been decreasing since... (Source: Future... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354274 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3354274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346426&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007000.html For a long time nanotechnology was one of those technologies that lay only in our future. It is starting to show up in our present. Cornell researchers have attached antibodies to nanoparticles to attack colorectal cancer cells. ITHACA, N.Y. - Another weapon in the arsenal against cancer: Nanoparticles that identify, target and kill specific cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. Led by Carl Batt, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Food Science, the researchers synthesized nanoparticles – shaped something like a dumbbell – made of gold sandwiched between two pieces of iron oxide. They then attached antibodies, which target a molecule found only in colorectal cancer cells, to the particles. Once bound, the nanoparticles are engulfed by the cancer... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346426 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3346426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346748&cid=t_91991_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fbecause-of-love-help-keep-this-story.html Because of Love, the story of Ole Horse, This is a true story.From Willy Eagle (Please read all the way to the end. This is an Inspirational message sent to a small group of people. My hope is that it will make your day just a little bit better. A small request. Cancer is a strange cell. Going along for years in remission and than one day it pops it head up again. Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure.A small request....Just one lineDear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. AmenAll you are asked to do is keep this circulating. Even if it's only to one more person. In memory of anyone you know who has been struck down by cancer or is still living with it.)Because of Love - The Story of Ole' Horse A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre- Christmas visit to ... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346748 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:59:00 +0100 3346748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346653&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhappiness-and-breast-cancer%2F Are you happy? I don’t mean happy with your life, or happy with your job or happy with your mate. I mean are you happy despite everything that might not be great in your life right now? I guess I should ask instead; are you a happy person? When I was thinking about what makes me happy I realized that I don’t need anything to make me happy. I am happy a lot of the time. Not the silly superficial happy, or the happy that comes with always finding people to party with, but really happy. In people who are happy there is just a sense of cheerfulness and optimism. These people have the ability to bounce back from sad and tragic places and move on. We can find the cancer in a body and the lump in a breast, but no one has found where happy resides. Is it in the heart or the head? I do ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346653 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:35:12 +0100 3346653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342933&cid=t_91991_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F08%2Fwhy-are-there-a-lot-of-redheads-in-scotland%2F Earlier today, I came across this story in the on-line version of the Daily Mail (UK) which reports on a theory relating to why the Scotland enjoys a preponderance of redheads. The theory, which the originator herself describes as ‘speculation’, is that a combination of the ‘bad weather’ in Scotland, coupled with a genetic mutation, [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342933 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:29:25 +0100 3342933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342849&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F03%2F08%2Fnews-flash-your-diet-may-%25e2%2580%2594-or-may-not-%25e2%2580%2594-beat-cancer%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up: Diet may play a part in ovarian cancer survival rates. Hey, Los Angeles Times, if you’re going to use “may,” the most powerful weasel word ever invented, you don’t have to settle for the humble vegetable. The sky’s the limit! Butter-pecan ice cream may prevent cancer. A Maui vacation may keep cancer from spreading. Daily massages may prevent recurrence. Especially free massages, given by reluctant relatives. On the other side of the equation, housework may cause cancer. Also clerical work. I’d expect weasel words in a blog, since most bloggers don’t get paid. Plowing through a thicket of medical/legal language would not be my definition of a fun or relaxing way to spend a weekend. Nor is waiting for medical... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342849 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:10:37 +0100 3342849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342892&cid=t_91991_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHIlKnUdtgLQ%2F For every action, there is a reaction. In this case, a group of women are angry the Taxotere breast cancer med has not only left them permanently bald and looking sick long after they were treated for the disease, but the warning was insufficient. Calling themselves taxotears, several have formed a group - A Head of Our Time - to demand more patient education. ‘A Head of Our Time is a world-wide organization of “baldies” who have banded together to share emotional support, compare medical research and educate our health care providers. If you are tired of the stares and the dismissive suggestions to “wear a wig”, you will find understanding and, indeed, empowerment among us,’ according to their web site. At least one has also posted photos on the Sanofi-Aventis Facebook... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342892 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:47:23 +0100 3342892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3339770&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2010%2F03%2F06%2Flingering-effects-of-peripheral-neuropathy%2F I started to get some neuropathy just a few months into my first treatment, which was Thalomid. I knew it was a possibility, but I’m hopelessly optimistic, and assumed it wouldn’t happen to me. I quit taking thalidomide within 8 months, because I didn’t want the neuropathy to progress beyond a point that I thought would severely impact my quality of life. What I ended up with is numbness in my feet and sometimes pain. It started out as a pretty intense burning feeling just three months after I started treatment in 2003.  My feet felt as though they were on fire!  From there, it progressed to numbness.  It sort of feels like my feet aren’t my own. Shoes are no longer comfy. After treatment with Revlimid and then Velcade, my neuropathy progressed some more.  It ch... beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3339770 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:01:37 +0100 3339770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342630&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8374 This a YouTube clip of 16-year-old Sarah Phillips’ emotional tribute to her dying mother which has become an internet sensation (via Digg.com, Daily Telegraph) After saying an emotional farewell to her dying mother, Sarah Phillips, 16, decided to produce a personal tribute to Debbie Phillips’s four-year battle against cancer. Alone in her bedroom, Sarah read the words of the song “Autumn”, by Scottish singer Paulo Nutini, from the internet. Then, holding her mobile phone in her left hand and using it as a recording device, she sang the song pitch perfect without any music – and without a single mistake or hesitation. Four and a half hours later, Sarah and the rest of her family were at Mrs Phillips’ bedside in the family home when she took her final breath. ... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342630 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3342630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3339773&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F06%2Fdietary-factors-influence-ovarian-cancer-survival-rates%2F University of Illinois at Chicago researchers identify relationship between healthy eating and prolonged ovarian cancer survival A study published in the March 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA), is among the first to evaluate possible diet associations with ovarian cancer survival. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) determined [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3339773 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:52:34 +0100 3339773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3339769&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fnot-what-i-call-fun.html  When Monica and I arrived in Honolulu on Sunday afternoon, I had a hoarse voice and a stuffy nose, which I blamed on the pollen. The next day, Monday, my throat was sore and swollen, the nasty kind that hurts every time you swallow. Monica went out to get me some cough drops, and I had my neti pot and the saline mix, so I started using that a couple times a day, but it went downhill from there. I don't think I have pneumonia, but I have a lot of gunk in my chest and also in the sinuses. Now, this was supposed to be my recover-from-cyberknife-and-radiation trip. so it's really a drag. Fortunately, Monica is an entertains-herself kind of woman, so I don't need to worry about her. She's out every day shooting lots of photos for her new photo business. ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3339769 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:17:00 +0100 3339769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354280&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fblog%2F304101 Discussions with your doctor should start at age 50 for those with average risk but higher risk groups should start discussion at age 40 to 45. The new guidelines say men with low PSA numbers can go for longer intervals between getting new tests. You can read the ACS's article about early detection of prostate cancer here. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds (Source: HealthNewsBlog.com) HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354280 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3354280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331251&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fincompetent-gps-and-prostate-cancer.html Do you remember the Nigel Molesworth "self-adjusting thank-you letter"?  OK, OK, most of you are not that old, but it amused a very young Dr Crippen. I cannot find a copy of it, but it went something like this:Dear (Aunt) (Uncle) (Stinker) (Gran) (Clot) (Pen-Pal) Thank you very much for the (train) (tractor) (germ gun) (kite) (delicious present*) (sweets) (space pistol) (toy socks). It was (lovely) (useful) (just as good as the other three) (not bad) (super)And I hav (played with it constantly) (busted it already) (no patience with it) (given it to the poor boys) (dismantled it) I am feeling (very well) (very poorly) (lousy) (in tip-top form) (sick) I hope you are too.My birthday when next present is due is on . . . . . . Love from . . . . . .All good fun. Medical and other journalist... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331251 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:31:00 +0100 3331251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331376&cid=t_91991_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Finstitutionalising-corruption-and.html Image via WikipediaMost senior doctors are quite cynical and pessimistic about our efforts to try to improve the standards of ethical practise in India. They feel that the cancer has become so deeply embedded that trying to remove it will require such heroic surgery that the patient may die in the process !Tragically, even large corporate hospitals have started giving kickbacks to referring doctors. They have "marketing departments" which pay doctors a "referral fee" which is euphemistically called a "patient management fee". The only management the referring doctor does is to refer the patient to the hospital - and he gets 10% of the hospital bill ! With so much easy money so easily available, is it surprising that doctors are tempted ? The fact that pharmaceutical companies do this all o... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331376 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:38:00 +0100 3331376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3327250&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbattling-breast-cancer-with-memories%2F Cancer is a family affair. One life may be affected but all lives are disrupted. When you talk to someone who had a mother or sister or wife or daughter that battled breast cancer, it is plain that they felt the pain of that diagnosis and the fear of loss. It is at those times a family needs to remember all the happy days they had. I think of all the happy days in my family’s life and am grateful that they outweigh the cancer days. Making memories becomes so important for those of us that survive cancer and realize how much those happy days we created before the diagnosis meant to us during the battle. I think this is what is fueling my need for family pictures all over the house. For the past three months I have been buying frames and photo books and even have one wall in the hallw... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3327250 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:34:14 +0100 3327250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3326958&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FOHf9J4GSSEc%2F The American Cancer Society put out updated guidelines for prostate cancer screening today and they look, well, a lot like the current ones. After reviewing the recent scientific literature, there’s still no evidence that routine screening for men of any age makes sense, according to the committee that issued the guidelines. They continue to recommend that men of average risk receive information and weigh the “uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits” of screening starting at age 50. Higher-risk individuals — African-Americans or those with one relative diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65 — should be presented with the information at age 45. Men with a strong family history should start thinking about screening at age 40. The group also emphasize... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3326958 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:18:55 +0100 3326958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3326949&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006982.html Garlic might reduce your cancer risk. COLUMBUS, Ohio – Researchers have designed a urine test that can simultaneously measure the extent of a potential carcinogenic process and a marker of garlic consumption in humans. In a small pilot study, the test suggested that the more garlic people consumed, the lower the levels of the potential carcinogenic process were. The research is all about body processes associated with nitrogen-containing compounds, scientists say. These processes include nitrosation, or the conversion of some substances found in foods or contaminated water into carcinogens. Garlic appears to block the conversion of nitrates into carcinogenic nitrosamines. About 20 percent of nitrates that are consumed convert to nitrites. A cascade of events can convert these compounds in... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3326949 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3326949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322585&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fnot-on-the-run-to-beat-breast-cancer%2F Today I saw a woman jogging through the snow. She made it look like a walk in the park. I took up skiing just last year and love it, I went back to school and aced some college courses but I just can’t jog further than my mail box! I remember with triumph a time when I ran around the block at my parent’s house. That was 15 years ago and I could only do it once. Truly this is a dream of mine; to be able to lace up my Nikes and run for at least 15 minutes straight. All I can say is that when I battled breast cancer, it’s a good thing I didn’t have to out run it. Sometimes in my mind I feel like superwoman. I went a round with cancer and surgery and chemotherapy and I’m still standing, shouldn’t that mean I could at least run a 15 minute a mile? Seriously, this woman looked great.... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322585 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:39:51 +0100 3322585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322584&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fquality-of-life.html I just returned from the 10th Annual Conference For Young Women Affected By Breast Cancer in Atlanta.I am so tired I can barely see straight.It was a terrific experience and I really learned a lot but I'm feeling too brain dead to share any of the many stories swirling around in my brain.Instead, I'll share some notes I took from a presentation by Dr. Julia Rowland, director of the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship, called "Living Fully Is The Best Revenge."In particular, Dr. Rowland shared with us the "factors associated with quality of life outcomes" - the things that need to happen for those of us who have had cancer to live long and well. My editorial comments are in brackets.1. Accessing state of the art care (well, yeah).2. Social support (having it and using ... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322584 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:56:00 +0100 3322584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322583&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fnot-much-to-report.html  It's Monday morning in Hawaii, about 11:40, and I am sitting in a cafe in Manoa, the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, which has an hour of free WiFi with a coffee purchase. Manoa is the valley that is home to the University of Hawaii campus, where we are staying. It's cooler and wetter than Waikiki, which I like. So far not much to report. Our flight was a bit bumpy, but not bad, our arrival was kinda slow, as always, what with needing to take a shuttle to the terminal and then another shuttle to the rental car pickup.We didn't notice any tsunami damage as we drove past the boat harbor, or anywhere else for that matter. I did save a tsunami warning sign that had been taped inside the elevator at Lincoln Hall, where we are staying.   We had to move the rental c... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322583 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:49:45 +0100 3322583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318684&cid=t_91991_155_f&fid=38412&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpathlabmed.typepad.com%2Fsurgical_pathology_and_la%2F2010%2F03%2Ftrastumuzab-approved-for-treatment-of-her2positive-.html from primeLines:"On December 17, 2009, Roche’s trastuzumab (Herceptin®) received a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for use in combination with standard chemotherapy for the treatment of previously untreated patients with HER2-positive metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction. The positive opinion for this new indication was issued in record time due to high unmet medical need and data from the ToGA trial (my emphasis), which demonstrated an increase in overall survival (OS) for patients with advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer who received trastuzumab plus chemotherapy (intravenous fluorouracil or capecitabine and cisplatin) compared to chemotherapy alone."I have done the immunostain for HER2 routinely on the las... The Daily Sign-Out blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318684 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:20:20 +0100 3318684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316227&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fwe-are-what-we-eat.html I did some reading again. I try to limit myself to trashy novels, the daily newspaper (especially the comics) and the closed captioning on the TV at the gym but sometimes I do expand to news sources and the internet...So I learned a few new things. First of all if you have pain, there is a good chance that the new fancy drugs, aren't going to help you. Gee thanks. I do take one of those and thought it was helping. Well at this point I am going to keep taking it for now. Then I read that people in pain such as fibromyalgia (which I have not been told I have but believe that some of my pains in my back are referred neurological pain because it is treated that way) should change their diets and avoid all sorts of different things and eat other things. I learned that the majority of American's... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316227 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:45:00 +0100 3316227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318366&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D8358 A recent population study on Singaporeans suggests an association with soft drink consumption and pancreatic consumption. The data is from the Singapore Chinese Health Study (study size 60,524, over 14 years) which looked at the consumption of soft drinks, juice, other dietary items, lifestyle factors and environmental exposures, collected at recruitment to the study. Medscape reports: At 14 years and a cumulative 648,387 person-years of follow-up, 140 incident pancreatic cancers developed in people who were cancer free at baseline. After adjustment for confounders such as BMI, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and fruit juice intake, the authors found that those consuming 2 or more soft drinks per week experienced a statistically significant increased risk for pancreatic cancer (hazard ratio [HR]... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318366 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3318366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316216&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fa-nasty-little-factlet.html Here's a nasty little fact-let that was in the appendix to the study on aspirin and breast cancer survival:Two years is "... the average survival time for patients with stage IV breast cancer."The source is Diseases of the Breast (third edition), by Harris, Lippman, and Morrow, 2004. How long have I lived since my metastasis? Eight years and counting (since late 2001). Do I know why? No, I don't, so please don't ask. @ Jeanne Sather 2010.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316216 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:54:17 +0100 3316216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316217&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Faspirin-and-breast-cancer-survival.html This study was not a randomized trial--which is the way scientists like to do things. Rather, the data was self-reported by more than 4,000 female registered nurses in the Nurses' Health Study who were diagnosed with stages I, II, or III breast cancer between 1976 and 2002. They were observed until June 2006, or until they died, whichever came first. The nurses also reported their aspirin use (number of days a week they took aspirin) on a paper questionnaire which they completed every two years. They did not report the dose, so that information is not available. The conclusion of the study was: Among women living at least one year after a breast cancer diagnosis, aspirin use was associated with a decreased risk of distant recurrence and breast cancer death. Remember, ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316217 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:30:08 +0100 3316217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316218&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fflying-in-to-a-tsunami.html I woke up this morning to the news of a tsunami warning in Hawaii, which is where I am supposed to be flying tomorrow morning. For those of you who--like me--are a little vague on which is worse, a watch or a warning, a tsunami warning is more serious. The cause of the tsunami--which is on its way to Hawaii as I write this--is a massive earthquake in Chile. The first waves are expected to hit Hawaii at 11:19 a.m. (or 1:19 p.m. in Seattle), according to The Washington Post. Warnings are also in effect for other Pacific islands, including Guam and American Samoa.So I'm sitting here on the couch in my robe, feeling totally in limbo. Should I go ahead and pack? Should I send Connie off with the dog taxi lady, who is due here in a few minutes? To make things worse, Monica ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316218 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:35:00 +0100 3316218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314772&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fvery-very-married.html This post was written by my friend Carrie, whose husband died recently of cancer. Our marriage was over long before it ended. Or did it end long before it was over?The road we traveled together should have been much longer - decades longer, winding over sunny hillocks and through dark forests, with long vistas, snow squalls, soft purple sunsets. Our marriage was cut short by Jeff's death from cancer seven months ago.Yet it seems I am still very, very married. I've been doing some public writing, "processing" how hard this all is: this grief thing, that cancer thing, the difficulties as well as some bits of grace and wonder we experienced the last couple of years. I have heard from not a few friends, both men and women, about their complicated relat... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314772 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:06:44 +0100 3314772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314773&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Feveryone-deserves-a-lifetime%2F I am starting to hear ads in Michigan for the 3-day walk to end breast cancer. Many of you have written to me about your participation in this event and how rewarding it is. The one thing that I love about this year’s ad is the line at the end when the announcer says that “everybody deserves a lifetime.” I am sure that I have heard this line before, but it really hit me this week. The whole medical community, all the research and info sites like everydayhealth.com are dedicated to the premise that everyone deserves a lifetime. No one’s life should be cut short because a tumor began to grow in their breasts. The United States has a 5- year survival rate of over 90%. This is so exciting when you think about it. People are surviving the disease. My concern is how well we recover after... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314773 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:36:43 +0100 3314773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314604&cid=t_91991_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fcancer-screening-black-white-decision.html by Shantanu Nundy, MD Last month I saw a 65 year-old woman with a mass in her kidney in clinic for follow up. She had recently transferred her medical care to our clinic after her insurance changed. She came with a few medical problems including high blood pressure, tobacco use and arthritis — diseases which are the bread and butter of primary care medicine — but she also came with a history of a mass in her right kidney. It is not clear how the mass was first detected — she never had symptoms from it. Our best guess that it was found incidentally on a CT scan done for other reasons. But once found her doctors couldn’t ignore it. At the same time they were at a loss for what to do with it. As her new doctors we certainly did not know what to do either. So at her first visit two mon... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314604 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:00:43 +0100 3314604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311918&cid=t_91991_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F26%2Fher2_confusion.php For years now, drug companies and journalists have been touted the new era of personalized medicine. This is one of those things that always seems to be arriving, but is taking its time getting here. The industry has sunk a huge pile of money into biomarker research, and it's safe to say that it hasn't paid off yet - although, at the same time, one still has to think that it should, eventually. Nature Biotechnology has a good article that shows how tricky the whole business can be. HER2 is one of the more validated cancer biomarkers, and there's a drug (Herceptin) that's targeted specifically for breast cancer patients that express it. So how's that going? Not so well: A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco, reveals that one in five HER2 tests gives the wrong ans... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311918 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:02:18 +0100 3311918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311886&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fintroducing-katy-1.html  My friend Julie e-mailed me today to introducer her new puppy, Katy. This is what Julie has to say about the new puppy: Katy is 15 weeks old and a hellion. She showed her feminist tendencies by starting out by chewing up Don's Swimsuit Edition of Sports Illustrated, so I have great hopes for her. She is very very lively, not housebroken, at a chewy stage, and generally making Scooter's (the other dog in the family) life a living hell. The only place she can't get at him is on our bed, so he spends more time there than I do.  The young ladies (her granddaughters) have welcomed Kate with delight--see photo--and Katy returns it. We are clearly nuts to take this on right now, but what joy and amusement she brings us. And who wouldn't rather ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311886 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:17:20 +0100 3311886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311887&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Ftwo-down-one-to-go-.html As I mentioned the other day, my recent visit to the ER and then the follow-up appointment with Dr. Lee the First yielded three more medical appointments this week. Yesterday, I saw my cardiologist, Dr. Julie Heyn, and then this morning I had an ultrasound exam of my legs to look for blood clots. The only thing left is a CT of my lower right leg to see if there is a bone met there. That appointment is tomorrow. I've been having pain in that leg, especially at night, but I wasn't too worried about it, partly because other body parts were hurting more, and partly because I thought I couldn't get a met below the knees. Well, Dr. Lee popped that bubble. Mets below the knees (or below the elbows, for that matter) are rare, but not impossible. I'm not sure how q... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311887 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:29:33 +0100 3311887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311695&cid=t_91991_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2FZguC6mpUcLQ%2Fthe_role_of_beta-hpvs_in_skin.php Student guest post by Desiré Christensen Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small DNA viruses that infect epithelial cells. There are well over 100 subtypes of HPV. The subtypes that infect cutaneous epithelia are termed beta-HPVs and those that infect the mucosal epithelia are termed alpha-HPVs. Some alpha-HPVs have received attention as strong risk factors for the development of cervical cancer. Less public awareness has been generated over the role of HPVs in the development of other cancers such as vulvar, vaginal, anal, head and neck, and penile cancers. Only recent research has focused on an association between HPV infection and skin cancer development. Infection with beta-HPVs and development of skin cancer was first identified in patients with a rare inherited disorder called epi... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311695 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3311695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311835&cid=t_91991_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fsupport-the-ibd-research-and-awareness-act-for-crohn%25e2%2580%2599s-and-ulcerative-colitis%2F Last year, an important Act, The IBD Research and Awareness Act, was introduced to the House and Senate to expand research for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.  The legislation would enhance activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis, as well as, expand biomedical research for IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease). You can help advocate for the passage of the IBD Research and Awareness Act with the help of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).  They have made this really great website where they make it easy for you to contact your legislators and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 2275 (House bill number) and S. 981 (Senate bill number). It is very easy to do.  Just click here. Then, scroll down to the ‘compose m... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311835 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:00:56 +0100 3311835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311889&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F25%2Fgenentech-announces-positive-results-of-avastin-phase-iii-study-in-women-with-advanced-ovarian-cancer%2F Genentech announces positive results of Avastin Phase III study (GOG 218) in women with advanced ovarian cancer. The study showed that women who continued maintenance use of Avastin alone, after receiving Avastin in combination with chemotherapy, lived longer without the disease worsening compared to those who received chemotherapy alone. This is the first Phase [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311889 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:40:30 +0100 3311889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311650&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FXUaGF_3OAKU%2F We recounted earlier this week that Roche’s cancer drug Avastin had missed achieving its main target in a stomach-cancer study. Today the news is flipped as a new study reported Avastin showed positive results in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. The latest showed that women who continued using Avastin alone after receiving Avastin in combination with chemotherapy lived longer without the disease worsening, compared with those who received chemotherapy alone. The 1,873 women in the study had already undergone surgery to remove as much of their tumors as possible. Here’s the Roche announcement. A Sanford C. Bernstein analyst told Dow Jones Newswires that “2010 is going to see a slew more Avastin data,” including two continuing studies that test Avastin in pr... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311650 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:13:42 +0100 3311650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306805&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2010%2F02%2F25%2Fcoping-after-cancer-diagnosis%2F Filed under: All CancersThere's no easy way to deal with hearing the words, "You have cancer." They're life changing. But, doctors will tell you that there are simple ways to make coping easier. Based on the Mayo Clinic's 11 Tips to Cope with Your Diagnosis, here are the top ways to get from newly diagnosed to survivor. Get Information: Find out everything you can about your cancer diagnosis. If your brain is foggy or you're still reeling, bring a family member or friend with you. Take notes and refer back to them often. Communicate with your loved ones: Talk to your friends and family about how you're feeling. You may feel like you need to put on a strong front for your children, but you must make sure you have a support system in place. If your friends want tips on how to help, but yo... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306805 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3306805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3307045&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffight-breast-cancer-with-pomegranates%2F I love a lot of different fruits. Oranges are my favorite, but I love strawberries and blueberries too, but pomegranates are a special treat. When I was a little girl, every now and then my mom would buy one, which was a big deal when you consider we were living in a little tiny mining town in northern Ontario at the time.  She gave my sister and me each half and sat us outside to pick through the juicy seeds.  I’m sure part of her plan was to keep us occupied for a very long time. Since then I lost my patience for that delightful fruit until this fall. I couldn’t get enough pomegranates, I ate pretty much one a week until early this year when they went out of season. I also love pomegranate juice. I keep a little bottle in my fridge all year round. When I am out to dinner or a speci... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3307045 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:51:32 +0100 3307045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302352&cid=t_91991_106_f&fid=36682&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSutureForALiving%2F%7E3%2FENFuHRSVxrM%2Fcutaneous-metastatic-carcinoma-article.html Most of us will never see skin metastases from carcinoma in our clinical practices as they are relatively uncommon.  It is estimated that 2% to 9% of patients with internal malignancy may develop cutaneous metastasis.  Often these will herald the diagnosis of the internal malignancy.  The short article in the Advances in Skin & Wound Care Journal on this topic is a review (full reference below) of the topic.  It comes out of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.  The authors had six patients with histological diagnosis of cutaneous metastatic carcinoma between 2000 to 2006.   These patients were part of a wider study of cutaneous malignancy. The variables analyzed were age, sex, site of cutaneous metastasis, clinical presenta... Suture for a Living blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302352 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:01:00 +0100 3302352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302588&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fnot-again-another-pitch-for-an-inspirational-cancer-story.html You would think these PR people would at least READ a few posts on my blog before they send pitches to me, especially since I am almost 100-percent guaranteed to make fun of them. After all, they make it so easy. The subject line on this pitch was "The Gift of Cancer," with the caps just as I have typed them. So already I'm gagging, and thinking about sending the PR person the link to my "Gag Me With a Pink Ribbon" post ... The pitch has the usual cancer cliches, in this case, "valiant battle" and "charmed life" to describe life before cancer. But here's the twist, this isn't even a first-person inspirational cancer story, it's a story told by a husband who was living a charmed life until his wife discovered she had ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302588 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:34:39 +0100 3302588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302589&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fpushing-back-my-second-walk-in-a-week.html I had another long (make that looooonng) day today, starting when I left the house at 10 to head for my cancer center. All I had before I left the house was coffee, because I wake up slowly and can't eat for an hour or two, but I threw a banana in my bag for later. Good thing I did, because Dr. Lee decided to give me treatment, so I was there until something like 3:30, which is five hours. I started with the blood draw, and then I waited more than an hour to see Dr. Lee. The waiting room was crowded, and some people were getting frustrated, and rude, in my book, but I didn't let it disturb my wa. (One woman was using her cell phone in the middle of the waiting room to loudly announce her appointment time, and then of course the time at that moment. She did this th... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302589 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:47:23 +0100 3302589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302292&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fg54hFr7iDIU%2F Roche’s Avastin chalked up another miss in a study, this time failing to meet its main target of prolonging the lives of patients with late-stage stomach cancer in combination with chemotherapy. Last April, Roche said Avastin didn’t meet its main goal in another study of preventing colon cancer from returning in patients in the early stages of the disease after surgical removal of the cancer. That was just after Roche agreed to pay $46.8 billion for the shares that it already didn’t own of Genetech, the biotech that developed Avastin. In the stomach-cancer trial, Roche said the drug didn’t extend overall survival in patients treated with the drug in combination with chemotherapy when compared with the same chemotherapy treatment plus a placebo. But the drug maker ad... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302292 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:19:40 +0100 3302292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302259&cid=t_91991_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fstrategy-needed-war-cancer.html David Agus, professor of medicine at the University of Southern California, thinks so. See his lecture from TEDMED 2009. How did David Blaine break the world record for holding his breath? Can we grow organs instead of transplanting them? An innovative way to help ALS patients Football is linked to dementia, and why it should be banned from high schools How your health can depend on where you live Posted at KevinMD.com. Stay updated and subscribe, follow me on Twitter, or connect on Facebook. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302259 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:00:48 +0100 3302259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302396&cid=t_91991_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FFs5n-F6Sz34%2F If you go for a colonoscopy to check out the health of your bowels (colon), it may be in your best interest to ensure the doctor who is performing the test is a gastroenterologist, a GI doctor. While general practitioners can and do perform some colonoscopies, they don’t have the formal training of the GI doctors and can easily miss something that may otherwise have been noted. According to a study published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, GI doctors who performed colonoscopies had a higher colorectal cancer detection rate than did other doctors. Researchers looked at 110,402 residents who lived in the province of Ontario, Canada, and who were 50 to 80 years old at the time of their colonoscopy. All had been told that their colonoscopy was negative, meaning nothing u... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302396 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:55:39 +0100 3302396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298549&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fexplaining-myself-the-very-short-version.html For those of you who have been reading my attempts to explain how I cope with my cancer--originally written for my friend Julie, but also written for all of you--here's the very short version:It's a choice. It really is that simple, but also that hard. I used to get angry, back in the day, when people said things to me like, "I don't know how you do it. I could never cope like you do." And my answer was always, "What other choice do I have?" The truth was, being me, I didn't have another choice. But what gives me strength is knowing that it is always my choice--my choice to fight, my choice to be happy, and my choice to live as well as I can with this ugly disease. Here's the long version: Helping Julie: My Long An... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298549 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:30:59 +0100 3298549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298457&cid=t_91991_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2FBnLGelTywJY%2Fthe-negatives-of-positive-thinking.html Smile or Die Ehrenrich, an acclaimed author, cellular immunologist and cancer survivor, talks about the worst tendencies of delusionally positive attitudes and cultures. “It’s cruel to tell people who are having great difficulties [i.e. cancer, unemployment] in their lives and tell them it’s all in their head and they only have to change their attitudes … the author of The Secret … was asked about the tsunami of ’06 and how this could happen, and she said, I’m kind of paraphrasing it, those people must have sent tsunami-like vibrations into the universe to attract this because nothing like this happens to us that we don’t attract, and I think that’s beyond amorality,” she says. Produced by the RSA, an mp3 and video are also available on FORA.tv. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298457 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:30:07 +0100 3298457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298562&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39013&url=http%3A%2F%2Fironictwistoffate.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmy-2-year-cancerversaryand-stuff.html February 12th has come and gone and so has my 2 year cancerversary (the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer). This trumps Valentine's Day for my husband and I - so we usually go out for a nice dinner and celebrate on February 12th. Hell - I'm 2 years out from cancer!In other news: those of you that know me, know that life has been a bit tough since November. My mother was suddenly diagnosed with Leukemia (AML) on November 10th, was admitted into ICU, and was in the hospital for several months. She's being treated at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She still has two more week long rounds of chemo and should be done in April or May. But so far (knock on wood) the chemo is working, and has put her into remission. Where she is now compared to where she came from in November, is noth... Ironic Twist of Fate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298562 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:46:00 +0100 3298562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298352&cid=t_91991_99_f&fid=34589&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Faetiology%2F%7E3%2FSpA6aKx2T0g%2Fwhat_might_have_caused_my_cous.php Student guest post by Ahn To. When I found out my only non-smoking cousin had nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), I was puzzled. With all the hype about cigarette smoking associated with various kinds of cancers in the media, I did not understand why none of my smoking cousins had NPC but the one who didn't smoke did. At first, I thought it must be due to the second hand smoke. Now, I understand that the picture is very complex. Before I go into what I have learned over the past several months, I need to make a disclaimer. I am not an expert in NPC. I am an average college student. This is what I have learned. Back to my story, the first thing I did when I heard the news was to do a search on what NPC is and what are some of the current risk factors associated with it. According to the A... Aetiology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298352 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100 3298352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298275&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2010%2F02%2F23%2Faspirin-keeps-breast-cancer-at-bay%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Cancer SurvivorsBreast cancer survivors who took aspirin -- a baby aspirin or one adult pill -- after completing treatment were half as likely to die or have their tumors spread than those survivors who did not, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. According to study author Michelle Holmes, M.D., of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, aspirin may help control cancer by fighting inflammation. Cancers cells produce more inflammatory chemicals than normal breast cells. Of the women who were followed during the study, those who regularly took aspirin were 71 percent less likely to relapse with a deadly form of breast cancer than those who avoided the pain reliever. That's good news for the 2 million Amer... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298275 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3298275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298550&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-and-the-power-of-napping%2F There is new information out of the University of California at Berkley that indicates that napping during the day boosts cognitive power. I like this! I am a napper. I don’t always get the opportunity for a short afternoon nap, but when I need it I take it. It might just be a few minutes before dinner or an evening class but it helps. When we go through chemotherapy or radiation one of the most distressing side effects is fatigue. Usually I worked in the morning and then went to Chemotherapy in the afternoon, returning to work the next day. This resulted in only a half day off from work. After a couple of months I would take the day after chemo off as I began to feel the cumulative effects of months of treatment. That would give me the whole day to rest. I then learned that if I cou... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298550 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:16:14 +0100 3298550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294799&cid=t_91991_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F22%2Fthe_front_lines_of_cancer_treatment.php The New York Times is starting a series of articles on the clinical trials of a recent B-Raf inhibitor (from Plexxikon and Roche, PLX4032). The first installment is an excellent look at what early-stage clinical research is like in this field. For example: Typically, Phase 1 trials are limited to a few dozen patients and end when the dose reaches the point where side effects like rashes and diarrhea make patients too uncomfortable. Dr. Flaherty and Dr. Chapman started the first three patients on 200 milligrams per day. After two months with no side effects — and no response — they doubled it. Two more months passed, still nothing. They gave three more patients 800 milligrams, the equivalent of the dose that made tumors stop growing in mice. Even shrinking tumors, the doctors knew, ... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294799 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:51:48 +0100 3294799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294784&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2F2-years-and-blink-of-eye.html Oh, how they delight to serve and celebrate those they love! How easy it is to train them in big life lessons by simply taking them by the hand and leading them along with me in my work. When my day has been busy and long, it is so easy to push them out into the margins, banish them to the most distant playroom, and hustle about my work. But how large the dividend when I beg strength from the Father who so generously bestows, and spend an hour cleaning, baking and decorating with these dear ones.The older takes the younger alongside and teaches her, the younger sister so intent on every move the elder makes. Raymond and Dorothy Moore (books passed down from my wise mother) taught me it is much easier to teach something once than four times over. And that the best gift you can give your lea... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294784 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:42:00 +0100 3294784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294829&cid=t_91991_155_f&fid=38412&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpathlabmed.typepad.com%2Fsurgical_pathology_and_la%2F2010%2F02%2Fmixed-adenocarcinomas-of-the-lung.html Continuing with the last post, Chilosi and Murer in the January 2010 Arch Pathol Lab Med also argue for the need of a new classification of mixed adenocarcinoma of the lung based on morphology, immunophenotyping, and molecular features.Chilosi M, Murer B.  Mixed adenocarcinoma of the lung: place in new proposals in classification, mandatory for target therapy.  Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010;134:55-65.Currently, we do not know the clinical relevance of distinguishing between different subtypes of ACa--let alone the significance of assigning percentages of different recognizable subtypes.  And the latter is of much more practical significance since 80% or so of lung ACa are "mixed."  The article by Okudela et al previously posted could be helpful in r... The Daily Sign-Out blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294829 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:19:23 +0100 3294829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294766&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fwhere-did-my-fear-go-.html I've lived with fear for as long as I've lived with cancer, which is to say for eleven and a half years.  These are the very first words I wrote about my cancer for publication, back in 1998: "How many ways can you say scared? Terrified, apprehensive, afraid, nervous, freaked out--just plain scared."  My first big cancer fear was chemotherapy:  "I've been riding an emotional roller coaster over the prospect of undergoing chemotherapy. Chemotherapy. You know, the treatment where they pump you full of poisons to kill cancer cells and your hair falls out and you vomit for days at a time and the cure is nearly as deadly as the disease. That treatment." Why did I do chemotherapy if I was so afraid of it? Well, with the help of my excel... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294766 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:43:02 +0100 3294766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294767&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fharassing-phone-calls-from-verizon-wireless-act-iii.html I received an e-mail the other day from Dale Knight of Verizon's "West Area Executive Relations," which sounds like a PR arm of the cell phone company. When I googled "West Area Executive Relations," that's what came up--complaints against the company. See: Verizon West Area Executive RelationsNow, I am assuming that Dale Knight wrote to me in response to a letter from Senator Patty Murray's office. See: Harassing Phone Calls From Verizon Wireless: Act IIThe letter was unintentionally humorous, because Dale wrote: At this time we would like to take the opportunity to speak with you by telephone in order that we may address your concerns, however we do not have a valid phone number in which to reach you.(Ignore the weird grammar:... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294767 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:26:57 +0100 3294767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294768&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fharassing-phone-calls-from-verizon-wireless-act-ii.html On January 12, an employee or employees of Verizon Wireless called my cell phone 20 times during the day, presumably to let me know that I hadn't paid my cell phone bill. The following day, January 13, the someone or someones called me 27 times. How do I know? From the call record in my phone, which shows that some of these calls came in before 7 a.m., and others in the middle of the night--12:19 a.m. 12:20 a.m., and 12:21 a.m., to be exact. I was in the middle of a series of cyberknife treatments at the time--this is a special type of radiation used instead of surgery, in my case to treat a tumor in my skull. I spent those two days on the couch, exhausted, and in a lot of pain (not from the cyberknife, but from other tumors in my hip and pelvis).&#0... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294768 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:53:12 +0100 3294768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3292028&cid=t_91991_155_f&fid=38412&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpathlabmed.typepad.com%2Fsurgical_pathology_and_la%2F2010%2F02%2Fpushing-the-boundaries-of-histology-in-nsclc.html This study is a remarkable attempt to wrestle with a heterogenous, "harmoniously confused" (Alexander Pope) group of tumors.  While it may prove unwieldy to use in practice, I think their classification of the various features is what we basically already do in daily practice (although perhaps not so consciously).  The authors stated that they determined the percentages of the different histologic patterns (but do not report this data) and this paper's findings support the idea of reporting percentages of different histologic patterns and confirms the finding that most ACa are "mixed" type.  I think it is especially important to routinely report the proportion of a tumor that is BAC-like as well as "solid" since these patterns (which are ... The Daily Sign-Out blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3292028 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:45:33 +0100 3292028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3291993&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fheavy-legs-happy-dog-1.html It is an unbelievably beautiful day in Seattle, and I am so proud that I managed to do what I said I was going to: Walk the dog. Ever since this latest round of pain began--first in the right hip, then in the left--I haven't been able to walk Connie, and he has been relying on a once-a-week, hour-long walk with Younger Son, my college student, and also games of catch in the yard with me. The pain is pretty much gone, however, and I knew the longer I put off getting back into some kind of exercise the harder it would be. So, today was The Day. First, I puttered in the front garden for a bit, deadheading the crocuses and other spring bulbs and murdering slugs and snails. Then, Connie and I set off for Ravenna Park, nitro in a small purse around my neck and cell phone in... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3291993 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:47:03 +0100 3291993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3291994&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fsaturday-in-the-park.html Just a quick post to say that I am feeling better and more like myself.Yesterday was horrible, and I'm not going to rehash it here. Also not going to be able to answer all the e-mails I received, at least not right now. I need to take care of some tasks that have been hanging fire and adding to my stress by remaining undone. Also, I haven't walked Connie since the left hip started hurting weeks ago, and Today Is the Day. Connie and I are heading out to the park to get some exercise. It will do us both good. Last night was a tough one, I was in pain and couldn't sleep even though I was exhausted, and I watched a movie called "Bent" on Hulu. About gays in Berlin under the Nazis. A frightening movie, but a good one. I'm behind--again, still--on gett... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3291994 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:21:55 +0100 3291994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290965&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fnot-a-happy-camper.html So I had an appointment with Dr. Lee the First at 8:30 this morning, 8:30 being normally about the time I wake up, but that was the only appointment time he had this week, or so I was told. (I think the front desk people at the cancer center don't approve of my sleep schedule.) I thought I was getting chemo today, although I wasn't entirely sure.Well, it turns out that Dr. Lee was really booked and double-booked this morning, so he had asked someone on his staff to call me and tell me to come at 10:30 instead, which would have been MUCH better for me, but either they didn't call or I didn't get the message.Then, when I did see Dr. Lee--who had roller skates on this morning, I kid you not--he was not happy about the chest pains. He wanted to hospitalize me to get it sorted o... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290965 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:38:54 +0100 3290965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290972&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FjuvNFijNJ0Y%2Fbooks-cancer-relaxation We all need escapes from the insidious world of illness. And I’m about to take a big one. I’m headed out to San Francisco on Monday for a Stupid Cancer book reading and then I’m taking a 9-day vacation. No blogging. (I’ll miss y’all!) No writing. No cancer nothing. I love my work and my daily life, and I love getting a break from it too. Lucky me that my husband has a kagillion frequent flier miles from work. We’ll be spending time in a cabin stowed away by a fire, napping a ton, and reading to our heart’s content. But I haven’t always been this lucky. There have been many times when I’ve been too sick to travel or could not afford it.  Instead of the luxury of travel, I’d get crafty spending moments around my house or my city that felt like vacations. Here are... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290972 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:00:13 +0100 3290972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290967&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ftaking-inspiration-from-other-breast-cancer-survivors%2F There is a lot of transition in my life right now. I am working on new projects and my husband is refocusing his career while my boys are working on major plans of their own. During times like this, not necessarily bad times, but when I am not the one being able to predict how we will all end up, I feel agitated and overwhelmed. I am not one to back away from risk or change, but I do fantasize about going in my office covering myself with a blanket and sitting under the desk until everything works out. Sounds crazy, but I’ve come a long way from when I used to imagine locking myself in the closet. I didn’t have these feelings when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I really am a fighter. Show me injustice and I’ll speak up, pick on my friend and you pick on me. Take on o... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290967 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:22:33 +0100 3290967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287984&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FjuvNFijNJ0Y%2Fbooks-cancer-relaxation We all need escapes from the insidious world of illness. And I’m about to take a big one. I’m headed out to San Francisco on Monday for a Stupid Cancer book reading and then I’m taking a 9-day vacation. No blogging. (I’ll miss y’all!) No writing. No cancer nothing. I love my work and my daily life, and I love getting a break from it too. Lucky me that my husband has a kagillion frequent flier miles from work. We’ll be spending time in a cabin stowed away by a fire, napping a ton, and reading to our heart’s content. But I haven’t always been this lucky. There have been many times when I’ve been too sick to travel or could not afford it.  Instead of the luxury of travel, I’d get crafty spending moments around my house or my city that felt like vacations. Here are... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287984 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:08:08 +0100 3287984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3288019&cid=t_91991_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FKQS2-H8vg50%2F In a bid to tout its accomplishments, the FDA is trumpeting a new study showing the agency approved more than 50 new indications for cancer and hematology meds and biologics between July 2005, when the Office of Oncology Drug Products began reviewing marketing applications, and July 2007. And during that stretch, the OCD also reviewed 60 applications for meds to treat all sorts of cancer (see statement). The OCD acted on 58 of the applications, approving 53 new cancer indications. Five were not approved, and two were withdrawn before any regulatory action was taken. The approved applications included indications for 18 new drugs that hadn’t been previously approved and 35 added indications for already approved drugs. Here is the abstract of the study in the Journal of the National Ca... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3288019 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:24:33 +0100 3288019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287985&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FTzRnizxkwik%2Fcancer-guest-speaker-keynote I mostly connect with patients on the radio, internet, and through the printed word. But, as a former choreographer and performer, I’m not bashful on stage and love meeting readers and bloggers face-to-face at speaking events. During Q & As, at the book signing table, and yes, even in the bathroom, incredible conversations happen when I get out from behind my computer and into the world. Check out my line up on the East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and Southwest. Hopefully our paths can cross in-person too. San Francisco Stupid Cancer Book Reading Wednesday, 2/24, 7-9 pm Happy Hour to Follow Modern Times Bookstore, 888 Valencia St. The mission The 411 Connect on the event facebook page The ‘Air’ Waves Guest on The Stupid Thyroid Cancer Episode of The Stupid Cancer Sho... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287985 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:13:38 +0100 3287985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283561&cid=t_91991_106_f&fid=36682&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSutureForALiving%2F%7E3%2FrDFrXoP2PQg%2Fshortened-radiation-treatment-for.html An interesting article in the February 11 issue of of the New England Journal of Medicine (full reference below) looking at the effects of shorten regimens of radiation therapy in conjunction with breast conservation surgery in treatment of breast cancer. Conventional radiation therapy is a 5-week regimen.  It is estimated up to 30% of women who are recommended to receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment for breast cancer may avoid it due to inconvenience and cost. Researchers have begun to look at using shorter regimens, and are finding that the 10-year recurrence rates and cosmetic outcomes for breast cancer patients are similar. Dr. Tim Whelan, a professor of oncology of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University, and colleagues compared an inten... Suture for a Living blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283561 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:01:00 +0100 3283561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283782&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Flate-at-night-just-me-and-my-laptop.html It's late at night, the house is quiet, and I'm busy posting new jewelry to my other blog, Charmed Bracelets. These are the pieces I made during that incredible decadron-fueled period of creativity a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad to be off the decadron, but I'm not complaining about all the work I got done!Here's what's new:The Love & Marriage Necklace(s) I made myself just the choker of the pair above, and it's really pretty. I'm sure I'll wear it often. And Here's the Baby Carriage A bracelet or necklace with this little charm, handmade in the 1940s, would be the perfect gift for a woman expecting her first baby, or her sixth, for that matter. More Ladybugs for Little Girls These ladybug beads are really sweet. I e... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283782 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:42:33 +0100 3283782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283495&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2010%2F02%2F18%2Folympians-raise-cancer-awareness%2F Filed under: Cancer SurvivorsWinter Olympic Bobsledder Emily Azevedo was just a child when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her doctors gave her a 50 percent change of living five years if she had chemotherapy. Twenty-five years later, Azevedo's mother is still cancer free. Azevedo is just one of many Olympians whose lives have been altered by cancer and who has stepped up to raise awareness about the disease. Azevedo works with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF), which focuses on saving lives through early detection and providing mammograms for those in need. Legendary United States figure skaters Scott Hamilton and Dorothy Hamill have also battled cancer since becoming Olympic champions. In 1997, Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist, was diagnosed with ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283495 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3283495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283785&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fis-it-seasonal-affective-disorder-or-breast-cancer-depression%2F It’s snowing today. Well, it is Michigan. I keep asking my husband, ‘What self-respecting Canadian (me) moves south of the border and stops in Michigan?’ I grew up in northern Ontario where it snowed a lot more than Michigan. The difference in the winter weather between the two places is huge though. In the little city where I grew up we had tons of snow, but we also got a lot of sunshine. The sun shone almost every day in the winter, so much so that our city was called the sunshine capitol of the North. It made for a fun winter. Even though I had a great weekend skiing in the north part of Michigan and we haven’t had near the snow we had last year, I am finding the gloomy winter almost unbearable this year. Usually I muddle through but I have to say that I am battl... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283785 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:08:07 +0100 3283785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283783&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fradiation-fatigue-hits.html I am feeling really tired, and achy in my legs and joints. I'm pretty sure it's fatigue from the latest round of radiation, plus maybe a little left over from the cyberknife treatment to my skull. The grossly swollen lymph node has shrunk to just slightly swollen and a bit tender, but not the throbbing nightmare it was last weekend, so that is good. I tried to call Cyberknife Guy today, but he wasn't at the clinic, so I guess he'll get my message tomorrow that I want to talk to him.I had a disconnect with the person who answered the phone, because after she told me that Dr. Lee the Second was at a different facility today--NO offer to get in touch with him there and ask him to call me, by the way--she said maybe the nurse could help me. "No, I need to talk ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283783 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:32:33 +0100 3283783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3279952&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5Toz8KRcem4%2F A global shortage of a medical isotope used in diagnostic tests for heart disease and cancer has vacillated from bad to worse over the last couple of years. Output has dwindled as the two nuclear reactors supplying the bulk of radioactive material — one in Chalk River, Ontario (pictured at right) and the other in Petten, the Netherlands — have been closed for repairs or maintenance. But now a new source — Poland — is appearing on the horizon. Covidien, a U.S. company that purifies isotope material, said this morning it has reached a deal with the operators of a reactor near Warsaw. Read the announcement for details. The deal is far from a complete solution. The Polish plant can fill only a fraction of the demand and just getting the isotope from the former Soviet bl... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3279952 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:24:07 +0100 3279952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3279926&cid=t_91991_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F17%2Fbmj-2010-vol-340-no-7739%2F content page Fade Fave: Quality of life three years after diagnosis of localised prostate cancer: population based cohort study Fade Skinny: Survival after diagnosis of prostate cancer has increased substantially in the past two decades. Five year relative survival for localised prostate cancer is almost 100% in Australia and the United States. Observational studies show that different treatment options offer nearly equal survival rates therefore, quality of life after treatment should be a major consideration in treatment decision making. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Athens Password, Cancer, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Prostate Cancer, Quality of Life (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3279926 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:14:50 +0100 3279926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3280190&cid=t_91991_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FZ1eU3oGqWAs%2F Gardasil protected most women from cervical cancer and homosexual men from anal cancer, according to new studies from Merck. In about 3,800 women ages 24 to 45 years old, three shots prevented precancerous lesions on the cervix and genital warts in 89 percent compared to placebo, the Associated Press writes. Gardasil, you may recall, is approved to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts in girls and women aged 9 to 26, and for preventing genital warts in boys and men aged 9 to 26. But Merck has been frusrated trying to win FDA approval to widen the market for its HPV vaccine. In June 2008, the agency bounced its request to treat women aged 27 to 45, which contributed to a slowdown in sales (background here). Early last year, the FDA again withheld approval and asked Merck to submit data... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3280190 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:22:10 +0100 3280190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276056&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FRxt4EFQxr3s%2Fgood-doctors-nurses Patients excel at slamming our doctors online.  Sometimes our words are thoughtful, constructive criticism, and other times we are just spewing.  While it is necessary to vent sometimes, we run the risk of losing credibility if that is all we do.  I hope my blog contributes to constructive patient conversation. Still, I don’t think I take enough time to acknowledge who has done right by me. So that’s what I want to do today. Someone who’s done right by me: My anesthesiologist. My first surgery had scary recovery room complications due to anesthesia.  I was totally freaked out and didn’t want a repeat performance with my second surgery. I asked to speak with my anesthesiologist before going under the knife. He visited me an hour before hand and sat in a chair, eye level with... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276056 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:00:27 +0100 3276056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3275794&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FkvBhQsNLEUI%2F Disruptive Women’s Wendy Grossman interviewed Lindsay Avner, founder of Bright Pink. Lindsay Avner’s name might sound familiar to you — the 27-year-old made national news four years ago when she was one of the youngest women to have an elective double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. So many women responded to Lindsay’s story, that three years ago she started Bright Pink, a new, fun, breast cancer education, awareness and support group that has grown to 10 chapters nationwide. Instead of hosting sad support group meetings in dank church basements, bright pink girls take yoga classes or belly dance together. Bright pink sends out monthly text messages reminding women to feel themselves up. Next month, they’re hostessing a burlesque show demonstrating self-exam... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3275794 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:09:11 +0100 3275794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276032&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fa-couple-of-painful-subjects.html This post, also, is for Julie.   It may not be an easy post for many of you to read, but I can't apologize for that. These are things that Julie and I--and a few other readers--are kicking around. And I'm in the mood to write about them now. Where I Was in NovemberWhen I came home from my trip to Omaha in early November, I knew I was really really sick. Monica and her partner picked me up at the airport, late at night, and I was so woozy I could hardly get my suitcase down the escalator. I actually threw it on the belt, and let it tumble down, because I was afraid I would fall if I tried to go down with it. So I was in bad shape. And I knew it, but I wasn't tracking well, either. The smart thing to have done, at that time, would have been to have M... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276032 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:51:48 +0100 3276032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276033&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmore-cancer-and-makeup.html A friend sent me this link. It's a site that lets you rank your cosmetics and skin care products on a scale of one to 10, based on how toxic or carcinogenic they are.  Cosmetic Safety ReviewsA good thing for us cancer patients to have around. Oh, and this caught my attention, because there was a blurb on the homepage about hand sanitizers, which I use, being a Total Germ Freak these days, and the one I happen to have, Purell, ranks a SEVEN, which means "high hazard." I need to read the fine print to find out why.Great! Here's the report. Some of the ingredients are linked to cancer: Purell Hand Sanitizer The group behind the Web site is the Environmental Working Group. I don't know anything about them, does anyone? Here's their info:&... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276033 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:18:12 +0100 3276033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276035&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fpostcard-from-julie-iii.html  Photo: @ Julie Mason 2010.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276035 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:50:10 +0100 3276035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276036&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fpostcard-from-julie-ii.html  Photo: @ Julie Mason 2010.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276036 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:47:55 +0100 3276036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276037&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fpostcard-from-julie-i.html  My friend Julie, a Canadian woman who is living with metastatic ovarian cancer, told me last week that she's been doing some photography and wants to do more. I, of course, asked to see photos, and she sent me three. She gave me permission to post them to my blog, which I'm doing now. I may ask Julie to provide captions, because I have no idea where or when these photos were taken ... but then again, maybe I don't want captions.I think the images stand alone. No words needed. Thanks, Julie. Photo: @ Julie Mason 2010.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276037 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:45:49 +0100 3276037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3275540&cid=t_91991_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FXVFhebH9lYo%2F A new retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV), first identified in tumor tissue of individuals with prostate cancer, was subsequently found in 68 of 101 US patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). XMRV was not detected in blood samples of 186 confirmed CFS patients in the United Kingdom. A second independent study in the UK (pdf) has also failed to reveal XMRV in CFS patients. The subjects of this study were confirmed CFS patients from St George’s University of London, Barts and the London Hospital Trust, and Glasgow Caledonian University. A total of 170 serum samples from CFS patients and 395 controls were used. A polymerase chain reaction assay was devised that could detect as little as 16 copies of proviral XMRV DNA (viral DNA integrated into human chro... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3275540 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:07:08 +0100 3275540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276038&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fcatching-up-petct-crazy-lymph-node-chest-pain.html  I am still behind on all fronts in my life, so this is going to be a quick post, and I'll try to fill in the gaps over the next few days. Valentine's Day was wonderful. Both boys were here, and both took part and helped, which was really important for me because I had hardly slept at all the night before because I needed to take some decadron--more on that later--which kept me awake the whole dang night. We had a retirement brunch for a good friend, and Laurie was here as well. I made quiche--spinach, mushrooms, onion, parmesan cheese, and then milk and eggs. Well, a bit of half and half and butter in there as well, so it was pretty rich, but we balanced that out with a big fruit salad, and Laurie made espresso drinks for whoever wanted them. Doctor&#... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276038 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:38:04 +0100 3276038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272882&cid=t_91991_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F15%2Ffinally-a-viral-cause-of-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-or-not-how-results-can-vary-and-depend-on-multiple-factors%2F Last week @F1000 (on Twitter) alerted me to an interesting discussion at F1000 on  a paper in Science, that linked Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to a newly discovered human virus XRMV [1]. This finding was recently disputed by another study in PLOS [2], that couldn’t reproduce the results.  This was highlighted in an excellent post by [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272882 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:23:02 +0100 3272882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272867&cid=t_91991_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F02%2Flung-cancer%2F Pathophysiology Squamous cell – 1) arises in central part of lung 2) derives from repeatedly injured bronchial lining 3) ulcerates into lung parenchyma 4) most common subtype that forms Pancoast tumor in apex of lung 5) metastases go to hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, adrenals, and other sites Adenocarcinoma – 6) can arise anywhere but typically distal 7) most common tumor in nonsmokers Large cell – poorly differentiated and can occur anywhere in lung Small cell – 9) fast-growing with early metastases 10) presents usually as perihilar mass 11) most common subtype causing paraneoplastic syndromes Signs and Symptoms 1) dyspnea 2) cough 3) chest pain 4) hemoptysis 5) obstructive pneumonia 6) lobar collapse 7) pleural effusions weight loss Characteristic Test Find... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272867 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:57:57 +0100 3272867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3271212&cid=t_91991_155_f&fid=38412&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpathlabmed.typepad.com%2Fsurgical_pathology_and_la%2F2010%2F02%2Fgene-expression-profiling-in-nsclcage-and-sexspecific-differences.html This week's JAMA (February 10, 20100 has a paper by Mostertz et al., "Age- and Sex-Specific Genomic Profiles in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer," that examines pathway activation profiles in a retrospective series of patients with NSCLC to identify differences in underlying biology that might explain clinically relevant differences observed with respect to age and sex.  Check it out--good stuff!Mostertz W, Stevenson M, Acharya C, et al.  Age- and Sex-Specific Genomic Profiles in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.  JAMA 2010;303:535-543.This is a retrospective study from a single institution of 787 "patient tumor samples" from "early-stage" (1-3A) NSCLC and at least 60 months of follow-up combined from four independent microarray gen... The Daily Sign-Out blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3271212 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:34:31 +0100 3271212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3271002&cid=t_91991_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fnonhodgkins-lymphoma%2F Pathophysiology 1) a group of 20 conditions all marked by clonal neoplastic transformation of lymphoid cells 2) initial phase involves infiltration of lymph nodes with a variable secondary leukemic phase in which malignant cells circulate in the bloodstream 3) can be either of B cell (90% of patients) or T cell origin 4) classified as low-grade or indolent (small cell or mixed cell), intermediate grade, or high grade (large cell or lymphoblastic) Signs and Symptoms 1) fever and night sweats 2) painless adenopathy 3) enlarged spleen 4) enlarged liver Histology/Gross Pathology 1) lymph nodes have a pale color on cut surface 2) obliteration of normal lymph node architecture with white pulp enlargement 3) adults – 40% of patients have a follicular/nodular pattern of lymph node involvemen... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3271002 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:38:04 +0100 3271002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269656&cid=t_91991_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Foverly-aggressive-cancer-awareness-backfire.html by Kenneth Lin, MD The American Cancer Society has designated this weekend “Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend,” as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer program that will feature well-dressed basketball coaches wearing “sneakers instead of dress shoes with their usual game attire during weekend games to demonstrate their support for the Society and the fight against cancer.” The idea is to encourage people to exercise and eat a healthy diet to reduce their risk of cancer. Of all of the ACS’s cancer prevention initiatives, this is probably one of the best. I’m suspicious of other “cancer awareness” efforts, though – in particular, the increasing fad of designating particular months or weeks of the year as times for heightened awarene... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269656 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:00:25 +0100 3269656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269852&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ftoo-quiet-on-the-breast-cancer-front%2F I have been in the breast cancer business for six and a half years. I call it “the business” because of how it affects my life, not because of the science or medicine. In all that time I have held to the hope of a cure for breast cancer. Not a treatment, not just a drug to eliminate risk; a real cure. In the past four years I have read and written about research studies and findings and breakthroughs. I have even blogged about British scientists that said there would be a cure in two years – that was in 2009. Things are very quiet right now about breast cancer and the quiet is deafening. We are in a war. The war against cancer. Remember, Nixon declared war on cancer and no one to my knowledge has declared a truce. When you are in a war you need to know what is happening on the front ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269852 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:38:40 +0100 3269852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269851&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fflower-power-je.html   I was only 14 in 1968, so too young to be part of the Counter Culture. Flower power. Love beads. Hippies wearing flowers in their hair, and sticking the stems of flowers into the barrels of guns belonging to cops and soldiers ... how I wanted to be a part of that!My liking for jewelry designs incorporating simple flowers dates back to the 14-year-old me, but I'm also a gardener, and I believe in the power of flowers. I have several pieces of jewelry in my Flower Power series on Charmed Bracelets, and more are on the way. Here's the link:Flower Power Jewelry @ Jeanne Sather 2010.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269851 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:22:00 +0100 3269851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267179&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FWfKBTa_33qQ%2Fcancer-denial Two years into my cancer experience, I still had the nagging question: “Am I in denial?” I heard that cancer patients protect themselves in a natural bubble of denial in order to cope. Eventually that bubble bursts and you start dealing with the reality of your newly altered life. My bubble never burst. I never felt myself cross a threshold from denial to reality. I waited and waited, even tried to provoke it. Finally I realized it wasn’t happening because I was never in denial to begin with. The first 24 hours after my diagnosis, I felt shock.  I dreaded calling my mom and dad to tell them I had cancer. I went to class that night like nothing was wrong. I took my teacher aside afterwords and said, “Hey I was just diagnosed with cancer so I might need to go to a few doctors appoin... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267179 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:30:33 +0100 3267179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267221&cid=t_91991_155_f&fid=38412&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpathlabmed.typepad.com%2Fsurgical_pathology_and_la%2F2010%2F02%2Fnotable-abstracts-from-6th-biennial-pulmonary-pathology-society-meeting-2009.html This study takes 12 "expert pathologists" (EP) and 12 "community pathologists" (CP) and measured the interobserver reproducibility (IOR) by the kappa statistic using H&E "virtual slides" from 96 lung tumors based on the 2004 WHO classification.  The authors report comparisons between various major classes (SqCa versus non-SqCa, AdCa versus non-AdCa, EP versus CP) and categories accounting for "grade" (non-poorly differentiated SqCa versus non-SqCa, pdSqCa versus non-SqCa, non-pdAdCa versus non-AdCa, pdAdCa versus non-AdCa).  Not surprisingly, EPs have a higher degree of agreement than CPs in every category, although even in the "basic" binary comparisons (SqCa vs. non-SqCa and AdCa vs. non-AdCa), the "best" agreeme... The Daily Sign-Out blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267221 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:29:37 +0100 3267221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267163&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmore-cancer-and-work.html  Another topic for discussion, related to Julie's topic, but from someone who is at the very beginning of her life with cancer. She's the breadwinner in her family and has a high-powered job as an attorney. She's also in the middle of 12 weeks of chemo and just recently had a double mastectomy.She wants to hear from other people who are working during cancer treatment, or who have worked during treatment. Did you work full time or part time? Did you work from home, or go to the office? Did you schedule your treatments on a particular day of the week?  Did you take time off after each chemo treatment? And, perhaps most important: Did you have the support of your employer and coworkers? The OnHealth NightmareMany of you probably don't... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267163 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:51:31 +0100 3267163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267164&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fa-topic-for-discussion-cancer-and-work.html  I put out a call (see: Open Forum: Who Wants to Talk About What?) asking for readers to send in their topic ideas for discussion and I received immediate replies from a couple of friends.The first was Julie, who is living with metastatic ovarian cancer. For more on Julie, see: Helping Julie: My Long Answer She wrote: For a long time I've been able to work almost full time, look after grandkids, and live pretty much a normal life in spite of progressing disease and treatment. But recent treatments have left me pretty weakened and not able to live the kind of life I'm used to.  I'm finding it hard to find an identity outside of being someone with cancer. Jeanne and I have chatted about this and she's made some good suggestions,... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267164 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:28:58 +0100 3267164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267165&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fcancer-and-makeup.html A friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer e-mailed me to ask about makeup. She asked, Did I wear makeup? And, if so, what brands did I use?She is concerned about avoiding as many carcinogens as possible, and she knows that some cosmetics are pretty toxic. What I Do  I never really went to town with the makeup, since I graduated from high school in 1973, when we spent hours in front of the mirror every morning trying to capture that "natural" un-made-up look, which, of course, took tons of makeup. Yes, the ironies abound, and I notice that even now, 40 years later, "natural" is still a key buzzword that sells cosmetics, hair coloring, and the like. Get real. "Natural" hair color would be gray. Or drab, dishwater ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267165 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:49:52 +0100 3267165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267166&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmy-prescription-warm-homemade-vanilla-pudding.html The doctor is IN, and she is prescribing a big bowl of warm, homemade vanilla pudding.  It's the perfect food for stressed-out or tired cancer patients, or for those times when you need to eat but nothing looks or sounds good. An added bonus: You can make it in 10 minutes or less, and after you've made it a couple of times you'll have the recipe memorized and won't even need to look it up. In order for the prescription to be effective, however, the pudding must be made from scratch--not boxed pudding mixes (FULL of chemicals, read the label), in particular no instant pudding mixes, and no store-bought pudding--I have yet to find a store pudding that isn't gloppier than wallpaper paste. Ugh!The recipe I use is from the Better Homes & Gardens New Coo... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267166 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:08:07 +0100 3267166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267167&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmy-decadronfueled-creativity.html  Even I am amazed by my own creativity during the past two weeks. I was on a decadron high that kept me awake at night, making jewelry for my Charmed Bracelets site. Monica has photographed most, although not all, of my new pieces, and I'm gradually getting them up on the site. Here are some new earrings in amethyst. I've had trouble getting good-quality amethyst beads, but I did manage to find enough to make several pairs of earrings. My readers seem to like amethyst, so I expect these will go quickly. See: Amethyst I made these silver stars at 3 a.m. one night last week:Stars I also added a couple pairs of flower-power earrings:Flower Power Also, I learned recently that the community of folks who have adopted baby girls from China--or who are hoping ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267167 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:28:46 +0100 3267167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3339766&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metastaticlivercancer.org%2F2010-02-11-cancer-treatment%2Ferbitux-erbitux-head-and-neck-cancer%2F Jim’s son is now getting better thanks to his holistic cancer treatments and Erbitux. Erbitux isn’t chemotherapy but in stead are antibodies helping your body to fight the cancer. Pretty logical approach to cure cancer: not using a poisonous chemotherapy in the hope to kill the cancer without killing the person buy making sure your body has an extra advantage in fighting the cancer by "adding antibodies". What is Erbitux? Erbitux is a mouse/human monoclonal antibody – monoclonal meaning all of them are cloned or made originating from the same cell. It is an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor and given by intravenous infusion for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and Erbitux is also known to treat head and neck cancer. Jim’s son is now t... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3339766 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:04:57 +0100 3339766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262840&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmetastatic-liver-cancer%2F%7E3%2FiSvKtO5FDQM%2F Jim’s son is now getting better thanks to his holistic cancer treatments and Erbitux. Erbitux isn’t chemotherapy but in stead are antibodies helping your body to fight the cancer. Pretty logical approach to cure cancer: not using a poisonous chemotherapy in the hope to kill the cancer without killing the person buy making sure your body has an extra advantage in fighting the cancer by "adding antibodies". What is Erbitux? Erbitux is a mouse/human monoclonal antibody – monoclonal meaning all of them are cloned or made originating from the same cell. It is an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor and given by intravenous infusion for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and Erbitux is also known to treat head and neck cancer. Jim’s son is now t... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262840 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:04:57 +0100 3262840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262842&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Ffirst-place-school.html This post is for Julie. Consider it part of our ongoing conversation. One of the ways I cope with having metastatic cancer is to make sure my life is NOT all about cancer. And one of the ways I do that is to volunteer for causes I care about. For the most part, the people I come into contact with when I'm volunteering are not aware that I have cancer. So I get a break there. I have volunteered with the Animal Talk Rescue for something like eight years now. Usually I foster the "bottle babies," kittens that have lost their mothers at a very young age and need to be bottle fed. I can do that because I'm home during the day. Very young kittens need to be fed OFTEN.It's still a little early for me to get a call from the rescue. I checked back on my blog, and l... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262842 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:49:53 +0100 3262842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262843&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fthe-fat-cancer-patient-down-2-pounds.html  The Fat Cancer Patient is happy to announce that she has lost two pounds!I was taking decadron, a steroid, because of my cyberknife surgery, and I was on the decadron for about two months. During that time, I gained eight (8!) pounds. Now, this is a body that was already a bit too plump, so I was not a happy camper. But I stopped taking the decadron on the weekend, after tapering off carefully to avoid the infamous "decadron crash," and by Tuesday my weight was down two pounds. I'm hoping this trend will continue and that all the people who told me it is just bloat--not fat--were right. We'll see.See: The Fat Cancer Patient Yearning for KittensFor some reason--maybe because I was feeling a bit better, and maybe because it feels like spring around ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262843 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:21:25 +0100 3262843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262563&cid=t_91991_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F10%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-emergency-contraception-a-panel-discussion-at-wellesley-and-spanish-language-posts%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog, I have a post on an emergency contraception drug working its way through the approval process in the U.S. and info on an upcoming panel discussion in Wellesley, MA on new mammography and breast self-examination recommendations featuring speakers from the National Women’s Health Network and Black Women’s Health Imperative. I’m also really thrilled to see more Spanish-language posts going up – here’s the Spanish version of a recent one of mine on the reversal of the HPV vaccine requirement for U.S. immigrant women. Thanks to our volunteer translator! Filed under: Boobs, Cancer, Events & Observances, Government, HPV, Women's Health (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262563 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:29:18 +0100 3262563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262576&cid=t_91991_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2010%2F02%2F11%2Fprostate-cancer-diagnosis-increases-sucide-risk%2F Filed under: ResearchProstate cancer can increase a man's odds for either suicide of fatal heart attack, according to a research group at Harvard Medical School. A cancer diagnosis is stressful, and that stress can cause a number of changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Those, coupled with underlying health conditions, may be more likely to drive someone to suicide. Although doctors focused on those recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, they believe that the results will be similar for patients with other types of cancer. The researchers plan to do a similar study of breast and colon cancer patients. The researchers started with prostate cancer because they wanted to test whether the widespread use of screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test has made a difference.... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262576 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3262576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262847&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhy-am-i-keeping-this-wig-after-i-survived-cancer%2F Like a lot of women I know I have fat pants in my closet. You know, the ones you kept from when you were at your heaviest so you can remind yourself how much weight you lost. They are usually one or two sizes bigger than you are now. Only some of us keep them because every now and then our weight creeps back up and we actually need a pair of bigger pants. We refuse to pay for fat clothes because we are convinced the weight will come off again. Some of us never even tell anyone but sisters and close girlfriends about our fat pants. Certainly my husband doesn’t know. When he comes with me to doctor’s offices I don’t even let my husband see the nurse weigh me or check my height; I don’t want to ruin his image of me as tall and thin, which isn’t easy to accomplish... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262847 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:29:19 +0100 3262847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259185&cid=t_91991_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fit-scares-me.html Every since I could read (and probably even before), I have wanted to be a writer of fiction.And now that I have the opportunity, I am terrified.My professional life helped me overcome a great deal of writing anxiety. When you have a writing deadline and you know that fifteen other people are going to comment and edit what you write, you learn to just put fingers to the keyboard and get the job done. This is a lesson it took me a long time to learn but I got there (more or less).I enjoyed doing the kind of writing that I was able to do for advocacy organizations and labour unions but I seldom got to pick the subject of the pieces I wrote. I learned to write in the voice of the organization I represented or the person for whom I was writing a statement or speech. It was fun and I got to be ... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259185 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:30:00 +0100 3259185