Here In Reality Weblog Feed

Immune therapies finally working against cancer

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:38 GMT

From the Associated Press via Yahoo News
Excerpt: ... The approach is called a cancer vaccine, although it treats the disease rather than prevents it.

At a cancer conference Sunday, researchers said one such vaccine kept a common form of lymphoma from worsening for more than a year. That's huge in this field, where progress is glacial and success with a new treatment is often measured in weeks or even days.
Experimental vaccines against three other cancers prostate, the deadly skin disease melanoma and an often fatal childhood tumor called neuroblastoma also gave positive results in late-stage testing in recent weeks, after decades of struggles in the lab. ...

... I don't know what we did differently to make the breakthrough," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society.

Instead of a single "A-Ha!" moment, there have been many "ah, so" discoveries about the immune system that now seem to be paying off, said Dr. John Niederhuber, director of the National Cancer Institute.

More Here

Help on Chemo from the Spice Rack

Sat, 16 May 2009 21:18 GMT

From: The Boston Globe
Excerpt: Chemotherapy could soon become a little less grueling.

Simply adding a teaspoon of ginger to food consumed in the days before, during, and after chemotherapy can reduce the often debilitating side effects of nausea and vomiting, a large, randomized clinical trial has found. And a newer type of antinausea drug, when added to standard medications, can help prevent such side effects as well. ...

... In the ginger study, 644 patients, most of them female, from 23 oncology practices throughout the United States received two standard antiemetic medications at the time of chemotherapy. They also were given capsules containing either 0.5 gram, 1 gram, or 1.5 grams of ginger, or placebo capsules. The patients took the capsules containing the placebo or ginger for three days before chemotherapy and three days after the treatment.
All of the patients receiving ginger experienced less nausea for four days after chemotherapy, said study lead author Julie L. Ryan of the University of Rochester Medical Center. Doses of 0.5 gram and 1 gram were the most effective, reducing nausea by 40 percent compared with the patients taking the placebo.

More here

CNTO328 Shown to Stop Growth of Ovarian Tumors

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:26 GMT

From the London Daily Mail

Excerpt: Doctors gave the drug, known only as CNTO328, to 18 ovarian cancer patients from north-east London and Essex in a trial that started in late 2007.

None had been expected to live more than a year because their cancer had returned despite several courses of chemotherapy.

Eight found their tumours stabilised or stopped growing - likely extending their life expectancy.

While the figure may seem small, it is much higher than the five to 20 per cent response rate seen with most experimental cancer drugs.

Lead researcher, Professor Iain McNeish, of Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, said: 'The hope with this group of patients was to slow down the progress of their ovarian cancer, improve their quality of life and possibly make them live longer.

'We have been quite successful in doing that.

'If this becomes a treatment, this is a whole new approach to ovarian cancer.'

Click here for the article

Click here for clinical trials using CNTO328 for different kinds of cancer

Volunteer with the USO

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:06 GMT

Video and info on becoming a USO volunetter. From the site:

"Whether helping a soldier with a connecting flight, distributing a Care Package, serving snacks with a smile, providing local information, or "welcoming home" troops from deployment, USO volunteers are vital to the success of the USO’s mission. While the duties of a volunteer may vary, the goal is always the same – to improve the quality of life of service members, to boost their morale and to serve as the link between service members and the American people."

www.uso.org/howtohelp/becomeavolunteer/

Cup of Joe for a Joe

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:58 GMT

From the Green Beans Coffee site:

In more than 60 cafes overseas, Green Beans Coffee provides a welcomed moment of respite where deployed services members can relax, enjoy premium organic coffees, teas and fresh baked pastries, hear great music and for a few minutes, escape into a peaceful oasis of tranquility that brings a little bit of home with every cup of coffee served.

For a couple of bucks you can treat a deployed US serviceman or woman to a nice, hot cup of joe.

Click here for more info

Treat the Troops

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:51 GMT

Home-baked cookies and other "comfort Items," along with a note of thanks, are sent overseas to let deployed American military persons, on the front, living in tents or temporary quarters, know that people at home are remembering them.

www.treatthetroops.org

San Jose, California ~ 26 Year Old Man Dies After Being Tasered

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:28 GMT

San Jose, California ~ 26 Year Old Man Dies After Being Tasered (Edwin Rodriguez)

Toys for the Troops Kids

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:11 GMT

Toys for the Troops' Kids is a Christmas toy drive sponsored by CRVA Charities, Inc., which benefits children of US Troops stationed over seas during Christmas, or who have sacrificed their lives since the 9-1-1 tragedy.

www.toysforthetroopskids.org

Wilmington, North Carolina ~ Undercover Cop Tasers Pallbearer at Father's Funeral

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:14 GMT

Wilmington, North Carolina ~ Undercover Cop Tasers Pallbearer at Father's Funeral

Operation Homefront

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:01 GMT

Operation Homefront is a non profit community supporting our troops by helping the families they leave behind when the active duty or reserve member deploys in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. Operation Homefront provides aid to military families struggling not only with emergencies, but also the problems of everyday life allowing the deployed servicemember to focus on the demands of their duties abroad.

www.operationhomefront.net

One-Dose Cure for Testicular Cancer

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:09 GMT

From BBC
Excerpt:

A study has concluded that one dose of chemotherapy is the best way to cure testicular cancer in many patients. ...

...The study, led by Southampton University, followed almost 1,500 patients, 904 given radiotherapy, and 573 carboplatin.

The rate of relapse in both groups was roughly the same, and lead researcher Dr Ben Mead said the results were "reassuring" and that carboplatin was the better option.

"Giving patients a carboplatin injection rather than radiotherapy is less unpleasant with fewer long-term risks.

"The initial results of the trial looked encouraging, but we needed to follow patients for another four years before we knew for sure that they had been cured."

Although practice was changing in Europe to include carboplatin, in many other parts of the world, including the US, radiotherapy remains standard treatment, and Dr Mead said he hoped this would now change.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7647007.stm

Baby Boomer Songs

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:01 GMT

It was fun being a baby boomer... until now. Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers: Herman's Hermits --- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker Ringo Starr --- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends The Bee Gees --- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip? Bobby Darin --- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash Roberta Flack --- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face Johnny Nash --- I Can't See Clearly Now! Paul Simon --- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver The Commodores --- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom Marvin Gaye --- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts Procol Harem --- A Whiter Shade of Hair Leo Sayer--- You Make Me Feel Like Napping The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone Abba --- Denture Queen! Tony Orlando --- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall Helen Reddy --- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore! Leslie Gore --- It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To! And my favorite: Willie Nelson --- On the Commode Again

Brooklyn, New York ~ Nude Man Tasered, Causing Him to Fall to His Death (Iman Morales)

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:37 GMT

Brooklyn, New York ~ Nude Man Tasered, Causing Him to Fall to His Death (Iman Morales)

Garden Grove, California ~ 32-Year-Old "Mentally Disturbed" Man Dies After Being Tasered (Andy Tran)

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:12 GMT

Garden Grove, California ~ 32-Year-Old "Mentally Disturbed" Man Dies After Being Tasered (Andy Tran)

Send a Soldier a Gift/Birthday Cake

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:01 GMT

Bake Me A Wish presents Operation Birthday Cake, shipping birthday cakes to Iraq and Afghanistan. Order a cake for a soldier you love, or donate money to help others brighten the birthday of a soldier overseas. 5% of all Bake-Me-A-Wish orders go to support Operation Birthday Cake.