Women who take a daily multivitamin before and during pregnancy sharply reduce the likelihood that their children will develop leukemia, brain tumors and other forms of childhood cancer, according to new Canadian research. Taking multivitamins and folic acid during your pregnancy can greatly lower the risk of the mother’s baby developing cancer by almost 50 percent.This new study was done from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
The research should encourage mothers greatly to take multivitamins and folic acid during pregnancy as it is a simple solution which can reap huge rewards.
The study found that a regime of multivitamins and folic acid helped lower the chance of a baby developing a brain tumor by 27 percent, leukemia by 39 percent and neroblastoma by 49 percent. These are some huge numbers for just taking a simple vitamin every say.
Doctors in the study stated that only 40 percent of Canadian mothers took multivitamins which are highly accessible and cheap.
TEENAGERS with cancer would stand a better chance of survival if they were treated at a specialist centre for young people, an expert said today.
Health bosses are exploring proposals to establish a cancer treatment facility in Edinburgh dedicated to the care of adolescents and young adults as part of an on-going review of children’s services.
Currently, young cancer patients are either treated on paediatric wards or among adults – a situation which leaves them isolated from their peers.
Gill Harley is based in Edinburgh and is Scotland’s only specialist nurse dedicated to the well-being of teenagers and young adults with cancer.
She believes the health service has so far underestimated the clinical benefits associated with providing teenagers with the space to relax with their peers, play music or study while in hospital.
She said: “What we would dearly love to have in Edinburgh is a teenager cancer unit. We need one area where there is appropriate accommodation for their age group and where the staff are specially trained.
“It improves the cure rate when young people are in one of these units because it improves their morale because they are with like-minded people. Ideally what we would be hoping for is a unit at the Western General Hospital – that would be our dream.”
Mrs Harley said specialist facilities for young people are now commonplace in England and centres are also planned in the west of Scotland.
She added: “Staff are realising that this is a lost tribe that has missed out because they have been locked into paediatric or adult care. We need to design treatment around that age group.”
Mrs Harley’s post was established by the charity Macmillan Cancer Support and she is currently looking after almost 200 young people.
As well as helping the young person come to terms with their diagnosis, she also talks to the patient’s peers and urges them to remain in frequent contact. She is on hand via e-mail, text message and telephone to answer queries from her patients.
“I’m supporting them in any way I can,” she said.
“Most of the treatment for this age group is very intense. The chemotherapy is intense so they have a longer period when they are in hospital and they become very ill.
“I will visit them on the ward and really make sure their symptoms are well managed and they are being seen by the right people. I’m the glue that sticks everyone together in a way so we can make sure there is a seamless service.”
Mrs Harley said there is also a need for at least two more specialist nurses as she receives referrals from across Scotland.
NHS Lothian said the future of young people’s services will be considered as part of an on-going review which also includes plans for a new Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
Jackie Sansbury, NHS Lothian’s director of strategic planning and modernisation, said: “We have just started consultations on a children and young person’s strategy and part of that will be looking at the delivery of healthcare to children over 13 years old – concentrating on those aged up to 16 to 18 years.
“The new build, planned to reprovide the services from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, will give us the perfect opportunity to do this. More specific details about the shape of the new services we need to provide will not be known until our consultations have been completed.”
DALLAS, TX, United States (UPI) — Researchers in Dallas have found that mature muscle fibers are able to develop into a soft-tissue cancer in children and teens.
Experts at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children`s Medical Center performed the research on fruit flies. The results reportedly showed that mature muscle cells, rather than less-developed cells, are able to turn malignant in the soft tissue cancer.
The groundbreaking research provides doctors and scientists with clues as to how this cancer arises.
The particular cancer under study is Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive, often fatal form of cancer that occurs mainly in the trunk, arms and legs of children or teenagers.
‘There has been little progress toward developing effective therapies for rhabdomyosarcoma, in part because of the lack of animal models for the disease,’ said Dr. Eric Olson, chairman of molecular biology at UT Southwestern and the study`s main author.
‘This work is important because it provides a simple organism, the fruit fly, as a model for analyzing the genetic causes of rhabdomyosarcoma.’
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Experts at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children`s Medical Center performed the research on fruit flies. The results reportedly showed that mature muscle cells, rather than less-developed cells, are able to turn malignant in the soft tissue cancer.
The groundbreaking research provides doctors and scientists with clues as to how this cancer arises.
The particular cancer under study is Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive, often fatal form of cancer that occurs mainly in the trunk, arms and legs of children or teenagers.
‘There has been little progress toward developing effective therapies for rhabdomyosarcoma, in part because of the lack of animal models for the disease,’ said Dr. Eric Olson, chairman of molecular biology at UT Southwestern and the study`s main author.
‘This work is important because it provides a simple organism, the fruit fly, as a model for analyzing the genetic causes of rhabdomyosarcoma.’
Kids with cancer. It’s a sad combination of words and a phrase I can’t even imagine facing my own family. And yet if it ever does, I think my goal would be to keep my child’s life as childlike as possible — as hard as it may be while confronting serious life-and-death issues.
Camp Fantastic — set high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia — is one place where kids can be kids. At least for one night. Each year for longer than anyone can remember, volunteers sponsor an evening fiesta with dancing, swimming, games, rides, gifts, and fun for 100 children with cancer. This event, known as Rappahannock Night, because of the camp’s location in Rappahannock county, is sponsored by organizations that join efforts to allow children to step back from their diseases and soak up the pleasure of friendship with others who share their experiences.
Camp Fantasic offers kids moments of pure joy — away from the rigors of cancer and treatment. So they can be kids. Just kids.
CRICKET legend Ian Botham is set to pound the streets of Edinburgh to raise £1 million for teenagers with cancer.
The sports personality, whose nickname is Beefy, is renowned for his tireless fundraising and the event will be his 11th walk for charity.
The Beefy Bowls Out Teenage Cancer event is part of a tour which will see him transported by helicopter between 17 cities over nine days.
In each city he will complete a ten-mile trek and his walk in Edinburgh on October 10 will start and end on Princes Street.
Those who help him raise money for Leukaemia Research and the Teenage Cancer Trust will also get the opportunity to meet the star when he arrives in the city.
Botham, who had a Test career spanning 15 years, said today: “I know that, with the people of Edinburgh supporting me, the walk will be a great success. Every penny counts and we can only bowl out teenage cancer if we work together to raise as much money as possible. I’m looking forward to coming to Edinburgh and meeting those who have worked hard in their fundraising.”
The cricketer became involved with cancer charities in 1977 after meeting a group of children in a Taunton hospital who had leukaemia.
When he was told that some had little hope of surviving, he became passionate about helping to improve treatments and his first high-profile walk, in 1985, was from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
Since then, he has raised £8m for good causes and has also held the post of president of Leukaemia Research.
Although his route is yet to be confirmed, this time he will start at Princes Street and walk ten miles via the Edinburgh Cancer Centre at the Western General Hospital on Crewe Road.
Leukaemia Research chief executive Douglas Osborne said: “We are thrilled that our hero Ian Botham is pulling on his walking boots once more to raise the money that’s vital for the very specific needs of teenagers and young adults with cancers.
“More young people die from the blood cancers than any other cancer. At Leukaemia Research we constantly strive to ensure all patients will in the future be routinely cured. Ian’s inspirational efforts give great heart to everyone working to that end.”
For more details on getting involved in fundraising and to have the opportunity to meet Ian Botham OBE in Edinburgh, call Georgina Fitt on 020 7269 9003 or visit www.bothamwalk.com.
Volunteers are also needed to help the charity organise the walk on the day and anyone interested should call Yvonne Dickson on 0131-661 9224.
More than one in eight adult survivors of childhood cancer have had suicidal thoughts or attempted to take their lives, a new study finds.
“Most people are doing fine, but there is a serious concern about the minority of survivors who have thoughts of ending their lives,” lead researcher Christopher Recklitis, a psychologist and director of the Perini Family Survivor’s Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said in a prepared statement.
The study included 226 patients, averaging 28 years of age, seen at a clinic that cares for adult survivors of childhood cancer. They were interviewed an average of 18 years after their initial cancer diagnosis.
Overall, 29 of the patients reported some suicidal symptoms. Of those, 19 reported suicidal thoughts alone, one had made a suicide attempt but was no longer troubled by thoughts of suicide, and nine had made suicide attempts and were currently thinking about suicide.
Only 11 of the 29 patients were considered to be significantly depressed, based on their responses to standard rating scales. This suggests that identifying childhood cancer survivors with suicidal thoughts requires more than asking questions about depression, the study authors said.
Factors associated with increased risk for suicidal symptoms included younger age at cancer diagnosis and a longer period of time since diagnosis. Another risk factor included radiation treatments to the head, which can cause growth problems and physical disfigurement, memory and cognitive function impairments, and an increased risk of second cancers.
Patients who felt depressed or hopeless, were in pain, had physical function problems, or were concerned about their appearance were also more likely to report suicidal symptoms, the researchers found.
The study was expected to be published in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Starchild Abraham Cherrix, a 16-year-old cancer patient who is battling Hodgkin’s disease ended his legal fight with a victory Wednesday when his family’s attorneys and social services officials reached an agreement that would allow him to forgo chemotherapy.
Cherrix who has struggled with the disease once before and having it reoccur, decided he wanted to take an alternative healing method to treat the disease the second time around. Social service officials fought that decision.
Under the court ruling, Cherrix will be treated by an oncologist of his choice who is board-certified in radiation therapy and interested in alternative treatments. The family must provide the court updates on Abraham’s treatment and condition every three months until he’s cured or turns 18. Cherrix is still on the Hoxsey method, an herbal treatment that is illegal in the United States but can be obtained through clinics in Mexico, but the family hasn’t ruled out other possible treatments, such as immunotherapy or radiation treatment in small doses.
Gene variations may raise the risk that survivors of childhood cancer will suffer congestive heart failure as a complication of drugs they received during cancer treatment.
polymorphisms in GSTP gene increase risk for congestive heart failure after treatment with anthracyclinesThe researchers studied anthracyclines, a commonly used class of anticancer drugs known to cause heart damage in some patients.
The research team investigated two groups of childhood cancer survivors, all of whom had been treated with anthracyclines.
The study compared 47 patients with congestive heart failure ( CHF ) to a control group of 195 patients without CHF.
The researchers investigated 10 polymorphisms, naturally occurring variants in DNA bases called nucleotides, in seven genes they identified as having a role in biological responses to anthracyclines.
” We found that polymorphisms in the GSTP gene significantly increased a patient’s risk for congestive heart failure after treatment with anthracyclines, ” said Richard Aplenc, at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. One polymorphism increased risk by five times; another variant was linked to a tripling of risk.
The research group chose particular genes as candidates for study because those genes carry the codes for enzymes involved in metabolizing anthracyclines and the reactive oxygen molecules that anthracyclines produce. If physicians can better classify gene variations that modify side effects of anticancer drugs, they may be able to better tailor treatment plans to individual patients. Thus, knowledge of a patient’s genetic makeup may allow physicians to select a more personalized, less toxic treatment.
The odds of coincidental and similar cancer diagnosis are astronomical, but Laura Daly is convinced her brother and his best friend will triumph.
Ms Daly’s 27-year-old sibling, Ryan, was diagnosed with leukemia last April. His best friend, also 27, who asked to remain anonymous, received the same news one year ago.
Both Markham men are undergoing treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital, where health professionals are dismayed at the rarity of the case.
“They’re floored,” Ms Daly said. “Leukemia is a mystery and so is the situation of two close friends having the same thing. They say it could be environmental.”
Her brother will require a bone marrow transplant, she said.
Adding to the bizarre circumstance is the fact Ms Daly and her brother organized fundraising golf tournaments for several years before the disease affected the young men.
In the past, their annual event supported charities including The Make A Wish Children’s Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society.
This year the focus is a bit more personal.
The “Get Wrec’d” charity tournament at Rolling Hills Golf and Country Club in Gormley is this Saturday. The 1:30 p.m. shotgun start is fully booked, Ms Daly said, but people wishing to contribute to the cause are welcome.
To date, more than $3,000 has been raised on behalf of cancer research and treatment at Princess Margaret. More money is anticipated after the event’s silent auction and participant’s fees.
“The objective is to raise funds and awareness for the signs and symptoms of leukemia and how bone marrow transplants can help patients,” she said. Ryan and his best bud remain close, going to treatments together. “Both are the most amazing people I know,” Ms Daly said. “They’re doing well. They’re strong and positive, but it is day-to-day.”
For information or to contribute, e-mail Ms Daly at spor_tee_44@yahoo.ca.
When Melissa Barnes found out a friend’s baby was diagnosed with a deadly cancer, she e-mailed her other friends and asked for prayers.
They did better than just pray. They started a full-fledged campaign to cure 16-month-old Keyonna Stephenson and help support her mother, Christine, 28.
“The outpouring of generosity was overwhelming,” Barnes said.
One of her friends, Susan Webb, added, “All it took was a few e-mails.”
On Sunday, the group of friends gathered at Fat Franco’s restaurant to host a benefit auction for the mother and daughter.
There, donated gift baskets, spa massages, artwork and “wish candles” were auctioned to help cover living expenses for the Stephensons.
Stephenson left her job as a nursing assistant at Martin Memorial Hospital after Keyonna was diagnosed with advanced-stage neuroblastoma in June to care for the child full time, Barnes said.
Keyonna is undergoing her third round of chemotherapy at Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville, where she and mother will be for the next two weeks, Barnes said.
Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer that attacks cells in the nervous system, which regulates digestion, heart rate and blood pressure. Keyonna was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma, the most advanced stage, Barnes said.
Barnes met Stephenson, a single mother, about two years ago after she moved to Stuart from a town in New England. She has no close family in the area, Barnes said.
Sunday’s auction was just the start of a series of fund-raising events. A benefit golf tournament is planned for Sept. 30 at the Evergreen Club in Palm City.
Auctioneer Janet Harding led Sunday’s event on a hopeful note. She called the small candles encased in midnight-blue boxes and donated by Martin Memorial “wish candles” for Keyonna’s recovery.
For $10, anyone could send a wish, Harding said. More than a dozen bidding cards shot up in the air.
“That tells me right there how the auction’s going to be,” she said.
Organizers were hoping to raise between $15,000 and $20,000 Sunday, Barnes said.
For information on Keyonna or to donate, go online to www.babykeyonna.com.
Donations also can be sent to Connor Moran Children’s Cancer Foundation, 825 S. U.S. 1, Suite 320, Jupiter, Fla. 33477. Checks should be made to the Connor Moran Children’s Cancer Foundation, specifying “Baby Keyonna” on the memo line.
Women who take a daily multivitamin before and during pregnancy sharply reduce the likelihood that their children will develop leukemia, brain tumors and other forms of childhood cancer, according to new Canadian research. Taking multivitamins and folic acid during your pregnancy can greatly lower the risk of the mother’s baby developing cancer by almost 50 percent. This new study was done from 
Starchild Abraham Cherrix, a 16-year-old cancer patient who is battling Hodgkin’s disease ended his legal fight with a victory Wednesday when his family’s attorneys and social services officials reached an agreement that would allow him to forgo chemotherapy.
