When Kerrianne Duffy was diagnosed with breast cancer, it seemed as if her world would fall apart.

Just weeks before she was due to marry her long-time partner Shaun at a romantic ceremony in Las Vegas, she was hit with the shocking news.

Doctors told her she was suffering from a form of the disease so aggressive it killed two-fifths of those diagnosed.

Doctors told her she was suffering from a form of the disease so aggressive it killed two-fifths of those diagnosed.

The city hairdresser was just 27 at the time and often wondered how she would cope as she fought the disease.

Today, she has put the trauma firmly behind her and is joining a host of big names in a massive fund-raising and awareness campaign.

She is one of the “faces” in Breast Cancer Care’s new 41,000 Faces campaign, which highlights the massive number of people diagnosed every year.

Celebrities such as Zoe Ball, Lorraine Kelly, Cherie Blair and Michelle Collins are among others taking part. Mrs Duffy, now 34, who works at the Ruby Rouge hair salon on Clerk Street, Edinburgh, said: “I was absolutely devastated. You think it’s something that is never going to happen to you. I was about to be married and was looking forward to my future.”

On doctors orders, she rescheduled her wedding to take place at the registry office in India Buildings and cancelled her Californian honeymoon.

“You go through so many emotions. I became angry, and thought: ‘Why me, what have I done?’ But that was very quickly replaced by the feeling that I had to beat this,” she said.

At the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, based at the Western General Hospital, Mrs Duffy endured a mastectomy, as well as intensive courses of chemo and radiotherapy.

She also suffered the trauma of her hair falling out, but was eventually given the all-clear two years later.

Mrs Duffy, of Prestonpans, East Lothian, added: “As I was diagnosed at such a young age, I felt scared and isolated.

“After all, younger women don’t get breast cancer – or so I thought – as age is still the biggest risk factor. As a younger woman who has had the disease, I wanted to help show that anyone can be affected.

“I want people to know that it’s not just women over 50 who are affected. A lot of young women also get this, and they need to be more aware of the symptoms.”

Mrs Duffy is one of 41,000 people in the UK who are diagnosed with the disease every year and charity Breast Cancer Care is urging people who have been affected by the disease to send in their photographs.

Every photograph will be displayed online and will become part of a record-breaking gallery exhibition to be launched in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

Former Radio One DJ Zoe Ball decided to support the campaign, because her friend was diagnosed with the disease.

She said: “If, like me, you have been touched by breast cancer, please join me in supporting this campaign and send in your photo and help others to understand the scale of the disease.”

“This powerful campaign has received thousands of photos, but we still need plenty more.”

To find out more about breast cancer or how to include a photograph in 41,000 Faces, visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call 0808 800 6000.

Source: Scotsman News

Sheryl Crow’s cancer studies are starting to make her paranoid that she will never really be free of the disease.

The rocker fought breast cancer earlier this year and has since been given the all-clear by medics, but studying the disease that devastated her has left her fearing the worst about her future health.

She explains: “I dug into the Internet and tried to educate myself as to what I was looking at. Even though you’re treated and you’re doing all the things that you are being told to do I still wake up sometimes feeling like: ‘Is this going to come back?’

“The more I read about cancer, the more frightening it really is. There’s so many different kinds of breast cancer. There’s so much that we don’t know.”

The Cancer Research UK conducted a survey of breast cancer survivors and found more than half admit they have missed taking the scheduled doses of chemoprevention medication. The three most common reasons the women gave for not taking the medicine were: tablets hard to swallow, difficulty in coping with side-effects and the fact that drugs were a constant reminder of illness. In addition, some women simply forgot to take the prescribed medication in a timely manner.

Experts believe a lack of communication with women in regard to handling the side effects of drugs and the importance of staying with treatment the entire length of time prescribed to prevent recurrence, might be lacking. They also feel that more needs to be done to understand why women would willingly chose to discontinue or interrupt long-term chemoprevention drug treatment.

The study was a small one involving 131 women who were at least two years past initial breast cancer diagnosis, but I am certain that given a larger study researchers might realize the same findings. In my opinion, after breast cancer diagnosis — surgery, chemotherapy, radiation — or a combination of all three treatments — is not only a physical challenge but an emotional one. Once past active treatment, the resources and support for breast cancer survivors can fall off dramatically while the difficult issues of being a breast cancer survivor remain.

The idea of Casting for Recovery is to not just survive, but thrive.

It’s a program that puts together breast cancer survivors with fly-fishing instructors for a weekend retreat on the water, combining physical therapy with spiritual and emotional recovery.

Linda Keller, a professor of rehabilitation counselor education at Western Oregon University, knows a lot about both.

Five years ago, she became a breast cancer survivor and had to apply to herself the same lessons she teaches.

Keller attended the first Oregon retreat as a survivor in 2004.

She returned in 2005 — and will participate in the Sept. 8-10 retreat this year — as a “psycho-social facilitator.”

That’s a fancy term for doing everything from serving as a group counselor, activities director and cheerleader to providing a handy shoulder to cry on or a listener who’s all ears.

“You know, it gives you new eyeglasses to look through,” Keller said about her dual experiences. “It does weave into my conversations.

“Dealing with loss and adjustment to loss, and dealing with disability, and all that kind of thing. And now of course, it’s different now having worn the shoes myself.”

But fishing?

“I hadn’t been fishing since I was a kid,” Keller said with a laugh. “I’ve been involved with the YWCA breast cancer support group since I went through chemotherapy. That’s been about 4 1/2 years ago now.”

Eileen Hirsh of Salem, a longtime volunteer with the 10-year-old Vermont-based national Casting for Recovery program, came to speak to the group when the first Oregon retreat was set up, pitching for recruits.

“I said ‘It looks nice, but I don’t see myself fly-fishing,’ ” Keller said about her initial skepticism. “But I thought, “What the heck? I’m going to put my hat in the ring.’ And I was one of four from Salem who was chosen.”

The extended weekend of bonding and fishing at the Big K Guest Ranch on the Umpqua River had the intended effect.

“It was more than I ever expected,” Keller said, adding with a laugh about the transformation upon her return, “My husband though I was crazy because I was like, ‘I’m going out and buying my waders, and I’m getting my boots. And I doing this, I’m doing that.’ “

It seemed like a perfect fit from the get-go, said Kathie Larsen, the guest ranch director and part owner of the family run Big K, a working ranch as well as fishing lodge.

“It’s an awesome group, a wonderful group,” Larsen said of the annual invasion, adding that first year, “We had basically heard about groups like them, but not to where I really had an idea as to who they were.”

Now Big K is a partial sponsor, offering Casting for Recovery a discount on the stay.

That first retreat, Keller was one of the only participants to catch a fish and got a prize for the biggest.

And her reaction — going from mild to wild about the experience — is pretty typical, said Cathy Tronquet of Medford, one of the founders of the Oregon retreats.

“I’d taught fly-fishing to women for about 10 years, so that part of it was a no-brainer for me because I love to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport,” she said. “So this was my way of just giving back.”

Some of the 14 who are picked for the all-expenses-paid weekend have fished before, some are just curious.

All have a need to share, though.

“I see the connection with nature and the connection with, you know, your fishing buddy who’s down the way and does catch a fish,” Tronquet said. “And, you know, that whole spiritual connection with the outdoors is healing, and I’ve always looked at fly-fishing that way.

“Even before Casting for Recovery.”

For the volunteers, enough for one-on-one with the participants, the goal is pretty simple, Tronquet said.

“Our mission is to just spoil them rotten for a weekend, to give them a weekend where they don’t have to lift a finger, they feel special, they’re given an opportunity to do what they want,” she said with a laugh.

For some, it’s a lot more than the physical therapy that’s needed, Tronquet added.

“I know that first retreat we had a woman from the netherlands of Eastern Oregon who, you know, the doctor just lopped off her breasts and sent her home,” Tronquet recalled. “And she didn’t have any kind of support network.

“She was a phenomenal experience, just to see how much she just needed to laugh and cry and be with other women who have been through the same thing.”

Source: Statesman Journal

Derek Heasman, 74, a former head teacher of Bedmond School, will cycle non-stop from St James’ Palace in London to Holyrood House, Edinburgh, taking him up to six weeks to complete.

And he is attempting this feat despite having undergone major cancer surgery, in November 2004 and again in February this year, which resulted in two malignant tumors being removed from parts of his left and right kidneys.

Derek, who lives in Stanmore and taught in Bedmond from 1968 to 1978, is no stranger to epic journeys.

In April 2004, he cycled over 160 miles from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, and in May 2005, he biked 260 miles from Newcastle to Edinburgh – raising almost £30,000 along the way.

He said: “This cycle challenge will prove to me that seemingly unconquerable tasks can be achieved when someone turns their mind to them.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was determined to prove to myself, and others, that such a medical setback was not going to stop me living a full and active life.

“If my efforts can help to inspire others in similar situations, then every single mile will have been worthwhile.”

Derek, married for 43 years to wife Patricia, with three sons and 12 grandchildren, has devoted his life to helping young people, and received an OBE in 2002 for his services to education, which spanned a 50-year teaching career.

He is now the chairman of The Prince’s Trust Fundraising Committee and has raised more than £45,000 already in sponsorship for the charity. His cross-country journey will start at St James’ Palace tomorrow (Monday) and he will take in the sights of Windsor Castle and Sandringham before arriving in Holyrood Castle.

To sponsor Derek, visit www.princes-trust.org.uk/ derekheasman.

SOCCER legend Bobby Robson is fighting cancer for a fourth time.

The 73-year-old former England manager is having an operation on Wednesday to remove a brain tumor.

Doctors at first thought he had a stroke after he felt ill at a football match a fortnight ago.

But they found Sir Bobby, one of the nation’s favorite sporting heroes, had a tumor.

Sir Bobby said: “The tumor is in my brain, which sounds bad, but it is in a position where it can be removed relatively easily and it’s extremely small, the size of a grape.”

He has previously battled cancer in 1992, 1995, and in May this year had a tumor removed from his lung.

Sir Bobby was England manager for eight years

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.

Source: Forbes

The lump Billy Mayfair felt in the shower made him nervous enough to see a doctor.Then came a call from the urologist while he was at the Buick Open, asking that Mayfair return immediately. Only when he sat in the doctor’s office did fear set in.

“It was at that point that I got scared, because it was definitely cancer,” Mayfair said.

The good news — stunning news, the more Mayfair thought about it — was getting out of his bed Tuesday morning and driving to Medinah Country Club for a practice round at the PGA Championship.

It was 13 days ago he had surgery to remove his right testicle, getting the cancer before it had spread.

Six days ago was one of the best days of his life, when Dr. Gil Brito in Phoenix told him tests showed it was gone.

“Two weeks ago today, if you would have told me I was going to be here, I would have never believed it,” said Mayfair, who turned 40 on Aug. 6.

Cancer has always been a word that made him shudder.

A day rarely goes by without him thinking of Heather Farr, the LPGA Tour player who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24 and died four years later.

They grew up in Phoenix, playing at Papago Golf Course.

In 1992, they won the boys’ and girls’ divisions at the Junior PGA Championship.

“I remember the day I was in Hartford, Connecticut, when I called home and my instructor … told me that Heather was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Mayfair said. “I didn’t know much about it, but being around Heather and seeing what she went through and all that, I learned a lot more. It scares me, absolutely. And I miss her. I miss her terribly.”

In the waiting room the day of Mayfair’s surgery was Phil Mickelson, one of his best friends.

Talking about Mayfair on Tuesday, Mickelson said he was thrilled about Mayfair’s prognosis and amazed that modern medicine would allow him to return so quickly. Mickelson never said he was at the hospital.

“Him being there in the waiting room tells me what kind of guy he is,” Mayfair said.

The cancer was encapsulated, but Mayfair said he either must be tested every two or three months to make sure the cancer is gone, or go through two weeks’ of radiation and be tested once or twice a year.

“For now, I’ve got a clean bill of health,” he said.

In July, opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer. Although reported to have come through the operation well, all 2006 concerts were cancelled. At the time, he remained positive that he would return to performing.

However, less than a month later, cancer seems to be taking a terrible toll on Pavarotti’s spirit. Recently, in an interview with an Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, he is quoted as saying he believes cancer was punishment for his good fortune. In the interview, he goes on to say he cannot stand to hear his own singing voice.

“I don’t want to hear myself. If you invite me to dinner, and to please me, you put on one of my own recordings, I would walk out on you,” Pavarotti said.

Who can pass judgment on another for what they believe or how they choose to handle the struggle with cancer? No one. Too, we cannot be certain these are actual statements he made without speaking to him directly — the press has been known to exaggerate information.

Cancer is not a punishment. Throughout history, both saints and sinners have been victims of cancer. Although Pavarotti states he will remain optimistic until his death, it seems in direct conflict to the other statements he makes in the same interview, and I hope that those close to Pavarotti can intervene to bring more clarity to his thoughts about cancer and the fortunes of life.

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.