For most NFL players, making the practice squad instead of the 53-man roster is a huge letdown. But for Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still, it was a sign of loyalty.
Smith’s four-year-old daughter is battling pediatric cancer and by being on the Bengals’ practice squad, Still still has health insurance.
This disease literally turned my world upside down in a matter of a day and continues to affect every… http://t.co/2h9l4nmtxm
— Devon Still (@Dev_Still71) September 1, 2014
Recently, a group of researchers under Wyndham Wilson and Kieron Dunleavy, both from NCI, carried out a new study which eliminates the need of radiation therapy while treating Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma, which is a rare type of cancer.
…
Presently, the results from this study have been quite encouraging and there is now reason to believe that it may be possible to treat cancer more effectively without making use of radiation in the near future.
Research is an important aspect for finding ways to combat cancer. Many events that are conducted in places like Chicago and Mackinaw in Illinois by Lungevity to fund research and help find better cure.
Although pediatric cancer research is making great strides, a funding shortage threatens further progress in this lifesaving field.
In one groundbreaking trial, researchers injected a young college student’s brain tumor with a form of the polio virus. Because she had previously received the polio vaccine, the girl’s body began to fight the tumor. Once the size of a lime, it’s now the size of a pea.
“When you hear a story like that, it sends chills up your spine,” said Jay Scott, co-executive director of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
But scientific breakthroughs can occur only if medical research receives sufficient funding
…
Next month, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is teaming up with Northwestern Mutual to host its second Young Investigators Summit and inspire a new generation of pediatric cancer researchers to find treatments and cures in this vastly underfunded field.
“Anybody who can do the math can figure out that kids are getting shortchanged,” said Scott, who believes that cures for most kids can be found within five to ten years.
Nine in ten pediatric cancer researchers say lack of funding is the biggest obstacle to finding a cure,according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual. And nearly a fifth of researchers are considering leaving the field, primarily because of a lack of funds.
“That’s a real eye-opener,” said Scott. “We don’t want to lose a whole generation of potential cancer researchers.”
Children fighting cancer won a big battle Tuesday in getting Times Square and other New York City landmarks to glimmer in gold, the color symbolizing the fight against childhood cancers.
Dozens of children, some in remission and some still fighting cancer, showed up to see the electronic billboards change over from advertisements to a message reading: “A day of yellow and gold to fight childhood cancer.”
They remained lit in the golden message for one hour.
Diagnosed with leukemia when she was 9, Heidi Hayes now speaks on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society
“The people I’ve met, the stories I’ve heard, have made me who I am today. I give back to the cancer world because I owe it my life. I would feel selfish if I didn’t give back to such a beautiful and strong community.”
After being diagnosed with Stage IV cancer at age 14, Laruen Bedesky has been fighting the disease as a patient for most of her teen years. It wasn’t until this summer that Bedesky got to fight cancer on an entirely new front — by working in a cancer research lab.
As an intern at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, Bedesky was able to run experiments and explore potential new cancer treatments.
Under the direction of cancer researcher Dr. Dean Lee, Bedesky, she was able to research the same kind of tumor — a type of brain cancer called neuroblastoma, she was diagnosed with in 2012.
To show support for “Connor the Crusher,” WWE will raise awareness for Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month throughout September with a special campaign. McMahon will turn her social media profiles gold, the internationally recognized color for pediatric cancer awareness, and will proudly display gold ribbons to show her support for finding a cure. Other parts of the campaign to spread awareness have not yet been revealed. Before campaign kicked off Sept. 1, McMahon published an article on Huffington Post Aug. 28 about Connor’s lasting effect on her.
NATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, 2014
– – – – – – –
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Each year, pediatric cancer interrupts the childhood and limits the potential of thousands of young Americans. It is estimated that almost 16,000 of our daughters and sons under the age of 20 will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and it remains the leading cause of disease-related death for children. This month — in honor of these young patients, their loved ones, and all those who support them — we rededicate ourselves to combating this devastation.
Critical research has led to real progress in the fight against pediatric cancer. Improvements in treatment and increased participation in clinical trials have helped decrease mortality rates for many types of childhood cancer by more than 50 percent over the past 30 years. These gains remind us of the importance of supporting scientific advances, and give us hope for a future free from cancer in all its forms. My Administration continues to invest in long-term research efforts that will build on this progress. As part of this commitment, earlier this year I signed the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, which established the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund. I continue to call on the Congress to invest the millions of dollars available in this Fund to support the urgent medical innovation that could lead to life-changing breakthroughs.
As we continue to pursue medical advances, the Affordable Care Act is improving families’ access to quality, affordable health coverage. Childhood cancer can occur suddenly, with no early symptoms, and regular medical checkups can help detect pediatric cancer at an early stage. The Affordable Care Act helps millions of families access this essential medical care, and new protections eliminate annual and lifetime dollar limits on coverage. Insurance companies are also prohibited from denying coverage due to a history of cancer, or any other pre-existing condition, and from denying participation in an approved clinical trial for any life-threatening disease.
During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, our Nation comes together to remember all those whose lives were cut short by pediatric cancer, to recognize the loved ones who know too well the pain it causes, and to support every child and every family battling cancer each day. We join with their loved ones and the researchers, health care providers, and advocates who support them as we work toward a tomorrow where all children are able to pursue their full measure of happiness without the burden of cancer.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2014 as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I encourage all Americans to join me in reaffirming our commitment to fighting childhood cancer.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
BARACK OBAMA
A co-ordinated campaign by The Alliance for Childhood Cancer and the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer
Research funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has played a role in every major advance related to cancer prevention, detection and treatment, as well as contributing to breakthroughs for many other diseases. We recognize that Congress is facing difficult budget decisions, but reductions in funding the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will lead to the decrease of purchasing power and slowing advances in cancer prevention and treatment.
The teenage years can be tough enough under the best of circumstances. But when cancer invades an adolescent’s life, the challenges grow exponentially.
When the prospects for treatment are uncertain, there’s the fear of dying at so young an age. Even with an excellent chance of being cured, teenagers with cancer face myriad emotional, educational and social concerns, especially missing out on activities and losing friends who can’t cope with cancer in a contemporary.