Spotlight on Childhood Cancer: Carter Richards

In honor of childhood cancer awareness month SU2C has partnered with People Against Childhood Cancer (PAC2) to bring you profiles on a few of the many children and their families affected by cancer. Carter's mother, Christy Richards, shares their family's journey with Carter from cancer patient to survivor.

On May 9, 2008, my husband and I took our 8-year-old, Carter, to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. We were expecting to get some blood work done to find out why his blood counts were so low from a recent virus he'd recovered from, and be sent home. What actually happened was any parent's worst nightmare. The next eight hours were a blur as doctors expressed to us their "concern" over some "suspicious" cells. They admitted Carter to the hospital and we awaited the results of a bone marrow test. On Tuesday, May 13, 2008, Carter was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia).

The beginning of our journey was a whirlwind, full of navigating pills, steroids, and hospitals. The next three years seemed like a lifetime, and our lives were filled with things like,; chemo, ER trips, more pills, spinal taps, infusions and constant worry. I remember wishing that we could just jump forward and get to the happy ending when Carter would get to be a healthy kid again and be cancer free.  I could not stand the thought of this becoming our way of life and the burden this would place on Carter and his two brothers.

If we had missed the journey, it is true that we could've skipped a lot of heartache and pain; however, I prefer to think about the blessings and memories our family was able to make even in the midst of cancer. Holidays, trips, and birthdays that weren't ruined after all, they were just different. The people, all the people that helped us, cared for us, and cured us. Carter's brothers may have had a burden to bear while he went through treatment, but they shouldered it well and I hope, learned huge lessons from it.

It is September once again and we are so thankful to have Carter still with us proudly wearing a new title, survivor. After over 3 years of treatment, Carter took his last chemo pills on July 11th, 2011 and started his 4th grade year cancer-free. Two weeks after finishing chemo, Carter fulfilled one of his dreams by grabbing a helmet and pads to begin playing football. Our goal is simple and has never changed.  No child should ever have to walk this path.  We need cures and we need better, less invasive, and less damaging treatments.

Our family has pledged to continue to fight until no child and their families have to suffer from cancer. This month, our family proudly wears gold ribbons in support of childhood cancer awareness and encourages everyone to keep all these little warriors and their families in your prayers.

Visit Stand Up To Cancer ORG

In Treatment: A Conversation with Victor Aguilar

 

At 22 years old, Victor Aguilar of Moriarty, New Mexico was faced with a testicular cancer diagnosis. On February 6th, 2010 he underwent surgery to have his left testicle removed, and started planning for four rounds of chemotherapy treatment. On July 8th, 2010 he had surgery to remove another tumor and lost his left kidney in the process. Now considered disease-free, Victor still must go in for the next five years to get scans to ensure the cancer does not return.
What was your initial reaction to learning you had cancer at age 22?
Shock. Age didn't even come to mind at first. I just wasn't sure what to do with myself, and I didn't know how to react to the words, "you have cancer."
Had you ever met anyone else with cancer before your diagnosis?
No. But, after I was diagnosed I discovered that I had an aunt who was a cancer survivor. I asked her a few questions about what she went through, and she gave me some advice.
What was the hardest part about treatment?
At some points I got really bad headaches and I have had some side effects from the chemotherapy. But, the worst part was all the emotions I went through, and am still dealing with. I got really depressed. It's just hard being young and facing something like cancer, especially when you don't know many people who really know what it's like to go through it. I have clean scans now, but I still feel like I'm still fighting in the hopes that it doesn't return.
What helped you stay strong?
My family and my faith were the two things that really helped me get through it. I also owe a lot of thanks to my doctors and nurses who helped me through my treatments.
Did you see a change in how you went about your daily life and your relationships with those you're close with?
I got closer to my family. My parents and my sister were there to encourage me everyday. My extended family reached out to offer encouragement too. It really helped me through everything, knowing they were there.
What advice would you give to someone who is supporting a loved one with cancer?
Just be there, and be prepared to walk in their shoes to give them all the support they need. It's important just to be surrounded by love and support.
What advice would you give fellow cancer patients?
Always remember that life is too short to give up, no matter what age you are. I've seen older people dealing with much worse cancer diagnoses than I dealt with, and you just can't give up. Instead choose to fight and keep on living the best way you can.
I fought, and I'm still fighting in honor of everyone who has suffered a cancer diagnosis. Life comes and goes and I'm lucky enough to still have mine. I've had a few friends tell me that I fought my cancer like a warrior. I honestly think you have no idea how strong you are until you have no other choice but to get up every day and fight to live.

Go To Stand Up To Cancer Org.>>>

Cancer in the News: October 7, 2011

Posted by su2c on October 7, 2011 10:54 AM

Breast Cancer: Treatment is no longer one-size-fits-all
Tumors are discovered in the breasts of nearly 290,000 women in the U.S. each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Until 40 years ago, women were treated more or less uniformly, with radical mastectomy, radiation and some form of primitive hormone therapy, such as removal of the pituitary gland. However, as scientists have learned more about the molecular underpinnings of breast cancer, doctors have come to see it not as a single disease but as a family of ailments for which they can tailor therapies accordingly. This kind of increasingly detailed knowledge is transforming the way breast cancer is treated. "Breast cancer is a more complicated disease than we used to think," says Dr. Armando E. Giuliano, a surgical oncologist and co-director of the Breast Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. "By looking at the markers and molecular sub-types, we see major differences in how you might treat them." Now, some doctors are optimistic that by learning more about the molecular characteristics of breast cancers, they'll be able to classify them more narrowly and do a better job of matching tumors to treatments. They are hopeful this could help make certain types of breast cancer as manageable as chronic illnesses like diabetes one day.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-breast-cancer-treatment-20111001,0,1048617.story

New Evidence in the Connection Between HPV and Oral Cancer
Throat cancers caused by a virus transmitted during oral sex have increased significantly in the United States in recent years, researchers reported on Monday.

The virus is the same one that causes many cases of cervical cancer: human papillomavirus (HPV) Type 16. Researchers tested tumor samples from 271 patients with certain types of throat cancer diagnosed from 1984 to 2004. The virus was found in only 16 percent of the samples from the 1980s--but in 72 percent of those collected after 2000. The researchers estimated that over all, throat cancers caused by the virus have increased to 2.6 per 100,000 people in 2004 from 0.8 cases per 100,000 people in 1988. If the trend continues by 2020 the virus will be causing more throat cancer than cervical cancer. Doctors in the U.S. and other countries had already noticed increases in throat cancers caused by HPV, but this study offers the first definitive evidence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/health/research/04hpv.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=cancer&st=cse

Men May Need Screening for Colon Cancer Earlier than Women do
New research from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria suggests that men may need to begin colon cancer screening earlier than women. The study, published in the September 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that men were far more likely to have potentially precancerous lesions (also called polyps or adenomas) in their colon -- 24.9 percent of men compared to 14.8 percent of women -- and to have them at an earlier age. However, at least one U.S. expert says that screening guidelines don't need to be changed based on these findings alone. "There were very few people under 50 in this study, and all of those were referred because they have a high risk of colon cancer," said Dr. David Bernstein, chief of the division of gastroenterology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. He noted that all of these people would have been referred for screening in the United States because they were already high risk. He also added that while the issue might warrant further investigation, he doesn't see any need to make gender-based screening recommendations for colorectal cancer as of yet. Current colorectal cancer screening guidelines recommend that both men and women begin colonoscopy screening at age 50 unless they are told by a physician that they may have a higher risk of developing it.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/menshealth/story/2011-10-01/Study-Men-may-need-colon-cancer-screening-earlier-than-women-do/50619690/1

The Cancer Kiss Off: Getting Dumped After Diagnosis
Getting diagnosed with breast cancer is bad enough. But getting dumped by your significant other right afterwards is sort of like finding a piece of spoiled lettuce on your crap sandwich. Interestingly enough, people have actually studied this phenomenon and discovered that a woman is six times more likely to be separated of divorced shortly after diagnosis of cancer or multiple sclerosis than a man diagnosed with the same diseases. Researchers from three medical centers looked at 515 patients with various types of cancer and multiple sclerosis. Almost half of the patients were women. "The results were similar across all three cohorts," says Dr. Marc Chamberlain, chief neuro-oncology at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and co-author of the 2009 study entitled, "Gender Disparity in the Rate of Partner Abandonment in Patients with Serious Medical Illness." "We did find women who had abandoned male partners, but the differences were striking. There (were) a disproportionate number of partner abandonments in female patients."
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44709926/ns/today-today_health/t/cancer-kiss-off-getting-dumped-after-diagnosis/

More on Stand Up To Cancer:

Unmedicated Art

By Anne Sherwood Pundyk

"Poets understand that there is nothing of value without death. Without death there are no lessons, without death there is no dark for the diamond to shine from."

Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D., Women Who Run With the Wolves

In addition to being an artist, I am also a breast and lung cancer patient in complete remission (I never smoked.) Traditionally, within the healthcare setting, the physical body is the primary focus. During my experience as a patient, however, I have come to appreciate that much of what happens is within the subjective or non-physical realm. Doctors, nurses, and other staff are comfortable when addressing physical procedures and needs, but can be woefully inadequate in areas of the psyche. After my lung surgery, for example, I woke up with at least twelve tubes in various places. When my surgeon appeared to examine me and I made a rye comment about my situation. He didn't laugh, but instead checked my medication levels. Perhaps his assumption was that my light sarcasm was delusional, but it made me wonder what else he might be missing. More recently, a doctor overlooked my emotional shock at hearing the news of a potential cancer recurrence. Eager to get my signature on a form granting my permission to test tissue scheduled to be removed from my body, he failed to notice the ghost-like look on my face. I remind myself now, before going to every check up and procedure, that my doctors may not be attuned to my subjective experience and it will be up to me to defend myself. I try not to be concerned if I appear to be making too many emotional demands because I know that any denial of my feelings is really a form of refusal to engage with mortality.

"Comfort," a group art exhibition, is opening this month at inFUSION Gallery located within a chemotherapy outpatient facility in Brooklyn, NY. One of my works in the show, "La Chaise," is a painting from a recent narrative series, which refers to an image of a 17th century side chair from Versailles. (The other is a related video "100% Real Painting, Versailles" addressing a mother's wish for her daughter to live fearlessly.) While I'm pleased to have the gallery's audience for my work, based on my recent time in hospitals, I have a whiff of suspicion that the facility's curators might have selected the painting for the wrong reason. It contains the recognizable image of something French and decorative and I wonder if I should be concerned that I may be party to an institutional practice that I don't believe in: the artwork I've seen over the last two years in waiting and treatment rooms has been predominately painted or photographed images of trees and water or pink flowers - all things vaguely French Impressionistic. I correlate this work with healthcare service that treats the body, but sometimes ignores the whole person. Like the seemingly Xanax-inspired hospital artworks that abound, doctors who are unable to express empathy with the full spectrum of emotions elicited in their patients by a cancer diagnosis - especially facing down death - cannot provide real comfort to their patients.

What is lost in this emotionally numb approach to patient care? Getting a diagnosis of cancer causes disruption to every facet of one's life: physical, emotional, social and more. By denying a patient's most profound emotional response, key resources creating routes to important problem solving abilities are blocked. Montaigne wrote an essay called "To Philosophize is to Learn How to Die," which contemporary philosopher Havi Carel, interprets as showing that the benefit of trying to understand how we feel about death "...can help us live well by teaching us that life is finite and help us to cultivate appropriate attitudes toward our finitude." Fear and anxiety become forms of mental and emotional captivity. They impede our ability to tap into life enhancing forces such as curiosity and creativity and assert them to respond and adapt. Art that reflects the profound disruptions that come with illness can open possibilities for authentic audience responses. I have the highest ideal for the function of art in our lives; I am an artist, not because it is "relaxing" or "personally therapeutic" to make art, but because I believe art to be the keeper of our souls. Instead of avoiding the difficulty of life-threatening experience by hanging pictures of pink, sugar-coated cherry blossoms, artwork that "shows the diamonds against the black" will better serve patient's... just as will a doctor capable of taking into account a patients anxiety and fear. Ultimately, I know that despite its superficial similarities to generic hospital art, my painting "La Chaise" embodies a displaced physical presence intended to evoke not medicate.

Source:SU2C 

With You, We Stand: November 10, 2011

Andy Williams
Singer Andy Williams announced last week that he has bladder cancer, is undergoing treatment, but plans to return to performing in 2012. "You may have read or heard that I have bladder cancer. It's true and I'm currently undergoing treatment to deal with it," Williams said in his statement. The singer also told fans at a concert in Branson, Missouri, Saturday night, a reporter who attended the concert told CNN on Sunday. "But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this thing," Williams said, according to Tyler Franke with the Branson Tri-Lakes News. "They're kicking it, and they're winning more and more every year. And I'm going to be one of them." Williams, 83, shared the news during his Christmas Show at the Moon River Theater, which he founded in 1992, according to the theater's website. "Moon River" was one of Williams' most popular songs.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/06/showbiz/andy-williams-cancer/?hpt=hp_t2&imw=Y

Donna-Lee and Alexandra Lista
Donna-Lee Lista was having issues with a disc in her neck in 2006 and went for an MRI. "I went to an early morning appointment one day," the Montgomeryville woman said. "The machine had to be rebooted and they took shots of my neck and a little farther down and they saw something (in her lung) that did not look right." Her orthopedist suggested that she go for a CT scan, but reassured her that since she didn't smoke it was unlikely to be lung cancer. However, "they found a tumor," she said. "I was fortunate. There were no symptoms. I was caught early enough that it was operable. I proceeded very quickly." In February 2006, doctors removed the upper lobe of Lista's lung. She underwent chemotherapy and celebrated five years of survival this past May. Today, Lista is very active speaking and raising money for research into lung cancer treatments and education. Her daughter, Alexandra, 16, has joined the cause too. Alexandra, a junior who plays lacrosse for Mount St. Joseph Academy in Pennsylvania, started Laxers vs. Lung Cancer, a charity that sells hair ties and t-shirts to raise money to fight lung cancer. She decided she wanted to raise money for lung cancer after noticing that event after event at her school was devoted to fighting breast cancer. "It's a really big hit with the girls in the school and the other lacrosse teams," she said. "It's such a great cause." Since "it's happening to more and more people who haven't smoked, I've sort of made it my mission," Donna-Lee Lista says of her advocating for more funding for the lung cancer research. "I don't think anyone deserves this disease. There is such a stigma, it's hard to get funding." She's hopeful because some of the research into treatments and finding cancer-related genes is bearing fruit. "We are starting to make lung cancer not as taboo," Lista said. "Anybody can get lung cancer who has a set of lungs. That is the bottom line."
http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/mom-daughter-fight-lung-cancer/3943f4b743234602be1a426a4a36ce2f

The Finalists of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology
Saturday in Pasadena, a sharp group of local high school students, competed in the Super Bowl of science, vying for thousands of dollars in prize money and recognition for their research. David Cheng of Calabasas, Manoj Kanagaraj of Chino Hills, Daniel Chiou of Hacienda Heights and Barry Chen of Walnut were four of the 15 teenagers who spent the day at CalTech, getting peppered by professors about their work. The four young men along with Victoria Petrova of Torrance -- who will present her work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology next week -- were regional finalists in the annual Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. "Our future is in safe hands," said Tom McCausland, chairman of the Siemens Foundation, after watching the presentations. "We're kind of showing the best of the U.S. educational system, and what young people can do." Shortly before 9 p.m., organizers announced the winners. Angela Zhang, a senior at Monte Vista High School in Cupertino, won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for her biochemistry project designed to eradicate cancer stem cells through a controlled delivery of the drug salinomycin. This year, a record 2,436 students entered nationwide, submitting more than 1,500 projects. Regardless of the outcome Saturday, Kanagaraj's summer studying breast cancer stretched his already considerable ambitions. "I really do want to cure cancer," he said.

Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier, a small but tough, underrated heavyweight boxer from Philadelphia and one of the sport's fiercest competitors, died Monday night from liver cancer. He was 67. Frazier was diagnosed with cancer in late September, said his personal and business manager, Leslie Wolff. He had made several personal appearances since then. Frazier was best known for his ongoing battle in the ring to top his boxing competitor Muhammad Ali. Though there was lingering animosity between Frazier and opponent Ali for more than 40 years, their names became synonymous with each other. Ali and Frazier. Frazier and Ali. It was almost as if you couldn't say one without the other, said boxing historian Bert Randolph Sugar, who covered their amazing trilogy of fights in the 1970s. Ali, now 69, said upon hearing the news that Frazier was terminally ill, "The news about Joe is hard to believe and even harder to accept. ... Joe is a fighter and a champion, and I am praying he is fighting now." Upon hearing of Frazier's death Monday night, Ali said in a statement, "The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration. My sympathies go out to his family and loved ones."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/story/2011-11-06/joe-frazier-dead-liver-cancer/51118056/1

To add a note to Joe Frazier's star on the SU2C constellation or to launch a star for someone you love visit: www.SU2C.org/constellation

SU2C is inspired by stories like these and millions of others. Cancer takes one person every minute and to wait for someone else to save our lives and the lives of those we love is no longer an option. At SU2C, we believe that together, we can end this disease by becoming one unstoppable movement. The end of cancer begins with you.

Learn more about the groundbreaking research SU2C is funding and how you can get involved today.

Lily Jones (Princess Bean)

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Lily’s Story

Our little Lily Bean is a typical 5 yr old girl who finds great joy in the simple things in life. Lily is a girly girl who can hang tough with the boys. Jumping on the trampoline, getting launched sky high by her brothers, was her most favorite thing. She is graced with many gifts. She is a pure heart, kind and gentle and concerned about the world around her. She loves to sing and make music. She is hilarious, & is known to make many laugh their heads off.

During the past few months my “light and bright” Lily began to dim. Ever so slowly she began to fade a little bit. She wasn’t her usual chatty self for days at a time. Then she would bounce back strongly and then fade out again. She began to withdraw noticeably during the last session of swimming lessons in mid July, and that’s when her reoccurring fevers began. Not terribly concerned at first, (I mean it’s just a fever right?) I treated it like any virus or bug would be treated. Her pediatrician was baffled by what he called a FUO (fever of unknown origin). He ordered up an assault & battery of tests for Lily to endure all of which were negative! That’s when I sent out my desperate cry for help e-mail most of you received. The day after I sent out the e-mail, we admitted Lily into Phoenix Children’s Hospital where she was further tested and positively diagnosed with what doctors called the most “curable” and “easiest to treat” blood cancer, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. (pre-b ALL)

So…..good news, bad news. If you’re going to get cancer, that’s the one to get, apparently.
The response I got from family and friends, to this shocking news, was astounding. You guys banned together like an unstoppable army, marching in waves, bringing back-up reserves of love and prayers enough to annihilate any negativity or defeat, Hope and optimism was restored in my heart and I had courage and trusted in God to help us through this. Simply, I thank you all for your out pour of help, gifts,& empathy.

Her doctors wasted no time; Lily immediately started chemo, steroids, antibiotics, and received a blood transfusion, all of which her little body tolerated. We were assigned a social worker, psychologist, nutritionist, and a team of docs and nurses to ease us into this challenge of great proportions. Within 10 days, we were able to bring Lily home. Lily will battle this cancer and it’s recovery for approximately 3 years. That’s an overwhelming number considering that at times, a single day can seem like 3 years long. Not to worry though, so far her prognosis is good and we are backed by God and all of you. Once again, My unending gratitude flows out to each and every one of you. Seriously, I thank God that all of you are in mine and my families lives. Love, Tarah (mother)

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