Andrea's Buddy Blog

44-year survivor Ardith Kramer

AndreaRoane — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:36:00 GMT

Hi Buddies,

    Just received this note from Lynn Henson, the daughter of 80-year old Ardith Kramer. Ardith is a 44 year breast cancer survivor. After laying dormant for decades, a cell from the same breast cancer from years before was found in her femur. Lucky for Ardith---she slipped on the ice about 5-years ago.
    At that tiime, I profiled 2-time survivor Ardith for Buddy Check 9. I have also had the pleasure of calling her to everyone's attention at the Parade Of Survivors before the Komen Race For The Cure. I am happy top say Ardith, husband Abe and the rest of the family were again at this year's race.
     Here's the latest update on Ardith from her daughter Lynn:

"For the FIRST time in the five years since her breast cancer metastasized to the bone, my mother's (Ardith Kramer) bone scan showed that the cancer has DIMINSHED in intensity and no new signs of activity are evident. Thank you, Andrea, for all you do in terms of breast cancer awareness!!"

Congratulations to Ardith Kramer for proving you can survive and thrive after breast cancer, not once but twice!!! Buddies please keep Ardith and all other Buddies in your thoughts & prayers.

Ardith & Abe Kramer

New Breast Cancer Drug Promising

AndreaRoane — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:15:00 GMT

Hi Buddies,

I found this interesting story from the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation on a new breast cancer drug that's offering some promising results. Read and then share this article with your Buddy.
Andrea

-----Dr. Eric Winer, Komen Chief Scientific Advisor, shares the results of two important studies that are likely to change breast cancer treatment in the years ahead. Both of these studies are preliminary, and neither will change treatment approaches for many months to come, but the findings of each were very promising.

PARP Inhibitors
Both trials focused on the clinical use of the PARP inhibitors. PARP stands for Poly(ADP-Ribose)polymerase, which is an enzyme that is involved in the repair of DNA. DNA is, of course, the building block of the genetic code in each and every one of the cells in the human body. When DNA becomes damaged, our cells have a variety of ways of trying to repair it, allowing the cell to survive. Of importance, some chemotherapy drugs damage DNA and resistance to chemotherapy can develop if the cell is very efficient in repairing the damage. In addition, when women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations develop breast cancer, those breast cancer cells have particular difficulty repairing DNA.

PARP Inhibition with Chemotherapy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
In one of the clinical trials, approximately 120 women with metastatic triple negative breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive either two chemotherapy drugs – carboplatin and gemcitabine – or those same two drugs in conjunction with the PARP inhibitor, BSI-201. The PARP inhibitor was administered intravenously four times every three weeks, but it did not appear to have significant side effects or make the side effects from the chemotherapy any more severe. The rationale behind the study design is that the chemotherapy would cause DNA damage in the triple negative breast cancer cells and that the PARP inhibitor would help prevent the cell from repairing the damage, leading to cell death. Although the study was quite small, it nevertheless demonstrated that the use of the PARP inhibitor increased the effectiveness of the chemotherapy, allowing women to have their cancer remain under control for a longer period of time. In addition, the women who received the PARP inhibitor actually had an improvement in survival of several months.

The next steps: The findings from the study described above must still be reviewed as preliminary. While they give us great hope that a new treatment may soon be available for women with triple negative breast cancer, the results need to be confirmed. The sponsor of the trial, BiPar Pharmaceuticals, is about to launch a larger study which will also randomize women to chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus BSI-201. In this study, however, any women whose cancer gets worse on chemotherapy alone will be able to receive the PARP inhibitor, and this “cross-over” should make the study very appealing to many women with triple negative metastatic breast cancer. The study is likely to open at many centers around the country this summer, and it is hoped that it will provide a definitive answer in the next year or so. At the moment, BSI-201 is not available outside of studies, but if the findings from the second study remain promising, it is very likely that the drug will be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

PARP Inhibition in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer and BRCA1/2 Mutations
In a second study, another PARP inhibitor, Olaparib, was evaluated in 54 women with metastatic breast cancer who had a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Since BRCA1 and BRCA2 are involved in DNA repair, cells that do not contain BRCA1 or BRCA2 (which is the case in cancers that develop in women with mutations) are thought to be particularly sensitive to PARP inhibition since they rely on PARP to assist with DNA repair.

A total of 54 women with metastatic breast cancer and BRCA1 or 2 mutations were treated with Olaparib at one of two doses. Olaparib was administered as a single agent, meaning that there was no chemotherapy given during the course of the study and women did not receive other anti-cancer therapy. Approximately 40% of women who received the higher dose of Olaparib had significant shrinkage of their cancer, and shrinkage was seen both in women with BRCA1 mutations and in those with BRCA2 mutations. Although improvement was seen in some women who received the lower dose, there was the suggestion that the higher dose was more effective and this is the dose that will be used in subsequent studies. Because this was not a randomized trial (all of the women received Olaparib), it is not possible to determine if the treatment extended survival.

What’s next?
The results with Olaparib are also very encouraging. Additional studies will be needed to confirm these results. The study sponsor, AstraZeneca, is planning a large study in women with mutations. The exact design of this study is still under discussion, but even if some women do not initially receive Olaparib as part of the study, all women on the study will ultimately be able to be treated with the drug. It is hoped that the next study with Olaparib will lead to approval of the drug by the Food and Drug Administration.

At this time, it is not known if Olaparib will be useful in women with non-inherited triple negative breast cancer or other forms of the disease. To date, only limited studies have attempted to combine Olaparib with chemotherapy. It is hoped that research conducted in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations will ultimately be useful to a much larger group of women with breast cancer. That said, it is worth keeping in mind that as many as 9,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the United States have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, so even this rare problem affects a surprisingly large of individuals.

Summary
The PARP inhibitors are a very exiting new class of drugs. While the results of studies are preliminary, and only 114 women were treated with PARP inhibitors in these studies, many of us are extraordinarily encouraged. These trials will immediately lead to additional trials, and it is hoped that these additional trials will result in FDA approval of one or both of these agents. If women with breast cancer have questions about PARP or the available trials, they should speak with their medical oncologist.

For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, please visit

www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN

Fashion Targets Summer Fridays---For The Cure --- Impact!!!!! Make One!!!!!

AndreaRoane — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:13:00 GMT

CFDA & NET-A-PORTER.COM

FASHION TARGETS SUMMER FRIDAYS
Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, a program of The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), are teaming up for “Fashion Targets Summer Fridays.”

This initiative features a limited-edition, Ralph Lauren-designed Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC) polo shirt available for purchase at NET-A-PORTER.COM and an invitation for women nationwide to wear their FTBC polos on “Summer Fridays” beginning July 3, 2009 to September 25, 2009. The polo shirts come in five summer colors (yellow, green, red, white, and blue), in sizes XS – XL, and retail for $55.00. Of the polo’s sales price, Komen for the Cure will receive $33.00 and Fashion Targets Breast Cancer will $11.00.

Program Information

Benefit to Komen for the Cure: $33.00 contribution per polo shirt
Suggested Retail: $55.00
Product Available for Purchase: NET-A-PORTER.COM
Program Active: July 3, 2009 to September 25, 2009
Total number of years for program: New in 2009

Visited by Others

Breast cancer treatments impact work status

AndreaRoane — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:49:00 GMT

Hi Buddies,

         Sharing this story from Reuters Health on Working Women & Breast Cancer. Please share the findings with your Buddy & let me know what you think.
          Andrea

         Among working women with newly diagnosed breast cancer, those treated with chemotherapy appear more likely to experience a major change in work status, study findings suggest.

By contrast, radiation therapy was not associated with a similar risk, Dr. Michael J. Hassett, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and colleagues report in the journal Cancer.

Hassett's team used a large health insurance claim database to identify 3233 insured women, younger than 64 years old, who were working full or part time when first diagnosed with breast cancer between 1998 and 2002.

Overall, about 54 percent underwent chemotherapy and 58 percent underwent radiation therapy.

Most of the women did "not experience a significant change in their employment after cancer diagnosis and treatment," Hassett told Reuters Health.

However, of the 6.6 percent who did have a change in work status, those receiving chemotherapy had 1.8-fold greater risk of leaving work, retiring, or going on long-term disability over the subsequent year, he and colleagues found.

Of the women who experienced a change in employment during the year after their diagnosis, 67 percent went from full-time work to early retirement. The rest went from full-time employment to long-term disability, retirement, or their status was unknown.

When the investigators allowed for factors associated with employment status, such as type of breast cancer, treatment, and health insurance plan, plus region, age, and other medical conditions, only chemotherapy treatment and older age were associated with greater risk of a change in employment.

"Most of the women in our study worked for large employers that sponsored health insurance programs for their employees," Hassett added. He and colleagues call for further investigations to assess the impact cancer diagnosis and treatments have on women who work for smaller companies or are self-employed

Community Innovators - Prime Time Sister Circles

AndreaRoane — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:13:00 GMT

On 9News Now @ 9AM, Wednesday morning, Dr. Marilyn Gaston and Dr. Gayle K. Porter talked about their recognition by President Barack Obama at the White House for being Community Innovators. The women instituted Prime Time Sister Circles.
The Prime Time Sister Circles is designed to improve healthy lifesytle choices for African American women in midlife.
20-women will meet with a facilitator and experts to help them learn to decrease stress, improve nutrition, increase physical exercise, and manage their weight. Each week of the 12-week session, every woman will receive 10-dollars for transportation and homework completion.

Marilyn Gaston, M.D. and Gayle Porter, Psy.D

Dr. Gaston, a former 2-star admiral with the U-S Public Health Service, breast cancer survivor and co-developer of PTSC with Gayle Porter, Psy.D, says the health outlook for African-American women is far worse than for women in any other ethnic group, even worse than for black men.
And Dr. Porter says, the diseases that kill African-American women in greater numbers than other women, are all preventable.
The PTSC has been documented as an effective intervention to change health knowledge, attitudes and behavior, and to sustain these changes over 12-months.
If you are an African-American woman, 40-years and older who lives in DC Wards 1,4,5,6,7 and 8, sign up for this life saving program.

For more information call: 301-765-1942 or visit their website: www.GastonandPorter.org

It's hard to be Healthy & Human says Dr. Gaston. But P-T Sister Circles can help you prioritize your health for the good of you and your entire family.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

AndreaRoane — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:28:00 GMT

Hi Buddies

           I have received several emails asking me to tell viewers about a cancer that acts like no other...It's Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Luckily, I was way ahead of them. I first reported on IBC in the late 1990s. Jonne Ruddy was featured in that first report and we have continued to follow her over the years.
         I have also reported on other IBC patients on air. Plus, there's a profile of a young mother telling her IBC story in her own words, on my Blog.
I have also profiled IBC researcher Dr. Claude Sportes and there's information on how you can take part in an IBC Clinical trial at the National Cancer Institute @ NIH.
            But this story bears repeating. Even with all of our coverage on Buddy Check 9 and elewhere, there are more women who have never heard of IBC than have heard or seen it.

This is the cancer that you see on the outside of the breast, not feel something on the inside of the breast. Women complain first of pain, then heavy swollen, reddened, puckled breast. Many say it looks like an orange when it starts to go bad. IBC is often mistaken for something else. By the time IBC is diagnosed, it is usually at a much later stage, giving the patient a poor prognosis for survival. Early Detection does not play a role in this form of cancer..
        IBC affects women, even some men, but more younger black women are diagnosed with IBC than white women.
         An 8-million dollar Komen Foundation Promise Grant is now funding a multi-year study at the M.D. Anderson Medical Center's Walsh IBC Center in Houston, TX.
         Results from previous research have helped to significantly extend the life of many women diganosed with IBC. This infusion of money & resources could lead to finding the cause and cure.

            Yes, these photos of breasts with IBC are disturbing, but they are the only way for you to understand how this disease acts.
          Learn more about IBC in my Buddy Check 9 report on 9 News at 5AM on Tuesday, June 2nd.
            Remember, the money you raise when you register for the Komen Global Race For The Cure, can help make an impact.

MAKE AN IMPACT !!!!! Register Today

AndreaRoane — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:05:00 GMT

Hi Buddies,

Here's an important reminder from the Komen For The Cure Foundation and Buddy Check 9.

Time is running out. The last day to register online for the Komen Global Race For The Cure will be June 3rd. After that, you will need to register in-person at the Department of Commerce on June 4th or 5th. You must register in advance of the Race. We will be unable to register participants on-site on the day of the Race. We don't want you to miss out on what is sure to be an incredible and inspiring celebration.

Important note: After you complete online registration, you must print you confirmation email and bring it with you to “Event Kit Pick-Up” at the Department of Commerce (see dates/times listed below) to pick up your official Race T-shirt and bib.

If you prefer, you may also download and print this registration form, complete it, and bring it to “Late Registration” at the Department of Commerce at the dates/times listed below.

“Late Registration” and “Event Kit Pick-Up” at Department of Commerce:
Tuesday, June 2
12:00 pm 7:00 pm

Wednesday, June 3
11:00 am 7:00 pm

Thursday, June 4
11:00 am - 7:00 pm

Friday, June 5
7:00 am - 1:00 pm

Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230

Getting there: Enter on 14th Street, just north of Constitution. (Dept. of Commerce is in the same building as the Aquarium.)

Parking info: There is no onsite parking due to construction. There is a paid parking garage available at the Reagan Center or the National Theatre (13th & Pennsylvania). Street parking is available, but limited.

We appreciate your past support and would love to have you join us again this year.

Sincerely,

The Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure Team

P.S. Remember: Last day to register online is June 3rd. Register today! Then print your email confirmation and come to Department of Commerce to pick up your official “Event Kit” (which contains your Race T-shirt & bib).

Breaking DOwn Barriers

AndreaRoane — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:40:00 GMT

Good Morning Buddies,

     I've been so busy working on scripts leading up to the Komen Global Race For The Cure, I've been negligent in my Blog writing.

     If you have not registered for the June 6th race on the National Mall, do it now. Make An Impact!!!!!!  We have a link on the Buddy Check 9 page and on the front page at wusa9.com.
75% of monies raised go to programs in our area like Breaking Down Barriers., This support program at the Washington Cancer Institute at Washington Hospital Center recieved a 700-thousand dollar grant from Komen. The aim is to break down any barriers to health care for African-American women and Latinas. While these women have a lower incidence of breast cancer, they have one of the highest mortality rates in the nation.
   If you missed my report at 5:30 this Thursday morning, you can see the video on the Buddy Check 9 page under FEATURES.

     And this heads up, tomorrow, Friday the 29th, I'll report on the new technology that's helping doctors spot cancer in high risk women at the earliest stage...even before it might be seen on a mammogram. It's called Gamma Imaging.
      Plus, next week look for reports every day as we count down to the Komen Global Race for the Cure Saturday, June 6. Topics will cover Inflammatory Breast Cancer; you'll meet a young woman who never imagined she'd hear a cancer diagnosis; we'll hear from members of the largest international team running & walking in the race;

plus an inspiring message from Susan G. Komen For the Cure founder, Amb. Nancy Brinker.
     Tune in all next week on 9 News Now @ 5AM.

Survivors Offering Support

AndreaRoane — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:56:00 GMT

Hi Buddies,

No one should have to face breast cancer alone. No one understands what the breast cancer patient is going through better than a breast cancer survivor. Putting the survivor mentor with a patient is the mission of Survivors Offering Strength.

This program was founded 5-years ago at Anne Arundel Medical Center by survivor Denise O'Neill. SOS is one of the newer support services now being offered at Georgetown University Hospital.

Debbie and Anne are mentor and mentee. They keep in contact mainly through emails & phone calls.

SOS pairs women based on personality, age, demographics, cancer staging & treatment options. These two admitted "Type A" personalities are used to being in charge. One thing they immediately shared was how breast cancer "brought them to their knees."

Now Anne has the benefit of Debbie's experiences with breast cancer to see her through the difficult journey ahead.

See their story on 9 News Now @ 5AM Thursday morning or read more about them on the Buddy Check 9 homepage under FEATURES @wusa9.com.

And there's an opportunity for you to make an impact. Register today for the annual Komen Global Race For The Cure. It's Saturday June 6th on the National Mall.

I'll be there along with other members of the 9News Now team.

You can find a registration link to the Komen Race For The Cure on the Buddy Check 9 page; agains that's at wusa9.com.

A Komen/ Washington Post Partnership

AndreaRoane — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:38:00 GMT

Hi Buddies,


          The clock is winding down to the annual Komen Global Race For the Cure. It's June 6, 2009 on the National Mall.

Still haven't signed up for the walk & run? Well, here's your chance to register in-person for the Race for the Cure!
Gather up your friends, family, and fellow team members and head over to the Washington Post next Monday, May 18, for a special registration event!

Mark your calendar!

Monday, May 18th
12pm - 8pm
The Washington Post - Community Room
1150 15th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20071
Click here for directions

Please note:

You will not receive

your Event Kit (Race T-shirt and Race bib) at time of registration. Instead, your event kit will be mailed to your home before the Race. To expedite the registration process, please download and print this registration form and bring it with you along with your check (if you choose not to pay by credit card.) Can't wait to register? For even faster registration (that is both easy and secure) register online at http://www.globalraceforthecure.org/. See you June 6th. on the National Mall