Cancer Blog

Three American scientists have been awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The winners are Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California, Carol Greider of Johns Hopkins, and Jack Szostak of Harvard Medical School.

The three scientists received the award for their discovery of telomeres and telomerase.

Telomeres are the repeated sequences of DNA at the ends of chromosomes, which have been linked to cellular processes including aging and cancer. Telomerase is the enzyme that builds the telomeres.

The prize recognizes research that shed light on how our cells function, information which has become increasingly relevant to the study of cancer biology.

The three scientists will share a prize of approximately $1.4 million.

As part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the six annual Cupcakes for a Cause Week runs September 21-27 to raise money for CancerCare for Kids.

CancerCare for Kids is a program that provides free, professional counseling and support services to children affected by cancer. Parents and children can purchase flowers and cupcakes, or bake and decorate their own virtual cupcakes to help kids with cancer find support.

Floral retailer 1-800-Flowers.com is teaming with local bakeries to sell specially designed products to support children with cancer. Bakeries will donate proceeds from cupcakes bearing the smiley face icon of the CancerCare for Kids program.

1-800-Flowers.com will donate one dollar per person, up to $1,000, for anyone who becomes a fan of their company Facebook page, as well as 10 percent of proceeds from its specially designed Cupcakes for a Cause collection. In addition, 1-800-Flowers.com will make a one dollar donation, up to $5,000, for every virtual e-Cupcake sent.

Visit Cupcakes for a Cause for a complete list of participating bakeries and florists nationwide.

The Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC) is coordinating free or low-cost prostate cancer screenings for thousands of men across the United States during Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, Sept. 20 - 26.

For the past decade, PCEC has dedicated the third week of September to helping men detect prostate cancer early, when it's most treatable, reports Reuters.  To date the council has successfully scheduled more than three million screenings. This year they hope to perform more than 125,000 screenings at nearly 500 sites across the United States.

PCEC recommends 35-year-old men to have a baseline prostate health assessment, including a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and to establish a screening schedule with doctors that works for them. It will take about 10 minutes for trained professionals to perform both PSA blood tests and DREs during Prostate Cancer Awareness Week.

Visit www.prostateconditions.org or call toll free 866-4PROST8 to find the screening site nearest you.

What are your experiences with prostate cancer screenings? Share your experiences with cancer prevention at our Cancer Screening Message Board.

Vespa USA is showing its support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October by donating more than a dozen pink LX 50 scooters.

The pink scooters are being donated to a number of different breast cancer charities. The scooters will then be used to raise awareness and money for each charity's cancer fighting causes.

The program is being fueled by a partnership between Vespa and Lifetime Networks. LifeTime is celebrating its 15th annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign, "Stop Breast Cancer for Life: The Power of 15."

The limited edition pink scooters are also available for purchase at Vespa USA dealers.

For more information about the scooter donations, visit the Special Offers & Promotions page on Vespa's website.

A young boy looks to beat pediatric cancer on the kickball field.

Quinn Clarke, 9, partnered with the Cleveland Indian Charities to start "Kick It," a fundraising campaign that in two weeks has already raised $20,000 for pediatric cancer research, reports USA Today.

Quinn beat Rhabdomyosarcoma, a malignant tumor of the soft tissue, at age 2 only to be diagnosed last year with a rare triton tumor that's not treatable, reports USA Today. That's when he approached his mother about wanting to cure pediatric cancer through kickball. And his mother obliged by incorporating kickball into Flashes of Hope, a non-profit organization they started seven years ago.

Kick It began in Cleveland and is now in 36 other cities, including Houston and Washington D.C. Kids can register teams online from July to September.  Teams are then chosen to play in five games following the Cleveland Indians' games at Progressive Field in August and September.

Breast cancer research supporters can raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure by test driving a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle.

Ford Motor Company will donate $20 for every test drive, up to $1,000,000, until June 1, reports U.S. News & World Report.  

Donations are made in each individual test drivers name, which means he or she gets to choose which Susan G. Komen affiliate receives the money.

Anyone interested in having their test drive count for a donation should obtain a registration code at the Ford Cares website.

Completing the Boston Marathon on April 20 marked 59-year-old cancer survivor Win Apel's 50th race, edging him closer to the goal he set for himself when he was first diagnosed.

An Idaho native and New Jersey resident, Apel dropped out of the New York City Marathon after doctors discovered prostate cancer on September 11, 2001, reports the Cranford Chronicle. One year later Apel vowed to complete a marathon in all 50 states and in each of the seven continents.  

Completing the Boston Marathon as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team helped Apel satisfy his U.S. running goal, while also raising $22,000 for cancer research, according to the Cranford Chronicle. All that's left is the July race he plans on running in Australia, according to the daily newspaper Metro.

Watch Gene Lavancy from FoxNews', Boston affiliate WXFT, to get Apel's reaction after finishing his 50th marathon.

Philadelphia Daily News Columnist Ronnie Polaneczky celebrated spring and its new beginnings with a heart-warming story of a lung cancer patient who was finally able to marry his fiancé of three years.

Dave Williams recently married Pam Dooden at the chapel inside the Eastern Regional Medical Center of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The Pennsylvania cancer hospital is where Williams began cancer treatment in December. 

Williams and his new bride chose CTCA as a wedding location because the hospital gave them hope after local doctors exhausted treatment options.

Share your personal experiences and find support by connecting with other cancer patients, survivors and caregivers at the Cancer Compass Lung Cancer Message Board.

Cancer Compass is sponsored by Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) will honor 15 cancer caregivers with a prestigious national prize.

Since 1988, ACS has awarded the 2009 Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award to compassionate caregivers who make a difference through leadership, innovation and quality care to cancer patients and their families.

Read about this year's winners, who were announced this week in an ACS press release. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 8, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure added the term "Global" to its famous race title to highlight the "growing breast cancer crisis worldwide," said the foundation in a recent press release.

Registration began this month for the "first-ever" Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure. The 5k run or walk will be held June 6, 2009 on the Washington D.C. National Mall.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure expects more than 50,000 people to participate this year in raising more than $6.1 million, of which 75% will be used to help communities in the Washington D.C. area.