ClinicAid With Care Blog

Breast Cancer Patients Pay It Forward

Have you ever heard words like these from a friend or family member who is living with cancer?

“It’s really hard to ask for help. You want to be competent and independent. … And then, all of a sudden, you have to acknowledge the fact that you can’t take care of your daughter all by yourself.”

Just a year before turning 40, Judy Haley was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer that required an immediate mastectomy.

The procedure and the treatments that followed left her fatigued, nauseated and in so much pain that she couldn’t pick up her 1-year-old daughter or do simple household chores. She also struggled with depression because she needed constant child-care assistance.

Haley and her husband were both full-time students, so there were also financial concerns. The couple cashed in their retirement to deal with the crush of medical bills.

“I was really bottoming out emotionally,” Haley said.

That’s [...]

Girls Rule at Google Science Fair 2011

Not only were we amazed to see female participants dominate Google Science Fair, the tech company’s first annual global science competition, we were also elated to hear that all three top prizes went to projects related to cancer and asthma research – two things we care deeply about here at ClinicAid.

Out of more than 10,000 students between the ages of 13 through 18 who entered the competition from all over the world, three young girls took home the top prizes in their respective age categories.

Google Science Fair 2011 winners Lauren Hodge (left), Grand Prize winner Shree Bose, Naomi Shah (right) smile for the cameras.

In the 13-14 age group, Lauren Hodge won for her research on how different marinades could reduce carcinogens in grilled chicken.

Shree Bose, a 17-year-old from Texas, took home the grand prize for her work improving ovarian cancer treatment for patients who have built up a [...]

A Doctor’s Advice to Cancer Patient: Practice the “Super 6″ Healthy Life Habits

You might have recently watched the film "Super 8" by Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams in theaters. But did you know that there are six factors, or habits, that will very likely add years to your life, and life to your years? Dr. David L. Katz calls these habits the "Super 6" factors for healthy living.

New ‘Liquid Biopsy’ Blood Test: Cancer Screening Breakthrough?

A new ‘liquid biopsy’ blood test promises to detect a single cancerous cell among a billion cells. The test, which is being developed by drug giant Johnson & Johnson, is expected to be particularly useful in breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancer.

The company described the technology as a “liquid biopsy” that avoids painful tissue sampling and may be better than imaging scans for the regular monitoring of patients. The test equipment consists of a piece of plastic studded with tens of thousands of bristles coated with antibodies that attract cancerous cells, but not healthy ones. When blood is run over them, the cancer cells are made to glow, allowing the researchers to see them and test them. While the new test is sensitive enough to read a single cancerous cell, doctors say scientific data from more than one cell is needed before any medical decisions could be made.

Redoing the test [...]

Aretha Franklin Battles Pancreatic Cancer

Rourke/AP

Singer Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, it was revealed earlier this week, has pancreatic cancer. And though few details of Franklin’s disease are known at this time, the cure rate for this cancer is disconcerting.

Two in 10 people with pancreatic cancer live at least one year after diagnosis, and fewer than 4% survive beyond five years, the American Cancer Society says.

Little is known about Franklin’s condition, with media reports saying the 68-year-old had undergone surgery and was recovering at home. The three main types of treatment for pancreatic cancer are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, according to the Cancer Society.

Actor Patrick Swayze died from pancreatic cancer last year. His public battle created awareness of the fatal disease that has no early warning signs. That’s not to say there’s no hope or that the prognosis is fated to be grim. Read more about Patrick Swayze’s journey with pancreatic cancer.

Researchers are [...]

Never Too Late to Grow Your Mo! Celebrate Movember All Year ‘Round

Is that hairspray, or are you just happy to see me?

Calling all manly men! November is almost over. But it’s never to celebrate Movember, a celebration of self expression and prostate cancer awareness.

“Stache,” “pushbroom,” “soup-strainer,” “crumb-catcher,” “fanny dusters” — fun with grooming (or the lack thereof) can go on and on. The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember, when men all over the world are challenged to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a mustache. The mustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.

More Movember on YouTube

The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 down under over a few Foster’s beers, by Aussie men who decided to grew out their handlebars for fun. With all the subsequent attention that their lip caterpillars drew, [...]

Winner of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Remembers Patrick Swayze

Nobody puts Baby in the corner! Jennifer Grey, the “Dirty Dancing” star, was named the winner of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” on Tuesday night, fending off a late challenge from fellow competitor Bristol Palin.

November is National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. The achievement is especially meaningful for the actress since her most famous dance partner, her “Dirty Dancing’ costar Patrick Swayze, passed away from pancreatic cancer on May 19, 2009.

During a rehearsal with her “Dancing With the Stars” performing partner Derek Hough, Jennifer Grey broke down about the actor’s death from pancreatic cancer.

“I just missed him. It made me realize how fast time goes. He was young and gorgeous. And now he’s (sic) gone,” she sobbed. “It freaked me out.”

Remembering Patrick Swayze

“Patrick was one of the most fearless people I’d ever met.” – Jennifer Grey

With an illustrious film and TV career that spanned 30 years, Patrick Swayze was [...]

OCMMC ‘Fall Festival for Life’: Event Recap (Photos)

The fifth annual 'Fall Festival For Life' event on Nov. 13, 2010 was organized by the MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif.

Last Saturday, ClinicAid was part of the fifth annual Fall Festival For Life event, organized by MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. ClinicAid is the official clinical research partner of OCMMC.

Attendees of the health fair connected with physicians, nurses and administrators from more than 20 groups from the hospital, including Cancer Research, Cancer Rehabilitation, Breast Center, Pain Management, Complimentary Medicine, Hospice Care, OCMMC’s in-house American Cancer Society (ACS) office, and Pet Therapy. There were tons of food, music, and good cheers. We even got a visit from Fountain Valley Mayor Larry Crandall and Mrs. Crandall!

Visitors got an in-depth tour of the Cancer Center’s facilities and its cutting-edge technologies, like the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery [...]

Lung Cancer: Not Just for Smokers

We were moved by a number of candid responses to our previous post about Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Cancer epidemiologists estimate that 85%–90% of those who die from lung cancer in the United States were smokers – if you smoke, please consider quitting.

But what of the remaining 10%–15%? Some experts estimate that as many as 15,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer even though they have never smoked.

If never-smokers’ lung cancer were a separate category, it would be among the top 10 most lethal cancers in the country, ranking somewhere near ovarian cancer.

That fact is reflected in our readers’ heartfelt comments:

The fastest growing group of people who are being diagnosed with lung cancer are the never smokers. I am one of them. At 43 years old, and having never smoked a cigarette, I find myself with lung cancer, and I’m faced with the constant message that [...]

The World of Cancer Pathways

On a wall in the ClinicAid offices hangs a giant poster of an image very similar to the graphic above – an illustration of the myriad of pathways likely to be involved with different types of cancer. Cancer is an extremely complicated disease. We keep the poster up to remind our doctors and clinicians to think of cancer treatment options holistically.

The graphic was part of a presentation by Dr. Wafik El-Deiry of Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute at a recent AACR meeting on colorectal cancer and posted by our friend Sally Church at the Pharma Strategy Blog.

“The future may not be so far off as we think. The future is now.” — Pharma Strategy Blog

In the article, the author points out:

Imagine all those pathways that are overexpressed in any given cancer, some may well be mutated, most will be passengers, a very few will be actual drivers. [...]