6/6/2013 Former NFL Stars Team Up to Beat Lung Cancer at the Eigth Annual "Lung Cancer: Drive It Off the Face of the Earth" Golf TournamentRead NowSAN CARLOS, Calif., June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Former NFL stars Hank Baskett and Chris Draft are joining hundreds of lung cancer supporters at the 8th Annual “Lung Cancer: Drive It Off the Earth” Golf Tournament hosted by the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (LCF). The LCF invites you to be part of this event and help surpass last year’s fundraising goals. The tournament will take place on Monday, June 10, 2013 at Green Hills Country Club in Millbrae, Calif. “Lung cancer affects everyone regardless of their social status, age, race or gender,” said Bonnie J. Addario , stage 3B lung cancer survivor and Founder of the LCF. “In the last 45 years, 50 million people worldwide have died from lung cancer and we can’t just sit back and let this continue. This tournament will raise much-needed awareness and funds for medical treatments and studies for lung cancer patients everywhere.” Lung cancer hits home for both Baskett and Draft, as it does for millions of others worldwide. Baskett, who played five years in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, and the Philadelphia Eagles, is helping his father battle the disease. When Baskett’s father was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011 he struggled with treatment. After Hank was introduced to the LCF two years ago, they put him in touch with Dr. Ross Camidge of the University of Colorado, who was able to put Baskett’s father on a personalized treatment. Baskett’s father responded well to the treatment almost immediately and is living a full life today. Baskett recently hosted his own charity golf tournament in Rancho Palos Verdes and is committed to working with LCF to end this disease. Draft played 12 years in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams and the Buffalo Bills. Draft lost his wife, who never smoked, to the disease last year and has been working with the LCF and Baskett to raise awareness about the leading cancer killer in the U.S. “We are excited to have Hank and Chris back again this year,” Addario said. “They are making bold statements against lung cancer on behalf of those affected by the disease, and they are demonstrating a passion for the LCF’s goal to help turn lung cancer into a manageable, survivable disease.” Whether on the football field, the golf course or in real life, Baskett and Draft are fighting to raise funds for research and are setting good examples for lung cancer patients in all stages. Golfers and supporters are encouraged to join them on the private, Dr. Alister MacKenzie -designed championship 18-hole course. They will also enjoy a fabulous day of blackjack, margaritas, putting contests, prizes, raffles, auctions and an amazing homemade BBQ buffet dinner. The awareness generated by this golf tournament can’t come at a more crucial time. In 2013 alone, an estimated 228,190 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. And the American Cancer Society also estimates 159,480 Americans will die from the disease this year. The facts about Lung Cancer cannot continue to go unnoticed:
The LCF funds clinical research that leads to life-saving discoveries and treatments and provides critical support services and educational programs to empower patients, power progress and create hope. For sponsorship opportunities, please email golf@lungcancerfoundation.org or call (415) 821-9693. About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, education, early detection, genetic testing, drug discovery and patient-focused outcomes. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established on March 1, 2006 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization and has raised more than $10 million for lung cancer research. To learn more, please visit www.lungcancerfoundation.org. About The Chris Draft Family Foundation and Team Draft The Chris Draft Family Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation dedicated to strengthening communities by empowering families to live healthy lifestyles. The Foundation focuses on several initiatives with overarching themes that stress the importance of education, healthy lifestyles, character development, personal responsibility, self-discipline, and physical fitness. To learn more about the Chris Draft Family Foundation, please visit www.chrisdraftfamilyfoundation.org. SOURCE: Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation RELATED LINKS http://www.lungcancerfoundation.org 5/21/2013 Join the #LungCancer Living Room Tonight to Learn How Treatment is Getting PersonalRead Now Copyright 2013 About.com. A diagnosis of cancer is like being immersed in a foreign language camp you don't remember enrolling in. And that was in the past. As advances are made in lung cancer treatment, a whole new array of concepts and terms comes to light. You may have heard of terms such as EGFR and ALK, perhaps even KRAS... Thankfully this "new" language is worth learning about, and we're fortunate to have people like Bonnie Addario who have set out to make the education process easier. The most significant advances in lung cancer treatment - treatments that have actually budged the survival rate for some people in the last decade - have a lot to do with targeting genetic mutations in cancer cells. What's really exciting is that not only have these treatments improved survival for some people, but they're designed specifically for your type of tumor. It's interesting that cold hard science is reminding us of what we often forget in medicine - that everyone is unique and special. On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 you are invited to join the Lung Cancer Living Room to learn more. Sponsored by the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, the Living Room is a monthly support group (meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month) that covers topics that people with lung cancer are interested in learning about - in addition to being a place where you are not alone as you live with lung cancer. You can take part from your own living room on your laptop, or attend the group in person at the headquarters in San Carlos, California. The date: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 The time: 5:30 PM Pacific Standard Time Guest speaker: Paul Billings, MD, PhD. Dr. Billings is a physician, lecturer, professor, and consultant on genetic information. He will be discussing the road map towards precision medicine, and the role of Next Generation Sequencing and what it means to someone diagnosed with lung cancer. How to join the conversation: Click on Lung Cancer Living Room Live Streaming and follow the prompts. A concept that might be helpful to understand before tuning in is that there are many types of lung cancer. If I were to talk with 70 people with lung cancer, they would have 70 different types of lung cancer. Everyone has different mutations present in their cancer cells. And targeting these abnormalities not only hits the mark better, but does so without many of the dreaded side effects of chemotherapy. It can also help a little to understand exactly what a cancer cell is - and why they are so hard to get rid of. A difficult-to-understand concept is that cancer is caused by not just one mutation, but a series of mutations. There are often mutations that result in cells continuing to grow and divide when they shouldn't. There are often mutations in proteins that tell cells to stop growing. There are also often mutations in genes that code for proteins that tell cells to die (a process called apoptosis.) At the risk of being overly simplistic, the excitement over genetic sequencing is that these mutations can be discovered and overcome with new therapies. Example of medications that work in this way include Tarceva (erlotinib) and Xalkori (crizitonib.) If you're interested in learning more about the mutations and abnormalities in cancer cells - and hence, the approach that new medications are taking to treat it, check out: I hope you'll get the chance to take part in this wonderful opportunity. I'm very excited myself to hear the latest in treatments that can be tailored for those I care so deeply for with lung cancer. To join and "like" the Living Room community, go to the Lung Cancer Living Room Facebook Page. 5/15/2013 Join the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation for the Lung Cancer Living Room Support Group on May 21, 2013. Live Online!Read NowThe Lung Cancer Living Room welcomes Paul Billings, MD, PhD as their guest speaker on May 21, 2013. Dr. Billings is a physician, lecturer, researcher, professor, and consultant on genetic information. He will be discussing the road map towards precision medicine and the role of Next Generation Sequencing and what it means to someone diagnosed with Lung Cancer. For more information on Dr. Billings CLICK HERE Its going to be another great night, so BJALCF hopes to see you in person or online via Ustream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-lung-cancer-living-room-support-group For more information CLICK HERE or contact Danielle Hicks at danielle@lungcancerfoundation.org or (650) 598- 2857. Living Room Partners4/18/2013 The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Announces Partnership with Smart Patients to Launch New Online Community for Lung Cancer PatientsRead NowSOURCE: Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Fndtn New platform will allow patients to learn from each other, share reliable information farther and faster than ever before SAN CARLOS, Calif., April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (LCF) announces its partnership with Smart Patients, who today launched a free online community for cancer patients, caregivers and others to talk about treatments, clinical trials, and more. The partnership has one purpose – to empower patients. "Patients hold the key to unlocking the genetic code to curing lung cancer, so we're extremely excited to partner with this first-of-its-kind, easy way for patients and doctors to connect online," said Bonnie J. Addario, a stage 3B lung cancer survivor and founder of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. "The partnership embodies one of our driving principles: empowered patients live longer." The LCF truly believes that educated and empowered patients live longer and offers three key patient programs:
One of the founders of Smart Patients, Roni Zeiger, M.D., the former Chief Health Strategist at Google, will speak further about the online community at the LCF's Living Room support group in June. Today, Zeiger also announced the launch of Smart Patients at TEDMED conference in Washington D.C. "The Lung Cancer Foundation has been an early partner and is helping to seed the community where science meets social," said Roni Zeiger, Founder Smart Patients. "We're excited to provide a platform where the patient's voice is central and we can learn from their insights to move science forward even faster." About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established on March 1, 2006 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization and has raised more than $10 million for lung cancer research. To learn more, please visit www.lungcancerfoundation.org. About Smart Patients Smart Patients is an online community for cancer patients and caregivers. The community includes a clinical trial search engine that presents trial data from ClinicalTrials.gov in a patient-friendly format. The community platform has been in private beta testing since January 2013 and is now open to all cancer patients and caregivers. To learn more visit us at www.smartpatients.com. ©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. 3/26/2013 The Lung Cancer Living Room - Personalizing Your Care - Dr. David Gandara - Feb. 19, 2013Read NowIn his second visit to the Lung Cancer Living Room, Dr. David Gandara of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses how your cancer is unique and that your approach to treating it should be too. He talks about discovering your 'molecular fingerprint' and how that information will help guide you through your unique cancer 'journey'. He also talks about some of the latest findings regarding "Tumor Darwinism"- how your cancer's molecular signature can evolve over time, as well as some of the latest research funded by the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation using mouse models to test new forms of treatment. He closes with a discussion of the importance of getting involved in clinical trials. The bottom line he says is that empowered patients live longer. It is a visit filled with lots of useful detailed information, and a clear message of hope and progress.
Learn more about The Lung Cancer Living Room here. 3/20/2013 @bonniejaddario Responds to @consumerreports March Issue Cover Story #lungcancer #earlydetection #factsRead NowBonnie Addario Leading magazine downplays value of lung cancer screenings, to the detriment of advances in early detection research. SAN CARLOS, Calif., March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire -- The following statement was issued by Bonnie J. Addario regarding the March cover article in Consumer Reports: The cancer tests you need--and those you don't: "I am appalled by the March 2013 Consumer Reports cover story (The cancer tests you need--and those you don't), because of the misleading and misguided message it sends to people who really need life-saving cancer screening tests, and how it discredits the value and importance of proper early detention cancer screening tests. "The article's irresponsible reporting is best summed up in this statement on page 31: 'But most people shouldn't waste their time on screenings for bladder, lung, oral, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, skin or testicular cancers.' "Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted publications in America. Anyone, whether they know they are low or high risk, will read that statement and walk away believing early detection cancer screening tests are unnecessary. The six-page article mentions only twice that its ratings apply only to asymptomatic, low-risk population. "Shame on Consumer Reports. We are talking about people's lives here. "I myself am a lung cancer survivor. For more than a year I was misdiagnosed and not given an early detection screening test, even though I was in a high-risk category. When I was finally diagnosed I was stage 3B. Unlike so many others, I beat the odds. But my odds would have been better with an early detection cancer screening test. I founded the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation seven years ago to advocate and raise money for better research, education, early detection and treatment. Because something must be done. The stats are staggering.
"Cancer screening and treatment are certainly at a crossroads, as the article states. This is made clear as well by recent legislation to direct more tobacco settlement money to early lung cancer detection programs. But the article's irresponsible representation of the value of screening tests, I fear, might damage the progress my lung cancer foundation has made over the past seven years - just as we are making great strides. "People cannot readily see symptoms of lung cancer. Symptoms are deep in the lungs, unlike breast cancer, where lumps can be felt and are visible. When you are diagnosed with lung cancer it is often at stage four, when it's too late. "The Consumer Reports article makes only one responsible and thoughtful statement: 'Weighing the risks and benefits of cancer screening is best done in the context of a patient-doctor relationship.' "Consumer Reports should stay out of the health care advice business, and stick to writing about toasters and washing machines. I wouldn't approach my doctor about whether I should buy a Honda or a Ford. And likewise, people should not consult Consumer Reports to help them decide whether or not to have a potentially life-saving cancer screening test." About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established on March 6, 2006 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization and has raised more than $9 million for lung cancer research. Originally published at espnW.com on Dec 11, 2012 by Sarah Spain Kelcey Harrison, center, and Jill Costello, right, were lifelong friends, seen here with Gianna Toboni on a grade school field trip. [Photos courtesy of Kelcey Harrison] A couple of Saturdays ago, while you were watching college football or out buying a Christmas tree, 24-year-old Kelcey Harrison was running the last 20 miles of a 3,500-mile "jog" from Times Square to her hometown of San Francisco. Harrison, who graduated from Harvard, where she played soccer, is young, healthy and motivated. By the time she completed The Great Lung Run, she had logged 30 miles nearly every day for four months straight. Harrison ran because she can. And because her lifelong friend Jill Costello -- who was also once young and healthy and motivated -- cannot. On June 6, 2009, Costello, then a junior at Cal and a member of the crew team, was diagnosed with lung cancer. The disease was already at stage 4 and had spread; she was given about a year to live. Costello spent that year finishing school, earning Pac-10 Athlete of the Year honors, acting as vice president of the Panhellenic Council and doing tireless work for lung cancer charities -- all while undergoing chemotherapy. In May 2010, doctors told Costello she could not be cured; all they could do was try to make her last few weeks more comfortable. In those last weeks she walked across the stage at graduation (with a 4.0 GPA) and helped Cal to a second-place finish at the NCAA crew championships. "Jill was really strong," Harrison said. "She was really confident that she was gonna be the one to beat stage 4 lung cancer. She was very convincing in her argument; even at the very end we really believed she was going to be the miracle." Costello died June 24, 2010. Great Lung Run Kelcey Harrison No. 1 Cancer Killer A young, vibrant nonsmoker, Costello was the last person anyone would expect to get lung cancer. But 20 percent of the more than 20,000 women diagnosed with the disease each year have never smoked. Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer in the United States, taking more lives than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined. Despite the staggering stats, there are no pink ribbons worn or mustaches grown in the name of lung cancer. There is, instead, a stigma that the disease is self-inflicted; an illness brought on by a life of smoking. Research and funding is limited and the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 15.5 percent; it hasn't budged in 40 years. More than half of all people with lung cancer die within a year of being diagnosed. Costello hung on for 18 extra days. So Harrison runs to raise money and awareness about the disease that took her friend's life. The Great Lung Run has raised more than $150,000 for Jill's Legacy, an advisory board to the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, the charity Costello worked closely with in the months before her death. Darby Anderson, the director of Jill's Legacy, said at first she didn't think Harrison would follow through with her plan to run across the country. "I thought she was nuts," said Anderson, who was a sorority sister and close friend of Costello's. "I told her to call me back when she had an actual plan and then we would take her project from there. … [That] April I saw her in D.C. when I was there for our Jog for Jill Georgetown and she had a website, route, places to stay and was ready to actually make this happen. I was blown away." Harrison was up early every morning to jog her 30 miles, taking a day off every 10 days or so to let her body rest. She took a break to walk every once in a while, but never stopped moving until the 30 miles were finished. "It's just like getting up and going to work," Harrison said. "Sure there are days where it wasn't the first thing I wanted to be doing but that was my routine and my job at the time, so just gotta get up and do it." Harrison's not sure how, but after 3,500 miles, she feels OK. "I don't have an answer as to why I'm holding up so well," Harrison said. "It's a mystery to me just like everyone else. … People said they think I have the right motivation and someone special looking over me." Harrison ran solo for the first six weeks of her trip, pushing her belongings in a jogging stroller and staying with hosts who would pick her up at the end of each run and drop her off the next morning where she left off. Eventually one of her friends from Jill's Legacy joined her on the road in a donated car, driving her to and from hotels along the way. (The donated car, by the way, was a gold Chrysler 300 with 22-inch rims. When their first donated car lost its power steering the girls ended up at Oscar's Auto Salvage in New Mexico, hoping to sell it and rent one for the remainder of the trip. Instead, Henry, the shop's owner, offered his own tricked-out car for the final months of the trip.) Kelcey Harrison Just another day at the office Running more than a marathon every day for four months sounds nearly impossible, but Harrison said from the start that if Costello could accomplish as much as she did in her last year of life, all while being ravaged by chemo, then a simple jog across the country was nothing. "I spent a week with her on the road and she'd finish up her run and it was like she had just finished a day at work," Anderson said. "We would hang out, head to dinner, chit-chat and do completely normal things, except that she had just run 30 miles that day. … Kelcey has more courage and inspiration than anyone I have ever met and I am so grateful to have been able to just be a small part of this huge adventure." The last part of The Great Lung Run was across the Golden Gate Bridge to Crissy Field. The Cal crew team, Harrison and Costello's high school crew team and other friends and family joined in for the final miles. The official completion of Harrison's run took place last Thursday -- a celebratory cocktail party at St. Ignatius College Prep, the high school she and Costello attended. Harrison had been honoring Costello's memory with each step of her journey, but returning to a place where they grew up was difficult. "It's not hard to think about Jill all the time because she sort of turns into this image, a legend" Harrison said. "What's hard is when you find those moments to step back and remember Jill your friend. Jill who did Halloween costumes with me for 16 years of our lives. That's where it's tough. "It's become bigger than her, which sometimes is sad because you feel like you're forgetting a little bit of your friend, but in her last year of life that's really what she was aiming for. All of us at Jill's Legacy are really proud of what we're accomplishing but also really sad about [the reason] we're all involved in this." Harrison will wake up this week with no miles to run, no path to follow. She's no longer interested in attending law school, but isn't quite sure what she wants to do instead. "I'll take a little time to relax and then try to figure out what's next," she said. "I'm looking out for jobs, but I'll always be tied to our foundation and the cause of lung cancer. We'll always have jogs, bar events, restaurant things; anything to get more young people involved in lung cancer awareness. That will continue forever." |
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