mCancer Talk: Coping and living with cancer

$10 million, three-year grant funds research to develop personalized treatments for advanced prostate cancer

Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), along with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), SU2C’s scientific partner, announced the formation of a new Dream Team dedicated to prostate cancer research.

U-M researcher Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D., will be the principal investigator on this new $10 million “Dream Team” grant from Stand Up to Cancer and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.  “Utilizing this Dream Team grant, we will be able to bring together great scientists and clinicians from around the world to join in the fight against metastatic prostate cancer. We hope this unique model of research will lead to patient benefit in the short term,” said Chinnaiyan.

The project involves researchers at seven centers and will focus on developing new personalized therapies for advanced prostate cancer. Watch the following video to hear about the scope of the project from those involved.

The researchers expect clinical trials to open in early 2013. The foundation of this project is based in Dr. Chinnaiyan’s groundbreaking discovery that two genes fuse together in about half of all prostate cancers. The researchers will use new sequencing technology that is already being employed in the Cancer Center to help target therapies based on the unique molecular makeup of each patient’s tumor.

Read more about the “Dream Team” and those involved.

Follow the Dream Team and get updates on their progress.

"There are a lot of things going on outside of a patient's control, and although my doctors give me choices once in a while, they're the ones who know the right way. Art therapy is a great environment to make my own decisions." -- Linda Westervelt (pictured)

Linda Westervelt enjoys making her own choices. Too often as a cancer patient, however, she has to leave decisions about her treatment and health in the hands of her doctors.

But when Westervelt participates in the art therapy program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, she’s in control.

“It’s nice to make decisions in art therapy, and it’s a good outlet for that,” Westervelt says. “There are a lot of things going on outside of a patient’s control, and although my doctors give me choices once in a while, they’re the ones who know the right way. Art therapy is a great environment to make my own decisions.”

U-M offers one-on-one art therapy sessions for cancer patients and survivors, led by Margaret Nowak, the Cancer Center’s art therapist. The sessions are designed to help patients increase self-awareness and cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences.

Nowak says that the dynamic of these sessions allows patients control they sometimes lack in other aspects of their lives. Sessions begin with a discussion about the patient’s health and well-being, and from there, Nowak helps direct patients toward an artistic avenue of their choice.

Read the rest of Creative Control — or check out our art therapy video casts and try it for yourself!  If you’re a patient, please call 877-907-0859 to make an art therapy appointment or to get more information.

Have you tried art therapy?  If so, please share your experiences with us!

Ten years ago, the average life expectancy of an advanced staged colorectal cancer patient was approximately a year. Due to advances in research, the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer has significantly improved the outlook of patients – more than doubling the average survival.

More important is the shift in patient care towards individualized therapies. Not only do we incorporate new drugs in the management of colorectal cancer, but we incorporate them in a smarter way. The availability of various treatment options has finally allowed us to choose the best course based on the goals of therapy, the characteristics of the tumor and what the patient can tolerate.

A uniform treatment plan for all patients is no longer acceptable. We now know what molecular markers to look for in tumors and how to use that information to select the best treatment options. This – along with a multidisciplinary approach incorporating medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgical oncologists – has appropriately raised the expectations bar.

Our goal for patients with metastatic disease is no longer just to alleviate symptoms or extend survival but to achieve a cure. Cures for metastatic colon cancer are increasingly seen in patients with disease that has spread to the liver, lungs, lymph nodes, and even in select cases with a solitary bony metastasis. True, curative-intent surgery following chemotherapy in this population is still limited to fewer than 30% of patients with advanced disease. But this is an improvement.

We have gone a long way but a lot more needs to be done. As we continue to experience further improvements in the coming decade through the approval of new targeted drugs and identification of biomarkers of drug sensitivity, a cure is no longer a myth – it is becoming a reality.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has designated March 22 Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day.

Her aunt died of colon cancer at age 72.  Her cousin died of colon cancer at age 49.  When her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 70, three years after being treated for uterine cancer, Paula realized it was time to act.  She had her first colonoscopy at age 41.  While the colonoscopy was normal, her doctor recognized that the pattern of cancer in the family was concerning and suggested genetic counseling.  Genetic testing in Paula’s mother found a mutation in a gene called MSH6, confirming that their family has Lynch syndrome.

Lynch syndrome is an inherited condition caused by mutations in any one of 5 genes: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2 and EPCAM/TACSTD1.  For people who have a mutation in one of these genes, the risk for certain cancers is increased.  Colorectal cancer is the main feature of Lynch syndrome. Other cancers that can be found in families with Lynch syndrome include:

• uterine or endometrial
• ovarian
• stomach or small intestine
• biliary tract
• sebaceous skin tumors
• urinary tract, such as kidney

Identifying families with Lynch syndrome allows us to intervene with screening and preventive options.  Colonoscopies every year beginning at age 20 can dramatically reduce the risk of colon cancer in people with Lynch syndrome. Read the rest of this entry →

Recently, an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pointed out that side effects from cancer treatment can last for years after the cancer has been considered cured. The article notes, “the LIVESTRONG Survey for Post-Treatment Cancer Survivors . . . found 98% of cancer survivors experienced a variety of physical, emotional and practical concerns.”  This can include fatigue, memory problems or lymphedema.

As co-director of the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Symptom Management and Supportive Care Program, Suzette Walker, F.N.P.-A.O.N.P. see the physical impact cancer and its treatment has.  The program offers a clinic which focuses on helping eliminate or alleviate the side effects of cancer and/or its treatment to patients – both current and former – are faced with.  About 40% of the patients seen by the clinic are referred to physical or occupational therapy .  They are working on focusing services to cancer patients so even more can be referred.  Many patient need help building strength, Walker says.  They are often referred to yoga instructors in their communities or provided with instructions on how to start a walking program.

If you are (or were) a patient of the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center and are experiencing fatigue, lymphedema or any other possible side effect from your treatment, contact the clinic at 877-907-0859.

To learn more, please read:

• Cancer-Related Fatigue
• When to Ask for Help:  Talking about symptoms is first step in treating them
• Clearing the Mind:  Coping with “chemobrain”

Free, life-saving screening key for women without health insurance

Cervical cancer, a disease that’s curable if detected early through a Pap test, is the cause of more than 11 deaths among women each day. In Michigan, where the state-wide rate of cervical cancer is consistently higher than the national rate, there is an increased need for screening programs, particularly for women who do not have health insurance.

The University of Michigan Health System will offer a free Pap test screening from 1-4 p.m., Sat. March 24, 2012 at the Briarwood building 2, Suite B, 400 E. Eisenhower Pkwy., Ann Arbor, 48108.

Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling the U-M Cancer Answer Line at 1-800-865-1125.

The U-M Health System Cervical Cancer Screening Project, funded by Verizon, will serve women over the age of 21 who have not had a Pap test in the last two years and do not have health insurance that covers Pap tests. Read the rest of this entry →

Stool, BM, feces, poop or number No. 2. There are lots of different names for something everybody does – but no one likes to talk about.

When it comes to screening for colorectal cancer, there’s no avoiding the conversation. But did you know there are take home kits available to screen your bowel movements for colorectal cancer?  Provided by your doctor and completed in the privacy of our own home, these tests are quick, simple, inexpensive and typically recommended to be done once a year after age 50.

Because it’s an uncomfortable topic, some people are embarrassed to ask the doctor about the test, or are hesitant because they are unsure what the test will be like. Others feel uncomfortable asking how to collect the stool specimen, or are squeamish about the process. Read the rest of this entry →

Turmeric is likely safe for most people, but it should be avoided during chemotherapy, radiation or blood-thinning therapies.

When faced with a cancer diagnosis, it makes sense to do whatever you can to make your treatment more effective and give your body everything it needs to battle cancer.  This includes supplementing your diet with vitamins — supplements — and even herbal products.   In fact, research studies estimate between 65% to 80% of cancer patients regularly use them.

The problem is, nutritional supplements, herbal products and cancer treatments often don’t mix. Certain combinations have the potential to cause serious side effects or may even reduce the effectiveness of the cancer treatment itself.  Find out more about this — including a chart outlining the good and bad about the most common supplements — by reading Help or Harm? an online article from our Thrive magazine. You can also find out more about herbal supplements and cancer treatments in this video.

Registration is now open for the the 2012 Women’s Football Academy.

The yearly event supports the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Patient and Family Support Services. The day is filled with learning the finer points of football from the players and coaches from Wolverines Football team – including 2011 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Brady Hoke. The Academy takes place Saturday, June 9. Register now.

Guided imagery is a gentle but powerful technique that focuses and directs the imagination. It can be as simple as an athlete’s 10-second reverie just before leaping off the diving board, imagining how a perfect dive feels when slicing through the water.  Or it can be as complex as imagining the busy, focused buzz of thousands of loyal immune cells, scooting out of the thymus gland on a search and destroy mission to wipe out unsuspecting cancer cells.

Numerous studies have shown guided imagery is beneficial because it:

• lowers blood pressure
• decreases stress hormones
• helps with chronic pain
• enhances sleep
• lessens side effects
• boosts the immune system
• improves surgical recovery

Guided imagery is available to University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center patients! To schedule an appointment, please contact 877-907-0859.

We also have a library of recorded guided imagery sessions available in our Guided Imagery Audio Library.  If you’d like to try guided imagery on your own, please also take time to read our Tips for Using Guided Imagery or the article, “Finding the Calm Within“.

If you’d tried guided imagery, we’d love to hear about your experiences!  Please leave a comment below.