Army of Women/Love/AVON: Breast Cancer Medical Research Study

 

 

 In 2012, the Pearls Foundation for Women partnered with the Army of Women/Avon Foundation for Women (Love/Avon) to promote breast cancer awareness and breast cancer research studies. In 2013, moving forward, we will take our partnership into the communities with breast cancer screenings.

 

Current Research Study in the Southeastern Region

Beat Cancer Research Study

We need women ages 19-70 in East Central Illinois or the Birmingham, Alabama area, diagnosed with Stage 0 (DCIS), I, II, or IIIa breast cancer at some point in their lives. This study is evaluating the effectiveness of the BEAT Cancer program for breast cancer survivors. The research team will compare the effects of the intervention to usual care (written materials about exercise for cancer survivors) on short- and longer-term physical activity adherence among breast cancer survivors.

Researcher Edward McAuley, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL and Laura Rogers, MD, MPH, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham

Study Summary This study is evaluating the effectiveness of the BEAT Cancer program for breast cancer survivors. The research team will compare the effects of the intervention to usual care (written materials about exercise for cancer survivors) on short- and longer-term physical activity adherence among breast cancer survivors.

Who Can Participate? You can join the BEAT Cancer Study if you match ALL of these MAIN categories:

• You are a woman between 19 and 70 years old

• You have been diagnosed with Stage 0 (DCIS), I, II, or IIIa breast cancer at some point in your life

• You are NOT currently receiving (and do not plan to receive during the study) chemotherapy or radiation therapy (it is OK if you are taking longer term therapies such as aromatase inhibitors, estrogen receptor modulators, etc.)

• You have NOT been exercising, on average, more than 60 minutes per week at a moderate intensity or 30 minutes per week at a vigorous intensity for the past six months

• You are physically able to walk

• You do NOT have a diagnosis of dementia or organic brain syndrome

• You agree to allow study staff to request and obtain medical clearance for study participation from your primary care physician or oncologist

• You speak English

• You live near or are willing to travel (at your own expense) to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, IL OR University of Alabama at Birmingham

After you RSVP, the researcher will ask you additional questions to be sure that this study is a right fit for you.

What Does Participation Involve? If you agree to participate in the BEAT Cancer Study you will be contacted by phone to answer questions about your breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, medical history, and physical activity history. If you are eligible, and if you decide to join the study, you will then be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to one of two groups.

If you are assigned to Group A, the intervention study group, you:

• Will be asked to go to the study site to participate in 12 individual exercise sessions with an exercise specialist. The sessions will include stretching exercises and an aerobic component, such as treadmill walking.

• Will be asked to go to the study site to attend six discussion group sessions with a professional counselor. These meetings will occur in the early evenings on a weekday.

• Will be asked to go to the study site to attend three face-to-face counseling update sessions with an exercise specialist after you have completed the 12 exercise sessions.

• Will be asked to perform unsupervised exercise at home.

• Will receive written materials about exercise for cancer survivors.

• Will complete assessments at four time points: before you begin the BEAT Cancer program; after month 3; after month 6; and after month 12. The assessment panels include: a treadmill test; muscle strength test; measurement of your height, weight, waist, and hips; completion of questionnaires; a three-day diet record; wearing a motion sensor for seven days and nights [this small device (similar to a pedometer) measures your activity and is worn around your waist]; and recording the times you go to and get up from bed during the seven days you wear the motion sensor.

If you are assigned to Group B, the usual care group, you:

• Will receive written materials about exercise for cancer survivors.

• Will complete assessments at four time points: before you begin the program; after month 3; after month 6; and after month 12. The assessment panels include: a treadmill test; muscle strength test; measurement of your height, weight, waist, and hips; completion of questionnaires; a three-day diet record; wearing a motion sensor for seven days and nights [this small device (similar to a pedometer) measures your activity and is worn around your waist]; and recording the times you go to and get up from bed during the seven days you wear the motion sensor.

• Will receive the option of receiving tailored exercise recommendations and three individual sessions with an exercise specialist up to 3 months after the completion of the program.

The researchers need to enroll up to 256 women in this study.

Where? University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL and University of Alabama at Birmingham

Sonya Y. Young, CEO & Founder

Please visit www.armyofwomen.org and search Current Projects to sign up for this medical research study. Pearls Foundation for Women is a preventative healthcare awareness organization and a partner- http://www.armyofwomen.org/partners

Sonya Y. Young, AS, BA, MBA is a CEO, Entrepreneur & Editor of Sonya Young & Co.-PR & Marketing Boutique and the Pearls Foundation for Women & Girls, a health education prevention awareness organization. Sonya is a contributor blogger for the Army of Women/Avon Foundation for Women for breast cancer research and writes book reviews for Bethany Christian House Publishing and a Marketing Professor. She writes for Examiner.Com, as the Atlanta Non-Profit Business & Finance Writer. Former Newspaper Editor, Director of Corporate Communications and Director of Consumer Marketing.

 

 

Health Tip: Get Heart Healthy

If you want to improve your heart health, it may require a long-term commitment to changing your lifestyle.

The American Heart Association offers these heart-healthy suggestions:

1. Replace your bad habits with healthier habits.

2.Creating new habits takes time, possibly as long as 90 days.

3.Approach these changes as replacing bad habits, rather than as depriving yourself.

4.Create several small, short-term goals out of one big one.

5.Be accountable to a friend you trust.

6.Let yourself indulge every once in a while.

7.Replace TV with daily exercise.

Can we teach the immume system how to fight breast cancer?

Call to Action: Breast Cancer Research Study for Women and Men

Whenever you get sick, your immune system responds by sending out an army of white blood cells, called T cells, to identify, capture, and kill the invader—the virus or bacteria that has caused your flu or cold. It's easy for T cells to find these invaders because they look different than normal cells. But because cancer cells are basically normal cells that have gone bad, the T cells don't see them as "invaders" and let them swim right on by. But what if we could teach T cells to see cancer cells as invaders and kill them? It's a great question—and one a number of research teams are now pursuing.

One of these teams is at Boston University School of Medicine/Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. They are studying whether adding a certain type of DNA (genetic material) to the T cells will get the immune system to go after cancer cells. And they are looking for women and men with metastatic breast cancer who are interested in being part of a Phase Ib clinical trial of these so-called "designer T cells".

What's the study about?

The purpose of this Phase Ib clinical trial is to determine whether a high dose of designer T cells is better when given with or without interleukin 2 (IL2), a drug that is thought to stimulate the immune system. For this reason, some of the study participants will receive modified T cells alone, whereas others will receive modified T cells along with IL2. The researcher would like to enroll about 12 people in this study.

Phase I studies typically look at the safety and side effects of a new treatment. This is a Phase Ib study, so it is not only monitoring safety but also looking at whether the experimental treatment being studied is effective. In this case, the effectiveness will be measured by how active the T cells become and how much the tumor shrinks.

What's involved? If you sign up for the Phase Ib Trial of 2nd Generation Designer T Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer, you will be contacted by the research team to answer questions about your breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and medical history. You will also be asked to sign a medical release to permit the researchers to confirm your breast cancer diagnosis with your physician and to access relevant medical records. If you appear to be eligible, and if you decide to join the study, you will mainly be followed as an outpatient in the Oncology Unit of the Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. However, you will have an inpatient admission to administer the modified T cells. Study procedures: - Physical examination, chest x-ray, urine test, EKG (basic heart test), a pulmonary function test to determine how well your lungs are working, and blood tests. If you are over 50 years of age or have a history of heart problems, you will be asked to have a cardiac stress test. - Your study doctor will review your past medical history to determine if you are eligible to participate. You will also be scheduled for collection of your T cells. The exact number of visits to the Clinic to collect the T cells varies by individual. Your doctor will discuss this with you at length. - You will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to one of two groups: o Modified T cells alone o Modified T cells with Interleukin-2 (IL2) - Taking blood to collect your T cells: You will have a needle inserted into a vein in each arm. A machine will draw blood out of one arm, collect the white blood cells from the blood and then return the blood from which the white cells have been collected back to you through the other arm. This procedure takes from one to three hours. It is called leukopheresis. - It will take about one to two months for your white blood cells to be modified. During this time you will not need to return to the Clinic. You will be contacted when your cells are ready. At that time you will make an appointment to be admitted to the hospital for an inpatient stay of approximately 24 hours. The modified T cells will be given through a vein in your arm or through your catheter over a 30 to 60 minute period. After the 24 hour admission period you will be discharged to your home as long as the doctor feels it is safe to do so. During the inpatient stay you will have a physical examination and blood tests. - If you receive IL2, this will be given when you receive the modified cells. If you don't already have a port, you will first need to have a minor surgical procedure to place a central venous catheter just under the skin of your chest wall. The IL2 is then given through this catheter using a pump (about the size of a portable CD player) that you will wear in a pouch on your waist. IL2 will be infused continuously for two weeks after the dose of modified T cells. - Blood sampling: Approximately 10 tablespoons of blood will be taken from a vein in your arm before and after the infusion of modified cells. You will have additional blood tests over the next one to five days, and each time about 4 tablespoons of blood will be taken. You will return to the Clinic weekly for three weeks for a physical examination and blood tests (4 tablespoons from a vein in your arm) will be taken again. One month after you receive the modified T cells you will have another physical examination, blood tests (4 tablespoons from a vein in your arm), and x-rays and/or scans of your tumor. - Biopsies: You will have a biopsy of your tumor as an outpatient procedure at two different times after you receive the modified cells. This would happen on approximately the second and tenth day after you receive the modified cells. Who is conducting the study? Richard Junghans, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, and Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island Where? Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island Who can participate? You can join the Phase Ib Trial of 2nd Generation Designer T Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer if you match ALL of these MAIN categories: - You are 18 years of age or older - You have Stage IV, metastatic breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread in your body) - You have received at least two prior chemotherapies that failed OR at least one prior hormonal therapy and one prior chemotherapy that failed - You are NOT currently pregnant - You live near or are willing to travel (at your own expense) to the Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island www.armyofwomen.org Please note that these are only the MAIN eligibility criteria and the research team will need to review your medical records and ask additional questions to determine if you are eligible for the clinical trial. After you RSVP, the research staff will contact you to ask additional questions to be sure that this study is the right fit for you.

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month

The Pearls Foundation for Women & Girls wants you to know that there’s a lot you can do to prevent cervical cancer. About 20 million Americans currently have HPV (human papillomavirus), the most common sexually transmitted disease. HPV is a major cause of cervical cancer.

The good news?

• HPV can be prevented by the HPV vaccine.

• Cervical cancer can often be prevented with regular screening tests (called Pap tests) and follow-up care.

In honor of National Cervical Health Awareness Month, The Pearls Foundation for Women & Girls encourages:

• Women to start getting regular Pap tests at age 21

• Women to get the HPV vaccine before age 27

• Parents to make sure their pre-teens get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12

• Men to get the HPV vaccine if you are under age 22

Thanks to the health care reform law, you and your family members may be able to get these services at no cost to you. Check with your insurance company.Taking small steps can help keep you safe and healthy.

WOMEN HEALTH PREVENTION CONFERENCE

NCCC 2013 Conference

January 19-20, 2013
W Hotel Downtown, Atlanta, GA

The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) 2013 Conference will bring together local NCCC Chapter Leaders, cervical cancer survivors and friends and family members, medical and scientific experts, and partner organizations in an event designed to offer information and hope on the subject of HPV and cervical cancer.


The conference will feature sessions on a variety of subjects, including:

• Ask the Experts: Answers to your questions on HPV and cervical cancer
• Personal stories from cervical cancer survivors
• Sex and pleasure after cancer
• How to advocate for cervical cancer prevention policies
• Yoga taught by NCCC Founder Alan Kaye, focused on yoga poses of special benefit to cancer patients.
• Adoption and other options

Location:

W-Atlanta Downtown

188 14th Street, NE

Atlanta, GA 30361

Presented by:

National Cervical Cancer Coalition

NCCC was founded in 1996 as a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to serving women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV disease. In 2011, NCCC merged with American Social Health Association, a nonprofit with a nearly 100-year history of educating and raising awareness on sexual health issues. The NCCC has thousands of members around the world, and chapters across the U.S. For more information, visit please visit http://www.nccc-online.org.

The Mary Kay Foundation

The Mary Kay Foundation

The Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation was established to formalize the raising and distributing of research funds for cancers affecting women. In 2009, the name of the Foundation was changed to The Mary Kay Foundation.

The Mary Kay Foundation recently donated $15,000 to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition for their “Faces of Hope” TEAL Totes bags. The “Faces of Hope” program is designed to improve an ovarian cancer patient’s quality of life and survivability. These totes are given to newly diagnosed women to provide information and materials for those facing ovarian cancer. 

The TEAL Tote contains several publications, such as the Ovarian Cancer Resource Guide for Newly Diagnosed Women, as well as comfort items to help women through their ovarian cancer journey, including Mary Kay® Hand Cream and Mary Kay ® Lip Balm, and a large blanket and teal socks since keeping warm during chemotherapy treatment is very important to survivors. 

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is the leading national organization dedicated to providing the general public, patients, caregivers and healthcare communities and loved ones with accurate and up-to-date information on ovarian cancer.

About The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

The mission of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, with over 20 chapters across the United States, is to increase education and promote awareness of ovarian cancer. The Coalition is committed to improving the survival rate and quality of life for women with the disease. NOCC is the largest and oldest ovarian cancer awareness and education organization in the United States. 

Since its inception in 1995, NOCC has been committed to raising awareness of ovarian cancer in communities across the country and to providing education, support and hope for women with ovarian cancer, caregivers and the medical community. For more information on the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, please visit http://www.ovarian.org or call 888-OVARIAN

For more information about Mary Kay Foundation, please visit www.marykayfoundation.org 

Health Tip: Think 'Healthy' During the Holidays

The holiday season brings family get-togethers, lots of food and, unfortunately, germs. But there are things you can do to help protect your health during the holidays.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mentions these holiday health tips:

• Frequently wash your hands.
• Dress appropriately to protect against cold weather.
• Practice safe driving habits.
• Control holiday stress when possible.
• Make sure you're current on vaccinations and checkups.
• Don't smoke.
• Eat plenty of nutritious foods and get plenty of exercise.
• Keep older kids' toys, food, drinks, household items and choking hazards away from young children.

Please visit CDC at www.cdc.gov  for more information.

Avon Foundation for Women Awards

2012 marks the 20th anniversary of Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade. Over the last two decades, Avon global philanthropy in 58 countries has donated more than $780 million to organizations around the world to accelerate breast cancer research and improve access to breast health care for all women.

Our Oct. 30, 2012, Avon Foundation for Women Awards Gala was planned to celebrate the important achievements that our support has made possible. But, our 12th annual Gala was canceled for the first time ever, as Hurricane Sandy stormed through New York City. So we want to take this opportunity to recognize the leadership of some extraordinary doctors, scientists, and advocates whom we’ve had the honor to support. Watch the videos and read more below to celebrate the 2012 Avon honorees, whose work is leading the way toward eradicating breast cancer:

                                                       

About the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade 

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which commemorates its 20th anniversary in 2012, has placed Avon at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer; today, Avon is the leading corporate supporter of the cause globally. In the 20 years since the Crusade's launch, Avon breast cancer programs in 58 countries have donated more than $740 million for research and advancing access to care, regardless of a person's ability to pay. Avon awards funding to beneficiaries ranging from leading cancer centers to community-based grassroots breast health programs to support breast cancer research and access to care. The Crusade has enabled more than 17 million women globally to receive free mammograms and breast cancer screenings, educated more than 100 million women about breast cancer, and funded promising research into the causes of breast cancer and ways to prevent the disease. Avon raises funds for the Crusade through the sale of Avon "Pink Ribbon" products, and through events such as the U.S. Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series, which is the Foundation's largest fund-raising source.