Together We Can Strike Out Cancer

When Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Orlando Hudson and the rest of the All-Stars take the field for tonight's MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis, each will have a chance to raise a million dollars for cancer research with one swing of the bat. It's part of the "Hit It Here" campaign sponsored by MasterCard and Major League Baseball. If a player hits one of three signs in home-run territory, Stand Up To Cancer's groundbreaking research benefits. I'll be rooting for the players to swing for the fences -- and the signs! But whether one of the All-Stars hits a homer for research or not, Major League Baseball has already proven itself to be an important player in the fight against cancer.

A long-time supporter of cancer research and education, MLB is taking its commitment to an entirely new level. A number of All-Star Game activities are focused on the cause. By engaging fans, the baseball community is getting the word out in a huge way that each and every one of us has a role to play in ending cancer. That can help change the game for those whose lives are affected by this terrible disease -- and with one of every two men and one of every three women in this country being diagnosed at some point in their lifetimes, cancer touches us all.

On Sunday, I had the privilege of standing alongside Michael Milken, founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and Ambassador Nancy Brinker, the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, at the first-ever All-Star Charity 5K & Fun Run. I was there representing Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a nationwide movement raising funds for "Dream Teams" of scientists from different institutions and disciplines working together on innovative research aimed at bringing new treatments to patients in an accelerated timeframe. MLB is sharing the race proceeds equally among these three groups.

To look out over a sea of thousands of runners in T-shirts advocating for the end of cancers of all types was truly moving, as was the next stop in our St. Louis visit. The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is an international leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention and education, and serves patients across the American heartland, as well as all over the world. All the patients we met there, like Kim Lee-- a vivacious 35-year old woman, whose cheerful disposition belies the fact that she has endured a bone marrow transplant and other difficult treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia during the last year-- were profoundly inspiring.

So, too, are people like Richard and Diane Nares, who channeled the grief of losing their five-year old son Emilio into an organization that assists families with children battling cancer. They, and other "ordinary" Americans who are doing extraordinary things, are being honored at tonight's game as "All-Stars Among Us." Baseball lives in the very heart of America, as does the deep sense of compassion and responsibility that brings people together in an important fight like the one against this country's second-leading killer. Few of us can hit a home run in a major league stadium with the potential of raising a million dollars for research, but there are many, many ways to help.

On standup2cancer.org, when making a one dollar donation to research, you can launch a star in honor of someone who has received a cancer diagnosis on the Constellation, which is a field of stars, illustrating how this disease connects us all. If we all work together, I honestly believe we can end cancer once and for all.

Comments

[mbarnes]

The data on vitamin D deficiency leading to cancer is now overwhelming. If you are interested in vitamin D you should take a look at www.vitaminD3world.com The Canadian Cancer Society now recommends that everyone take vitamin D to prevent cancer. The site has good summaries of the data and offers a new preparation of vitamin D in a micro-pill formulation. The pills have been formulated with cellulose which absorbs water very quickly. This ensures that the pill breaks up very quickly to provide for maximum absorption. The micro pill is tiny and tasteless. Many vitamin D pills on the market have very poor dissolution properties resulting in poor absorption.
The site also offers to supply customers with a free supply of 400IU for their children and it also has a good newsletter.

[Lesscancer]

I can relate to so many of the comments below that relay frustration, loss and grief-

Similarly - I felt the same way as if I already donated my loved ones to the cause-

It is frustrating to think back relative to what I thought at the time was a very big and expensive experiment on my loved ones battling cancer.

My losses from cancer like many have been very sad and life changing-

Which was the motivation for my work -

While more cured cancer is one answer- it is not a solution for stopping cancer at the cause-

When we see the numbers of people to include increased incidences in children and young adults - it is a headline for looking at cancer in a different way-

Relative to this article and Sherry's fine work I personally am so grateful for the cure-

While many of us have not experienced the cure for our loved ones- many have thankfully.

Every time I see or meet another child with cancer I am so grateful that the hope for a cure is realistic-

I am also hopeful we work to take a better look at cancer prevention -

While the priorities for what weapons we use may not be shared-we need everyone on board for the fight-.

Bill Couzens, Founder Less Cancer

[Lesscancer]

I can relate to so many of the comments below that relay frustration, loss and grief-

Similarly - I felt the same way as if I already donated my loved ones to the cause-

It is frustrating to think back relative to what I thought at the time was a very big and expensive experiment on my loved ones battling cancer.

My losses from cancer like many have been very sad and life changing-

Which was the motivation for my work -

While more cured cancer is one answer- it is not a solution for stopping cancer at the cause-

When we see the numbers of people to include increased incidences of some cancers in children and young adults - it is a headline for looking at cancer in a different way-

Relative to this article and Sherry's fine work I personally am so grateful for the cure-

While many of us have not experienced the cure for our loved ones- many have thankfully.

Every time I see or meet another child with cancer I am so grateful that the hope for a cure is realistic-

I am also hopeful we work to take a better look at cancer prevention -

While the priorities for what weapons we use may not be shared-we need everyone on board for the fight-.

Bill Couzens, Founder Less Cancer

[RMankovitz]

A cure for cancer is vitally important to those already afflicted, and I wholeheartedly support efforts to find one. As I posted earlier, I believe the cure resides in a robust immune system.

I also believe that the ultimate cure for any illness is prevention, and that is where I have been devoting my efforts for the last several years, including self-funding research in the area. I resorted to self-funding because I could not get a good feeling that the medical community was serious about prevention, as opposed to a cure.

Prevention is surely an anathema to the present medical paradigm, since their business model appears to be centered around treating those already diagnosed with some disfunction. Even the field of "preventive medicine" is devoted to the use of drugs to treat those that have already flunked one or more somewhat dubious tests.

In essence, cures are much more lucrative that prevention. Entire industries are devoted to find the cure for this and that, but prevention only receives some lip-service and mumbled platitudes.

From my findings to date, prevention also centers around a robust immune system. The medical community has yet to agree upon where the immune system is located, much less how it works. Early studies concentrated on antibodies in the blood, but the focus is finally shifting to gut bacteria.

For those interested in cancer prevention research, I suggest projects associated with the NIH Human Microbiome Project.

Roy Mankovitz. Director
http://www.MontecitoWellness.com

[rlugbill]

I appreciate the work you are doing and the motives behind are pure, I'm sure. Unfortunately, we have had this war on cancer going on for 40+ years with little to show for it. Cancer rates are as high as ever.

Much of this fundraising for cancer is going towards research and treatment that is getting us nowhere. Meanwhile, we could reduce cancer rates by 50% if the money instead was spent on prevention.

Early diagnosis does not equal prevention. Prevention means looking at lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, exercise, etc. that can keep people from getting cancer in the first place. Prevention doesn't mean early diagnosis so that people can get on chemo for a longer period of time, suffering through toxic treatments, just to die anyway.

Very little is spent on prevention because the American Cancer Society is mainly funded by Big Pharma that wants to concentrate on research and early detection, even though any cost-benefit analysis would show that the money would be much better spent on prevention. Big Pharma would not benefit financially if people didn't get cancer at all. They can only make profits if people get cancer and then get their treatments.

[Halsey]

Sherry, I know you are sincere in your work..and applaud it!..I've GOT to say to Dr.lippin....that crap about aging...I was dianosed, at 53, (EXACLY one year ago..I got biospy results)...ended up with Dr. Guiliano to remove a 4 inch tumor that literally "popped" up overnight..I mean..it was HUGE...so age was NOT a factor...I still believe that being a vegetarian is the way to go (I've been one for over 10 years)..but it's obviously not a guarantee (I do it for moral reasons anyway).... the strange bills I get from all over the country..with NO clue as to what the "codes" mean...really showed me how many people's jobs depend on my cancer treatment...chemo was a horror story...very aggressive for a very aggressive triple negative..no family history...just dumb luck.... I do know..I will not go through it again...yes..I'm glad I gave it a try...I'm still here... just won't go through it again (must move to WA or Oregon!)... I know there are researchers who would LOVE to cure cancer...and I believe big pharma...has nightmares about a cure...

[Raptarrin]

Until organizations like Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Society stop their love affairs with big business, the research dollars they raise will not go towards "curing" cancer, but towards the same old tired treatments that do little more than maim the body and pad the bottom line of big Pharma. These organizations are so dependent on industry that there is no way they can be impartial in examining the role of chemicals in causing cancer, or of more natural treatments in curing it. Susan G. Komen walks a nice line, but all their talk of preventing cancer amounts to little more than pushing women to get mammograms. Women who turn out to have cancer rarely receive much help from the organization, so the talk of prevention is nonsense. Cancer is nothing more than a business opportunity to a variety of organizations, Major League Baseball included. Think of how much memorabilia they can sell in the name of "finding a cure". It is nothing more than a clever PR move.

[Conk]

And what will be done with the money raised? Given to folks operating under the current healing protocols? Foolish fund raisers. The Medical Mafia does not want a cure for cancer. Outside their corrupt and fraudulent world all manner of cancer cures and remedies exist. The Hoxley Cure. Royal Rife's amazing work. Herbs and spices. All ignored. Millions dead and dying.

[LolaFontay]

Some have found a relationship between emotional fortitude and cancer survival. I would not discount counseling as another tool in the arsenal.

[cultkicker]

Cancer research as practiced by modern medicine is futile and a waste of time and money. Cancer can be cured by multiple ways.... marijuana oil, oleander extract, IP6, colloidal silver, MMS, circumin and many other methods are effective. None of these methods are patentable, thus no research is done. Only pharmaceutical drugs and/or radiation is researched... all of which are toxic and potentially deadly, not to mention carcinogenic in and of themselves. This is a sad state of affairs but money is the bottom line here. Big pharma companies woul go broke if they actually cured cancer, but what they do is make as much money off of you as possible before you die from their dangerous and ineffectual drugs or methods. Don't buy into the hype....

[JenniferEccles]

I agree.

When my mother died of cancer in 1967, her friends collectively donated 250,000 dollars to the American Cancer Society. And you know what? I want it all back. What on earth has changed in the past 40 years? Nothing that I know of.

I have come to realize that cancer is big business and that fact will slow down if not prevent any real inroads to a cure.

I do not doubt Ms. Lansing's genuine concern. However, I believe that this is one bandwagon that is going nowhere.

[temenos]

When cancer research turns to computer modeling exclusively I will donate. As long as millions of animals continue to suffer and die in a futile and wasteful attempt to cure me or someone's Aunt Nellie, I will not donate one red cent.

[RMankovitz]

What follows are my personal opinions and hypotheses.

The medical establishment has never cured anything, and does not know the cause of any chronic illness. The only illness cure I am aware of is the innate immune system in each of us. Vaccines do not prevent or cure anything – they prime the immune system to be prepared to deal with a future illness. Antibiotics cure nothing – they reduce the bacterial load on the body so that what is probably a weakened immune system can take over and affect the cure. Pasteur, on his deathbed, supposedly admitted that the body terrain (immune system) is everything when it comes to illness.

In my opinion, cancer manifests as a combination of genetic heritage and an environmental trigger. I consider toxins to be a primary environmental trigger, whereby they weaken the immune system so that it cannot deal with the removal of cancer cells that routinely form in each of us, leading them to form tumors. Toxins can take the form of environmental chemicals, heavy metals, and eating foods that are not in alignment with our genetic heritage.

Perhaps the correlation between aging and cancer is just that –correlation, which does not prove causation. Perhaps a lifetime of toxin accumulation is behind the correlation.

For further discussion, references, and a description of experiments based on nature to prevent illness, ask your librarian for a copy of ‘The Wellness Project.”

Roy Mankovitz, Director
http://www.MontecitoWellness.com

[freddiefreeloader]

John McCain on sunday's meet the press, when asked about supporting the public option, said we don't need it because we have the best healthcare in the world, He said he visited M.D. Anderson cancer center in Houston and they accept patients from 90 countries around the world, So we don't need a public option, they will accept you without public healthcare?

[Lesscancer]

This is the story of MD Anderson's treatment of an underinsured cancer patient.
The hospital asked for $105,000 cash up-front before it would admit her.
Anderson is a nonprofit institution exempt from taxes. In 2007,
it recorded net income of $310 million, bringing its cash, investments and endowment to nearly $1.9 billion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harold-pollack/cash-before-chemo--two-ar_b_99037.html

Bill Couzens Founder Less Cancer

[CypressTree]

We need cancer. How else are we going to keep our population levels down?

[TheBlackCat]

Thanks for this post! I work at the Dana Farver Cancer Institute. It is a non profit hospital and one of the leading cancer treatment centers in the world, and the MLB has long been instrumental in raising money both for us and our charity The Jimmy Fund. The Red Sox has a long history of doing benefits, visiting sick kids, and raising millions for cancer research.

I think it is misleading though in the way the media discusses there being a "cure" for cancer. Cancer is not one disease. All it means is that cells are acting incorrectly. Some cancers, like breast cancer, are often the results of genes. Others, like lung cancer, result more in lifestyle or environmental exposure. And they effect people differently. Giolblastoma is very different than acute myeloid leukemia. Different cancers respond differently to different treatments. Some cancers, like childhood leukemia, have come a long way and now have a VERY high cure rate...whereas others have had little success with any form of treatment.

[TheBlackCat]

oops glioblastoma not giolblastoma. And affect not effect.

Have to correct that before the typo police get me!