AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt tO tHe NAtiONAL …doc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/4481.pdfFind out what you can do to stop cancer early. • Know your body. You can findpossible health

ANiNdepeNdeNtSUppLeMeNttOtHeNAtiONALpOSt

Cancer: Cured?

JOB DESC.: Breast Cancer AwarenessDOCKET: CBCF0018 CLIENT: CBCF SUPPLIER: TYPE PAGE: TRIM: 10.8 x 3.6” BLEED: SCREEN: PUB.: Media Planet COLOUR: CMYKDATE: Jan. 18, 2010 INSERT DATE: Jan. 20, 2010 AD NUMBER: CBCF0018-MP-4C-BAN-E

LEADING THE WAY TO A FUTURE WITHOUT BREAST CANCER.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is a recognized leader in funding innovative research and effective treatment. Over the years, we’ve been instrumental in supporting education and awareness programs, early detection and a positive quality of life for those living with breast cancer. To learn more, visit www.cbcf.org/action.

DKT./PROJ: CBCF0018

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FEBRUARY 2010 UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE, REDUCE YOUR RISK, AND LEARN ABOUT TREATMENT OPTIONS

cancer: cured?

2 ANiNdepeNdeNtSUppLeMeNttOtHeNAtiONALpOSt ANiNdepeNdeNtSUppLeMeNttOtHeNAtiONALpOSt 3

CONTENTS 2 LiveWell.BeAware.

2 IsThereANeedForImprovedAccess

ToCriticalTherapies?

3 PersonalizedHealthCare

4 CanadianBreastCancerFoundation

4 BloodCancers

5 CopingWithBreastCancer

5 TheBreastCancerBasics

6 ColorectalCancer

6 AManAndHisCause

7 AdvancedColorectalCancer

8 TheExpandedBenefitsOfModern

SurgicalTechnology

8 MaximizingTheBenefitsOfBreast

Exams

8 AdvancesInColonoscopyScreenings

8 RadioSurgery&RadioTherapy

9ColorectalCancer

11AMiracleHappenedForWesLaporte

11ANewLeaseOnLife

CANCER:CuREd?

Publisher: Ritik Ramchandani [email protected]

Contributors: Antoine Abugaber Breast Cancer Society of Canada Elekta Inc. Marsha Davidson Marjo Johne Marlene Piturro Shona Ramchandani Barry Stein Lorna Warwick

Designer: Carrie Reagh [email protected]

Photos: ©iStockphoto.com

For more information about supplements in the daily press, please contact: Gustav Aspegren, 1 416 977 7100 [email protected]

This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve the National Post or its Editorial Departments.

www.mediaplanet.com

InCanada,anestimated40percentof

womenand45percentofmenwillde-

velopcancerintheirlifetime.

Butdidyouknowthatabouthalfofall

cancerscanbeprevented?that’spoten-

tiallymillionsfewercasesofcancerevery

yearworldwide.

February 4 is World Cancer day, and

the Canadian Cancer Society joins the

international Union Against Cancer in a

rallyingcrytoraiseawarenessaboutways

tofightbackandpreventcancer.Working

togetheristhekey.itmustbeateamef-

fortthatincludesgovernments,organiza-

tions, individuals, schools and industry.

We all share the goal of a future where

fewerpeoplewillgetcancer.

What you can do

there are things you can do to help

yourself, your family and all Canadians

reducetheriskofcancer.

Live well

Learnmoreaboutlifestylechangesthat

canreduceyourrisk.theyreallycanmake

adifference.

• don’t smoke. if you smoke, the best

thingyoucandoforyourhealth isto

quit. Within 10 years of quitting, the

overallriskofanex-smokerdyingfrom

lungcanceriscutinhalf.Forinforma-

tiononhowtoquitandwhy,visitwww.

cancer.ca.

• Limityourdrinking.Keepittolessthan

one drink a day for women and less

thantwodrinksadayformen.

• Maintain a healthy body weight. Re-

searchisshowingmoreandmoreevi-

dencethatbeingoverweightorobese

contributestomanyformsofcancer.

• Besunsmart.Whetherit’soutdoorsor

indoors,there’snosafewaytogetatan.

protect yourself from cancer-causing

UV rays by covering up and wearing

sunscreen.

Be aware

Find out what you can do to stop

cancerearly.

• Knowyourbody.Youcanfindpossible

healthproblemsearly,includingcancer.

Knowwhatisnormalforyou.don’tig-

noreanychanges.talktoyourdoctor.

• Getchecked.Screeningtestshelpfind

sometypesofcancerearly,beforeyou

have any symptoms. Some screening

tests can even find changes in your

bodybeforetheybecomecancer.

• Know your family history. there are

testsavailable thatcan identify ifyou

are at increased risk. Let your doctor

know if any close relatives have ever

beendiagnosedwithcancer.

• the environment. Wherever possible,

exposuretosubstancesthatcausecan-

cershouldbeidentifiedandeliminated

by substituting safer alternatives. For

moreinformation,readourhandbook

the environment, Cancer and You,

availableatwww.cancer.ca.

Get involved

Join other Canadians in making the

fightagainstcancerapriority.Youcould:

• Reducecancerrisksforthenextgener-

ationbyencouragingkidstoeatright,

exercise, not smoke and be safe in

thesun.

• Fightforpublicpolicytomakehealthy

livingeasierforeveryonebywritingto

yourlocal,provincialorfederalgovern-

menttofindoutwhattheyaredoingto

helpfightcancer.

• Giveyoursupport toprojectssuchas

safe walking paths, product labelling

andhealthyfoodsinschools.

• FindouthowyoucanhelptheSociety

fight for change by fighting against

contrabandcigarettesandforCommu-

nityRighttoKnowlegislation.

please visit www.ifightcancer.ca for

moreinformation.

Research for prevention

Research is critical to finding out more

about preventing cancer. Here are just

some of the prevention projects we are

funding:

• theriskofbladderandkidneycancer

associated with environmental expo-

suretoarsenicindrinkingwater

• Cigarette smoking and nicotine de-

pendenceinCanadianyouth,withthe

goalof improvingprogramsaimedat

preventingyouthsmokingandhelping

youngsmokerstoquit

• GeneticvariationsinHpV(humanpapil-

lomavirus)todeterminewhyonlysome

women infected with the virus will

developcancer

• potential causes of prostate cancer,

including chemical exposure, lifestyle

factorsandgeneticsignatures

• JointfundingoftheOccupationalCan-

cerResearchCentrewhichisworkingto

identify,preventandultimatelyelimi-

nate Ontarians’ exposure to cancer-

causingsubstancesintheworkplace

• endowedresearchchairsinprevention

inBCandNovaScotia

Wealsowelcomethelargest-everpopu-

lationstudyinCanadacalledtheCanadian

partnershipfortomorrow.thislong-term

research study will explore how genet-

ics,environment, lifestyleandbehaviour

contributetothedevelopmentofcancer.

thepan-Canadianstudywilltrack300,000

Canadiansoveratleast20to30years. it

willgatherdetailedinformationonhealth

and lifestyle through surveys and the

collectionofbloodandotherspecimens.

theinformationwillhelpresearchersand

policy-makers understand how different

combinationsofriskfactorsleadtocancer.

the study is sponsored by the Cana-

dian partnership Against Cancer, along

withregionalcommitmentsfrompartner

organizationsinfiveprovinces.Formore

information on the project, visit www.

partnershipagainstcancer.ca.

Live Well. Be Aware. Get involved. Fight back against cancer. every three minutes another Canadian receives thedreaded diagnosis—cancer. Last year in Canada therewere171,000newcasesofcancerandmorethan73,000deaths.Worldwide, a staggering 12 million people willbediagnosedwithcancerthisyear,and7.6millionwilldieofthedisease,accordingtotheinternationalUnionAgainstCancer.

peterGoodhand

a very special thanks to...

Pharmaceutical companies are

encouraged to submit their new

drugs early for approval. dur-

ingthefilesubmissionreviewperiodof

HealthCanada,oncologydrugmanufac-

turers may be given the opportunity to

allowdoctorsaccesstotheirnewoncol-

ogydrugspriortotheirapproval—anap-

provalknownasSpecialAccessprogram

(SAp).

Next to hospital costs, drug costs

makeupalmost18percentofthetotal

Healthcare budget. As new innovative

oncologydrugsarediscoveredtobenefit

patients, the cost becomes significantly

moreexpensive.Whileitisclearthatcosts

mustbecontained,provincial formulary

decisionsareinconsistentandoftenmade

basedonavarietyofvariablesthatdiffer

across provinces and insurers. differing

reimbursementrestrictionscauseincon-

sistencyofcareandcanleadtountoward

consequences.Asthebudget isunlikely

tobeincreasedsignificantlyoverthenext

fewyears,itistimeforprovincialgovern-

ments to re-assess the reimbursement

of formulary drugs in order to prioritize

which drugs are more or less essential.

Re-balancingthecostdistributionwithin

thedrugportfoliomayallowspendingfor

prioritytreatmentoptionssuchasthose

forcancerandotherseriousillnesses.

each province independently estab-

lishes reimbursement plans separately,

hence provincially funded drug reim-

bursement plans differ widely across

Canada, as do eligibility requirements.

thiscreatesaninequalityandhasdiffer-

ing impact for vulnerable groups, such

as seniors, those on fixed incomes and,

socialassistancerecipientsdependingon

theprovincetheyreside.theseinequities

challengeoneoftheguidingprinciplesof

theCanadianhealthcaresystem—that

allCanadiansshouldhavesimilarlevelsof

accesstohealthcarebenefits.

NewsofthecompletedNAsequencing

of”lungandskincancers“promisesgreat

improvementsinourabilitytocurecancer

by2020,but itcomeswithaheftyprice

tag.Whiletherapieswillbepreciselytar-

getedtothedefinedabnormalitiesfound

in individual patients, the future will be

decidedbytheinteractionoftechnologi-

cal success, society’s willingness to pay,

future healthcare delivery systems and

thefinancialmechanismsthatunderpin

them.Becauseinnovationwill inevitably

bringmoreinequalitytohealth,itwillbe

thejobofgovernmentstoensurehealth

equityforalloftheirconstituents.

Access to new innovative cancer

therapies is the most significant issue

that isfacingcancerpatients,physicians

and healthcare providers. A significant

amount of time, energy and resources

arewastedbyoncologistsandhealthcare

providers in navigating the complex re-

imbursementsystemsinmostprovinces.

ingeneral,thosedifferenceswillpertain

togeography.treatmentoptionscovered

aregenerallybetterinthewestandget-

tingworseasyougoeastofCanada.

Reviews of clinical and pharmaco-

economic evidence undertaken by the

CommondrugReview,Quebec’sConseil

duMédicament,andtheJointOncology

drug Review are an important compo-

nent of the market access process for

newbrandnamecancerdrugs.Whilere-

imbursementdecisionsshouldbemade

on evidence based medicine (eBM) and

cost-effectivenessanalysis(CeA),theyalso

havetoensuretimelyaccesstourgently

requiredtreatments,asdelaysininitiating

therapyhavebeenassociatedwithnega-

tivehealthoutcomes.

An increasingly common option has

been to restrict cancer medications to

patientswhomeetexplicitcriteriaupon

pre-approval or “special authorization

(SA.)”theSAcriteriaareusuallyasubset

of theapproved indicationsorareused

forfailure,intolerancetolesscostlytreat-

ments.to obtain SA medications, physi-

cianshavetosubmitanapplicationtothe

drugprogram.Applicationsaregenerally

reviewed within 2-8 weeks. this delay

creates significant and unwanted stress

because patients want to start treating

theircancerassoonaspossible.Afterthe

waitingperiod,thepatientorphysicianis

notifiedofthereimbursementdecisionin

writing.ifreimbursementisnotgranted,

patientscanbetreatedwithanapproved

alternativeorcanopttopayout-of-pocket

fortherestrictedmedication.discussions

withprovincialgovernmentstoeasetheir

processhavebeensuggested,buttodate,

nothingofsignificancehasmadeadiffer-

enceproviderapidrelieftopatients.

in conclusion, there is an important

medical need to implement a different

processes toadjudicateoncologydrugs

required to manage urgent conditions

that are life threatening. Administrators

andpayersmustbemadeaccountableto

ensurethatappropriatereimbursementis

approvedinatimelymanner.

As a result, decision makers should

considerthefollowingprinciplesaround

each reimbursement decision: solutions

mustbetransparentandequitable,with

consistencyacross jurisdictions interms

of which drugs are covered, for which

indication(s),andforwhatduration,and

therapies required urgently must be

immediatelybemadeavailable.theeco-

nomic,clinical,andhumanimpactofdeci-

sionsmustbemeasured.Restricteddrug

reimbursementhasgenerallybeenunder

investigatedastoitsclinicalimpact.Gov-

ernments have not been held account-

ableformeasuringtheconsequencesof

theirveryrestrictivereimbursement.the

increasing availability of electronic data

andtheabilityofpayers to linkdatare-

sources to compare resource utilization

withprescribingpatternscouldfacilitate

ongoingmonitoring.

it is unreasonable to think that any

one SA process will be ideal for all can-

cerdrugs,all situations,andallpatients.

thingsthatmaybeconsideredtoensure

rapidaccessofthedrugwouldbeprovid-

ingshortcoursesoftherapytocoverthe

authorization period following hospital

discharge, the availability of automated

adjudicationofurgentrequests,themoni-

toringofSAapprovalratestodetermine

which medications to move to an open

listoralternatemechanismofcontrol,and

theincreaseduseofpre-approvedoncol-

ogist prescriber specialized in a specific

cancer. in terms of finding the funds to

reimbursefornewcancerdrugs,itwould

makecommonsensetoprioritizedisease

and treatment options between the ur-

gentneedtotreat(suchascancer)orany

otherillnessthatisnotlifethreatening.

Hopefullytheimplementationofsome

of these concepts may allow a greater

numberofCanadianstoreceiveoptimal

treatmentatanaffordablecost.Asacon-

sequence,Canadamaynotbeseenasone

oftheworstcountriestoreimburseandto

treatourcancerpatientswithnewinno-

vativedrugs,especiallywhencompared

toemergingandlessrichcountries.

Is There A Need For Improved Access To Critical Therapies?

BY:ANtOiNeABUGABeR

duetoapressingneedtobalancethedesire togetnewoncologydrugs thathaveperformedwellinclinicaltrialstopatientsquickly,HealthCanadahasestablishedthefasttrackapprovalsystem.inthisprocess,thereviewperiodforadrugthathasbeenshowntoaddressanimportantmedicalneedisreducedtosixmonths’reviewinsteadof18-24months.

AntoineAbugaber,presidentofABUGABeRCANAdAinc.

BY:peteRGOOdHANd,CeOANdpReSideNtCANAdiANCANCeRSOCietY

FiGht backByworkingwithCanadians,theCana-

dian Cancer Society fights this disease

on many fronts, not just prevention.We

encourageCanadianstojointhefight.For

moreinformation,visit:www.fightback.ca.

Orcallourtoll-freeCancerinformation

Service at 1 888 939-3333, Monday to

Fridayfrom9a.m.to6p.m.

…estimated 40 per cent of women and 45 per cent of men will develop cancer in their lifetime.


cancer: cured?

Better access for all CanadiansThe recently released Rx&D report highlights a gap in the accessibility of new medicinesbetween Canada and other developed countries when comparing public drug plans.Together we can make the system better, and enable access to innovative medicines andvaccines for the Canadians who need them most.

Find out more and voice your opinion at

www.patientscomefirst.caSponsored by:

Not surprisingly, people diag-

nosed with cancer often enter

treatmentfeelinganxiousabout

howthetherapymightaffecttheirqual-

ityoflife.

today,however,anewgenerationof

anticancerdrugsismakingitpossiblefor

physicianstodelivertargetedtreatment

thatkillsonlycancerouscells, resulting

in improved outcomes and reduced or

mildersideeffects.

Atthesametime,newbreakthroughs

in diagnostics and biomarker testing

areusheringinthenext levelofcancer

care:personalizedtreatment.Byanalyz-

ingthebiologyofeachperson’scancer,

physicians will be able to determine

whichpatientswillbenefitmostfroma

targetedcancerdrug.

thisisthefutureofcancertreatment,

andtodaywe’rewalkingonthethresh-

oldofthatfuture.

“personalizedcancercare isanexcit-

ing development that we’re seeing in

variousareasofoncology,”saysMarcZa-

renda,scientificdirectorattheCanadian

headquarters of AstraZeneca, a global

pharmaceutical company whose prod-

uctportfolioincludescancerdrugs.“For

example,atAstraZenecawe’recurrently

testingadrugforovarianandbreastcan-

cerjustinwomenwhohaveamutation

intheBRCAgene.”

AstraZeneca isbynomeanstheonly

companymovingtowardspersonalized

cancer care, adds Mr. Zarenda. “All the

pharmaceutical companies that make

cancer drugs are heading in this direc-

tion,”hesays.

Lung cancer treatment gets personal

personalizedhealthcareisbecoming

areality formany lungcancerpatients,

thankstoaclassofdrugscalledtyrosine

kinase inhibitors,ortKis forshort.tKis,

including iressa (gefitinib) and tarceva

(erlotinib) target and block the activity

of epidermal growth factor receptors

(eGFRs),whichareproteinsfoundonthe

surfaceofcancercells.

While investigating tKis, researchers

discovered that tumours in some pa-

tients shrank much more dramatically

thaninothers.Mostofthepatientsthat

experiencedthispositiveresponsenever

smoked, were women, were of Asian

ethnicity,orhadadenocarcinoma,akind

of cancer that develops in cells lining

thelungs.

A closer look revealed that some

people inthisgrouphadamutationor

change in the eGFR receptor. By some

estimates, about 10 per cent of non-

Asian and 40 per cent of Asian NSCLC

patientswillhavetheeGFRmutation.Of

thisgroup,arecentstudysuggeststhat

about70percentwill likelyrespondto

atKiwhentakenasafirst-linetherapy.

So what does all this mean for lung

cancer patients who have been ap-

provedfortKitreatment?

Delayed recurrence and improved

quality of life

Currently,alargemajorityofpatients

diagnosed with advanced lung cancer

aretreatedwithchemotherapy.Withthe

addition of t Kis to the arsenal of lung

cancertreatments,andtheavailabilityof

anewdiagnostictestinthenearfuture,

doctorswillbeabletotestpatients for

the e GFR mutation and, based on the

results,makeachoicebetweenchemo-

therapyoratKi.

Sofar,emergingresearchhasshown

thatadrug,iressa,recentlyapprovedby

HealthCanadaforthefirst-linetreatment

for locally advanced or metastatic non

small-celllungcancerineGFRmutation-

positive patients, can delay the recur-

rence of cancer longer than standard

chemotherapyinthisgroupofpatients.

iressaisthefirstandonlytreatmentap-

provedforthisuse.

tarcevaisanalternativeapproachfor

lung cancer patients who have already

beengivenchemotherapy,buttheche-

motherapyhasstoppedworking.

“Whatiressadoesisdelayrecurrence

ofthecancerandimprovethequalityof

lifeoflungcancerpatientswiththeeGFR

mutation,” says Mr. Zarenda. “patients

with the eGFR mutation may feel they

haveagoodchanceofbenefittingfrom

iressa.”

thebenefitsoftKisgobeyondcancer

patients.thepillscanbetakenathome,

easingthedemandonhospitalsandon

healthsystemresources.

Realizing the potential of personal-

ized healthcare

drivenby theemergenceof targeted

drugs such as tKis, the personalized

healthcare model offers significant

potential benefits to patients, doctors,

insurance companies and public health

systems.personalizedcareensurestreat-

ments are targeted for the best results

and deliver good value for money. For

regulators, this model offers opportuni-

ties to improvescientificunderstanding

andensurethatnewmedicinesdeliveran

optimalbalancebetweenbenefitandrisk

inrelationtotheseverityofthedisease.

Buttorealizethefullpotentialofper-

sonalizedhealthcare,standardizedmo-

leculardiagnosticsneedtobeinplaceso

therightdrugfortherightpatientcanbe

identified.Governmentfundingforthese

testsandfortargeteddrugsalsoneeds

tobeestablishedtoensurepersonalized

careisaccessibletoeveryone.

Currently, however, health funding

is not keeping pace with innovations

inpersonalizedhealthcare.Manydiag-

nostictestsarenotcoveredbytheprov-

inces,includingtestsforeGFRmutation.

AstraZeneca will be paying for eGFR

mutation testing on an introductory

basisforeligiblepatients.detailsofthe

programarebeingfinalizedandwillbe

communicatedshortly.

“testingforthegeneticconstitution

oftumors,whetherornot,forexample,

they have the specific mutation that

is targeted by the drug, would reduce

healthcaresystemcostsbyanenormous

factor,” says dr. William Hryniuk, past

chair of the Cancer Advocacy Coalition

ofCanada.”Yet,“thepathologyorother

laboratorieswhichcoulddothesetests

are inadequatelyfundedfromprovince

to province.” thus, when a new drug

comesout,provincialgovernmentfund-

ingforitmaybegrantedbuttheteststo

determinewhowillbenefit,andwhowill

not,arerarelyfundedatthesametime.

But despite these challenges, the fu-

ture for personalized healthcare looks

promising as it gains momentum from

the discovery of breakthrough drugs,

suchastKis.

“the emergence of tKis has thrown

outachallengetopharmaceuticalcom-

paniestostartdevelopingmoretargeted

cancerdrugs,”saysMr.Zarenda.“Withall

therecentadvancesingeneticsresearch,

pharmaceutical companies today have

agreaterabilitythanwe’veeverhadin

thepasttodevelopmoretargeteddrugs

and,intheprocess,toestablishpersonal-

izedhealthcareasthenewparadigmfor

fightingcancer.”

Personalized Health Care: a new era in cancer treatmentFor years, cancer therapies have largely been based on a wholesale approach thatinadvertentlydestroyedhealthycellsalongsidecancerousones.thisnotonlymakesitdifficulttopredicttheoutcomeofthetreatment,itcanalsocausesideeffectsrangingfromhairlosstofatiguetolife-threateninginfections.

by the numbers23,400: the estimated number of

Canadianswhowillhavebeendiag-

nosedwithlungcancerin2009

20,500: the number of Canadians

estimatedtohavediedofcancer in

200913percent—thefive-yearsur-

vivalrateformenwithlungcancer

18 per cent—the five-year survival

rateforwomenwithlungcancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause

of cancer deaths in Canada. One in

13 men and one in 18 women are

expectedtodieofthisdisease.

BY:MARJOJOHNe

cancer: cured?


Qualityofliferesearch,alsoknown

aspsychosocialaspectsofbreast

cancer,hasbeenmadeapriority

by the Canadian Breast Cancer Founda-

tion.toaddressthis,theFoundationfunds

researchthatfocusesonawhole-person

approach to cancer care, addressing a

rangeofhumanneedsthatcanimprove

qualityoflifeforaffectedindividualsand

theirnetworks.

As the number of breast cancer sur-

vivors continues to grow, largely as a

result of increased participation in

screeningprogramsandadvances

intreatmentoptions,thisfieldof

researchhasbecomeincreas-

ingly vital to the well being

of thousands of Canadian

breast cancer survivors

andtheirfamilies.

psychosocial research

exploresthesocial,psy-

chological, emotional,

spiritualandfunctional

aspects of cancer,

atallstagesof

thediseasefrompreventiontobereave-

ment. psychosocial factors exert power-

ful effects on health-related behavior,

response to treatment, and quality of

life.this work is expected to contribute

new cutting-edge knowledge and help

develop innovative new programs that

enhancequalityoflifeforthosetouched

bythisdisease.Leadersinthefieldhave

commendedtheFoundationforitsdedi-

cationtowardsqualityoflifefundingasa

vitalaspectofthebreastcancerjourney.

Recently, the Foundation awarded a

totalof$2.4milliontofiveresearchteams

in the Canadian Breast Cancer Research

Alliance/Canadian Breast Cancer Foun-

dationSpecialResearchCompetitionon

psychosocialAspectsofBreastCancer,as

follows:

Lynda Balneaves

University of British Columbia,

Vancouver, BC

developmentofaNHpdecision

aid for menopausal symptoms

after breast cancer treatment:

$560,974

in this study, the research-

ers will develop and test a

computer-based tool to

helpbreastcancersurvivors

understand the risks and

benefits of using natural

healthproductstoalleviate

menopausalsymptoms.

this system

willhelp

womenbecomeactiveandinformedpar-

ticipantsinthetreatmentdecision-making

process surrounding the use of natural

healthproductsfollowingbreastcancer.

Joan Bottorff


Okanagan, BC

Chris Richardson


Vancouver, BC

Supporting tailored Approaches to

Reducingtobacco (StARt)—decreasing

breastcancerincidence:$307,035

Young women who smoke or are

exposedtosecondhandsmokeareatin-

creasedriskofdevelopingbreastcancer

later in life. in this study, public-health

messages,aimedataboriginalandnon-

aboriginaladolescentgirlsandboys,will

bedesignedandevaluatedfortheirabil-

itytopromotesmoke-freelifestyles.Suc-

cessfullyeducatingadolescentgirlsand

boysaboutthebreastcancerriskrelated

to smoking and secondhand smoke at

thisearlyagecouldcontributetolower-

ingtheincidenceofbreastcancer.

Tavis Campbell and Linda Carlson

University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Anobjectivecomparisonofcognitive

behavioral therapy and mindfulness-

basedstressreductionforthetreatment

of insomnia in breast cancer survivors

using wrist actigraphy: a randomized

noninferioritytrial:$449,703

thisstudywillinvestigatetheeffectof

twopsychosocialprogramsoninsomnia

symptomsinwomenwithbreastcancer.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

(MBSR)teachesmeditationandyogaand

has shown promise for reducing sleep

disturbance.MBSRwillbecomparedtoan

alreadyestablishedtreatment,Cognitive-

Behaviouraltherapyforinsomnia(CBt-i),

todeterminewhetheritproducessimilar

effectswiththeaddedbenefitofreduced

stressandmooddisturbance.disrupted

sleep can affect women in all stages of

theircancertreatmentandintosurvivor-

ship, which can have a negative impact

onoverallqualityoflife.establishingthe

degreeofefficacyofbothtreatmentswill

provide more options for patients and

worktowardsthealleviationofaserious

healthrisk.

Karen Fergus

York University, Toronto, ON

Amultisiterandomizedcontrolledtrial

ofcouplelinks.ca:thefirstonlineinterven-

tionforyoungwomenwithbreastcancer

andtheirmalepartners:$457,084

thisstudywillassesstheeffectiveness

ofaninnovativeonlinecoursegearedto

theuniqueneedsandconcernsofyoung

couplesaffectedbybreastcancer.theul-

timateimpactofthestudywillbethecre-

ationofanaccessible,cost-effectivetool

that could help improve the quality of

lifeofyoungcouplescopingwithbreast

cancer,regardlessofgeographiclocation.

Joanne Stephen

BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC

Arandomizedcontrolledtrialtestingef-

ficacyofprofessionally-ledonlinesupport

groupsforyoungCanadianbreastcancer

survivors:$582,995

in this study, researchers in several

provinces will evaluate two online sup-

portgroupoptions(professionally-ledand

peer-led)todeterminewhethertheyhelp

to improve the women’s mood, feelings

of loneliness, confidence and overall life

satisfaction.itishopedthatthesesupport

groupswillalsohelpwomenre-engagein

valuedactivitiesandcommitments.

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation: creating a Future Without breast cancer™

Since its inception in1986, theCanadianBreastCancerFoundationhas investedover$170milliontocollaborativelyfund,supportandadvocateforrelevantandinnovativebreastcancerresearch,meaningfuleducationandawarenessprograms,earlydiagnosisandeffectivetreatment,andapositivequalityoflifeforthoselivingwithbreastcancer.

Bloodcancersaregroupedtogether

because they all originate in the

bonemarroworlymphatictissues.

thediseasesresultfromagenetic injury

tothedNAofasinglecell,whichbecomes

abnormal(malignant)andmultipliescon-

tinuously.theaccumulationofmalignant

cellsinterfereswiththebody’sproduction

ofhealthybloodcells.eachtypeofblood

cancerisexplainedbelow.

itisimportanttoknowanyonecanget

bloodcancer.thecausesofmostblood

cancersareunknown.Somebloodcancers

arecausedbyextraordinarydosesofra-

diation,certaincancertherapiesorchronic

exposuretobenzene.Benzeneisfoundin

certainindustrialsettings,butregulation

hasreducedworkplaceexposure.tobacco

smokeisnowthemostcommonknown

causeofbenzeneexposure.

Leukemia

Leukemiaisacancerofthebonemar-

row and blood. it is categorized into

fourtypes:myelogenousor lymphocytic

(which indicates the type of blood cell

involved), each of which can be acute

or chronic. Acute leukemia progresses

rapidly resulting in the buildup of use-

lesscells in themarrowandblood.Asa

result,themarrowoftenstopsproducing

enoughnormalredcells,whitecellsand

platelets.Anemiadevelopsinvirtuallyev-

eryonewith leukemia.Chronic leukemia

progressesmoreslowly.

Signs of leukemia may include easy

bruisingorbleeding,palenessorfatigue,

recurringminorinfectionsorpoorheal-

ing of minor cuts, mild fever or night

sweats.*Somepeoplewithchronicleu-

kemia may not have major symptoms

and are diagnosed during a routine

medicalexamination.

people with acute leukemia usually

needtobeginchemotherapytreatment

right away. Sometimes, chemotherapy

aloneisenoughforlong-termremission.

Other patients will require a stem cell

transplant.

ChronicMyelogenousLeukemia(CML)

is usually treated with an oral drug that

blocksthecancergene.thisworksaslong

asthepatientcontinuestotakethemedi-

cationbutitisnotacure.theonlywayto

cureCMLiswithastemcelltransplantbut

thereareanumberofrisksassociatedwith

transplantation. Chronic Lymphocytic

Leukemia (CLL) doesn’t always require

immediatetherapy.Manypeoplelivefor

long periods without treatment. treat-

mentoptionsforCLLarelimited.

Lymphoma

Lymphomaoriginatesinthelymphatic

system,partofthebody’simmunesystem

whichdefendsagainstinfection.thelym-

phomacellspileupandformmassesthat

gatherinthelymphnodesorotherparts

ofthelymphaticsystem.

therearetwomaintypesoflymphoma:

Hodgkinlymphoma(alsocalledHodgkin’s

disease) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hodgkinlymphomahaslarge,malignant

cellscalledReed-Sternbergcells,named

forthescientistswhofirstidentifiedthem.

Non-Hodgkinlymphoma(NHL)represents

adiversegroupofdiseases.

there are a few risk factors which

increaseyourchanceofdevelopinglym-

phoma including: history of confirmed

infectiousmononucleosis;peopleinfected

withHtLVorHiV;epstein-Barrvirusinfec-

tion;andhavingasiblingwiththedisease.

thereisahigherincidenceofNHLinfarm-

ing communities. Studies suggest that

specific ingredients in some herbicides

and pesticides are linked to lymphoma.

thenumberoflymphomacasescausedby

suchexposureshasnotbeendetermined.

painlessswellingofoneormorelymph

nodes in the neck, armpit or groin is a

common early sign of lymphoma but

enlargedlymphnodesmaybetheresult

ofinflammationinthebodyandarenot

alwaysasignofcancer.Othersignsand

symptomsoflymphomamayincludere-

curringhighfever,persistentcoughand

shortnessofbreath,nightsweats,itching

andweightloss*.

Most lymphomas are

treated with a combination

ofradiationtherapyandche-

motherapy.

Myeloma

Myeloma is a cancer of

plasmacells(atypeofwhite

cell)whicharefoundprimar-

ilyinthebonemarrow.even-

tually,thenumberofcancer-

ous plasma cells increases,

disrupting normal blood

cell production, de-

stroying normal

bone tissue and

causing pain.

Myeloma dis-

ruptstheabil-

itytoproduce

a n t i b o d i e s ,

so Myeloma

patients are

susceptible to

infections and other

seriouscomplications.

Bonepainisoftenthefirstsymptomof

myeloma.Fracturesmayoccurasaresult

ofweakenedbones.Additionalearlysigns

andsymptomsofthediseasemayinclude

anemia,recurrentinfectionsornumbness

orpaininthehandsand/orfeet(caused

byaconditioncalled“peripheralneuropa-

thy”)*.peoplewithmyelomamayhaveno

symptoms.

Myeloma can be treated with a num-

beroftherapies,includingdrugtherapy,

chemotherapyorstemcelltransplant.the

goaloftherapy is longperiodsofremis-

sionandbetterqualityoflifewhileliving

withthedisease.

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MdS)

areagroupofdiseasesofthebloodand

marrow,withvaryingdegreesofseverity,

treatmentneedsandlifeexpectancy.

MdSstartswithachangetoanormal

stem cell in the marrow, resulting in an

increased number of developing blood

cellscalled‘blasts’whichdiebeforethey

canbereleasedintotheblood.Normally,

blastsmakeuplessthanfivepercentofall

cellsinthemarrow.Apatientisdiagnosed

withMdSpatientsifblastsmakeupmore

thanfivepercentofthemarrowcells.

treatment includes a watch-and-wait

strategy, transfusion, administration of

b l o o d

cellgrowth

factors, drug

therapy, or chemo-

therapy.today,theonlypotentiallycura-

tive therapy is high-dose chemotherapy

withstemcelltransplantationbutthishas

anumberofrisksassociatedwithit.

Children and Youth

Bloodcancersaccountforalmosthalfof

childhoodcancers.Whilethesurvivalrates

for children and youth are much better

thanforadults,therearemanylong-term

orlateeffectsofchemotherapyandradia-

tionthatmaydevelop.thesecanappear

many years after treatment and may in-

clude learningdisabilities,compromised

cardiovascularsystems,emotionalissues,

fertility issues, secondarycancersorbe-

nigntumours.Regularmedicalfollow-up

is encouraged. Support is also available

throughtheLeukemia&LymphomaSo-

cietyofCanadaforchildren,parentsand

educatorstoensureoptimalqualityoflife

post-cancer.

indepthinformationonbloodcancers

as well as support available for patients

andcaregiverscanbe foundatwww.lls.

org/canadaorbycontactingyourlocalof-

ficeoftheLeukemia&LymphomaSociety

ofCanada.

*Some signs or symptoms of blood

cancersaresimilartoothermorecommon

andlesssevereillnesses.thebestadvice

for any person troubled by symptoms

suchasa lasting, low-gradefever,unex-

plainedweightloss,tirednessorshortness

ofbreathistoseeahealthcareprovider.

Blood Cancersthere are over 70,000 Canadians currently living witha blood cancer such as leukemia, Hodgkin lympho-ma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and myelo-dysplastic syndromes. every 35 minutes a Canadian isdiagnosed;every73minutes,someonediesfromoneofthesediseases.

BY:LORNAWARWiCK

the diseases result from a genetic injury to the dna of a single cell, which

becomes abnormal (malignant) and multiplies continuously…

…breast cancer survivors continues to grow, largely as a result of increased participation in screening programs…


cancer: cured?

Breastshavesexualaswellasnur-

turing connotations, and many

women feel that being diag-

nosed with breast cancer will change

theirfemininity,theiridentity.Forthose

who undergo a mastectomy, there is

concernabouthowtheirpartnermayre-

spondtotheirnewlook.Althoughphysi-

calchangesmaybeapartofthebreast

cancerjourney,theremaybegreatanxi-

etythataffectswomenemotionally.

thefirststepinthecopingwithbreast

cancerprocess isperhapsthemost im-

portantone:accepthelpandencourage-

mentfromfamilyandfriends.Surround

yourself with their love and affection,

communicatingyourtruefeelings.every

type of support you receive will help

carry you through many other aspects

ofyourjourney,whetherit’sahug,din-

ner,drivetoanappointmentorletterof

encouragement.

Beinformedabouttheparticularbreast

cancer inquestion,treatmentsavailable

andnextsteps.Learningwhattoexpect

willbeemotionallyandphysicallyreward-

ing, reducingyouranxiety.Someof the

informationyoureceivewillbedaunting,

butyoudon’tneedtogothroughitalone.

Relyonyourcircleofsupporters’encour-

agementtocarryyouthrough.

Neverforgettoenjoyyourbody.Love

itand loveyour life—everythingabout

it.thiscanbeextremelydifficult,butby

loving yourself, you’re strengthening

everyaspectofyourlife.dothisbyeat-

ingproperly,exercising,stayingpositive,

andsavouringthelittlethings.

Also remember that thousands of

Canadian women are diagnosed with

breast cancer every year—you’re not

alone. Join a breast cancer support

group,whetherit’sinyourcommunityor

online.thesearetremendoussourcesof

information,withmanywhoaretravel-

lingasimilarpath.

Lastly,rememberthatallwomencope

differently. And all families and friends

react differently. Although there’s no

singlepaththatonecantake,following

inthefootstepsofthosewhohavetaken

similarpathswillhelpcarryyouthrough.

Breast cancer is complicated and its

cure won’t be found easily. But by be-

cominginformed,detectingitearlyand

continuingresearch into itscausesand

effects, survival rates will continue to

rise.to learnmoreaboutbreastcancer

ortomakeadonationtothecause,visit

www.bcsc.ca/info.

theBreastCancerSocietyofCanadais

acharitablenationalorganizationdedi-

catedtofundingCanadianbreastcancer

researchintothedetection,prevention,

treatmentandtoultimatelyfindacure

forthediseasethatwomenfearmost.

Coping With Breast Cancer: understanding the Shocking newsLearning that you or someone close to you has beendiagnosedwithbreastcancerisanemotional,confusingand frustrating experience. the entire process will testyouineverywayimaginable,evenknowingthat,whencaughtearly,survivalratesareextremelypositive.

Butwhatcausesbreastcancer?this

isdifficulttoanswerbecausethere

is no single cause that doctors

know of. Research has shown that there

areseveral factors thatworktogether to

increasetheriskofbreastcancer—arela-

tionshipthatstillisnotfullyunderstood.

Someofthefactorsthathaveshownto

increasetheriskofbreastcancerinclude:

Age:beingover50yearsold.

Family history: a

close family

m e m b e r

mayhaveinheritedamutatedgenelinked

to the development of breast cancer.

please note that most breast cancer pa-

tientshavenofamilyhistory.

Reproductive history:linkstothelevelof

hormones a woman receives during her

lifetime. Having your first period before

theageof12,havingnochildren,orhav-

ingyourfirstchildaftertheageof30can

increaseyourrisk.

Obesity: estrogen, which is linked to

breastcancerdevelopment,isstoredin

fatty tissue. the greater amount of

fat, the greater risk that it will af-

fectyourendocrinesystem(which

secretes hormones) and breast

tissue. Healthy physical activity

helpstoreduceobesity.

Diet/Nutrition: it’s important to

eatawell-balanceddietwithfruits

andvegetablesaswellaslow-fatand

high-fibrefoods.

Alcohol:donotconsumemore thana

moderateamountofalcohol.

Environmental factors:althoughresearch

is inconclusive, much more research is

neededtostudyourair,waterandfood

andtheireffects.

Exposure to radiation:highdosesata

youngage(muchhigherthanamammo-

gram)havebeenshowntobeafactorin

developingbreastcancerlaterinlife.

Hormone Replacement Therapy/Birth

control pills: linked to the level of hor-

monesawomanreceives.theconnection

between these and breast cancer is still

inconclusive.

Keep in mind that many women and

men are diagnosed with breast cancer

whodonotexhibittheriskfactors listed

above.that’swhyit’simportanttodetect

tumours early—when they’re small and

treatable.

Here are three things you can do to

detectbreastcancerearly:bookamam-

mogram, especially if you’re older than

40(earlierifyourfamilyhasahistorywith

breastcancer);routinelycompletebreast

selfexamsandseekmedicaladviceifyou

discoverchanges;or,ifyouwouldlikethe

adviceofprofessionals,undergoaclinical

breastexam.

Although an abnormal lump is often

thoughtofastheonlyphysicaldetection

of breast cancer, there are many other

physical changes, such as fluid leaking

fromthenipple,unusualdimplingaround

thenippleandchangesintheskintexture

ofthebreast—similartoanorange.

Breastcanceriscomplicatedanditscure

won’tbefoundeasily.Butbybecomingin-

formed,detectingitearlyandcontinuing

researchintoitscausesandeffects,survival

rateswillcontinuetorise.to learnmore

aboutbreastcancerortomakeadonation

tothecause,visitwww.bcsc.ca/info.

theBreastCancerSocietyofCanadais

a charitable national organization dedi-

catedtofundingCanadianbreastcancer

research into the detection, prevention,

treatmentandtoultimatelyfindacurefor

thediseasethatwomenfearmost.

The Breast Cancer Basics: every Woman Should knowBreastcancerisanoft-misunderstooddiseasethatoneinnineCanadianwomenarediagnosedwith.therearesev-eral typesofbreastcancer,dependingonwhere inthebreasttissuethetumourbeginstogrow,butmostbeginwithintheductsusedtosecretemilkforbreastfeeding.

The “Comfortable Colonoscopy”

We promise the most comfortable colonoscopy experience.

Ask your doctor for a referral to Greenestone Clinic

Toronto and Muskoka

Call us for details 877-762-5501www.greenestone.net

BY:BReAStCANCeRSOCietYOFCANAdA

BY:BReAStCANCeRSOCietYOFCANAdA

never forget to enjoy your body. Love it and love your life—

everything about it.

keep in mind that many women and men are diagnosed with breast cancer who do not exhibit the risk factors…

cancer: cured?


Stein, a graduate of McGill Univer-

sity, has been an accomplished

lawyer in Quebec since 1981. in

1995,hewasfraughtwithadiagnosisof

colon cancer which was subsequently

discoveredtohavespreadtohisliverand

lungs.Horrifiedattheprospectofanever-

expanding waiting list for liver surgery

and the unavailability of certain treat-

ments in Canada at the time, Stein was

compelledtoseekhealthcareoutsideof

Canadatobattlehisdiseaseatgreatcost.

Fortunately,Steinwasreimbursedforthe

majorityoffundspaidouttoU.S.hospitals

afteralonglegalbattlethatresultedina

judgmentoftheQuebecSuperiorCourtin

1999.thisjudgmentremainsasaleading

precedent in Canada for the reimburse-

mentofoutofcountryhealthcare.Stein

explains, “the government was legally

bound to pay for the procedure since

the standard of care that was medically

requiredwasnotavailableinCanadaina

timelymanner.”

Stein endured countless procedures,

surgeries,therapiesandemotionalwhirl-

windswhichhecreditswithnotonlysav-

inghis life,butenrichingandequipping

him with the tools to actively and judi-

ciouslyrepresenttheinterestsofcolorec-

talcancerpatients;theinevitableconse-

quenceofwhichwastheinceptionofthe

ColorectalCancerAssociationofCanada.

theCCACwasfoundedin1998andStein

assumed stewardship as its president in

1999.thelargestorganizationofitskind

inCanada,itssloganis“ColorectalCancer

is preventable, treatable and Beatable,”

largely springing from the power and

potentially preventive effect a national

screening program can have over the

evolutionofthedisease.Overthepastfew

years,therehavebeenexcitingchangesto

thestateofcolorectalcancerprevention

and treatment in Canada. the imple-

mentationofcolorectalcancerscreening

programs in many provinces across the

countryinmanycasesresultedfromthe

initial efforts of Stein and his national

strategy through the CCAC to promote

colorectalcancerawarenessandtheneed

forsuchprograms.

Accesstoeffectivemedicationshasalso

seenrecentprogresswiththepublicfund-

ingofbiologicssuchasavastininthema-

jorityofprovinces,despiteheftypricetags

andadmittedlyacostcontainmentfocus

assumedbyrespectiveprovincialgovern-

ments.providingequalandtimelyaccess

to the most effective treatments within

thetreatmentguidelineshasbeenanun-

waveringmandateforSteinandtheCCAC,

whosecommitmenttosaving,prolonging

andimprovingthequalityofpatients’lives

issurpassedbynone.Sincetheadventof

targeted therapies designed to prolong

the lives of colorectal cancer patients

andimprovetheirqualityoflife,Steinhas

emphasized the importance of shifting

fromacostcontainmentapproachinthe

medicationsapprovalprocesstoprovid-

ingpatientswithbetteraccesstoeffective

treatmentsthatprovidehopewherenone

existedbefore.

Stein works to inform key decision-

makersbothinCanadaandinternationally

oftheconcernsassociatedwithcolorectal

cancerpreventionandcare.Heinteracts

with politicians and officials through

roundtablediscussions,pressconferences,

and educational events and lobbying

aimedatpromotingchangeandeffective

policy.BecauseofStein,theCCACremains

at the forefront in the accessibility of

colorectalcancertreatmentandmanage-

mentensuringpatients’needsareheard

andmet.theorganizationisproudtopar-

ticipateinhealthforumsandconferences,

distributeeducationalmaterial,holdfree

informationsessions,andproducepublic

service announcements for television,

radioandprint.Supportgroupsacrossthe

countryareoffered,connectingpatients,

survivorsandcaregivers,oneofwhichis

ledbySteinhimselfinMontreal.

Barry Stein was an ordinary man who

was silently flung into an extraordinary

setofcircumstances fromwhichhewas

abletoachieve,andcontinuestoachieve,

remarkable results for the good of oth-

ers afflicted with one of the deadliest

diseasesknowntoman.Manycolorectal

cancerpatientscannowavailthemselves

oftherapiesandopportunitiesdesigned

not only to prolong their lives, but im-

provethequalityoftheirlifeaswell.And

insomecases,patientscannowachieve

longtermremissionorevenqualifyfora

cureinthesurgicalsettingresultingfrom

Stein’seffortstosecurepublicfundingof

medicationssuchasavastin.theworldis

amuchbetterplacebecauseofSteinand

colorectalcancerpatientsowehimaworld

ofgratitudeforwhichhehumblywould

replacewithandprefersgratification.For

gratitudeisnosubstituteforgratification

whenawardedwiththeprivilegeofserv-

ingothers.

Though highly preventable and

curableifcaughtearly,itisthesec-

ond-leadingcauseofcancerdeath

in Canada, with approximately 22,000

Canadian having been diagnosed last

year alone, and sadly 9,100 men and

womensuccumbedtothedisease.

Colorectalpolypsandearlycolorectal

cancersusuallycausenosignsorsymp-

toms. Full-blown colorectal cancer, on

theotherhand,maypresentthefollow-

ingsymptoms:

• Rectalbleedingorbloodystools

• Changeinbowelhabitsorstoolsthat

arenarrowerthanusual

• Abdominaldiscomfortsuchasbloat-

ing,fullness,orcramping

• diarrhea,constipationorafeelingthat

theboweldoesnotfullyempty

• Unexplainedweightloss

• Constantfatigueoranemia

• Vomiting

According to the findings published

by the World Cancer Research Fund,

theoverallriskofdevelopingcolorectal

cancer(crc)canbereducedbyengaging

inregularphysicalactivityandexercise;

maintaining a healthy weight; eating

a high-fiber diet rich in fruits and veg-

etables, beans, nuts and whole grains;

consuming calcium-rich foods; limiting

red meat consumption and avoiding

processed meats; limiting alcohol con-

sumptionandnosmoking.Byadopting

thesehealthylifestylerecommendations

in combination with crc screening, the

ColorectalCancerAssociationofCanada

(CCAC)maintainsthatthemortalityrate

fromthisdiseaseshoulddropsubstan-

tiallyoverthenexttenyears.

the CCAC is Canada’s leading non-

profitorganizationdedicatedtoincreas-

ing awareness and education of crc,

supportingpatientsandcaregivers,and

advocating for primary prevention and

population-based provincial screening

programs as well as equal and timely

accesstoeffectivetreatments.theCCAC

prides itself on its first-class website

furnishing patients with a wealth of

contextual information coupled with

erudite knowledge. in an effort to re-

duce crc-related mortality, the CCAC

strivesto“promoteprimaryprevention

andscreeningandensurethatthosepa-

tientsalreadytouchedbythediseaseare

affordedeverychancepossibletofinda

cureandprolongtheirlives,”maintains

Barry d. Stein, president of the CCAC.

“primaryprevention,throughtheadop-

tionofahealthylifestyle,screeningand

timely access to effective treatments

are the hallmarks of what will improve

patientoutcomes,”Steinsaid.

However, ensuring that Canadians

acrossthecountryaccessastandardof

care screening program, necessitates

the integration of a population-based

crc screening program in every prov-

ince. Stein adds: “those provinces that

have not as yet committed to bringing

in a screening program, must address

this problem with urgency if we are to

save lives.” the CCAC applauded New

Brunswick’s recent decision to imple-

ment their crc screening program and

imploresthoseprovinceslackinganex-

istingprogramtocontributebyprovid-

ingascreeningprogramthatwillensure

nation-wide screening. Additionally,

the CCAC is calling upon the Canadian

MedicalAssociationandallfamilyprac-

titionerstopromotescreeningthrough

eitherFecalOccultBloodtest(FOBt)or

Fecal immunochemicaltest (Fit)atthe

very least as part of a bi-annual health

check up for all men and women fifty

yearsofageandolder.

inanefforttoincreasetheprofileofcrc

screeninginCanadaaswellaspromote

themessageofprimaryprevention,the

CCAC has most recently launched two

initiatives, the Giant Colon tour and

their public Service Announcement

(pSA)Contest.Anastoundingfortyfeet

inlengthandeightfeethigh,theGiant

Colon is a multimedia walk through

exhibit designed for all ages featuring

allpathologiesarising fromthehuman

colon,includingcrc,andwillbetouring

thecountryonaregularbasis.thepSA

contestpromisestoinvokemoreaware-

nessofcrcandhowitmaybeprevented

by requesting thatcontestparticipants

submitanentryconsistingofavideoor

printimagewhichhasasitssubjectmat-

terawarenessorpreventionofcrc.

the advent of new targeted thera-

pies finding their way into treatment

regimensforcrcpatientswithmetastatic

disease,belongstotheCCAC’smandate

which calls for equal and timely access

to effective treatments across the na-

tion.Whileformingthestandardofcare

therapiesforadvanceddiseaseinmany

othercountries,provincialgovernments

inCanadahavebeendebatingthecov-

erage of life-prolonging biologics such

as bevacizumab (avastin),

vectibix (panatumumab)

andcetuximab(erbitux).

the CCAC’s position

regarding ef fect ive

therapies has been clear

andunwavering:allpatients,regardless

of their geographical location, should

be afforded the benefit of long term

survival through timely and equal ac-

cess.despiteCCAC’ssuccessinhelping

tosecurepublicfundingofavastin ina

numberofprovinces,thecampaignmust

continue to assist those patients in pei

andManitobathatdonothavepublicly

fundedaccesstoavastin,aswellasassist

in securing public funding for vectibix

and erbitux in those provinces that do

notcurrentlyprovideaccess.

Should you wish to access informa-

tiononCCAC’swebsiteorcontactthem,

pleasevisitwww.colorectal-cancer.caor

1.877.50COLON(26566)

Colorectal Cancer Preventable, treatable and beatable!Colorectalcancer isadisease inwhichcancerousgrowths (tumours)develop inthetissues of the colon and/or rectum.the disease can arise from either precancerouspolyps(abenigntumourofmucousmembranes)protrudingfromthecolonwalloradenocarcinoma(malignanttumour)arisingintheliningofthecolonorrectum.

A Man And His CausetheColorectalCancerAssociationofCanada(CCAC),thecountry’sleadingnon-profitorganizationdedicatedtoincreasing awareness of colorectal cancer, supportingpatientsand advocating foranational screeningpoli-cyandequalandtimelyaccesstoeffectivetreatmentsacrossthecountry,islookingbackontheyear’saccom-plishmentsandthemanygreatimprovementsmadetocolorectal cancer care and prevention in Canada withpride.Andthemanwhohasspear-headedeveryoneoftheseeffortsishimselfaformerstageiVcolorectalcan-cerpatient,Barryd.Stein,presidentoftheCCAC.

thefutureofcancertreatment looksatcreatingspecializedtreatment for

individuals so as to minimize the side effects of the medication. One of the

decidingfactorsthatspecialistsusetodeterminethebestcourseoftreatment

arebiomarkers.taketheexampleofthelungs-bio-markerscanbefoundinthe

sputumthatliesinthebottomofthelungs.traditionally,therearetwoways

toextractthissputuma)aselfinducedcoughingfitorb)inhalingahypertonic

salinevapourthatinducesadeepcoughwhichbringsupsputum.Whileeffec-

tive,thismethodcancauseseverediscomfort.

Arecentinnovationisthelungflute,apatented,FdAapproveddevicede-

velopedbyMedicalAcousticsofBuffaloN.Y.Withthisdevice,thesubjectblows

intothissimpleplasticdevicethatcreateslow-frequencysoundwaves.

theseacousticsoundwavesvibratethroughoutthechestcavityandreduce

theviscosityofdeeplungmucusdepositsinthelungs,allowingtheciliainthe

lungstomoreeasilymovethesedepositsfromthelungstothethroatwherethe

sputumcanbeexpectoratedwithoutdiscomfort.

the Lung Flute

BY:BARRYSteiN

BY:BARRYSteiN

AdVeRtORiAL

High Doses of Intravenous Vitamin C nature’s promising cancer treatment

the Naturopathic philosophy around the treatment of a cancer patient is

somewhatdifferentfromtheconventionalmedicalmodel.ANaturopathicdoctor

doesnottreatthetumoralonebuttreatsthewholepatient.Withinthecancer

patientthereare4majorbiochemicalinfluencesonthegrowthandprogression

ofatumor.1) Hyperacidity.iftheconnectivetissuesaretooacidicthetumorwill

grow.Cancerlovesandthrivesinanacidicenvironment.2)Toxicity.Cancerloves

atoxicenvironmentinthebody.thegreaterthepatient’stoxicloadthegreater

thetumorprogression.3)Low oxygen.Cancerprefersabiochemicalenvironment

inwhichthecellsareexposedto lowlevelsofoxygen.Cancer isananaerobic

fermentativeprocess,meaningthatthelowertheoxygeninthebodythegreater

theprogressionofthetumor.4)Compromised Immunity.Cancerthrivesinthe

systemofahumanwhoseimmunesystemisweakandlesscapableoffightinga

tumor.thehumanchemistryisakintosoil.ifthesoilispoor,undesirableformsof

lifewillgrow.ifthesoilisoptimal,onlydesirablelifeformswillthrive.

Atrulycomprehensivecancertreatmentmustconcernitselfwiththeseabove

factorsinordertocreateanenvironmentthatiscompletelyinhospitabletocan-

cerousgrowth.intravenousmegadosesofVitaminChavebeenshownintheliter-

atureandinclinicalpracticetosatisfyjustwhattheNaturopathicdoctorordered.

intravenousdosesofVitaminChavebeenshowntodecreaseacidity,detoxify,

improveoxygenutilizationandstimulateimmunefunction.AdditionallyVitamin

CisbiochemicallyconvertedinthecancercelltoHydrogenperoxide,whichkills

cancercells.itmakesperfectsensethatthistypeoftreatmentcanbeutilizedin

conjunctionwithconventionaltreatments.

talktoyourNaturopathicdoctoraboutintravenousVitaminCtreatments.

BY:dR.RiCHARddOddtHeNAtURALpAtHALteRNAtiVeHeALtHCAReCeNtRe(905)206-0732


cancer: cured?

Dr. Mark Vincent, a medical on-

cologistattheLondonRegional

Cancer program and Associate

professor at the University of Western

Ontario, encounters patients with stage

iVcolorectalcancerweeklyandpartofhis

roleistotranslatescientificresearchinto

clinicalpracticeandhelppatientsunder-

standwhatthediseaseprogressionmeans

andwhattheirtreatmentchoicesare.

Q: My cancer has spread and the

chemotherapy treatment I am taking is

not working. What does this mean?

A:Mostpatientswithadvancedcolorectal

cancerwillhavepreviouslyhadsurgeryto

removetheprimarytumourandpossibly

radiationtokillanyremainingcancercells

in the area around the original tumour.

in addition, patients may have had che-

motherapytotrytostopthecancerfrom

comingback.this is referredtoascura-

tive intentchemotherapy.Unfortunately

thistreatmentdoesn’talwaysworkandin

somecasesthecancerwillcomebackand

spread beyond the colon and rectum. if

thecancerreturns,chemotherapyisgiven

withtheintentionofprolongingsurvival.

if the second round of chemotherapy

fails,youwillmoveontothenextstage:

targetedtreatment.

Q:How does targeted treatment work?

A: targeted treatment is different than

traditionalchemotherapywhichkillsboth

the cancer cells and also some healthy

cells. targeted therapy is more selec-

tive and stops the malignant cells from

reproducing while being less damaging

to healthy cells. Monoclonal antibodies

areatargetedtherapyandanimportant

weapontofightadvancedcolorectalcan-

certhatwasaddedtoourmedicalarsenal

aboutsixyearsago.Yourdoctorwill se-

lectthebestcombinationofmonoclonal

antibodywithorwithoutchemotherapy.

thegoalistoshrinkthetumours,prolong

survivaltimeanddelaythecancer’spro-

gression. in some cases, patients whose

tumours can be operated may receive

targetedtherapytoshrinktumoursbefore

surgery.

Q: I have heard about combination

therapy. What does this mean and is it

for everyone?

A: in combination therapy, monoclonal

antibodies(targetedtherapy)aregivenin

combinationwithotherchemotherapeu-

tic agents. Combination therapy targets

your cancer’s genetic make-up and the

part of your body where the cancer has

spread.Clinicaltrialshavetestedvarious

therapeuticagentsandfoundthatthere

isgreatertumourshrinkageanddelayed

cancerprogressionwhenchemotherapy

isusedtogetherwithamonoclonalanti-

body.thebenefitofcombinationtherapy

isthatitmakesthecancercellsmoresus-

ceptibletothechemotherapyandatthe

same time the targeted therapy blocks

thedriverofthecancerandstopsitfrom

growing,givingthepatientthebenefitof

bothtreatments.

Q: Am I a candidate for targeted

treatment?

A:therearesubtleandcomplex factors

thatdetermineifapatientwillrespondto

targetedtreatment.theprocessinvolves

matchingthebestavailabletreatmentto

atumour’sgeneticsbecausetheeffective-

nessofthesetherapiesistiedtogenetic

markers.themajorfactorthatwilldeter-

mineapatient’sresponsetomonoclonal

antibody treatment is the presence or

absenceofageneticmutationoftheKRAS

gene. Clinical trials show that targeted

therapies have a positive effect on pa-

tientswithtumourswheretheKRASisnot

mutated(wildtypeornormal)resultingin

significantlyincreasedresponseratesand

decreased risk of tumour progression.

Monoclonalantibodytreatment(targeted

therapy)willnotworkiftheKRASgeneis

mutated.theabilitytopredictapatient’s

responseisanimportantadvanceinour

understandingoftargetedtreatmentfor

advancedcolorectalcancer.

Q: What does the future hold for

targeted treatments?

A: Unlocking the secrets of the genetic

codesuchastheKRASmutation’simpact

ontheeffectivenessoftargetedtherapy

offersencouragingnewsforpatientsand

opensanewfrontierinscientificresearch

thatcangreatlybenefitclinicalpractice.

As researchersandclinicians learnmore

aboutthegenesthatareresponsiblefor

cancer,theywillbeabletocustomizetar-

getedtherapiestoeachpatient’sgenetic

profile.Knowingthatageneticmutation

ispresentwillhelppredictthetreatment

outcomesinmetastaticcolorectalcancers

and has already helped oncologists in

clinicalpracticetotakeearlystepstoward

individualizedtreatmentofthisdisease.

Advanced Colorectal Cancer: commonly asked Patient Questionsif you have been diagnosed with advanced (or stage iV) colorectal cancer it meansthatithasspreadbeyondthecolonandrectumtothepelvis,abdominalcavity,lymphnodes,liverorlung.Breakthroughsinresearchandtechnologyhavecreatedtreatmentchoicesandbrightenedtheoutlookforlongersurvivaltimesandagoodqualityoflife.

FAST FACTS

• in2009,anestimated22,000Canadianswerediagnosedwithcoloncancer.

• Nearly 80 per cent of people diagnosed with colon cancer have no family

historyofthedisease.

• Lastyearalone,colorectalcancerkilled4900men,and4200women,second

onlytolungcancer.

• Colorectalcanceralmostalwaysdevelopsfromabenignpolypandcanbe

preventedbyscreeningandremovingit.

• Colorectalcanceris90percentpreventableandhasa90percentcurerate

whendetectedandtreatedearly.Love Life?

Get Screened!

Coming to a city near you!Coming to a city near you!

For more information:1.877.50.COLON (26566)www.colorectal-cancer.ca

North Bay North Gate Shopping Centre January 12-13 London White Oaks Mall January 16-17Windsor Devonshire Mall January 19-20 St. Catherines Pen Centre Mall January 22-23Brampton Bramalea City Centre Centre January 24-25-26 Kingston Cataraqui Town Centre February 3-4 Waterloo Waterloo Town Square February 6-7Gatineau Hilton Hotel (Lac Leamy Hotel) February 19-20-21Sudbury New Sudbury Centre February 24-25 Thunder Bay Inter City Mall February 28, March 1-2

Please refer to our website www.colorectal-cancer.ca for postings on additional locations.

targeted treatment is different than traditional chemotherapy which kills both the cancer cells and also

some healthy cells.

· everydayscientistslearnandunderstandmoreaboutcancer,especiallyasimprovedandhighlysophisticatedtechnologies

areemerginginclinicalcancerresearchsuchasgenomics/proteomics.

· Asaresult,moreinformationisknownaboutthecellandhowthehumanbodyworks,acceleratingdiscoveriesinclinical

cancerresearch,whichtranslatesintomorepromisingandeffectivedrugs.

· Asweenterthedawningeraofpersonalizedmedicine(matchingtherightpatientwiththerightdrugtopredictthebest

courseoftreatment),canceristhefirstareathatwillbenefit.

did You know?

DefinitionsMonoclonal antibodies:lab-createdsubstancesthatsticktoanddestroytargetedcells.Monoclonalantibodiesshutdownangiogenesis,byregu-latingvascularendothelialgrowthfactor(VeGF)andinterferingwithcan-cercellgrowthbybindingtoandinhibitingtheirVeGFreceptors.

angiogenesis:aprocesswherebytumoursgrownewbloodvesselstoreceivenutrientsnecessarytosurvive.

VeGF:thesubstancethatcontrolsangiogenesis.

cancer: cured?


The most common types of treat-

ment are surgery, radiation ther-

apy and chemotherapy. Other

treatments include immunotherapy,

monoclonalantibodytherapyandbone

marrowtransplantation.

Cancer treatment makes demands of

integratedmedicalservicesanditisoften

ajointdecisionbythephysicianandthe

patient about which treatment to use

andinwhatorder.today,medicalinfor-

mationiseasilyavailableontheinternet

providing patients with more decision-

making power. As a result, patients in

many countries are more empowered

than ever before with more preferring

non-invasiveprocedures.

Ofthethreecommontreatmentmeth-

odsforcancer,radiationtherapyisoften

theleasttraumatictothepatientandat

thesametimethemostcost-effective.

Radiationtherapyandradiosurgeryare

chosenformoreandmorepatients.Radi-

ationtherapyistheuseofhigh-energyra-

diationfromx-rays,gammarays,neutrons

andothersourcestokillcancercellsand

shrinktumors.Radiosurgeryisatherapeu-

ticradiationtechnique,applyingafieldof

radiation using multiple, focused, finely

collimatedradiationbeamswithsurgical

precisioninasinglesession.

today, approximately half of all pa-

tients in developed countries who are

diagnosed with cancer are treated with

radiation therapy, often in combination

with other treatment, at some stage of

their illness. More advanced, precise

and accurate methods are expected to

increasetheroleof radiationtherapy in

thefuture.

Well,thatmaysoonnolongerbe

thecase.Medicaltechnologyis

always progressing, meaning

thatCanadians todaymustbeeducated

tomakeinformedchoiceswhentheysee

a doctor or choose a medical establish-

ment. For example, in a mere ten years,

intuitiveSurgical©hasrevolutionizedthe

medicallandscapethroughitsinnovative

robot-assistedsurgerytechnology,called

thedaVinciSurgicalSystem.theunique

daVinciroboticsurgerytool(namedafter

LeonardodaVincihimself,becauseofhis

keeninterestinhumananatomyaswellas

inearlyversionsoftherobot)isdesigned

to offer“surgeons superior visualization,

enhanceddexterity,greaterprecisionand

ergonomiccomfortfortheoptimalperfor-

manceof[minimallyinvasivesurgery].”

insteadofconductingasurgeryinthe

traditionalmanner,thesurgeonnolonger

directlycontactsthebody,but isableto

control the robotic arms of the daVinci

machinetoactuallycompletethesurgery.

thisallowsthesurgeontohavemorecon-

trolovertheproceduretakingplace,while

at the same time limiting any imprecise

movements that may be inadvertently

causedbythehumanhand.inadditionto

this,thesurgeonisabletomakeuseoftiny

holesthroughwhichevenmajorsurgeries

cantakeplace,thusreducingtheneedfor

sometypesofopensurgery.Yetthe“look

andfeel”ofopensurgeryismaintainedby

theuseof tiny real-timecameras (called

laparoscopiccameras)tobetterstudythe

internalorgansasthesurgeoncompletes

the surgery. What is different about da

Vinci cameras is that they are in high

definition and 3d, allowing the surgeon

tocarefullyvisualizethetissueinorderto

minimizetheimpactofthesurgeryonthe

patient.

the surgeon sits at the surgeon con-

sole, which controls the robotic arms of

thedaVincimachinewhichactuallyenter

thepatient’sbody.Observershaveoften

claimed that this appears as if the sur-

geon isplayingavideogame,ashe/she

ispositionedinsuchamannerthatthey

areabletofocusonthevideofeedfrom

the cameras, while their fingers operate

muchliketheywouldinatraditionalsur-

gery.infact,thelatestdaVincioffersfour

roboticarmsthatcanbemanipulatedby

thesurgeon,allowinghim/hertheoption

ofsingle-handedlycompletingsurgeries

thatpreviouslyrequiredtwosurgeons.in

addition,flexibleandversatileendoWrist®

instrumentsusedintheroboticarmsalso

havearealisticwrist-likefunction,permit-

tingthesurgeonmaximizedexterityinthe

operation.

Ultimately, there are many benefits

offered by robot-assisted surgeries like

these,bothforpatients,andforthedoc-

tors serving them. For patients, many of

the more invasive surgeries such as car-

diacsurgeryorahysterectomy,cannow

beachievedthroughseveralsmall2-3cm

holes.thisgreatlyreducesrecoverytime,

scarringandbloodloss,aswellasthetime

spentbyapatient inpainordiscomfort

duetothesmallerimpactonthebodyof

thistypeofsurgery.However,cautionsdr.

Goldenberg,anexpertonroboticsurgery

and chairman of Urology at University

ofBritishColumbia, it is importanttore-

memberthatthisisstillmajorsurgeryper-

formedthroughsmallincisions,andthere

arestillpotentialrisksinvolved.However,

“thereisnoquestionthat,inmostcases,

recoveryisfasterandwhenallthingsgo

well,itisafantasticprocedure,”heshares.

doctors are able to successfully com-

plete more minimally invasive surgeries,

simplify complex surgical procedures by

causinglessbleeding, increasetherange

ofpossibleproceduresindifficultpatients,

andalsotoreducetheirlevelsoffatigue.

thedaVinciprostatectomyprocedureis

currentlythefastest-growingtreatmentfor

prostatecancer,whichisthesecondlead-

ingcauseofcancer-relateddeathinmen.

The Expanded Benefits Of Modern Surgical TechnologyWhen you hear the word“surgery,” what do you thinkabout? Something out of Grey’s Anatomy or e.R.involvingdoctorsinscrubs,anoperatingroom,and,per-haps, lots of blood?to most people, the word“surgery,”especially major surgery, denotes time off work, time inahospitalandpossibly,someseriouspain.

MinogueMedicalinc.180peelStreet,Suite300Montreal,QCH3C2G7tel:18006656466•15142871644•www.minogue-med.com

Radio Surgery & Radio Therapy

thetreatmentofcancervariesdependingonanumberoffactorsincludingthetypeofcancerandtumor, locationandamountofdisease,aswellasthegeneralconditionofthepatient.thetreatmentsarenormallydesignedtoeitherkillorremovethetumororbringaboutitsdestruc-tionbydeprivingitofsignalsneededforcelldivision.

Today, the use of Magnetic Reso-

nance imaging (MRi or MR) has

enhancedthelevelofdetailavail-

able to radiologists and technologists

screening for breast cancer, when used

inaddition tomammograms.this tech-

nologyisrecommendedbytheNational

Cancerinstituteforwomenwhoareata

higherriskofbeingdiagnosedwithbreast

cancer,suchashavingahistoryofbreast

cancerinthemselvesortheirfamilies,in-

creasedbodyweightoralcoholuse,age

andotherfactors.

According to radiologyinfo.org, “de-

tailedMRimagesallowphysicianstobet-

terevaluatevariouspartsofthebody…

that may not be assessed adequately

withotherimagingmethods.”Usedasa

supplemental tool, benefits associated

withMRisinscreeningforbreastcancers

include:

• Lessexposuretoionizingradiation

• increased comfort during the screen-

ingprocess

• increased discovery of abnormalities

notvisibleinotherimagingtechniques

• decreasedriskstothepatient

• Abilitytoscreenaugmentedordense

breasttissue,whicharehardertoeval-

uate with a traditional mammogram

alone

thus,abnormalchangesinbreasttissue

detectedbymammogramscanbeinves-

tigatedinmoredetailusingsupplemental

breastMRitechnology,allowingscreen-

ingforcancersthatmaypreviouslyhave

goneundetected.

Maximizing The Benefits Of Breast Exams

Risk factors include the previous

presenceofgrowths, familyhis-

tory,orthepresenceofbloodin

the stool. According to radiologyinfo.

org, “the goal of screening with colo-

nography is to find these growths in

theirearlystages,sothattheycanbere-

movedbeforecancerhashadachance

todevelop.”

inthepast,screeningforcolonissues

was possible only through inserting an

endscope (micro-camera used to view

theinsideofahumanbody)throughthe

rectum of the patient. Nowadays, CAt

scanning is a less-invasive technology

offering a 3-d X-ray image of the colon

instead.

priortoavirtualcolonoscopy,thepa-

tient is requiredtoemptythecolonby

usinglaxativesandlimitingfoodintake.

during the process, a tube is inserted

intotherectumtofillthecolonwithair.

then,X-raysaredirectedatthatareaof

the body from multiple angles, allow-

ing for images of different “slices” of

theanatomytobetaken.theseimages

thatarethentransferred“virtually”toa

computerforacompleteexaminationby

thephysician.Accordingtomedicinenet.

com,“Whenproperlyperformed,virtual

colonoscopycanbeaseffectiveasopti-

calcolonoscopy.itcanevenfindpolyps

‘hiding’ behind folds that occasionally

aremissedbyopticalcolonoscopy.”

Advances In Colonoscopy Screenings: Virtual colonoscopy

Most women today are aware of the risks of develop-ing breast cancer, and can take preventative measuresby ensuring regular mammograms after the age of 40.Mammograms consist of a detailed, low-dose X-ray ofthebreast,usingamammographymachinetoexaminebreasttissue.

BY:SHONARAMCHANdANi

Recentmedicaladvanceshaveallowedpatientstoben-efit from less invasive methods of screening for majorillnesses. One type of screening, called a colonoscopy,istoscreenforabnormalgrowthsinthelargeintestine,whichmayturnintocancer.

BY:SHONARAMCHANdANi

BY:SHONARAMCHANdANi

MRI & CT Scans – without the wait

When you need to know. Now.

• Breast MRI

• Diagnostic MRI & CT

• Virtual CT Colonography

• Coronary CT Angiography

• Early detection of heart, lung & colon disease

Call 403.777.4MRI (4674) 1.877.428.4674 www.mayfairdiagnostics.com

120 Mayfair Place, 6707 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2V 0E3

BY:eLeKtAiNC.

AdVeRtORiAL

You Are Diagnosed With Cancer…now what?

Youareafraidandbegintoresearchonyourown.thereisaseaofinformation

towadethrough.

enterCareFacilitationGroup—CFG.CFGquicklyanswersthequestions:Howand

whydidthishappentome?Whatelsecanidotoaugmentmycareandmakemy

treatmentsuccessful?Amiaskingtherightquestionsandtakingtherightsteps?

HowdoesCFGwork?thepatientandtheirfamilymembersmeetwithacancer

carefacilitatortodocumentcompletemedicalhistory,gatherallmedicalrecords,

andestablishpatientvaluesandgoals.theCFGfacilitatorthendesignsasupportive

care-strategyuniquetothepatient’sneedsincompletecooperationwithyourmedi-

calprovidersandthetreatmentplantheyhaverecommendedforyou.

Howdidigetcancer?togetcancer,thebodyitselfhastohavebeencompromised

inthreewaysandCFGprogramsaredesignedtosafelyandeffectivelytargetthose

threecriticalareasofhumanhealth:structure,function,andmind-bodydynamics.

Structure:Cancerhasformedinanareaofyourbody.thatareanowneedsadded

supportwithincreasednutrientsupplytoandwasteremovalfromthecancersite

Howcanimaximizetheeffectofadrug(suchaschemotherapy)againstquickly

dividingcancercellsinanareawherecancerhasformed?CFGprogramsaddress

structuralmalfunctionsandhelpyourbodyre-establishahighlyefficient“shuttle

system”foryourdrugandnutritionaltherapies.

Function:Cellsinthebodyhaveaspecificformandperformtheirtasksproperly

whentheyareassembledcorrectly.Muchlikeacarneedsparts,yourcellsneedparts

tomakethemdotheirwork.Wouldyouwanttobedrivingintherainwithfaulty

wind-shieldwipers?CFGprogramsincludeacellularbiologyapproachthatgives

yourcellstheproper“parts”safelyusedincombinationwithdrugtherapiessoyour

healthycellsstayhealthyandsupporttheover-allmissionoftargetingcancer.

Mind-Body Dynamics: thebrainandthebodyareconnected.themindand

emotionstooareconnectedtothehealthofthebody.emotionalsupportanda

treatmentapproachthatresonateswithyourpersonalvaluesiskeytothesuccess

ofanycancertreatmentprogram.CFGprogramsaredesignedtoaddress:factors

withinyourlifecontributingtoyourhealthdecline,factors

thatarepotentialbarrierstoyourrecovery,andprovides

strategiestobuildyourhealth.

CFG(www.carefg.com)haslocationsintheGtA&tri-

Cityarea.

BY:HeAtHeRWAtt-KApitAiN


cancer: cured?

“Each cancer has its own

signature that translates

to unique behavior, in

responsetotreatment.Giventhesedif-

ferences, treating all… cancer patients

in the same way with the same drugs

at the same time does not make sense

anymore,” explains dr. Benoit Samson,

amedicaloncologistatHôpitalCharles

LeMoyneinQuebec.

Overall,thesecondmostlethalcancer

affectingCanadiansiscolorectalcancer.

taketheexampleofJohnMcCulloch,a

young Canadian from Vancouver who

wasdiagnosedwithcolorectalcancerin

hislatethirties.Atthepointatwhichhe

wasdiagnosed,thecancerwasalreadyin

StageiV,thestageatwhichacancerhas

spreadfromtheoriginallyaffectedorgan

(inhiscase,thecolon)tootherpartsof

thebody.thisisusuallyverydifficultto

treat.Chemotherapy,amixtureofdrugs

(often referred to as a ‘drug protocol’),

istypicallyadministeredtoapatientfor

thistypeofcancerinthehopethatthe

cancer cells would be destroyed. “You

canonlyhopetheykillthebadstuffbe-

foretheykillthegoodstuff,”saysJohn.

the side-effect of chemotherapy alone

isthatitalsokillsviablebodycells,ulti-

matelytaxingthebody’svitalityduring

the process. Also, chemotherapy drugs

can become ineffective quickly, lead-

ing to fewer long-term benefits for the

patients.

WhenJohn’sdrugprotocolsstopped

beingeffective,aluckycoincidenceoc-

curred.Atthetime,anewtrialdrugfor

colorectalcancerhadjustbecomeavail-

able,andJohnfoundoutthathehadthe

rightbiologytobenefitfromthistreat-

ment.this isthefutureofpersonalized

medicine. drugs tailored to work with

anindividual’sgeneticmake-upseemto

eliminatesomeofthesideeffectsseen

with other cancer treatments, while at

the same time boosting the patient’s

successrate.

What John had was a “biomarker”

thattolddoctorsthatthetrialdrughad

a higher likelihood of being effective

in his body. dr. Samson defines a bio-

markeras“biologicalmoleculesfoundin

apatient’sblood,bodyfluids,tissuesor

withinthetumouritself,thatpredictsor

isresponsiblefor,aresponsetoaspecific

treatment.” in this case, the biomarker

usedforJohnisthe“K-RAS”genethatis

foundinallcolorectalcancerpatients.if

theK-RASbiomarkerwasmutatedinany

way, he would not have been eligible

for the trial. According to dr. Samson,

the reason is because this revolution-

ary treatment works by blocking eGFr

(epidermal Growth Factor receptor), a

growth protein at the surface of a cell,

from connecting with the cancerous

nucleusthroughaproteinpathway.this

preventsthecancerfromcontinuingto

propagate itself, as the eGFr protein is

responsiblefortheproliferationofcan-

cercells.Anti-eGFrtherapies,likeJohn’s

trial therapy, rely on the normal K-RAS

gene to shut down this intra-cellular

signalingpathway.drSamsonexplains

thattheseanti-eGFRtreatmentsarethe

only treatments that have been shown

to delay the progression of cancer and

increasethesurvivalofthepatient,once

traditional chemotherapy treatments

havefailed.

“Withinjustaweekofreceivingpani-

tumumab [an anti-eGFr therapy], i felt

muchbetter,”saysJohn,sharinghowit

was much gentler than chemotherapy

onhisbodyandhelpedalleviatenumer-

ouspainfulsymptomshehadbeenex-

periencing.thosefivemonthswerehis

best in cancer treatments yet, he says.

Unfortunately, indecemberof2009his

cancerprogressed.

patients like John, who are looking

forathirdlineofcancertreatmentafter

chemotherapy has ceased to be effec-

tive,shouldworkwiththeironcologistto

gettestedfortheK-RASmutation.thisis

donebysendingabiopsyofthelivetu-

mourtoatestingcentre.thecentrewill

test forthepresenceofmutatedK-RAS

(K-RAS is known as a negative predic-

tivebiomarker,becauseifitismutated,

it tells doctors what patients anti-eGFr

therapies will not be effective in). Only

about40percentofcancerpatientsdo

nothavethemutatedK-RASgene.the

laboratorycanprocessthetissuesample

within 2-3 weeks, and send the results

back to the oncologist. testing centres

areavailableatMountSinaiServices,St.

Michael’sHospitalandUniversityHospi-

tal Network (UHN) in toronto, Ontario,

as well as the Jewish General Hospital

inMontreal,Quebec,accordingtowww.

personalizingmedicine.ca/personalized-

medicine.html.

“Unfortunately, there is currently

disparity in access to these new drugs

forcolorectalcancer,”saysdr.Samson.

“Ofcourse thesenewdrugsareexpen-

sive,andfundingbodiesacrossCanada

are lookingforproofofclinicalefficacy

before making funding available... For

example,thesedrugsarenowavailable

in Ontario Manitoba, Saskatchewan,

Alberta and British Columbia but not

in Quebec and eastern provinces.”

Hopefully thiswillchange in

thefuture,asclinical

trials have

alreadyshownresults,indicatingtheef-

fectivenessofthesetreatments.

Overall,theefficacyofdrugsavailable

to manage and treat colorectal cancer

isimproving.Lifeexpectancyforcancer

patients without any treatment is ap-

proximatelysixmonths,whileundergo-

ingchemotherapyaloneextendsthisto

8-9 months in the final stages of their

cancer. However, “today, with the new

treatments, life expectancy has almost

tripled to 24-26 months,” shares dr.

Samson.

Ultimately, in addition to

prolonging the life of

patients, break-

throughs like

these could

h e l p t o

minimize

the side

effects associated with cancer-fighting

drugs, help spur streamlined research,

boostdrugspecificityandeventargetat-

riskgroupsforscreeningforearlycancer

detection.Afterall,cancerisgenetically

tailored to us, so it is only natural that

thetreatmentsshouldbetailoredtous

aswell.thesetypesofinnovationshave

finallyopenedthedoor toa revolution

incancer-fightingtechnologies,bringing

useverclosertoacure.

BY:SHONARAMCHANdANi

benign thetermbenignisusedwhendescribingtumorsorgrowthsthatdonotthreatenthehealthofanindividual.Benignistheoppositeofmalignant.

cancer Uncontrolled,abnormalgrowthofcells.

carcinoma themostcommontypeofcancer.Malignantcancerthatarisesfromepithelialcells.

chemotherapy treatmentofcancerdiseaseswiththeaidofchemicalsthateliminatediseasedcells.

computerized tomography (ct) Aradiologicalmethodofproducinganatomicalstructuresbymeansoflayering,usingcomputertechnology.

Fraction partofthetotalradiationdose,deliveredatadailytreatment.

Gamma knife® surgery StereotacticradiosurgerywithLeksellGammaKnife®.

iGrt imageguidedradiationtherapyofcancer,wherehighprecisionandaccuracyisachievedusinghighresolutionthree-dimensionalX-rayimagesofthepatient’ssofttissuesatthetimeoftreatment.

iMrt intensitymodulatedradiationtherapyofcancer,whereinsteadofbeingtreatedwithasingle,large,uniformbeam,thepatientistreatedwithmanyverysmallbeams;eachofwhichcanhaveadifferentintensity.

invasive Atechniquethatpenetratestheskin,skull,etc.theoppositeofnon-invasive(bloodless).

Linear accelerator equipmentforgeneratinganddirectingionizingradiationfortreatmentofcancer.

Metastases Secondarymalignanttumorsoriginatingfromprimarycancertumorsinotherpartsofthebody.

Magnetic resonance imaging (Mri) Measuresthedifferenceinliquidresonancecontentinvariouspartsofthebodywiththeaidofmagneticfields.

Malignant Aclinicaltermthatisusedtodescribeaclinicalcoursethatprogressesrapidlytodeath.Canspreadthroughmetastases.Malignantistheoppositeofbenign.

Meningioma tumorofthecentralnervoussystemthatdevelopsfromcellsofthemeninges,themembranesthatcoverandprotectthebrainandspinalcord.

Multileaf collimator Anaccessorytothelinearaccelerator,workinglikeanaperture.Withalargenumberofindividuallyadjustablemetalleaves,thetreatmentbeamcanbeshapedtothesizeandshapeofthetargetvolume.

Oncology thestudyoftumordiseases.

radiation therapy Fractionatedionizingradiationtreatmentofcancer.

radiosurgery Non-invasivesurgerywhichahigh,singledoseofpreciseionizingradiationreplacessurgicalinstruments.

Stereotactic radiation therapy (Srt) Radiationtherapyofcancer,wherehighprecisionandaccuracyisachievedbydeliveringtheradiationbasedonanexternalfixed-coordinatesystem.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy dynamicconformaldeliverytechniqueinwhichbothcollimatorleavesandgantrymoveduringradiotherapy.

Colorectal Cancer: the Future Of Personalized MedicineAccordingtotheCanadianCancerSociety(www.cancer.ca),approximatelyoneinfourCanadians will die of cancer, and approximately 40 per cent of women and 45 percentofmenwilldevelopcancerduringtheirlifetimes.Nowonderthen,thatacureforcancerislongoverdue.Aninnovativenewapproachtocancerprevention,detectionandtreatmentisonthehorizon.theideanowistopersonalizedrugtherapiestotheuniquebiologicalprofileoftheindividualbeingtreated.

Glossary of terms

BY:HeAtHeRWAtt-KApitAiN

the side-effect of chemotherapy alone is that it also kills viable body cells, ultimately taxing the body’s

vitality during the process.

ANiNdepeNdeNtSUppLeMeNttOtHeNAtiONALpOSt 11

ANiNdepeNdeNtSUppLeMeNttOtHeNAtiONALpOSt 11

cancer: cured?

After completing all the treat-

ment and getting“a clean bill

of health,” from them, Roy was

understandably shocked when he had

togobackinforanewlumpameretwo

weekslater,onlytofindoutthathehad

been mis-diagnosed the first time. His

doctorsadmittedthathisconditionwas

actuallyBurkitt’sLymphoma:cancer.He

hadbeengetting thewrongtreatment

thewholetime!

You can only imagine the frustration

and pain that Roy and his family went

throughafterhearingthis.“ihadtowait

atotaloffiveweeksforanappointment

with my oncologist,” he shares.“in five

weeks,alotofthingscouldhappenwhen

youhavecancer.”Finally,whenhegothis

appointment, his doctor had bad news

for him.“She came up and tapped me

ontheshoulderandsaid,‘you’vegottwo

weekstolive.’”Hisonlyoptionleftwasto

takealethaldoseofchemotherapythat

weekend.

However, this was not an option.

“Yousee,oneasterweekendinCanada,

everythingshutsdown,”explainsRoy.As

aresult, the likelihoodofthenecessary

staffbeingavailable forRoythatweek-

endwasslimtonone.Fortunately,Roy’s

sontodd had already been introduced

toapossiblesolution:hehadbeencon-

nectedbyecumedicalResourcesinterna-

tionalLtd.(eRi),aCanadianfacilitatorand

advocateforhealthcareoptions,toget

quickandminimallyinvasivesurgeryfor

aspineissueintheUnitedStates,rather

thanwaitingovertwoyearsforCanada’s

outdatedspinesurgery.AccordingtoMr.

Bevington,CeOandpresidentofeRi,he

&hiswifedeborahstartedthisbusiness

onthepremisethatCanadiansneedop-

tionswhenitcomestotheirhealthcare:

“Wearejustpeople…helpingpeople,”he

says.Nowonderthatitwastothemthat

toddandhisbrotherdereknowturned

forhelpwiththeirfather’ssituation.

Within hours of being contacted by

todd, eRi’s Michigan-based radiologist

dr. Stan Halprin, CeO of Harper Metro

Radiology, discovered that Roy had a

large, life-threatening lump on his liver

thathadbeenmissedbytheCanadians.

Royhadtoimmediatelybetransported

totheUSforcare.“Wheniwastakento

theUS,ihadjaundice,ihadcancerinthe

liver,ihadcancerintheupperrighthand

sideofmychest,andihadtoxicfluidin

mybody,” saysRoy.“ididnothave two

weeks,actually,ihadtwodaystolive!”

Within45minutes,Royarrivedatthe

Michigan Hematology Oncology, p.C.,

eRi’shospitalofchoice.tracyBevington

proudlyshares,“Mr.Ruttsawaseasoned

radiologist,wasplacedina5-starhospi-

tal,andwasunderthedirectcareofhis

oncologist, all within just 6 hours,” in-

steadofhavingtowaitmonthsforcarein

Canada.BythemorningofGoodFriday,

Roy was already undergoing a process

to remove the blockage on his liver,

andwithindays,hewaswellenoughto

begin taking the required treatments

forhiscancer.Unusually,derek,hisson,

reported that“he is happy and upbeat

evenduringchemotherapy.”Suchisthe

feelingofsomeonewhocanfinallytrust

thecaretheyarereceiving.

thanks to Roy’s oncologist, dr. Farid

Fata,M.d.,F.A.C.p.andCeOoftheMichi-

ganHematologyOncology,p.C.,Royand

his family were soon delivered some

good news in 2010: “the jaundice of

your liver is down by 90 per cent, and

you have a complete clinical recession

ofyourcancer.”thistime,itwasforreal.

theywere,naturally,overjoyed.“it’sbeen

alonghaul,”saysRoy,relieved.

dr. Fata shares, “Cancer is tough,

and sometimes the treatment is even

tougher.”Butwiththeresourcesoffered

byMH/OCthrougheRi,Mr.Rutthadac-

cesstotreatmentsandtechnologiesnot

availableinCanada.“thecarethatihave

hadintheUSisoutstanding–it’shead

andshouldersaboveCanada,”saysRoy.

However,Roy,74inMay,hasnarrowly

escaped his death sentence. “today, i

haveoneweekof treatment togo,and

theni’mfinished.”insteadofdaysleftto

live, he is now ready to live a long and

happy life.“i am beginning to feel one

helluva’lotbetter,andifeelreallyblessed

that i have come along as i have,” he

shares.Hisgoalsforthefuturearetoget

hishealthbackandtospendtimewith

hisfamily,tomakeupforthemissedtime

inhospital.“ihavesevengrandchildren,

soi’mgonna’bebusy!”Hesays.Unfortu-

natelyforRoy,however,gettingthecare

he needed in the US has also eaten up

hissavings.“itdrainsyouofallofyourre-

sources,”heexplains,whichmeansitwill

takehima longtimetogetbackoffhis

feet, being retired. Naturally, he is upset

thattheCanadianhealthcaresystemeven

puthiminthissituation.“Overhere,you

haveonlytwooptions—getthecareyou

needintheUS,orstayhereandtheywill

putyououttopasture,”saysRoybitterly.

thus, connections with companies

suchaseRiandtheircaringandcompas-

sionate teamhaveofferedpatients like

Roynewhope,andaccess to resources

notcurrentlyofferedinCanada.“they’ve

beensogoodtome,theyreallyhelped

me out,” says Mr. Rutt of ecumedical’s

assistance.“Now i want to give back.”

Seems like ecumedical met its goal of

providing the best possible healthcare,

togivepatientsthepeaceofmindthey

deserve!

A New Lease On Life: the Story of Mr. roy ruttRoyRuttwasonceafitgentlemaninhisearly70’s,andis a father of two, from Kingsville, ON, with savings fora comfortable retirement. However, just over 1½ yearsago, he was badly let down by the healthcare systemostensiblydesignedtoprotecthim.OnApril11,2008,afterpresentingwithastrangelumponhisbody,hewastoldby his Canadian doctors that he had non-lymphomaHodgkin’sdisease.

Wes’ story begins when he

was 15. presenting with an

unusual case of hives, Wes’

doctors noticed that his blood tests

showed low red and white blood cell

counts,whichdidnotrestoretonormal

levels after repeated tests. Combined

withhives,thisshouldhavebeenaclear

indicator of possible myelodysplastic

syndrome(MdS),orpre-leukemia.(Leu-

kemia is a deadly cancer of the bone

marrow,accordingtotheCanadianCan-

cerSociety).instead,Weswassentfrom

one doctor to another, losing precious

timebeforehewaseventuallytoldthat

hehadageneticmutationcausing the

MdS. perhaps it was not entirely Wes’

doctorsfault,as“itisalmostunheardof

toseeMdSinanyoneyoungerthan65,

never mind in a teenager,” says Kathy

Heptinstall, operating director of the

MdSFoundation.Yet,thedelayhascost

Wes and his family much mental and

physical stress, and a host of unpaid

medical bills. Most of all, this has cost

Westimethathedoesnothave,anun-

forgivablesituationwhenthemissionof

HealthCanadaissupposedly“improving

thelivesofallofCanada‘speople…as

measuredby…effectiveuseofthepublic

healthcaresystem.”

Finally,Wes’London,ONdoctorsad-

mittedthat itwastoo latetohelphim.

All he could do was to wait for a bone

marrow transplant, which could take

several months. in addition, Wes had

to control his MdS, without which he

could not get a successful transplant,

but was told that the drugs to do this

were not available. “in other words,”

saystracyBevington,CeOandpresident

of ecuMedical Resources international

Ltd.(eRi),aCanadiancompanyfounded

toassistCanadianswithgettingthemost

healthcareoptions,“thismeantthathe

andhisfamilywerebasicallysenthome

towaitforhisdeath.”

Wes’onlyremainingoptionsnowlayin

theUnitedStates,whereWes’treatment

wouldhavetobepaidforout-of-pocket,

acostunimaginableforhismiddle-class

Canadian family. Wes’ dad, Brian, had

alreadygivenuphis jobtotakecareof

Wes,andhismom,Maureen,worksonan

assemblyline,makingbarelyenoughfor

the family toscrapeby.Luckily,onAu-

gust1,2009,Wes’familywasintroduced

to eRi, which offered not only to con-

nectWesto thecarehesodesperately

needed, but also to help fund it. “the

connectionwithecumedicalworkedout

great!” says Wes warmly. “they pretty

much saved my life when nothing was

happeningformeinCanada.”ByAugust

5, 2009, eRi had already arranged Wes’

treatmentwithworld-renownoncologist

dr.FaridFata(M.d.,F.A.C.p),atMichigan

HematologyOncology,p.C.For4weeks,

Weswaslookingandfeelingbetterthan

heeverhadinthelastthreeyears.But,

tragically,itwasalreadytoolate.Bythe

fifth week, Wes’ MdS had become full-

blownleukemia.

Wes was doomed. A bone marrow

transplant cannot take place if leuke-

mia is present. Without this, Wes had

no chance of fighting the disease that

now seemed poised to take his life.

Again, were it not for eRi, the Laporte

family would have met another dead-

endintheirstruggletosaveWes,asthis

exploded the medical costs. “My wife

deborah&itoldthefamilyandthedoc-

torsthat[we]wouldselleverythingifwe

hadto,butwearenotquittingonWes,”

saysMr.Bevington.

eRi immediately put fundraising ef-

fortsintomotion,settingupatrustFund

where friends, family and supporters

coulddonatetowardWes’hospitalbills.

eRi also found the MdS international

FoundationinNewJersey,whichhelped

garner media attention for Wes’ situa-

tion.inlateNovember,theinternational

transplantFoundationinBethesda,dC,

finally agreed to help Wes: “if, through

[eRi’s]efforts…youcanget[Wes]intofull

remission,wewillbringhimtoBethesda

forthetransplant.”theywouldalsocon-

tribute1.2millionUSdollarstowardhis

hospitalbills!

thus,thenextphaseinWes’battlefor

hislifebegan.thefollowing2.5months

were spent in hospital, undergoing

chemotherapytreatments,bloodtrans-

fusions,plateletchanges,etc.However,

onChristmaseve2009,thefamilycalled

tracy with some very sad news—Wes

was not going to make it. He was in

great pain and very weak. Because of

theleukemia,hewaswhiteandswollen,

notastatefit forsuchayoungperson.

tracy rushed to the hospital to spend

ChristmasatWes’side,prayingforhim

withhisfamily.

desperate, dr. Fata shared one last

idea:Wescouldtakea“supremechemo

injection,” but…he may not survive it.

Grasping for hope, the family decided

to make that heart-wrenching choice.

Buttheircouragepaidoff:ondecember

28th, Wes awoke feeling better, and

miraculously, tests showed he had no

leukemialeftinhisbody!inJanuary,he

wastransportedtoBethesdatoprepare

fortransplant.

Unfortunately, this is not the end

of Wes’ nightmare. Last minute test-

ingshowedthe leukemiawasback, for

which he is now undergoing intense

chemotherapy. Once the cancer is in

remissionagain,hewillfinallybeeligible

for thattransplant. “Atthatpoint, iwill

beinthehospitalforsixmoremonths,”

he shares. But Wes is not giving up on

his dream to go to college next year.

“Hopefullyiwillmakeitthroughthis…,”

he says bravely. And so he should. But

hisbattleisnotoveryet.thetrustFund

is still many thousands of dollars short

of his costs, so if you can help Wes or

someone likehim,pleasecallecuMedi-

calResourcesinternationalLtd.at1(866)

277-9868orwww.ecumedical.comright

now.Youcouldhelpsavealife.

A Miracle Happened For Wes Laportetoday,at18,WesleyLaporteshouldbegatheringuphistextbookstojoinclassmatesatdalhousieUniversityinHalifax,wherehewasacceptedtostudykinesiology.instead,thankstotheCanadianhealthcaresystem,hehaslivedthroughamedicalnightmare,despitetakingalltherightstepstoguardhishealth.

WesLaporte,patient

‘at that point, i will be in the hospital for six more months,’ he shares. but Wes is not giving up on his dream to go to college next year. ‘hopefully i

will make it through this…’

tracyBevington,CeO&Founder,ecuMedicalResourcesinternational

roy, 74 in May, has narrowly escaped his death sentence. ‘today, i have one week of treatment to go, and then i’m finished.’ instead of days left

to live, he is now ready to live a long and happy life. ‘i am beginning to feel one helluva’ lot better,

and i feel really blessed that i have come along as i have,’ he shares.

dr.FaridFata,M.d.,F.A.C.p.

BY:SHONARAMCHANdANi

BY:SHONARAMCHANdANi

www.merckfrosst.com

Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. and Schering-Plough Canada Inc. are now operating together as Merck.

At Merck, we believe the most important condition is the human one. That’s why our mission is to protect those who mean the most to you. Today and in the future.

Our merger with Schering-Plough greatly expands our ability to offer new medicines in the treatment of cancer.

Nat_post_oncology-5_ad.indd 1 1/25/10 7:16:43 AM

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