Devon Helping Leah With The Fight Of Her Life Stage 4 Cancer-

Devon Still turned 25 years old July 11. The former Big Ten defensive player of the year enters his third season in the NFL with the Bengals in the midst of his prime. An opportunity sits wide open to compete for snaps in the middle of one of the league's best defensive lines.
Devon whose daughter is only four years old was face with a cancer diagnoses two months ago.  
Leah, has stage 4 cancer. The disease, nueroblastoma, leaves her with a slightly better than 50 percent chance of survival only two shorts months ago.  Devon who was about to start the new season when he found out  he told his family I am done. Done. I didn't feel comfortable leaving my daughter while she's going through this," said Still, who lives in Philadelphia in the offseason. "She's fighting for her life. Sports is not more important than me being there while my daughter is fighting for her life."

USATODAY

Bengals report: Can they finally scale playoff hump?

Still sat in front of his locker Sunday morning and spoke in a controlled, honest, but emotional tone.
Less than two months removed from the news, he couldn't hide the constant sadness any more than the tears welling up in his eyes discussing the joy of placing a smile on his daughter's face.
Admittedly, his mind still spins into dark places.
"My head is messed up, to be honest with you," he said. "It's messed up. Sometimes I feel bi-polar. Sometimes I wake up and I'm optimistic. Sometimes I wake up and it's just heavy on me."
Still pushed through and got cleared to hit the field for the first time since his Jan. 9 back surgery on Saturday.
He eventually opted to re-join the team after missing a portion of OTAs because one of the top nueroblastoma surgeons in the country resides at Children's Hospital, so he and Leah's mother, Channing Smythe, agreed bringing Leah to Cincinnati would be the right move. Plus, Still could gather support of the Bengals through both tangible resources and comforting camaraderie.
Leah has completed her rounds of chemo and had surgery to remove the tumor September 26, 2014.On Sept. 9, he was brought back to the 53-man roster and has been part of the team in its 3-0 start to the season. He has traveled back and forth to Philadelphia to be with her during her treatment and surgery.   Leah is fighting her way back and Devon was kept on the team allowing him the money to cover Leah care and health insurance to cover Leah cost.
                                         
Reference
http://www.today.com/parents/daughter-nfl-player-has-successful-cancer-surgery-2D80181905
http://www.usatoday.com/

Muriel Lights' Candle Designs: CANCER IN MY LIFE

Muriel Lights' Candle Designs: CANCER IN MY LIFE: Today is the second anniversary of the day my husband was diagnosed with stomach cancer. One would ask why would anyone want to remember s...

CANCER IN MY LIFE

Today is the second anniversary of the day my husband was diagnosed with stomach cancer. One would ask why would anyone want to remember such a day.  My response would be from that day forward my life as I once knew it would never be the same.
It has taken me almost two years to put words to that claim, to share not only the devastating effect that cancer had on me but the many family members who work diligently to be there for their love ones. My hope is to arm cancer patients and families with action plans to help them better identify their cancer what ever the outcome. The thing we fear the most is the unknown but to fight cancer you have to identify your cancer in order to fight it.  Treatment today is more specified and will provide you with the best chance of survival. My mom had radiation and refused treatment she lived a year after her diagnoses my husband had five rounds of chemo and lived only four months after diagnoses.  These are different variables based on personal choices and advances of the disease.  My obstacle even today is that my readers have as much information possible to help them make the right choice for them.
This would be the third time in three years that cancer intercepted my life.  First my moms diagnoses of small cell lung cancer in 2011 which claimed her life, second my breast cancer scare, which for women who have been in this position was traumatic. If the  results show no cancer you still have to wait another six months to be retested and then for all practical reasons you will forever worry about cancer. Last but not least was my husband diagnosis which was not the cancer we expected.  My husband had been going to the doctor regularly for the last year.  His PSA level were high so they were watching him by testing for cancer.  If that doctor had said colon cancer, prostate cancer I would have been somewhat prepared. He had been tested for both cancers.  He had a family history of cancer he had lost four brothers to various types of cancers. No one searched outside the box even though he had family members who died from other cancers such as throat, month, lung and stomach cancer.  But to be diagnosed with stomach cancer in the emergency room  which at this point had already entered the liver his prognoses was not a good one. And for me it would be the second time in my life that a doctor told me my love one had terminal cancer in the emergency room.
Far too many people I know were finding out their cancer diagnoses at late stages of their cancers and far too many were people of color. Sometimes we are taking test looking for more common forms of cancer other times doctors and patients are not communicating effectively.   Your body for the most part lets you know something is wrong it is your job to make your doctor listen and if the answers  are not helping go find another doctor until you get answers.  What is most devastating for me is that between directed testing and referrals that take too long, both my mother and husband found there true diagnoses in the emergency room. This country has spent a large amount of time talking about the cost of health care.  Emergency room care is one the highest cost to care, but it is also more directed to the immediate problem maybe that why they saw in one visit what doctors missed in months of visits.  Know your body, fight for answers you just may buy yourself the gift of time.

Cancer Type	2010 Spending (in millions)	2011 Spending (in millions)	2012 Spending (in millions

Lung	$281.9	$296.8	$314.6

Prostate	300.5	288.3	265.1

Breast	631.2	625.1	602.7

Colorectal	270.4	265.1	256.3

Bladder	22.6	20.6	23.4

Melanoma	102.3	115.6	121.2

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma	122.4	126.4	119.5

Kidney	44.6	46.2	49.0

Thyroid	15.6	16.2	16.5

Based on growth and aging of the U.S. population, medical expenditures for cancer in the year 2020 are projected to reach at least $158 billion (in 2010 dollars) — an increase of 27 percent over 2010, according to a National Institutes of Health analysis. If newly developed tools for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up continue to be more expensive, medical expenditures for cancer could reach as high as $207 billion, said the researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH. 

The rising costs of cancer care illustrate how important it is for us to advance the science of cancer prevention and treatment to ensure that we’re using the most effective approaches,” said Robert Croyle, Ph.D., director, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI. “This is especially important for elderly cancer patients with other complex health problems."

Cancer is a common disease one of every two men and one of  every three women will be diagnose with cancer at some time in their lives. In New York State one of four deaths is due to cancer.

Who gets stomach cancer?

Stomach Cancer (also called Gastric Cancer)  occurs most often in older people under the age of 50. Men are about twice as often among black as among whites some groups,  particularly immigrants from countries with high rates of stomach cancer, such as Japan and China, and their American children, have much higher rates of stomach cancer than other New Yorkers.

What factors increase risk for developing stomach cancer?

At this time, the causes of stomach cancer are not well understood. However, scientists agree that certain factors increase a person's risk of developing this disease. These risk factors include:

• H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori).Individuals who are infected with the bacterium H. pylori are at higher risk for stomach cancer than people who are not infected. However, most people with H. pylori do not develop stomach cancer.

• Family history.People with close relatives (parents, brothers/sisters, children) who have had stomach cancer are at greater risk for the disease. Current research indicates that about 30% of stomach cancers may be inherited.

• Smoking. Smoking increases the risk for getting stomach cancer. A current smoker's risk for stomach cancer may be about double that of a non-smoker.

• Ionizing radiation.Individuals exposed to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as radiation treatment for other diseases, are at higher risk for developing stomach cancer.

• Workplace exposures.Individuals who work in industries that are dusty, such as foundries, steel-making and mining, are at increased risk of developing stomach cancer. Workers in the rubber industry, oil refineries, and workers exposed to diesel exhaust are also at increased risk for the disease.

• Diet.Diets low in vegetables, fruit and high fiber foods may increase risk for stomach cancer.

What other risk factors for stomach cancer are scientists studying?

Scientists are continuing to look at various foods and specific vitamins and nutrients to better understand how they affect the risk for developing stomach cancer. High salt intake appears to increase the risk for stomach cancer. In addition, studies suggest that eating smoked, pickled and salty preserved, or poorly preserved, foods increases the risk of getting stomach cancer. Drinking green tea appears to reduce the risk for stomach cancer.

Scientists also continue to focus on the specific ways that H. pylori affects the stomach and leads to stomach cancer in some people. H. pyloriinfection also increases a person's chances of getting ulcers, but having an ulcer does not necessarily lead to an increased risk for stomach cancer. Increased risk appears to depend on the type of ulcer and ulcer treatment.

What can I do to reduce my chances of getting stomach cancer?

To help reduce the risk of getting stomach cancer:The following may help reduce the risk of developing cancer:

• Exercise regularly.
• Talk with your health care provider about recommended cancer screenings.

For more information:

• National Cancer Institute
• American Cancer Society
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• American Society of Clinical Oncology

Reference
http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/cancer/registry/abouts/stomach.htm
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2011/nci-12.htm

HONORING THE GREAT MAYA ANGELOU

Thank you Maya Angelou for opening all those closed mouths. We all have a voice some you can hear others you have to open your ears and hearts to hear. You have given so many of us Phenomenal Woman, a voice and the dream to be so much more.
Maya Angelou was an American author and poet. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years. Let us not forget the gifts she gave us all.
Born: April 4, 1928, St. Louis, MO
Died: May 28, 2014, Winston-Salem, NC
Children: Guy Johnson
Awards: Presidential Medal of Freedom, More
Spouse: Paul du Feu (m. 1973–1981), Vusumzi Make (m. 1960–1963), Enistasious Tosh Angelos (m. 1951–1954)
Free at the New York Public Library (Exhibition opens at Schomburg Center, Maya Angelou who died Wednesday at the age of 86.  Free exhibition "Phenomenal Women at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.  the exhibition opened Friday May 30, 2014 to June 30, 2014 the material from Ms. Angelou private achieves works such as her hand written manuscripts of "I know why the caged bird sangs"  her 1969 autobiography the scrapbook"  Arkansas the typed manuscripts of " On Pulse of Morning." the poem Ms. Angelou composed for (and read at) President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993; and correspondence, photographs and books.

Muriel Lights' Candle Designs: OBESITY AND CANCER RISK

Muriel Lights' Candle Designs: OBESITY AND CANCER RISK: During the past several decades, the percentage of overweight and obese adults and children has increased markedly. Obesity is associated...

OBESITY AND CANCER RISK

• During the past several decades, the percentage of overweight and obese adults and children has increased markedly.
• Obesity is associated with increased risks of cancers of the esophagus, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), colon and rectum, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, gallbladder, and possibly other cancer types.
• Obese people are also at higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a number of other chronic diseases.

1. What is obesity?

   
   
   Obesity is a condition in which a person has an abnormally high and unhealthy proportion of body fat.
   To measure obesity, researchers commonly use a scale known as the body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by their height (in meters) squared. BMI provides a more accurate measure of obesity or being overweight than weight alone.
   Guidelines established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) place adults age 20 and older into the following categories based on their BMI:

   BMI	BMI Categories
   Below 18.5	Underweight
   18.5 to 24.9	Normal
   25.0 to 29.9	Overweight
   30.0 and above	Obese

   The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute provides a BMI calculator.
   For children and adolescents (less than 20 years of age), overweight and obesity are based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) BMI-for-age growth charts:

   BMI	BMI Categories
   BMI-for-age at or above sex-specific 85th percentile, but less than 95th percentile	Overweight
   BMI-for-age at or above sex-specific 95th percentile	Obese

   Compared with people of normal weight, those who are overweight or obese are at greater risk for many diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and certain cancers.

2. How common is overweight or obesity?

   
   
   Results from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show that 68 percent of U.S. adults age 20 years and older are overweight or obese. In 1988-1994, by contrast, only 56 percent of adults age 20 and older were overweight or obese.
   In addition, the percentage of children who are overweight or obese has also increased. Among children and teens ages 2 to 19, 17 percent are estimated to be obese, based on the 2007–2008 survey. In 1988–1994, that figure was only 10 percent.

3. What is known about the relationship between obesity and cancer?

   
   
   Obesity is associated with increased risks of the following cancer types, and possibly others as well:
   • Esophagus
   • Pancreas
   • Colon and rectum
   • Breast (after menopause)
   • Endometrium (lining of the uterus)
   • Kidney
   • Thyroid
   • Gallbladder
   One study, using NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, estimated that in 2007 in the United States, about 34,000 new cases of cancer in men (4 percent) and 50,500 in women (7 percent) were due to obesity. The percentage of cases attributed to obesity varied widely for different cancer types but was as high as 40 percent for some cancers, particularly endometrial cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
   A projection of the future health and economic burden of obesity in 2030 estimated that continuation of existing trends in obesity will lead to about 500,000 additional cases of cancer in the United States by 2030. This analysis also found that if every adult reduced their BMI by 1 percent, which would be equivalent to a weight loss of roughly 1 kg (or 2.2 lbs) for an adult of average weight, this would prevent the increase in the number of cancer cases and actually result in the avoidance of about 100,000 new cases of cancer.
   Several possible mechanisms have been suggested to explain the association of obesity with increased risk of certain cancers:
   • Fat tissue produces excess amounts of estrogen, high levels of which have been associated with the risk of breast, endometrial, and some other cancers.
   • Obese people often have increased levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in their blood (a condition known as hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance), which may promote the development of certain tumors.
   • Fat cells produce hormones, called adipokines, that may stimulate or inhibit cell growth. For example, leptin, which is more abundant in obese people, seems to promote cell proliferation, whereas adiponectin, which is less abundant in obese people, may have antiproliferative effects.
   • Fat cells may also have direct and indirect effects on other tumor growth regulators, including mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase.
   • Obese people often have chronic low-level, or “subacute,” inflammation, which has been associated with increased cancer risk.
   Other possible mechanisms include altered immune responses, effects on the nuclear factor kappa beta system, and oxidative stress.

4. What is known about the relationship between obesity and breast cancer?

   
   
   Many studies have shown that overweight and obesity are associated with a modest increase in risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. This higher risk is seen mainly in women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and for tumors that express both estrogen and progesterone receptors.
   Overweight and obesity have, by contrast, been found to be associated with a reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer in some studies.
   The relationship between obesity and breast cancer may be affected by the stage of life in which a woman gains weight and becomes obese. Epidemiologists are actively working to address this question. Weight gain during adult life, most often from about age 18 to between the ages of 50 and 60, has been consistently associated with risk of breast cancer after menopause.
   The increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer is thought to be due to increased levels of estrogen in obese women. After menopause, when the ovaries stop producing hormones, fat tissue becomes the most important source of estrogen. Because obese women have more fat tissue, their estrogen levels are higher, potentially leading to more rapid growth of estrogen-responsive breast tumors.
   The relationship between obesity and breast cancer risk may also vary by race and ethnicity. There is limited evidence that the risk associated with overweight and obesity may be less among African American and Hispanic women than among white women.

5. What is known about the relationship between obesity and endometrial cancer?

   
   
   Overweight and obesity have been consistently associated with endometrial cancer, which is cancer of the lining of the uterus. Obese and overweight women have two to four times the risk of developing this disease than women of a normal weight, regardless of menopausal status. Many studies have also found that the risk of endometrial cancer increases with increasing weight gain in adulthood, particularly among women who have never used MHT.
   Although it has not yet been determined why obesity is a risk factor for endometrial cancer, some evidence points to a role for diabetes, possibly in combination with low levels of physical activity. High levels of estrogen produced by fat tissue are also likely to play a role.

6. What is known about the relationship between obesity and colorectal cancer?

   
   
   Among men, a higher BMI is strongly associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer. The distribution of body fat appears to be an important factor, with abdominal obesity, which can be measured by waist circumference, showing the strongest association with colon cancer risk.
   An association between BMI and waist circumference with colon cancer risk is also seen in women, but it is weaker. Use of MHT may modify the association in postmenopausal women.
   A number of mechanisms have been proposed to account for the association of obesity with increased colon cancer risk. One hypothesis is that high levels of insulin or insulin-related growth factors in obese people may promote colon cancer development.
   High BMI is also associated with rectal cancer risk, but the increase in risk is more modest.

7. What is known about the relationship between obesity and kidney cancer?

   
   
   Obesity has been consistently associated with renal cell cancer, which is the most common form of kidney cancer, in both men and women. The mechanisms by which obesity may increase renal cell cancer risk are not well understood. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for renal cell cancer, but the relationship between obesity and kidney cancer is independent of blood pressure status. High levels of insulin may play a role in the development of the disease.

8. What is known about the relationship between obesity and esophageal cancer?

   
   
   Overweight and obese people are about twice as likely as people of healthy weight to develop a type of esophageal cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma. Most studies have observed no increased risk, or even a decline in risk, with obesity for the other major type of esophageal cancer, squamous cell cancer.
   The mechanisms by which obesity may increase risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma are not well understood. However, overweight and obese people are more likely than people of normal weight to have a history of gastroesophageal reflux disease or Barrett esophagus, which are associated with an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It is possible that obesity exacerbates the esophageal inflammation that is associated with these conditions.

9. What is known about the relationship between obesity and pancreatic cancer?

   
   
   Many studies have reported a slight increase in risk of pancreatic cancer among overweight and obese individuals. Waist circumference may be a particularly important factor in the association of overweight and obesity with pancreatic cancer.

10. What is known about the relationship between obesity and thyroid cancer?

    
    
    Increasing weight has been found to be associated with an increase in the risk of thyroid cancer. It is unclear what the mechanism might be.

11. What is known about the relationship between obesity and gallbladder cancer?

    
    
    The risk of gallbladder cancer increases with increasing BMI. The increase in risk may be due to the higher frequency of gallstones, a strong risk factor for gallbladder cancer, in obese individuals.

12. What is known about the relationship between obesity and other cancers?

    
    
    The relationship between obesity and prostate cancer has been studied extensively. The results of individual studies do not suggest a consistent association between obesity and prostate cancer. However, when the data from multiple studies are pooled, analyses show that obesity may be associated with a very slight increase in the risk of prostate cancer.
    In addition, several studies have found that obese men have a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men of healthy weight. Generally, risk of prostate cancer has been linked to levels of certain hormones and growth factors, especially IGF-1.
    Some studies have shown a weak association between increasing BMI and risk of ovarian cancer, especially in premenopausal women, although other studies have not found an association. As with some other cancers, an association between ovarian cancer and obesity may reflect increased levels of estrogens.
    Some evidence links obesity to liver cancer and to some types of lymphoma and leukemia, but additional studies are needed to confirm these associations.

13. Does avoiding weight gain or losing weight decrease the risk of cancer?

    
    
    The most conclusive way to test whether avoiding weight gain or losing weight will decrease the risk of cancer is through a controlled clinical trial. A number of NIH-funded weight loss trials have demonstrated that people can lose weight and that losing weight reduces their risk of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, while improving their risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
    However, previous trials and the results of an NCI workshop have demonstrated that it would not be feasible to conduct a weight loss trial of cancer prevention. The reason is that the effect of weight loss on the prevention of other chronic diseases would be demonstrated—and the trial consequently stopped so that the public could be informed of the benefits—before the effect on the prevention of cancer would become evident.
    Therefore, most data about whether losing weight or avoiding weight gain prevents cancer come mainly from cohort and case-control studies. Data from these types of studies, called observational studies, can be difficult to interpret because people who lose weight or avoid weight gain may be different in other ways from people who do not, just as obese people may differ from lean people in other ways than BMI. That is, it is possible that these other differences explain their different cancer risk.
    Nevertheless, many observational studies have shown that people who have a lower weight gain during adulthood have a lower risk of:
    • Colon cancer
    • Breast cancer (after menopause)
    • Endometrial cancer
    A more limited number of observational studies have examined the relationship between weight loss and cancer risk, and a few have found decreased risks of breast cancer and colon cancer among people who have lost weight. However, most of these studies have not been able to evaluate whether the weight loss was intentional or related to underlying health problems.
    Stronger evidence comes from studies of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery to lose weight. Obese people who have bariatric surgery appear to have lower rates of obesity-related cancers than obese people who did not have bariatric surgery. It is important to note that whereas most lifestyle weight loss interventions result in weight losses of 7-10 percent of body weight, weight loss from bariatric surgery combined with lifestyle changes generally results in weight loss of 30 percent.

14. How is NCI studying and supporting research on obesity and cancer risk, and supporting research to understand the populations most at risk?

    
    
    NCI supports research on obesity and cancer risk through a variety of activities, including large cooperative initiatives, web and data resources, extramural and intramural epidemiologic studies, basic science, and dissemination and implementation resources. The Institute has also issued a number of competitive funding opportunities related to obesity and cancer risk. In addition, NCI is an active participant in the NIH Obesity Research Task Force and played an active role in the
    Ashrafian H, Ahmed K, Rowland SP, et al. Metabolic surgery and cancer: protective effects of bariatric procedures. Cancer 2011; 117(9):1788–1799.
     [PubMed Abstract]Ballard-Barbash R, Berrigan D, Potischman N, Dowling E. Obesity and cancer epidemiology. In: Berger NA, editor. Cancer and Energy Balance, Epidemiology and Overview. New York: Springer-Verlag New York, LLC, 2010.
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    6. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM, Flegal KM. Prevalence of high body mass                                                            index in US children and adolescents, 2007–2008. JAMA 2010; 303(3):242–249.
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    7. Polednak AP. Estimating the number of U.S. incident cancers attributable to obesity                                                                   and the impact on temporal trends in incidence rates for obesity-related cancers.                                                                              Cancer Detection and Prevention 2008; 32(3):190–199.
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Muriel Lights Candle Designs Stand Strong Bring Back OurGirls

Demand for return of hundreds of abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria

By Azadeh Ansari and Tia Brueggeman, CNN

updated 6:55 AM EDT, Sun May 4, 2014