Archive for July, 2008
Friends Of Heroes on Myspace
03 years ago
by Christy
in Announcements/News
Friends of Heroes on myspace.com is becoming a “hot spot” in our social networks! We are now up 226 friends and growing every day! Joining Friends of Heroes on myspace is a great way to get in touch with other FOH members!
Please show your support and join today at http://www.myspace.com/friendsofheroes
Research Q & A
03 years ago
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RESEARCHER Q&A |
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Craig Okada, M.D., Ph.D.  Dr. Okada is assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. He is a recipient of an LLS Translational Research Program grant for his cutting-edge lymphoma research.Dr. Okada, what are you and your team working on?
We are developing an immunotherapeutic approach to the treatment of T-cell malignancies. We are using monoclonal antibodies that bind to a unique molecule found on the surface of different lymphoma cells (TCR idiotype) and combining antibodies with tumor TCR vaccine. What’s novel or innovative about this approach? Are you close to clinical trials? What other projects are you excited about and believe will benefit patients? What are some of your hobbies and non-research interests?
When I am not working in the laboratory or seeing patients, I enjoy hiking, rock climbing and spending time with my family.
Article Courtsey of LLS Please visit www.lls.org for more information. |
LLS Coloring Books Help kids Cope
03 years ago
LLS Coloring Books Help Kids Cope
The Stem Cell Transplant Coloring Book is for children with blood cancer who are coping with having a stem cell transplant. It is also for other young stem cell transplant patients, siblings, friends and classmates of the young patient and children with a parent who is having a stem cell transplant. The pictures and activity pages depict the experiences of Sam and Serena, two young stem cell transplant patients. Through these experiences, the coloring book provides
support and encouragement.Younger children may enjoy using the coloring book with parents, older siblings
or staff to help them read the captions and color smaller details. School-age
children can enjoy the coloring book on their own. Additionally, caregivers may
find that with children of any age, using it together helps to generate discussion,
questions and expression of feelings.
Read it online or order a free copy.
Pictures of My Journey, a coloring and activity book, helps children ages 3 to 11 cope with the new people, situations and concerns that may be part of their childhood cancer experience.The interactive book provides many opportunities for young patients (as well as siblings, classmates and friends) to have fun and be creative. Topics cover the hospital stay, treatment, school, returning home to family and friends and plans for the future.
Healthcare professionals, health educators and caregivers can use the material with children to help generate discussion and express feelings about having cancer. The book also includes two color postcards and a children’s resource list.
Read it online or order a free copy.
Article Courtsey of LLS Please visit www.lls.org for more information.
Congress Overrides Medicare Veto
13 years ago
Congress Overrides Medicare Veto
On July 15th, President Bush vetoed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331). However, Congress acted quickly to override the veto; the House voted 383-41 and the Senate voted 70-26. Had the veto gone through, Medicare reimbursement rates to doctors would have been cut by 10.6 percent, among other things.The bill was of particular concern to blood cancer patients, as the bill included a provision to extend the “freeze” by 18 months on the Medicare reimbursement formula for the radioimmunotherapies Bexxar® and Zevalin®, which are used to
treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Without such a freeze, radioimmunotherapy reimbursement rates would be drastically reduced and access to this valuable therapy would be threatened for many lymphoma patients.Congress was under pressure from doctors and elderly patients to pass the legislation quickly as the proposed cuts went into effect on July 1. Instead of the cuts, the Medicare reimbursement rates will remain the same for the remainder of 2008 and will increase by 1.1 percent in 2009. While this legislation is a short-term fix for the Medicare reimbursement rates, the goal for lawmakers is now to create a long-term solution.
Thank you to all of the advocates across the country that took a moment to urge their elected officials to override the veto and ensure that patients with lymphoma or other blood cancers have access to Medicare coverage and potentially lifesaving treatments.
To become an LLS eAdvocate, sign up at action.lls.org.
Article courtsety of the LLS newsetter.
For more info please visit lls.org
Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP)
03 years ago
| TAP on a Roll
LLS’s innovative new partnership program, the Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP), continues to grow and help create opportunities for new blood cancer treatments.
Founded in 2007, TAP supports private sector and academic-based projects with the goal of moving more blood cancer therapies into the development pipeline.
The program now has nine partnerships with a range of companies, universities and hospitals. “We’re definitely progressing,” said Louis DeGennaro, Ph.D., LLS’s chief scientific officer. “These partnerships represent the beginning of a fruitful, long-term collaboration with some of the world’s leading innovators.”
TAP partnerships include:
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Blogging For Blood Cancer Event
03 years ago
“Blogging for Blood Cancer” Event Brings Bloggers Together for a Cure
(Princeton, NJ) The first annual “Blogging for Blood Cancer” event will take place from August 11-18, 2008. This first time event will bring bloggers from across the United States together to raise awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and its mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
The event is being hosted by Goodies for Mom (http://www.goodiesformom.com) in conjunction with the Friends of Heroes National Light The Night Team (http://www.friendsofheroes.org). Bloggers will be posting on their blogs throughout the event about the importance of the LLS mission and share personal stories of those they have come to know who have been affected by blood cancer. All bloggers participating will be entered to win prizes donated by event sponsors. Visitors to the Goodies for Mom and Friends of Heroes blogs will also have opportunities to win as they learn more about the importance of LLS’s research and patient services in the fight against blood cancer.
Thank you to the “Blogging for Blood Cancer” Event Sponsors: (A list of sponsors/donors to be included here)
· Blue Top Hat
· Goodies for Mom
· Sara Rose Tutus
· Susan Murphy, Inc.
About Goodies for Mom
Goodies for Mom is a blog designed to highlight new innovative products, contests, news, and articles that are of interest to moms. Both new and experienced mothers will find something of interest. For more information, visit http://www.goodiesformom.com/.
About Friends of Heroes (FOH)
Friends of Heroes (FOH), formerly Friends of Allie, is the first and largest national Friends and Family Team for Light The Night Walk to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. FOH has enlarged its scope to include affiliate teams—both corporate and Friends and Family teams—who share their passion for finding a cure for pediatric blood cancers and making a difference in the lives of families stricken by pediatric blood cancer. Their tagline is “Putting a Face on Childhood Cancer.” Since August 2004, FOH has raised over $960,000 in support of LLS’s mission. The team’s overall goal for 2008 is to bring its team grand total to one million dollars raised in just over 4 years. For more information, please visit: www.friendsofheroes.org
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 68 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The Society’s mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, the Society made 5.1 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.
Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s nationwide annual evening fundraising walk, held each fall to celebrate and commemorate people whose lives have been touched by cancer. Light The Night is open to all—it does not require a particular level of fitness. In 2007, thousands of people in approximately 230 communities in the United States and Canada participated in a Light The Night Walk event, raising nearly $39 million for research and patient services.
For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org or call the LLS Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master’s level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Contact:
Lois Whittaker
National Team Co-Captain
609-844-1061
lois@friendsofheroes.org
