Susan G. Komen for the Cure News

For the latest information on breast cancer and the impact this life-threatening disease continues to have across the world, consider this your primary resource. Their spokespeople and grassroots networks of millions work tirelessly to make a difference while putting a face to every news story. As the leading news source for breast cancer developments, statistics, trends, commentary, photos and video, they continually update the news-related content in order to keep you informed.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure News

Cee Lo Green Stands In for Rihanna at Cancer Benefit

Cee Lo Green who has the hit song "F&*k You" took Rihanna's place after she had to cancel her performance Thursday because of the flu, at the organization's annual fundraising dinner, which has raised $25 million for research and education about women's cancers.

Cee Lo Green's Fuck You Song

New NIH study projects survivorship and costs of cancer care based on changes in the US population and cancer trends

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 analysis appears online, Jan. 12, 2011, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Source: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/

Defining Chronic Cancer

Some cancers are curable: patients undergo treatment; they complete treatment; they move forward to survivorship. But there are other cancers that are considered incurable: there is treatment for these cancers, but there is no cure. Once upon a time, incurable cancers were referred to as terminal, but things are changing.

With new and innovative developments in cancer treatment, many incurable cancers are quite treatable, and patients can live a long time with cancer. These patients like to say they are living with cancer, not dying of it. In fact, this group of patients has adopted a new term for their cancer—chronic.

Lauren Groover, a professional advocate battling metastatic breast cancer, says, “Psychologically, the only way to deal with Stage IV cancer is to say it’s ‘chronic’ because when you say ‘terminal,’ it’s over—you find that dark tunnel, and there is no light at the end of it.”

By the time Lauren’s cancer was diagnosed in 2006, it had already reached Stage IV, and she was told that her life expectancy was between one and five years. Lauren is treating her cancer as a chronic disease, and she knows that she will never really be finished with treatment. “Once I wrapped my head around the idea that this is chronic, I wasn’t as let down anymore by my relapses.”

Mary Hughes, a clinical nurse specialist in the department of psychiatry at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, works with patients who are living with chronic cancer. She says that it’s important to distinguish between chronic cancer that is in remission (such as leukemia or lymphoma) and metastatic cancer, which refers to active disease that has spread from the original site. Both conditions are chronic, but there is a distinction. “Living with metastatic disease is different from living with a cancer diagnosis with your disease in remission,” Hughes explains.

Patients with certain types of leukemia or lymphoma may experience long periods where their cancer is in remission, during which time they are not undergoing any type of treatment. With metastatic cancer, though, treatment is continual, as the focus is on controlling the disease. “Someone with metastatic disease will always have some type of cancer treatment as long as they’re alive because that’s how the disease remains controlled,” explains Hughes.

Source: http://news.cancerconnect.com/

New Drug for Use in Bone Scans Approved

New Drug for Use in Bone Scans Approved; provides an alternative to radioactive tracer that is currently in short supply
(Posted: 02/01/2011) - The FDA has approved a New Drug Application (NDA) from NCI for a new strength of a previously approved drug, Sodium Fluoride F18, for use in bone scans. In contrast to Technetium-99m, which has been the only approved radioactive tracer for bone scans, Sodium Fluoride F18 is not subject to the supply problems.

Source: www.cancer.gov