Q: What is considered adolescent and young adult cancer?

A: The definition of the adolescent and young adult cancer patient has evolved over time and recently has been defined as those diagnosed with cancer at ages 15 through 39. Nearly 70,000 people aged 15 to 39 years are diagnosed with cancer every year.  AYA patients are a unique population with regards to both cancer epidemiology and psychosocial needs.  Patients are caught between two worlds, childhood and adulthood:  Many of these patients are beginning the process of finding their independence, going to college, away from parents/family, and no longer feeling like children but not quite yet feeling like adults.

Q: Why is this age group important to you?

A: It is important that we focus our efforts toward this group of patients because the incidence of cancer in the AYA population has steadily been increasing over the last 25 years, but the overall survival in these patients has not improved. One theory for this is delays in seeking medical attention. Diagnoses may be delayed because AYAs typically see themselves as invulnerable, causing them to ignore or minimize common cancer symptoms.  In addition, providers tend not to think about cancer in this age group, and symptoms may be attributed to fatigue, stress or other common causes. By educating young people and physicians, we may be able to diagnose and therefore treat AYA patients much earlier.

Q: What is the L.E.A.P. AYA Cancer Program?

A: Our AYA Oncology program identifies the urgent need for education, training and communication activities to raise awareness and recognition of AYA preventable cancers at both public and professional levels. With the assistance of the Prevent Cancer Foundation and their generous grant, we were able to begin an outreach program entitled, “L.E.A.P. AYA Cancer.” Our program is a combination of “teach the teacher” and “pay it forward.” We provide knowledge regarding the most common AYA cancers, the signs and symptoms associated with them, and ways to prevent these cancers to medical students and residents. By empowering these medical professionals with this knowledge early in their learning, we hope to impact the way they examine and educate patients throughout their medical career.

Q: What have been the program’s successes so far?

A: Thus far, we have met with several trainees and presented our information. Through our program, we have seen an increase of great than 75% in their AYA knowledge. Armed with this teaching, we have had several residents volunteer to “pay it forward”, and in the fall they will be going into the community to educate high school and college students with their new knowledge.

Q: How many residents, high school and college students do you expect to reach?

A: We would like to reach as many students as possible by attending health and biology related classes. The more people that we can inform the better.  We are focusing our efforts on inner-city schools as they may have fewer resources than other schools, but plan on trying to engage many of the communities in our city.

Learn more information about the Prevent Cancer Foundation 2012 Community Grant Awardees.

Jamie and her mom Julia

This Mother’s Day I am giving my mother a gift that will save lives.  I am making a contribution to the Prevent Cancer Foundation in her honor memorializing the family members we have lost to cancer.  I’m helping the Prevent Cancer Foundation to Stop Cancer Before It Starts!

Over a 10 year period my family experienced many tragedies through the death of loved ones from cancer; an experience for which many other families also share.  We lost my 17 year old sister to cancer in 2000, my grandfather was treated for prostate cancer that eventually metastasized to bone cancer and took his life in 2001, my other grandfather developed lung cancer and ultimately lost his battle in 2006. My remaining grandparent, my grandmother, succumbed to her battle with brain cancer in 2009.

Sara and Jamie Cooper

Working for the Prevent Cancer Foundation is more than just a job for me; it’s a mission to eradicate this terrible disease. To keep it from taking another loved one from my life.

Would you join me and consider making a tribute gift in memory or honor of your loved one; a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, wife, colleague or friend for Mother’s Day?

To learn more about your dollars at work, how to reduce your risk and prevent cancer please visit www.preventcancer.org.

The online auction will showcase 30 carefully selected and highly coveted items ranging from once- in- a- lifetime experiences to deluxe air travel. A sampling of some of the outstanding Gala Online Auction items include:

• A mixed case of California wines, all rated 100 by Robert Parker
• A coveted slot in the Waterfall Salmon Fishing Tournament on a private island in Alaska
• A week’s stay in a four-bedroom apartment in Venice, Italy
• A week’s stay aboard a 51-foot, private sailing yacht with 5 staterooms in the British Virgin Islands
• Business class travel to Zurich, Switzerland for two and a 3-night stay at the Park Hyatt Zurich
• Four nights’ accommodation in a suite in the Hempel, a leading boutique hotel in London
• Exquisite and unique pieces of  jewelry, designed by Elizabeth Locke and Joan Horning
• A week’s stay (winter or summer) in a private home in Sun Valley (ID)
• 2 VIP tickets to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

The online auction will also contain items exclusive for bidding only by 2012 Gala attendees, such as:

• Use of personal vacation homes in the Vail Valley (CO) and Cape May (NJ)
• Rounds of golf for 3 with your host at 5 private clubs in the Washington, DC area
• A lunch hosted by a prominent U.S. Senator in the Senate Dining Room
• A “power lunch” at the residence of the Ambassador of Lichtenstein
• Private dinners hosted by the Ambassadors of Switzerland and Indonesia in their residences.

We do hope you are able to attend the Annual Spring Gala on March 9, enjoy an unforgettable evening and bid on these remarkable items so generously donated to Stop Cancer Before It Starts!  For tickets or more information contact Development Associate Dorothy Abernathy at 703-837-3698 or via email at Dorothy.abernathy@preventcancer.org.

Photo Credit: University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Foundation is proud to highlight the breast cancer research of Lauren Trepanier, DVM, PhD, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Trepanier received a two-year grant from the Foundation in spring 2008 to examine whether specific enzymes present in the human breast are associated with breast cancer risk.

What led you to the field of breast cancer research?

I began my career by studying adverse drug reactions, in particular sulfonamide hypersensitivity (sulfa drug allergy). We wanted to understand why these drug reactions occur in certain patients, so we were studying the pathways that the body uses to detoxify, or neutralize, these drugs. We found that humans use a key enzyme pathway (cytochrome b₅ and its reductase) to detoxify sulfonamide drugs. We also found that we use this same pathway to neutralize certain environmental carcinogens that have been associated with breast and other cancers.

Tell us about your research examining the role of two enzymes, b5R and cyt b5, in eliminating cancer-causing metabolites in the breast and whether individual differences in these enzymes are associated with breast cancer risk.

The enzymes b5 (cytochrome b₅) and b5R (cytochrome b₅ reductase) neutralize cancer-causing (arylhydroxylamine) chemicals, which enter the body when we eat grilled meats or smoke cigarettes. These chemicals damage DNA and lead to altered cell growth and mammary cancer in animals. Diets high in grilled meats are risk factors for breast cancer in women, and while smoking has been associated with breast cancer risk in some studies, the link is more controversial. Human breast tissue and even breast milk contains DNA that has been damaged by these chemicals, but the amount of damage varies between women. So there are individual factors that modulate how two women may respond differently to the same chemical exposure.

We found that the b5/b5R detoxification pathway is present in human breast, with more than 70-fold differences in the ability to neutralize these arylhydroxylamine chemicals among individual women. We also found genetic defects in the b5/b5R detoxification pathway, which were significantly more common in African American women compared to Caucasians. We are now looking at the relationship between these genetic differences, smoking exposure and breast cancer, along with other genetic factors, in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study population, a large group of African American and Caucasian women that have been diagnosed with breast cancer. We hope to identify groups of women with high-risk genetic patterns that may have a higher likelihood of breast cancer in association with smoking.

How has receiving a Prevent Cancer Foundation grant impacted your research?

Funding from federal agencies is very difficult to obtain right now, with some government institutes funding less than 1 in 10 of grants that are submitted. So funding from private foundations is more important than ever for scientists to continue their work, and to train the next generation of scientists. The Prevent Cancer Foundation has been pivotal in our ability to apply the insights and research resources that we have acquired from studying the risk of adverse drug reactions, to the field of cancer risk.

Why is it important to fund research in the field of cancer prevention and early detection?

Cancer prevention is, of course, the ideal. Breast cancer rates are highest in industrialized countries, and families that move from low-risk to high-risk countries acquire a breast cancer risk of their new industrialized homes in as little as two generations. This points to an important role of environmental factors in the development of breast cancer. A better understanding of how environmental factors, such as diet and smoking, interact with in-borne genetic traits will improve the quality of individualized advice that can be provided to women about personal breast cancer risk prevention and monitoring.

She was thrilled to learn I’m now working for an organization with a vision: Stop Cancer Before It Starts! She and her husband had no idea that approximately 50% of all cancers and cancer deaths can be prevented by changing personal behaviors; or, that one out of every two men will be diagnosed with cancer in his lifetime and one out of every three women will be diagnosed with cancer in her lifetime.

As I drove home through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I thought about my friend and how proper screening led to early detection of a cancer that could have killed her.

I thought about how nearly every life has been touched by cancer. I thought about my father, grandfather and several friends who lost their battles with cancer.  I thought about how many people I know who have been diagnosed with cancer – my aunt, numerous friends, even myself – but, fortunately caught it early through proper screening.

And, I thought about the power of charitable giving to save lives through cancer prevention and early detection.

Dr. Daniel Rodriguez

Gifts from individuals, like you, make it possible for the Prevent Cancer Foundation to change the landscape in cancer prevention by funding young investigators who are researching new approaches to cancer prevention and early detection, paving the way for research breakthroughs that are our best hope for a cancer-free future.

Gifts to the Prevent Cancer Foundation also make it possible for our organization to continue as a leader in cancer prevention and early detection through our educational programs and community outreach efforts. Philanthropedia, the premier charitable giving rating site affiliated with GuideStar,  recently recognized the Foundation as as one of the top national non-profit cancer organizations making the most significant and positive impact on cancer.

As you consider your charitable giving this season, I hope you will make a commitment to Stop Cancer Before It Starts!  You can make a secure gift online, donate stock or transfer funds from your IRA.  Click here for more information on ways you can give.

Thank you for including the Prevent Cancer Foundation in your charitable giving.

With only a few short weeks between now and the appropriations debate, we anxiously await word on the funding of some of our most crucial programs. It is with high hopes (and many letters and phone calls to our Representatives!) that we fight for funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

One in 20 Americans is a cancer survivor, and more than 1.5 million Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis this year. But those dramatic numbers understate the impact of cancer, as all American families are touched by cancer directly or through family, friends, and co-workers.

Research is the key to a deeper understanding of cancer and development of better treatments and a longer, happier, and more productive life with cancer. A sustained and consistent federal commitment to NIH and NCI is critical to research progress. It is also important to note the importance of NIH funding to our nation’s economy. The NIH budget supports medical research in every state. In turn, these research dollars support local jobs and economic development.

It is also essential to maintain funding and support cancer prevention and control programs at the CDC. Collectively, the CDC cancer programs, like the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and the Colorectal Cancer Control Program, are the cornerstone of our country’s cancer prevention efforts. Cuts to CDC prevention programs will hinder the progress made during the past few years in reducing both cancer incidence and mortality. We will continue calling and writing to our Congressional Representatives, asking that they not cut funding for cancer programs that have a proven record of success for early detection, prevention, education, and awareness.

University City Science Center President and CEO Stephen Tang (center) is joined by Representatives Allyson Schwartz and Chaka Fattah, Senator Bob Casey, and Representative Patrick Meehan to announce the Life Sciences Investment Act.

In addition to important budget issues, we hope that Congress will consider new legislation such as the Life Sciences Jobs and Investment Act.   Prevent Cancer Foundation was pleased to join Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), and Representatives Chaka Fattah (D-2^nd/PA), Patrick Meehan (R-7^th/PA) and Allyson Schwartz (D-13^th/PA) on July 25 at the University City Science Center in Philadelphia to announce this bill.  If passed, the bill provides targeted incentives to businesses and innovators by doubling a portion of the tax credit for life sciences research and development, incentivizing life sciences research with a particular focus on small and mid-size entrepreneurs engaged in the research, as well as through non-for-profit research consortia, research incubators, and universities.  The bill also encourages repatriation of jobs to the United States through financial incentives.

There are many agenda items to keep an eye on this fall and we look forward to our continued work as advocates for cancer prevention! If you would like to learn more about Prevent Cancer’s advocacy efforts or become an advocate yourself, visit www.preventcancer.org to join our Advocacy Action Center.

We asked Dr. Wong about his work and the importance of funding cancer prevention and early detection research.

1.  What led you to the field of skin cancer research?

Arizona has among the highest incidence rates of skin cancer in the world, so we are interested in identifying compounds that can suppress sun damage relevant to skin cancer. In general, the ability to rapidly identify agents that prevent the occurrence and reduce the severity of cancer is of great importance in cancer research.

2.  Tell us about your research to identify compounds that can inhibit and prevent cancer tumor formation.

It has been established that ingestion of small quantities of some organic compounds, now commonly referred to as chemopreventive agents or anticarcinogens, can reduce the risk of cancer. The success ofseveral clinical trials in preventing cancer in high-riskpopulations suggests that chemoprevention is a rational andappealing strategy.  Our research is to develop a high-throughput microfluidic biosensing study for large-scale screening of chemopreventive compounds. The identification of novel compounds with strong chemopreventive activity represents a major step, such as developing topical medication and dietary-based cancer chemoprevention, towards the prevention of skin cancer.

3.  What impact could your findings have on preventing other cancers beyond skin cancer? 

Various environmental insults, such as toxicants and carcinogens, translate into chemically-reactive molecules, or reactive oxygen species, in the body. These reactive oxygen species are major contributors in the development of cancer. In dealing with these toxicant- and carcinogen-induced reactive oxygen species, the body has evolved defense mechanisms to protect it from their harmful effects. The identification of chemopreventive compounds that induce natural protective mechanisms will be beneficial for preventing various types of cancer.

4.  How has receiving a Prevent Cancer Foundation grant impacted your research?

The funding has allowed us to develop a microfluidic biosensing system for rapid screening of chemopreventive compounds. The development has led to a research program to identify novel preventive agents for cancer and has facilitated the mechanistic study of the natural antioxidant response and chemopreventive pathways. Currently, we are also developing chemopreventive dietary supplement cocktails (combinations of chemopreventive compounds) for the prevention of cancer.

5. Why is it important to fund research in the field of cancer prevention and early detection.

A large body of evidence suggests that cancer is a preventable disease. There are urgent needs to improve our knowledge in cancer prevention, and to develop novel strategies for reducing the incidence of cancer. Funding to support research in cancer prevention is crucial toward the realization of this goal.

The Whole Foods Old Town, located at 1700 Duke Street in Alexandria, VA, has selected the Prevent Cancer Foundation to be one of two recipients in their Nickels for Non-Profits program. Whole Foods created Nickels for Non-Profits as a way to reduce the impact on the environment while supporting local non-profit groups. To participate in this program, shoppers simply must bring their own reusable shopping bag or bulk container when shopping at this particular Whole Foods location. Whole Foods will then waive the 5 cent bag charge and present participants with a wooden token, which can be placed in the Prevent Cancer non-profit box. All proceeds that go into the Prevent Cancer box, which is located by the shop’s entrance, will be donated to the Foundation.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation will only be featured for the next six months, so make sure to visit Whole Foods Old Town for all of your shopping needs – and don’t forget your bag!

It’s that time of the year again when we start checking the store circulars for the best deals on holiday gifts for our friends, family and co-workers. This year you can shop with a purpose by shopping with Prevent Cancer Foundation Shop for Prevention friends and partners that have agreed to designate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their items to benefit Foundation’s cancer prevention research, education and community outreach programs.

Ann Kulze, M.D., renowned authority on nutrition, healthy living and disease prevention, motivational speaker and Prevent Cancer Foundation board member, has partnered with the Foundation to bring you two “must have” items for the holiday season.

Eat Right for Life, is a blueprint for healthy eating and the perfect gift to start the New Year. Scientifically based and spelled out in a way that is easy to understand and easy to follow, “Dr. Ann’s” strategies will help you feel great for good – and stay well for life. For every copy of Eat Right for Life purchased $2.00 will be donated to the Foundation. Just remember to enter coupon code PCF511X3.

Custom trail mix company My Mixed Nuts and Dr. Ann have collaborated with the Foundation to create the Prevent Cancer Foundation Trail Mix, a healthy and delicious snack anytime of the year and the perfect gift or stocking stuffer this holiday season. For each bag of Prevent Cancer Foundation Trail Mix sold, $1.00 will be donated in support of the Foundation’s programs for the underserved.

Still surfing the net for the perfect gift? Use search engines GoodSearch and GoodBuy that let you shop and support the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Just remember to designate the Foundation as your charity of choice.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation has also partnered with eBay Giving Works so you can shop or sell to support the Foundation through eBay. Remember to designate the Prevent Cancer Foundation as your charity of choice and a percentage of the sale will support the Foundation.

Give the perfect gift and support cancer prevention and early detection this holiday season by visiting the Prevent Cancer Foundation Shop for Prevention page frequently. We would love to hear from you when you use the Shop for Prevention page. Tell us what products or shopping methods you like the best. Your feedback and comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Happy Shopping!

…the list of awardees reads like a veritable “who’s who” in cancer prevention.

Congradulations to you and the Foundation’s board of trustees in celebrating this Silver Jubilee year!

It is hard to believe that you have reached this milestone but not difficult to recognize the very special contibutions that you and the Foundation have made to cancer prevention, research and education. Twenty-five years ago we may have looked very wistfully at the prospect of preventing cancer but thanks to your passion and dedication we have new hope and promise on the horizon.

Your partnership with and support of AACR have been personally meaningful to me as well as the community of scientists, clinicians and patients we serve. I want to give special recognition to your estabishment and sustained support of the AACR-Prevent Cancer Poundation Award for Excellence in Cancer Prevention Research. Since 2002, it has been our honor to host this Award presentation at our annual Cancer Prevention Research Conference. Given to a scientist residing in any country in the world for his or her seminal contributions to the field, the list of awardees reads like a veritable “who’s who” in cancer prevention. Please accept my sincerest appreciation for foresight in establishing this very special Award.

We look forward to next 25 years of excellence from the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

Editor’s Note: This post is  part of the 25th Anniversary Testimonials Initiative.