I Heart MDA

I Heart MDA.

After a brief hiatus from Anticancer Amy, I’m back!  My relationship with the cancer world will never end but sometimes distractions are good.  Things like summer, kids’ schedules and vacations.  I sat down several times in the past 4 months to write on Anticancer Amy, but was always interrupted (mostly by young humans). 

The cancer world has been knocking on my brain and tugging on my heart like crazy.  A friend was diagnosed with a breast cancer recurrence, two neighbors were diagnosed with breast cancer, Pearland Chickfila asked for Isabella’s giant pink ribbon for October, another neighbor friend lost her life to brain cancer, the kids had a pink lemonade stand, my brother in law accepted a job with the MD Anderson Head and Neck Cancer Clinic, I heard a new friend share her story on inflammatory breast cancer, we biked Tour de Pink, I’m on the board of directors for a new local organization called Positively Pink,  Waltz Warriors met our ticket quota to bring the movie Decoding Annie Parker to Houston, I attended a reception for a friend who was a finalist in patient care at MD Anderson and spent a weekend at the MD Anderson Survivorship Conference, the kids had more pink lemonade stands and finally, I went to an event on Living the Anticancer Life.  Whew!  10 years ago, I would have passed out if I knew what my 2014 world would look like.  Yes, God had a slightly different plan. 

At the MD Anderson Survivorship Conference there is a table with a rainbow of lanyards.  You choose a lanyard for your nametag based on how many years you have been a cancer survivor.  This is my second year to be blue (5-9 years).  It’s a blessing and all but, oh how I have my eyes set on red!  Caregivers wear white lanyards, the color for angels.  Some people wear several lanyards- those are the folks who have had more than one cancer diagnosis. 

As always, the conference is filled with data, stories, recommendations, scientific evidence and most importantly HOPE.  I heart MD Anderson, not just because I am a patient there, but because of the profound knowledge they are spreading to the planet!  This institution is hyper-specific.  MDA docs are writing the textbooks, publishing 10 papers per day!  The marrying of academia, biotech, government, clinical and biopharmocology is extraordinary.   In 2014, the US incidence of cancer will be 1.6 million, in 2035 it will jump to 2.4 million.  Cancer is now the #1 cause of death in the world, surpassing heart disease. 

A highlight of some things I learned or was reminded of at the Survivorship Conference:

1.       50-70% of cancer can be prevented by LIFESTYLE.  This is not debatable, there is measurable data out there. 

2.       Major drivers of cancer include viruses (think HPV), age, habits (think smoking & tanning beds!), genetics and environmental factors.

3.       MDA harvests 50 placentas per day to be used for stem cell transplants, the largest clinic in the world.

4.       There are over 1,000 current clinical trials at MDA, also used as standard of care.

5.       There IS scientific evidence that attitude, stress, exercise and nutrition matter in regards to cancer.  As one oncologist put it “The best way to thank MD Anderson is to do your part for cancer prevention and be healthy.”

6.       MDA is working to prevent ovarian cancer in first degree relatives by testing for BRCA.  Mind you, these services are FREE if not covered by your insurance company.

7.       MDA is also working in several areas to create vaccines for cancer- this is huge!  Dr. Amy Heimberger, a brain surgeon and immunologist, is working on a vaccine for brain cancer.  Can you imagine?

8.       Buzz words I heard:

·         Targeted Therapy

·         Immunotherapy

·         The Angelina Effect/ Surgical Prevention

·         Sequencing Genes

·         Molecular Understanding

·         Antibodies

9.       Dr. Lorenzo Cohen with the Integrative Health Clinic sends a daily email highlighting scientific findings reported in the news relevant to integrative medicine, cancer, health and wellness.  To subscribe to Lorenzo’s Health Corner email KMTaniguchi@mdanderson.org.  This clinic is doing some great things for those touched by cancer.  How does Tibetan meditation sound?

Every year I leave this conference with a newfound spirit of wellness.  It’s mental, it’s physical and it’s definitely spiritual.  Thank you Lord for this opportunity!

Be Well,