A World Without Cancer – Guest Post

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Dr. Margaret Cuomo is the author of “A World Without Cancer: The Making of a New Cure and the Real Promise of Prevention;” she is a board-certified radiologist who served as an attending physician in diagnostic radiology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. for many years. She was the keynote speaker at the T.J. Martell Foundation’s inaugural Women of Influence Awards at Riverpark in New York City.

We are honored to share her perspective here on Angelina Jolie’s courageous decision regarding the discovery of her BRCA1 genetic mutation and subsequent bilateral (aka “double”) mastectomy, as well as the implications for the cancer community.

Dr. Margaret Cuomo is the author of “A World Without Cancer: The Making of a New Cure and the Real Promise of Prevention.”

Angelina Jolie has my admiration for her courage in publicly describing her decision to undergo a bilateral (aka “double”) mastectomy. Her BRCA1 genetic mutation significantly increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

According to Jolie’s New York Times op-ed piece, her doctors estimated that she has an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. Women who have inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations account for 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers and 10 to 15 percent of ovarian cancers (for white women) in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Knowing that her own mother died at the age of 56 following her battle with cancer, Angelina Jolie, the mother of six children, decided to be pro-active, and decided to sharply reduce her risk of breast cancer by undergoing the mastectomy.

The question that I hope many women are asking is: “Is this the best that we can do in the 21st century?” After 41 years and more than 90 billion dollars spent since the War on Cancer was declared, we should expect more effective and less invasive solutions to reducing breast cancer, and all cancers.

Are the National Cancer Institute and the pharmaceutical industry committing enough of their intellectual and financial resources to the discovery of safe, new ways of detecting breast cancer and ovarian cancer in their earliest stages?  If a patient has a BRCA1 or BRACA2 mutation, are there techniques available to “turn-off” the faulty genes?

Is there a sense of urgency about finding new tests to detect breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and other cancers, that do not involve radiation – a known carcinogen?

The prevention of cancer should be our ultimate goal and it should have the full benefit of the National Cancer Institute’s and industry’s vast resources.

Our children are our future, and we should expect that their generation will prevent cancer without the traumatic solution that Angelina Jolie felt obliged to accept.

Genetic Evaluation and Testing for Cancer – Guest Post

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Many thanks to Georgia L. Wiesner, M.D., Director, Vanderbilt Hereditary Cancer Program, for this informative guest blog post.

Recent headlines about Angelina Jolie, a well-known actress and movie producer, and her decision to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy to reduce risk for breast cancer have taken the world by surprise. In a recent article, Ms. Jolie outlined her genetic evaluation in which she was found to be the carrier of a mutation in a gene called BRCA1. Because of her gene status, she decided to reduce risk for breast cancer by removing her normal breast tissue.

Why would someone choose to have such a “radical” response to cancer risk? In order to understand the dilemma that many people face, it is important to know that Ms. Jolie’s situation is relatively unusual. In fact, mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 only account for 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers and 10 percent to 15 percent of all ovarian cancers every year. If a person is found to have a high-risk mutation, then prophylactic surgeries are one of several high-risk management options.  In addition to surgery, there are certain medications as well as enhanced screening and surveillance available for these patients. An important point is that anyone considering this option should be evaluated by a specialist prior to making such an important decision.

The next question might be “how does someone know whether they are at high-risk for cancer?” Fortunately, there are genetic specialists and other health professionals who can help patients understand whether they are at high risk for cancer and then guide patients through the process of genetic testing. The process of genetic evaluation risk assessment and counseling is a new area of medicine called cancer genetics. Genetic professionals will use details from the family history to determine whether testing is a reasonable option.

The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, a recognized leader in genetic medicine for cancer, has recently established the Clinical and Translational Hereditary Cancer Program with the primary mission to care for patients and families at high risk for cancer. Importantly, after patients are seen in the Hereditary Cancer Clinic, they can be referred to other caregivers, such as surgeons or high-risk nurse practitioners for further care.

Main Points

  • A small number of people will have an inherited risk for cancer
  • It is important to know your family history of cancer
  • Genetic evaluation and counseling is the first step in understanding cancer risk
  • The VICC Hereditary Cancer Clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is open to all patients for full evaluation and counseling
  • Appointments can be made by calling (615) 343-7400

Georgia L. Wiesner, M.D.
Director, Vanderbilt Hereditary Cancer Program
Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and Professor of Medicine

Women of Influence

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GRAMMY nominated musician Elle Varner (l), honoree Joanne Camuti, Director American Airlines, honoree Lori Stokes, Eyewitness News anchor for WABC, honoree, famed columnist and founder of wowowow.com, Liz Smith, honoree Marcie Allen, President of MAC Presents and Director/Beach 119, honoree Dr. Margaret I. Cuomo, the event’s host and Weekend TODAY personality Jenna Wolfe and Laura Heatherly, CEO of the T.J. Martell Foundation. Photo Credit Nick King NY

This week the T.J. Martell Foundation launched the Women of Influence Awards at Riverpark in New York.  The Foundation honored five incredible women from various business backgrounds: Marcie Allen, President of MAC Presents; Joann Camuti, Director, Sales Promotions and Community Relations, with American Airlines; Dr. Margaret I Cuomo, Author of A World Without Cancer: The Making of a New Cure and the Real Promise of Prevention; Liz Smith, famed Journalist, Columnist and Co-Founder of wowOwow.com; and Lori Stokes, ABC Eyewitness News Anchor.  Jenna Wolfe of NBC’s Today Show was the Mistress of Ceremonies and Grammy-Nominated recording artist Elle Varner performed a special song called “So Fly” for the women in the audience.

The event brought men and women from around the country together to support the honorees, have a great time, but most importantly, to raise awareness and funds for women’s cancer research programs through the great work of Dr. James Holland, Distinguished Professor of Neoplastic Diseases of Mt. Sinai Medical Center, and Dr.Jimmie Holland, Wayne E. Chapman Chair in Psychiatric Oncology of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Margaret I. Cuomo who recently published “A World Without Cancer” gave remarks to the audience highlighting key tips for early detection and cancer prevention.  Her address to the audience was heartfelt and made all of us feel strongly about taking better care of ourselves!

I have to say that as I reflect on the wonderful day at the T.J. Martell event, it made me realize that we ALL can be Women and Men of Influence.  We are the best advocates for encouraging our family, friends and colleagues to take better care of themselves by exercising, eating healthier, limiting alcohol intake, getting rest, don’t smoke and getting yearly medical exams.   It is the best medicine one can take to live a longer, healthier life.

What a fun night!

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Back Row (L to R) Chef Sam Tucker, Chef Bob Waggoner, Sheryl Crow, Gary Allan, Laura Heatherly (CEO, T.J. Martell Foundation), Luke Bryan, Chef Sean Brock
Front Row (L to R) Co-chair Bill Hearn (President, EMI Christian Group), Co-chair Tom Black, Co-chair John Esposito(President & CEO, Warner Music Nashville), Founder Billy Ray Hearn (Founder, EMI Christian Music Group)

Attendees of the 14th Annual Nashville Best Cellars Dinner hosted by the T.J. Martell Foundation celebrated a night of exclusive wine and food pairings Monday night, April 29th that benefitted life-saving cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Labs at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The event has raised significant funds over the past 14 years pairing “Best Sellers” (popular chart-topping artists) with “Best Cellars” (some of the top wine collectors in the United States) who shared rare wines from their collections with guests at their tables.

Since the inaugural dinner was created by Nashville wine enthusiast and music executive Billy Ray Hearn in 1999, the Best Cellars Dinner has raised more than $1.65 million to support the foundation’s mission of funding ground-breaking leukemia, cancer and AIDS research.

Guests enjoyed a gourmet four-course dinner created by Bob Waggoner, Executive Chef of Watermark and Sean Brock, Executive Chef of McCrady’s and Husk in Charleston and Husk in Nashville while featuring the world-class wines from the private collectors.  The Tom Black After Party featured performances by Warner Music Nashville Recording Artists Charlie Worsham and Brett Eldredge.

Helping People

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This week, I learned about the passing of a young woman that I had connected with a few months ago when I learned that she needed some help with finding a doctor for her sarcoma diagnosis.

When I first spoke to her, I took some time to chat with her about some options of getting second opinions.  I also talked to her about being aggressive and doing everything possible to learn more about what she needed to do to overcome the disease.  She was very scared, but I told her that the best medicine for her at that time was to stay positive and focus on getting the right treatment.

I stayed in touch with this young lady and found her to be such a sweet person.  I tried to do my best with keeping positive and having an uplifting conversation with her to keep her going.  The interesting thing is she actually gave me an uplifting feeling about being able to lend a hand to someone I didn’t really know.

In the end, I am glad that I had a small opportunity to meet this young lady.  I realized this week that my role at the T.J. Martell Foundation truly reaches beyond events, meetings, conference calls, writing emails and raising money.  It is all about helping people.

 

 

How Do You Thank Someone Who’s Saved a Life?

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At the T.J. Martell Foundation, we are proud to fund a group of truly excellent research doctors across the country. These outstanding individuals improve the lives of the leukemia, cancer and AIDS patients who they treat, and many more who they never meet because the implications of their innovative research are boundless.

Those of us who have been touched by illness know just how important doctors are and how hard they work to heal. If a doctor has made a difference in your life, I hope you will take a moment to make a gift to our Foundation in honor of one of these amazing physicians and they will receive a note of gratitude on your behalf. Thank you for joining us in saluting our doctors!

Vanderbilt Researchers Find Potent Genetic Risk Factor for Breast Cancer

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Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found a powerful new genetic risk factor for breast cancer.

Using data from population-based studies of women in Shanghai, China, Jirong Long, Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine, and colleagues discovered a deletion in a cluster of genes, called APOBEC3 genes, that are known to trigger DNA mutation and which have previously been implicated in cancer.

If a woman has a deletion in one of the two sets of genes she inherits from her parents, her risk of breast cancer increases by 31 percent. If the deletion is present in both sets of genes, her risk increases by 76 percent.

“This is the first copy number variation or CNV identified for breast cancer and is one of the strongest common genetic risk variants identified so far for breast cancer,” the researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

For the full article, please click here.

Martell Investigator Weighs in on H.I.V. Breakthrough

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Doctors announced on Sunday that a baby had been cured of an H.I.V. infection for the first time, a startling development that could change how infected newborns are treated and sharply reduce the number of children living with the virus that causes AIDS.

The T.J. Martell Foundation is proud of our history of funding innovative HIV/AIDS research; Dr. Max Essex is our Principal Investigator and we reached him on site at the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute for comment.

“‘Cure’ and ‘eradication’ of HIV are words that were never used by AIDS researchers until very recently. But progress with powerful drugs has been very impressive in recent years. You will hear such terms used more and more.”

Dr. Essex is Chair of the Harvard AIDS Initiative (HAI), the Lasker Professor of Health Sciences at Harvard University, and Chair of the Botswana–Harvard AIDS Institute (BHP). He received his DVM degree at Michigan State University, his PhD at the University of California Davis, and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Tumor Biology at the Karolinska Institute School of Medicine in Stockholm.

In 1982, Essex hypothesized, with Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier, that a retrovirus was the cause of AIDS. For this the three shared the 1986 Lasker Award, the highest honor given for medical research in the U.S.

For more information about Dr. Essex’s AIDS research, please click here; for the full article, please click here.

Vince Gill Guest Stars on Nashville!

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We loved Vince Gill‘s guest spot on last night’s episode of Nashville on ABC! Did you miss it? We’re excited to honor Vince with the Frances Williams Preston Lifetime Music Industry Award at our Honors Gala on March 10th, hosted by Charles Esten who plays Deacon Claybourne on the show and tickets are still available. Click here to buy your tickets today to see Vince and Charles in person!

Charles Esten

Guest Blog Post: The Fight Of Our Lives

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My Wife’s Battle Against Cancer
by Cameron Von St. James 

My wife, Heather received her diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma in November of 2005. It was the beginning of what would be the hardest challenge either of us would ever face. Just three months before, my wife and I had been on top of the world, celebrating the birth of our first and only child, Lily. We had expected to spend the next month excitedly preparing for Lily’s first holiday season, but life had other plans.  In an instant, our focus shifted to fighting cancer.

After giving us the diagnosis, the doctor made several recommendations for treatment.  We could visit a local hospital, a very good regional hospital that unfortunately lacked a mesothelioma program, or a specialist in Boston that dealt frequently in the treatment of Heather’s cancer.  I waited for Heather to express interest in any of the options, but it was clear to me that she was still paralyzed with shock and fear, and needed help.  I turned to the doctor and said, “Get us to Boston!”

For two months after her initial diagnosis, life seemed to spiral out of control. Between taking care of Heather, caring for Lily, scheduling trips to Boston, taking care of housework, and working full-time, my life was overwhelming to the point of tears sometimes. There were times when I just wanted to crawl in bed and never move again. I just felt a sense of unfairness for a new mother to be going through this. What should have been the happiest time of our lives was turned into a nightmare of painful cancer treatments and medical bills that were through the roof. I feared losing Heather and having to raise Lily alone and broke.  Despite having these fears in my head, I never let Heather see them.  I knew she needed me to be strong for her.

In time, I gradually grew into my new roles and learned to deal with them better. I learned to let go of my pride and ask for help when I needed it.  Our family and friends came through time and time again and helped lift the weight from my shoulders.  I learned to allow myself to have bad days, those are inevitable and sometimes even necessary, but through it all I never allowed myself to give up hope that we would make it through this. Heather underwent intense treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation over the following months.  It was tough on our family, but we were able to pull together and fight through it.

This ending is a happy one. Despite the frightening odds against her, Heather beat mesothelioma and is now cancer free, and we’re raising Lily together, having learned so much during our experience. We’re stronger for it.

I credit my stubbornness with having lived through this and become a better person for it. I learned how to take care of my family, no matter what.

Now, Heather and I strive to provide help and support to those currently fighting cancer today.  We hope that by sharing our story, we can inspire those people to never, ever give up hope, and to always keep fighting.