Cancer Survivors

Gay men are about twice as likely to be cancer survivors than straight men. Lesbian and bisexual women who are cancer survivors are more than twice as likely to report fair or poor health than heterosexual women who have survived cancer. These discoveries, among others about gay, lesbian and bisexual cancer survivors, were published online Monday by the journal Cancer.   Researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health pored over California health survey data to learn more about gay, lesbian and bisexual cancer survivors in the U.S. -- a group not tracked by the public agencies that report cancer cases.

Better cancer treatments and an aging population will push the number of cancer survivors in the U.S. to nearly 18 million by 2022, according to a new report from researchers at the National Cancer Institute. As of January 2012, there were 13.7 million survivors of bladder, breast, colorectal, kidney, lung, prostate, thyroid and other cancers, the report says. Over 10 years, that figure is projected to grow 31% to 17,981,391, the researchers estimate. Today, the biggest group of cancer survivors is women who had breast cancer (22%)

If anyone serves as a larger-than-life example of the ability to survive cancer and return to physical exercise, it's Lance Armstrong. The premier U.S. road-racing cyclist won a record seven Tour de France competitions from 1999 to 2005 after having undergone surgery and chemotherapy treatments for testicular cancer that had spread to other parts of his body. Three years ago, Livestrong, the cancer-fighting foundation Armstrong created, teamed up with YMCAs nationwide to offer fitness training programs for those with cancer and those who have survived the disease.

Julie Weiss of Santa Monica is indeed a Marathon Goddess. Weiss crossed the finish line of the Los Angeles Marathon in 5:17:44. The blogger, who details her running exploits at MarathonGoddess.com, would have had a faster finish if not for the media interviews she stopped to do along the way and the fans who met her for hugs and high-fives. For Weiss, 42, the race marked the end of her quest to run 52 marathons in a year to raise money to fight pancreatic cancer, which had claimed her father's life.

As a cancer survivor I found Michael Ramirez's editorial cartoon (Commentary, Oct. 12) showing Yasser Arafat as a cancer growing within a human skeleton ("Patient: Peace") extremely distasteful. It is hard enough for us survivors to live every day with a sword hanging over our heads. We don't need such a tasteless, graphic, metaphorical presentation of the illness. Ramirez should read Susan Sontag's good book on the subject, "Illness as Metaphor"; it would do him good to get a glimpse into the world of cancer patients and survivors.

Better cancer treatments and an aging population will push the number of cancer survivors in the U.S. to nearly 18 million by 2022, according to a new report from researchers at the National Cancer Institute. As of January 2012, there were 13.7 million survivors of bladder, breast, colorectal, kidney, lung, prostate, thyroid and other cancers, the report says. Over 10 years, that figure is projected to grow 31% to 17,981,391, the researchers estimate. Today, the biggest group of cancer survivors is women who had breast cancer (22%)

Hundreds of cancer survivors from across Ventura County and the western San Fernando Valley are expected to gather Sunday for an annual barbecue celebrating National Cancer Survivors Day. The local event will coincide with celebrations nationwide for cancer patients, cancer survivors and cancer-related health-care professionals.

I cannot express enough the anger and disbelief I experienced after reading your article, "Cancer's Long Shadow" (Aug. 20). The title itself set a somber mood--that cancer, like a dark shadow or shroud, can be a menacing, intimidating force over cancer survivors. True, anyone who has had cancer cannot deny or escape the potentially negative effects or influences the disease will have on their lives, but what was not mentioned in the article was how many survivors continue on with their lives with an unrelenting passion to overcome all obstacles and pursue all goals.

Exercise has been touted as a good way to help prevent certain diseases and conditions, but can it be useful after the fact? Yes, says a study, which suggests that a fitness regimen can enhance the health of patients following treatment. The paper analyzed 34 studies that looked at the effect of exercise on patients who had breast cancer, as well as other types of cancer, such as prostate and lung. The various studies included aerobic, resistance and strength workouts, the average length was 13 weeks and the average number of people in each trial was 93. Most of the control groups consisted of people who were sedentary or told to do no exercise.

I am a breast cancer survivor who can empathize with Victoria Burke, who was forced by her HMO to undergo mastectomy surgery on an outpatient basis. I was insured with a PPO and had bilateral mastectomies three years ago, and I was also asked to have outpatient surgery. After heated discussions, the insurance company allowed a longer stay--23 hours! In my quest for knowledge that the doctors and nurses were unable to give me during my brief hospital stay, I was referred by a member of the hospital staff to the American Cancer Society.

Re “ Breast practices ,” Opinion, Feb. 21 I have no genetic markers for breast cancer and no outstanding risks. I am an average female. Yet it is due to a couple of routine mammograms that I am here. I went in on two-year intervals, and that is when they discovered aggressive Stage III breast cancer. After a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, I recuperated and moved forward. Four years later, I went in for a routine mammogram: aggressive breast cancer again.

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, the duo behind Animal and Son of a Gun , are kicking off their series of charity dinners, Cooking With Friends, with guest chef Christopher Kostow of the Michelin three-star Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley. The dinner is on Monday, Jan. 14, at Animal. The Cooking With Friends series will take place throughout the year; for each dinner Shook and Dotolo will prepare a special menu with a chef friend for one night, with part of the profits going to the charity of the guest chef's choice.  The debut eight-course dinner is $135 per person, and wine pairings will be offered at an additional cost.

Lance Armstrong announced Wednesday that he will be stepping down as chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, better known as Livestrong, the organization he started in 1996 to raise money for cancer research. In the ensuing years, Livestrong raised approximately $500 million. Armstrong's statement: "In 1996, as my cancer treatment was drawing to an end, I created a foundation to serve people affected by cancer. It has been a great privilege to help grow it from a dream into an organization that today has served 2.5 million people and helped spur a cultural shift in how the world views cancer survivors.

Lance Armstrong, embroiled in new controversy surrounding his alleged doping while winning seven consecutive Tour de France titles, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down as chairman of his cancer-fighting charity so it can focus on its mission instead of its founder's problems. "This organization, its mission and its supporters are incredibly dear to my heart," Armstrong said in a statement. "Today therefore, to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career, I will conclude my chairmanship.

The Santa Clarita Blue Heat may be the most interesting women's soccer team you've never heard of. It's a French Foreign Legion in shin guards and rubber cleats, with players from six countries - seven if you count the Pennsylvanian who spent last summer playing in Iceland. And every one of them has a story to tell. "It's funny sometimes, the mix," captain Edite Fernandes, who is also captain of the Portuguese national team, says in Spanish, one of four languages represented on the Blue Heat roster.

I need help finding affordable health insurance. I got insurance through California's Major Risk Medical Insurance Program in 1991 after having breast cancer. My premiums are now a whopping $1,209 each month! I have not had any cancer issues since the original bout, but I have been reluctant to change policies (assuming that I could find one). Can you help me find something more affordable? It's smart to be cautious about changing plans, particularly given your medical history.

Cancer survivors, their family members, friends and significant others are invited to a picnic in celebration of National Cancer Survivors Day on June 7. The event, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Wellness Community and other groups, will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. and includes free food and soft drinks. The picnic, which requires a reservation, is also open to health care workers who deal with cancer patients.

Reporting from Sacramento -- The proposal is simple: Raise taxes on cigarettes to pay for cancer research. The push for it is quintessentially Californian, melding celebrity salesmanship and the whims of state voters, who have increasingly been called on to decide key policy questions. The pitchman for Proposition 29, which will appear on the June ballot, is seven-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, who is asking voters to increase taxes on a pack of cigarettes by $1. On Wednesday, he announced a $1.5 million contribution from his Texas-based foundation to the Yes on 29 campaign.