new logo masthead

 

bird with burst

 

HOLIDAY TRIBUTE CARDS: Gifts with Lasting Impact 

This holiday season, consider giving donations to VCU Massey in honor or memory of a special person in your life. For each $25 donation, Massey will send a festive holiday card notifying the honoree of your gift.

 

Your gift will not only support Massey in its fight against cancer, but will be a memorable and touching gesture to your honoree.

 

Order a holiday tribute card.

 

Order a holiday e-card.

 

Call 804-828-1466 if you would like assistance or to order by mail. 



Beat the Crowds
at the 
BIZARRE BAZAAR

 

Join in the fun on December 1 at Massey's 8th annual Opening Night Shopping Spree at the Bizarre Bazaar holiday marketplace. This highly anticipated evening promises food, refreshments, shopping and merry-making for more than 1,500 Massey supporters from across the state of Virginia.

 

The evening provides an exclusive opportunity to shop the 200-plus unique craft and gift vendors from across the country without the large weekend crowds.

 

Purchase tickets online.

 

Please call (804) 828-0883 for more information.

 

Visit the Calendar 
 
for exciting events coming soon.

 

 


Join the 2011
MASSEY CHALLENGE

For the 6th year in a row, Massey is an official charitable fundraising partner for the April 2, 2011, Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k, the fourth largest 10k in the country. Runners who register for the 10k can fight cancer by also joining the Massey Challenge, a fun way to raise money for cancer research.

 

In 2010, over $500,000 was raised by the Challenge and we hope to raise more in 2011.

 

None of the 10k race registration fee supports Massey. We are asking you to:

 

*     Register for the race, then

*     Step up to the Massey Challenge

 

One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. With these odds, you or someone you know is fighting cancer right now. Help us make cancer history by donating to the Massey Challenge!

 

Start a fundraising team with family, friends or co-workers or raise money on your own. Use the holiday season to organize for this great cause.

 

Get all the details at www.run4massey.org 

 

 


Someone you know is a cancer survivor, patient or caregiver:
Please forward this newsletter.
 
Forward to a Friend

If you received this email second-hand, please
 

Volume 3, Issue 9
November, 2010 


START A TRADITION OF HEALTH THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

 

Share Your Health History at Family Gatherings

 

"Sitting around the table this holiday season can be an excellent time to discuss family health history, especially if several generations are present," says Heather Creswick, a genetic counselor at VCU Massey's Familial Cancer Clinic. "It's important, because family history is a key ingredient in determining the likelihood of having a particular disease in the future. Because everyone should have a detailed history to share with his/her physician, providing loved ones with a family health history form and updating it annually at a holiday gathering makes a wonderful family tradition," Creswick suggested.

 

Use this form to create a record of your family health history. 

 

 

What If My Health History Indicates Genetic Risk for Cancer or Other Diseases?

 

Concerned about how to share your knowledge of genetic risk with loved ones? Consider this advice on how to talk with family members about genetic risk factors. 

 

 
ROUNDUP OF THE LATEST RESEARCH DISCOVERIES AND AWARDS

 

Knowledge of Genetic Cancer Risks Often Dies with Patients

 

A recent study conducted by VCU Massey researchers Drs. John M. Quillin, Thomas J. Smith, Joann N. Bodurtha and Laura Siminoff showed that most terminally ill cancer patients who were eligible for genetic testing never received it despite the fact that it could potentially save a relative's life. The research is the first to document the prevalence of hereditary cancer risk and the need for genetic services and patient education among terminally ill cancer patients.

 

 

 

New Function of Gene in Promoting Cancer Found 

 

VCU Massey researchers Drs. Paul B. Fisher, Devanand Sarkar and Zhaozhong Su have discovered that a gene well-known for its involvement in tumor cell development, growth and metastasis, also protects cancer cells from being destroyed by chemotherapy. By inhibiting the expression of this gene, doctors may have a new, viable and effective approach for treating aggressive cancers such as breast, liver and prostate carcinomas, malignant gliomas and neuroblastomas that result from high expression of this cancer-promoting gene.

 

The findings are the result of collaboration among researchers from VCU Massey, the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, and the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics of the VCU School of Medicine.

 

Learn more about this discovery 

 

 

Virginia Tobacco Commission Awards VCU Massey $2.391 Million Grant to Support Cancer Prevention and Clinical Research Initiatives

 

Massey was recently awarded a two-year, $2.391 million grant from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission (Tobacco Commission) to expand the breadth of the Center's community involvement and grow its state-of-the-art clinical research and cancer specialist delivery system.

 

The new funding extends Massey's cancer prevention and control and epidemiologic research initiatives into Virginia's Southside and Southwest tobacco counties. It also helps fund the expansion of a health information literacy program for the citizens of those communities, as well as the implementation of a comprehensive cancer needs assessment to identify gaps in cancer services, and then to mobilize resources to meet the identified cancer needs of those counties.

 

Read the full story

 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON CLINICAL TRIAL ADVANCES

 

Former NASA Engineer Helps Pioneer New Treatment for Prostate Cancer

 

Back when Junius Hayes was working for NASA, he never imagined that materials used in the space program would one day become part of his cancer treatment. After learning he had early stage prostate cancer, he was presented with the opportunity to participate in a new clinical trial led by Dr. Mitchell Anscher at VCU Massey. The trial utilizes product materials Hayes helped develop for NASA for an entirely different application that are now being used to better target radiation to the prostate and provide less damage to the surrounding areas. After eight weeks of radiation, Hayes received a clean bill of health and feels better than ever.

 

Read the full story.

 

 

Current Clinical Trials Explore Prostate Cancer Therapies with Reduced Side Effects 

 

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, with nearly 200,000 new diagnoses each year. But because prostate cancer often progresses slowly, the side effects of certain treatments sometimes outweigh the benefits of those treatments. VCU Massey is currently conducting approximately 10 clinical trials evaluating the latest therapies for prostate cancer. Two of these trials developed at Massey aim to eliminate the disease while reducing side effects from treatment.

 

Learn more about these trials.

 

 

National Collaborations on Clinical Trials Add Strength in Numbers

 

VCU Massey has one of the largest offerings of clinical trials in the state of Virginia evaluating the latest cancer treatments for adult and pediatric patients, with more than 100 trials on more than 20 types of cancers from brain and breast, to leukemia, prostate, lung and more. Last year, Massey opened 53 new trials, increasing the opportunities to improve standards of care.

 

In addition to developing its own clinical trials, as a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, Massey is a member of numerous research consortiums to further accelerate the pace of discovery. "Clinical studies of many new treatments require participation of more patients than could be enrolled at a single cancer center, either because the number of required patients is large or because the condition is relatively uncommon," explains Dr. John Roberts, associate director for clinical research at Massey. "In order to address this problem, the NCI maintains several large cooperative groups that coordinate the management of studies at many cancer centers simultaneously." 

 

Read more about Massey's clinical trial collaborations.   

__________________________________

Momentum is published by the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

David Raine, Jr.
Communications Coordinator
804-628-1829

If you have questions about cancer, cancer treatments or survivorship, please ASK MASSEY.
To learn more about VCU Massey Cancer Center, please visit our Web site at www.massey.vcu.edu.