Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon

Once again, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure is bringing Breast Cancer Awareness to the fore front. The “Tie a Ribbon Campaign” is a breast cancer awareness and education campaign that is held every October…Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I will be heading up the campaign for West Caldwell this year. Permission has been granted by Mayor Joseph Tempesta Jr., the Town Council of West Caldwell, and West Caldwell Police Department (many thanks!). Eight-foot-long bright pink ribbons will be tied on trees in our downtown area as well as residential to bring awareness. Each ribbon includes a hang card that delivers the Komen three-step life-saving message of early detection. On the reverse side is an opportunity to complete “in honor of” or “in celebration of.”

Businesses as well as residents can donate $5 per ribbon if they’d like and tie the ribbons in front of their homes and offices. There will be a group of volunteers out on Oct. 1 to help tie the ribbons everywhere! This is an opportunity to donate, but more so to raise awareness.

One in every eight women will be diagnosed in her lifetime. Early detection is key to survival; it saved my life. Please join me in the hope that a cure is in our near future and the hope that no other women and her family need to be touched by breast cancer.

The report Biomarkers in Breast Cancer 2010 presents findings on more than 200 proposed breast cancer biomarkers in a review that includes studies over the last eight years, through to May 2010. Biomarkers are discussed and presented by their potential utility in key breast cancer areas, including diagnosis, metastasis, response to therapy, prognosis and disease predisposition.

Today, biomarkers recommended to guide the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, are limited in number. In their most recent (2007) guidelines, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) supported the case for just nine markers, based on studies carried out between 1999 – 2006.

However, recent years have seen the discovery and clinical study of significant numbers of new biomarkers and additional clinical data are now available on earlier markers not yet in common use. Collectively, these biomarkers are providing valuable insights, diagnostically and therapeutically, in key areas of breast cancer. These include diagnosis, metastasis and spread, therapy direction, response to therapy, prognosis, predisposition, drug discovery and clinical research.

According to the 195 page report, over the last decade, research has generated a wealth of biological data that characterise the changes that occur in breast cancer. These findings have advanced the understanding of this disease, and allowed the development of more discriminating diagnostic methods and treatments. Cancer embraces multiple changes at the genetic, phenotypic, cellular and histological level and nowhere are these changes more evident than in the field of cancer biomarkers, which now embraces many thousands of studies: cells, animals and human.

While a tremendous amount of research has been done on the causes of breast cancer, an exact breakdown by percentages or some such measure is still not completely accurate. Hormone levels and those levels related to age are factors. Diet and heredity are also among the most important indicators of breast cancer probability.

The hormones in question are estrogen and progesterone. Any levels significantly different from the average of the females at the age the woman is, represents an increase in probability of getting breast cancer. This includes age factors for the beginning age of menstruation as well as the ending age. If a girl begins menstruation at an early age, or a woman past middle age has not reached menopause, cancer risk increases.

Because of this connection, hormone therapy after menopause is not always a recommended practice – especially if there are is a family history with links to breast cancer.

The dietary aspect is also under scrutiny, but all indicators are that obesity and/or a diet that is high in percentage of calories consumed as fat are both positively linked to higher breast cancer probability. There are also indications that excessive alcohol usage is a prominent factor.

Whether breast cancer is genetic is really two questions. One is whether family genetics are a major factor, and the other is the genetic cause of recurrence in the actual patient. Concerning the latter, a woman who previously had breast cancer that was successfully removed still has a very significantly higher risk of getting it again. An operationally removed tumor in early stages represents the best chance of reducing future risk. Chemotherapy and radiation are not as effective, since the cancerous stem cells are never destroyed. Stem cells are the special cells that do the multiplying and replacement of old cells. So if cancerous stem cells, even in small quantities are still present, their genetic code will be replicated in some of the cells with which the body replaces old cells.

Family genetic factors are definitely involved, although most researchers believe that genetic inheritance is not the primary cause of cancer. It’s a matter of risk, but a small enough percentage of the population carries the faulty gene code that causes the disease. It is now believed that about 5 to 10% of breast cancers are caused by inherited genetic mutations. There is definitely an increased risk for an individual whose mother or sister has gotten breast cancer, especially if this has occurred at an early age (before menopause).

Researches have identified two particular genes that are direct causes of breast cancer. Also, the presence of oncogenes (a general cancer causing mutation) can result in the development of breast cancer, as well as every other form of cancer that can afflict us.

Study Shows Women With Migraine Headaches May Have Lower Risk of Breast Cancer!!!

Nov. 6, 2008 — Women who suffer from migraine headaches may be at significantly lower risk of developing breast cancer, a new study shows.

“Many of the triggers of migraine in women are known to be hormonally related, and also are important in the development of breast cancer,” Christopher Li, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, tells WebMD. “We now see a plausible relationship between hormones and migraines and breast cancer.”

The study, published in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, shows that women with a history of migraines have a 30% lower risk of breast cancer than women not diagnosed with the headaches.

Li, the lead author of the study, says the biological mechanism behind the association is not fully known, but it likely has to do with fluctuations in the levels of circulating hormones.

“Migraines seem to have a hormonal component in that they occur more frequently in women than in men, and some of their known triggers are associated with hormones,” he says. “For example, women who take oral contraceptives — three weeks of active pills and one week of inactive pills to trigger menstruation — tend to suffer more migraines during their hormone-free week.”

But pregnancy, a high estrogen state, is associated with a significant decrease in migraines, he tells WebMD. And estrogen, he adds, is known to stimulate the growth of hormonally sensitive breast cancer.

The researchers combined data from two studies of 3,412 postmenopausal women (aged 55 to 79 years old) in the Seattle area, including 1,938 who’d been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and 1,474 women without breast cancer. Information on migraine history was limited to cases diagnosed by health professionals.

“Women who reported a clinical diagnosis of migraine had a 33 percent reduced risk of IDC [invasive ductal carcinoma] and a 32 percent reduced risk of ILC [invasive lobular carcinoma] compared with women with no history of migraine,” the authors write. “These reductions in risk did not vary substantially by age at migraine diagnosis or by history of ever using prescription migraine medications.”

Li says the conclusions of the study, the first to look at a possible connection between migraines and breast cancer, should be interpreted with caution, but in an optimistic light.

“This potentially points to new mechanisms that may be related to breast cancer prevention,” he tells WebMD. “If we can uncover what those are, it may lead to new ways to treat breast cancer.”

Role of Migraine Medication

Another possible reason women with migraines seem at reduced risk for breast cancer is medications they take to control headache pain, Li says.

“These women may be more frequent users of NSAIDs [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs],” he says “There is evidence that use of NSAIDs is protective against breast cancer, so part of this reduction could be related to use of that medication, though it is unlikely to account for the whole reduction.”

That doesn’t mean women should start taking NSAIDs, which include aspirin and ibuprofen, Li says, but further research will explore that possibility.

Len Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, says the study supports the link between estrogen and hormone-sensitive breast cancer.

“You can’t absolutely say for sure that what the researchers are measuring is in fact responsible for higher or lower risk of breast cancer,” Lichtenfeld tells WebMD.

The study, he says, points out that postmenopausal women, who are known to have lower levels of estrogen, also have a lower frequency of migraines. “What they are saying here is: this is not just postmenopausal. If you have migraines, it may indicate that you have lower estrogen levels throughout your life. This may explain the findings in this study that women with migraines have a lower risk of breast cancer.”

Lichtenfeld says obesity also is related to increased risk of breast cancer after menopause because fat cells produce estrogen. “Some researchers say the higher estrogen levels in the blood are the reason there is an increased breast cancer risk in overweight and obese postmenopausal women.”

Li says researchers “were surprised by the magnitude of the reduction in breast cancer” in women with migraines and that the study “is good news in that it identified a potential new protective factor.”

For now, he says, women “should just continue their regular screenings.”

Scientists have made a discovery they say could lead to a vaccine to prevent and cure breast cancer, a common and deadly disease that afflicts millions of women around the world.

The experimental vaccine developed by researchers at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Institute in Ohio was 100 percent effective in preventing breast cancer in a group of mice specially bred to develop the disease. The vaccine, which has been in the works for the past eight years, also stopped the growth of existing tumors.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, and there are approximately a half million new cases reported each year. The disease is notoriously hard to cure. It often recurs within 10 years, despite treatments thought to be effective at the time of diagnosis.

Lead researcher Vincent Tuohy says the experimental vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to protect the body against the development of breast cancer. Until now, the major hurdle for researchers working on cancer vaccines has been finding ways to avoid setting off auto-immune responses in cancer patients. Autoimmunity occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue or organ systems.

The resulting inflammation can trigger an even more aggressive form of breast cancer. But vaccine researchers have found a way to target proteins that are only present in breast tumors but not in healthy breast tissue, according to Tuohy.

Tuohy says the vaccine kept the specially-bred, breast cancer-prone lab mice completely tumor-free.

“We found the first way of creating a self-vaccine that can be used prophylactically, in a preventive manner, to protect us against a disease before we get it just like polio and measles,” said Vincent Tuohy.

Experts say a woman has a 12 percent risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer over her lifetime. But according to the US National Cancer Institute, women who have inherited two abnormal genes, called BRCA (BROCK-AH) 1 and BRCA (BROCK-AH) 2, have a much higher, 60 percent risk of developing breast cancer by age 90.

Becca Martello was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at age 39. She underwent surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and had her uterus removed to prevent the cancer from recurring.

Breast cancer runs in Martello’s family and she’s thrilled at the prospect of a vaccine to prevent the deadly disease.

“I can’t really believe it yet,” said Becca Martello. “I’m just so thrilled, [I have] goose bumps; just amazing.”

Meanwhile, the researchers at Cleveland Clinic plan to ask US regulators for permission to begin human safety trials of the vaccine within the next year. The breast cancer vaccine would be targeted at women age 40 and older.

Lead researcher Vincent Touhy says the breast cancer vaccine project was inspired by the success childhood immunization programs have had in preventing infectious diseases in young people. But no such medically effective safeguards have been available for people middle-aged and older:

“And yet they confront these horrific diseases like breast cancer and prostate cancer and colon cancer and so forth and I thought this is the giant hole.” he said. “We don’t have a similar preventive vaccine program for adult diseases.”

Tuohy and his colleagues describe their research in an article this week in the journal Nature Medicine.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A doctor from the Cleveland Clinic claims he has developed a vaccine to prevent and possibly cure breast cancer.

A study, published Sunday, reports Dr. Vincent Tuohy found that a single vaccination made up of antigen a-lactalbumin (lactation protein) prevents breast cancer tumors from forming, while stopping the growth of already existing tumors. *READ STUDY HERE*

A spokesperson for the Cleveland Clinic says enrollment in human trials could begin as early as next year.

Women over the age of 40 or that have the breast cancer gene BRCA 1 or 2, will be vaccinated first because the vaccine targets a woman’s lactation protein. Once the lactation protein is targeted, a woman’s milk supply is affected.

According to the spokesperson, Dr. Tuohy found the target in an unhealthy tumor that is not typically found in a healthy person. He targeted a protein called a-lactalbumin, which is found in the majority of breast cancers, but not found in healthy women unless they are lactating. The antigen is injected which then searches and eliminates tumor growth.

In other words, the vaccine can help boost a woman’s immune system to target a-lactalbumin without damaging healthy breast tissue.

The Doctor says he is confident in his findings and believes it will have a massive impact on fighting the disease.

“We have designed a vaccine that is designed to prevent breast cancer the same way we vaccinate against polio and measles,” Tuohy told Fox 8 News, “I think the same strategy could be applied for a variety of different cancers and diseases as we age…and I can’t really wait to see my dream and that vision come true.”

Scientists at Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic are touting a new prototype vaccine to prevent breast cancer as “promising.” This follows tests performed on mice by the researchers. The scientists said a single vaccination was shown to prevent breast cancer tumors from forming in mice, and also stymied the growth of existing tumors.

The vaccine contains a protein found in most breast cancers, but not found in healthy women, except during lactation, according to Dr. Vincent Tuohy, the study’s principal investigator and an immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute. Tuohy says this allows the vaccine to direct a woman’s immune system to target this protein without damaging healthy breast tissue.

“We can protect women from breast cancer, but if it destroyed their normal breast, it’s an unacceptable side-effect, so we had to avoid that,” Tuohy said.

Tuohy now wants to move forward in testing the vaccine in human patients. Enrollment could begin next year according to the Cleveland Clinic. Tuohy acknowledges cancers have been cured in mice before without that success transitioning to humans, but thinks this vaccine’s chances of success are “promising.”

“It’s kind of like an application of immunologic judo, using the natural changes that occur in a woman’s needs,” said Tuohy. “A decrease in the use of the breast for breastfeeding, and an increase in the breast’s risk of developing tumors. We’re taking advantage of that. That hasn’t been done before.”

The inspiration for the research comes from the childhood vaccination program that has been successful in preventing diseases like polio and measles, according to Tuohy.

“It just struck me as a giant hole in our health care that we don’t have preventive vaccines that mimic the childhood vaccination program for adult diseases like breast cancer,” said Tuohy.

The tests have been restricted to mice so far. Tuohy said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will guide researchers through what type of toxicity studies they want done, and usually they require other species — rats, for example. Tuohy says he doesn’t anticipate any difference in results between mice and rats, but he would not second-guess the FDA on their request for tests on different species.

The FDA has granted approval to two cancer-prevention vaccines: cervical and liver cancer. However, these vaccines target viruses, while the one tested by the Cleveland Clinic targets cancer formation. If any human testing proves successful, the strategy would be to vaccinate women 40 and over as well as younger women with a heightened risk of breast cancer. Tuohy says there is no funding for human trials at this point, but it has been applied for. However, he speculates it will take at least 10 years to get the vaccine to normal, healthy women at risk of developing the cancer.

“We have to try it. It looks to me to be extremely promising, and until I see a better idea I’d like to try this.”

Want to Grow your Business? Lend a Hand.

From affinity credit cards to pink breast cancer awareness ribbons, examples of for-profit organizations partnering with charities for their mutual benefit, abound. Companies have discovered that charity marketing offers numerous opportunities to not only grow one’s business, but also help others by appealing to people who want to associate with organizations that support causes, assist the disadvantaged, etc. Savvy start-ups are capitalizing on this altruism to increase awareness, generate goodwill, and drive demand.

Contributing to this trend is broader acceptance of the role of business in society – it is no longer gauche to profit from charitable giving. In fact, charities are looking for businesses to help them with their causes. Aware of businesses’ ulterior motives, today’s charities will work with organizations to maximize their ROI. So why not grow your business by lending a helping hand?

Choose the Right Charity

The charity or cause you select will dictate how much exposure you get, the extent of your marketing reach, and the quality of your networking/prospecting opportunities. As well, when you partner with a charity, you leverage the brand and goodwill (or bad will) of the charity – who you choose to associate with affects your brand. So choose carefully!

Pick a charity you believe in and know something about – not only will you have more fun, but you’ll also feel better about allocating your company’s time and resources to a cause you care about.

Consider local as well as national/global charities. While you may get more mainstream media coverage working with a national/global charity, you may also get lost amongst the charity’s other corporate sponsors. Sponsoring a local charity increases the likelihood that your company’s contribution will be visible.

Choose charities that offer opportunities to show off your organization’s skills. For example, if your organization markets professional IT services, donate consulting hours to set-up a technology lab for a local senior center. If you offer Web design services, offer to build or revamp a charity’s website.

As well, choose a charity or cause that will resonate with your target audience. If you sell software to the education market, choose charities that make technology more accessible to children, teachers, and/or schools. Find out what your customers care about and show support for their concerns.

Promote Your Involvement

Key to effective charity marketing is promotion of your company’s good works.

Issue a press release publicizing your company’s donation or participation in a charity event. Write about your efforts in newsletters and blogs, as well as social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Charity marketing programs promoted via social media sites often become “viral”, leading to not only greater awareness of your company’s efforts, but also of your chosen cause or charity.

When sponsoring events, choose high-profile events or causes that draw media attention and put you contact with influential people. Encourage employees to volunteer for events and participate in non-profit boards. Keep in mind that corporate decision makers often sit on the boards of charities. Not only do charities provide a terrific vehicle for raising your company’s profile, but they also offer a wonderful networking opportunity for you and your staff.

As well, ask the charity to not only recognize your efforts/contributions, but also promote your company. Request prominently placed signage at an event, or ask that the company be mentioned in the charity’s newsletters or marketing materials. Additionally, if you designate a product or service for the charity with a percentage of all sales going to the charity, encourage the charity to sell or promote the offering. By asking the charity to promote your company, product and/or service, you will be able to increase your reach, as well as further capitalize on the charity’s brand and goodwill.

Market your Product or Service to your Charity’s Stakeholders

From donors to board members, every charity has a following of potential prospects for your business that share a common characteristic: an affinity for a particular charity or cause. It’s highly likely that these stakeholders have other characteristics in common. Profile your charity’s stakeholders and develop marketing campaigns specific to this audience.

Create special promotions targeted at this audience. For example, donate a percentage of sales generated from this audience back to the charity. Offer discounts to charity donors/members. You can also create a customer loyalty program for supporters of your charity, to encourage members to purchase your products or services.

Additionally, consider partnering with your charity to target a particular audience or market. For example, if you sell HIPAA compliance software, develop and fund a telemarketing campaign that targets major donors in the healthcare industry. Not only will you help the charity to grow its donor base, but you’ll also have the opportunity to develop contacts – perhaps even relationships with – key decision makers within your target vertical. By leveraging the goodwill of your charity, you may be able to get past gatekeepers you may not be able to get past, on your own.

She Who Hesitates is Lost

Lastly, remember that while you may have an ulterior motive for getting involved, at least you’re getting involved. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed to engage in charity marketing. Charities want help with their causes, and will gladly work with you to help you help them. And if you don’t do it, some other marketer will!

One quick and easy way to get started is with www.allthis.com – a new online auction site that allows individuals or organizations with a cause to convert time and talent into dollars. For a small fee, you can quickly create an auction for a product or service, to benefit a charity of your choosing. Using widgets for Twitter and Facebook, you can easily promote your auction as well as your company, while raising funds for your charity.

Check-out Washington Square Consulting’s allthis.com auction to benefit the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation at http://bit.ly/dfkqI9. Just creating this auction resulted in a >5% increase in daily unique visitor traffic to www.washingtonsquareconsulting.com.

For help with your allthis.com auction or with other charity marketing activities, visit www.washingtonsquareconsulting.com, or email us at info@washingtonsquareconsulting.com. Or better yet, help us help others by bidding on our auction at  http://bit.ly/dfkqI9, today!