Novelos to the Rescue: The Fight Against Cancer

The fight against lung cancer begins and ends with breakthrough research. Period. One company that is at the forefront of innovating the way we can treat lung cancer is Novelos Therapeutics (www.novelos.com), a Massachusetts-based biotech firm that may very well save tens of thousands of lives. Novelos has a lead product, NOV-002, that looks like the most promising - and safe - means of defeating non-small lung cancer (NSLC). Let me put this news in its most deserved context: NOV-002 is something we need immediately -- for the betterment of science and the preservation of life! I write these words as someone who has lost a dear friend to lung cancer; I write these words as a citizen frustrated by the delays government imposes on scientific discovery and the red tape that undermines progress. Based on my own readings - and I am careful to separate mere speculation from provable facts - NOV-002 could do for NSLC would anti-viral drugs have done for HIV: revolutionize everything, putting patients in a position strength and renewed energy.
This column in Health News Digest makes the same point, that NOV-002 is the real deal, while educating people about the important changes currently underway in the treatment of NSLC. I rarely get into the minutiae of this stuff, but I want people to learn more about this treatment because, based on the numbers, we all have a friend or loved one dealing with NSLC. And we can't afford to wait for this disease to take its course. The fight against NSLC starts now! NOV-002 is in the fight -- we need to defeat this scourge.

http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Cancer_Issues_660/New_Pathways_In_The_Treatment_Of_Non-Small_Cell_Lung_Cancer.shtml

Treatment For Lung Cancer

The internet is a great resource for those interested in lung cancer.

From the Mayo Clini to Sloane-Kettering, there's a ton of information available.

Here's some information from WebMD:

Lung Cancer Surgery
Surgery is the preferred treatment for many people with lung cancer. Learn about the different types of surgery.
Related Guide: Lung Cancer Chemotherapy Medications
A variety of chemotherapy medications are used to treat lung cancer. Learn about them here.
Related Guide: Lung Cancer Radiation Treatment
Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat lung cancer. Learn when it’s used and what the side effects are.
Cancer Pain Medication
Several different types of medications are used to treat cancer pain. See which medication might be right for your pain.
Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Learn all about treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer -- from surgery and chemotherapy to photodynamic therapy.
Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Treatment by Stage
Treatment varies for the different stages of non-small-cell lung cancer. Learn more here.
Treatment of Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Learn all about treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Treatment by Stage
Limited and extensive stages of small-cell lung cancer are treated differently. Learn what to expect.

Treatment Options For Lung Cancer

Treatment options for lung cancer depend on its severity and when it is caught.

Lung cancer is an active area of medical research and new drugs are being tested all the time.

Here's more from the Mayo Clinic:

You and your doctor choose a cancer treatment regimen based on a number of factors, such as your overall health, the type and stage of your cancer, and your preferences. Options typically include one or more treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or targeted drug therapy.

In some cases you may choose not to undergo treatment. For instance, you may feel that the side effects of treatment will outweigh the potential benefits. When that's the case, your doctor may suggest comfort care to treat only the symptoms the cancer is causing, such as pain.

Lung Cancer Treatments

Treatment for lung cancer depends on its severity.

The earlier lung cancer is detected, the more successful treatment is likely to be.

The most severe treatments include surgery and chemotherapy.

Ofthen this only slows the inevitable.

Lung cancer tends to be a deadly disease.

Here's more:

Chemotherapy and radiation may lead to a cure in a small number of patients. These therapies result in shrinking of the tumor and are known to prolong life for extended periods in most patients.
Chemotherapy and radiation are very effective at relieving symptoms.
Inoperable NSCLCs are treated with chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.
If SCLC is in an early stage (confined to the thorax), the standard of care is chemotherapy and radiation therapy given at the same time.
In later stages (spread outside of the thorax), SCLC is treated with chemotherapy and palliative radiation therapy to areas where metastases may be present.
The brain is sometimes treated with radiation even if no tumor is present there. Called prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI), this therapy may prevent a tumor from forming. PCI is not suitable for all patients, however, and side effects may occur.
Limited SCLC (has not spread outside the chest cavity) has an 80%-90% rate of response to combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Remission (no cancer detected by physical examination or x-ray studies) occurs in 50%-60% of cases.

Lung Cancer Symptoms

A lot of people diagnosed with lung cancer have no symptoms.

Other people feel like they have a sore chest. They notice themselves coughing a lot. The cough gets worse. Something feels heavy in their lungs. Some people cough up blood.

Cancer is usually identified easily by a chest x-ray.

Here are some typical symptoms of lung cancer:

Up to one-fourth of all people with lung cancer may have no symptoms when the cancer is diagnosed. These cancers usually are identified incidentally when a chest x-ray is performed for another reason. The majority of people, however, develop symptoms. The symptoms are due to direct effects of the primary tumor, to effects of metastatic tumors in other parts of the body, or to disturbances of hormones, blood, or other systems caused by the cancer.
Symptoms of primary lung cancers include cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
A new cough in a smoker or a former smoker should raise concern for lung cancer.
A cough that does not go away or gets worse over time should be evaluated by a health-care provider.
Coughing up blood (hemoptysis) occurs in a significant number of people who have lung cancer. Any amount of coughed-up blood is cause for concern.
Chest pain is a symptom in about one-fourth of people with lung cancer. The pain is dull, aching, and persistent and may involve other structures surrounding the lung.
Shortness of breath usually results from a blockage to the flow of air in part of the lung, collection of fluid around the lung (pleural effusion), or the spread of tumor throughout the lungs.
Wheezing or hoarseness may signal blockage or inflammation in the lungs that may go along with cancer.
Repeated respiratory infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, can be a sign of lung cancer.

Key Links About Lung Cancer

I've been scouring the web for the best links on this topic.

Here's what I've found:

Lung Cancer Overview
Lung Cancer Causes
Lung Cancer Symptoms
When to Seek Medical Care
Exams and Tests
Lung Cancer Treatment
Medical Treatment
Surgery
Next Steps
Follow-up
Prevention
Outlook
Support Groups and Counseling

My Best Friend Died Of Lung Cancer

I started reading Cathy Seipp when I moved to Los Angeles in the Spring of 1994.

She wrote an entertaining column about the Los Angeles Times -- her favorite newspaper! -- in the monthly Buzz magazine.

I exchanged some email with Cathy in the summer of 2001 and we finally met that winter at a party organized by Cathy and her friends Amy Alkon and Emmanuelle Richard. These monthly parties were conducted under the auspices of the Los Angeles Press Club.

I was at another of these parties in the summer of 2002 at The Standard hotel in downtown Los Angeles. I was kicking back with Cathy and Amy and I said to Cathy, "Your hair is different."

It was different. It was a color and style I did not recognize.

She told me later that night that she had lung cancer. That she had been undergoing chemotherapy and all her hair had fallen out. She said she was wearing a wig.

Her hair did grow back.

She had stage four lung cancer.

She had never smoked.

She battled hard for the next five years. She got in all the walking she could. She got in all the chemo she could. She did everything she could.

She finally succumbed in the Spring of 2007.

Here's more about Cathy Seipp and her courage.

My mother died of cancer.

She first had breast cancer before I was born. She had a mastectomy. Then she gave birth to me in May of 1966. A year later, she was diagnosed with bone cancer.

Over the next four years, she shrunk to 60 pounds and finally died.