Continuing Research for a Colon Cancer Vaccine

Everyone reading this likely has received a vaccine of some kind, such as one for polio, flu or measles. For those affected by colon cancer, a vaccine for the disease may seem like a far-fetched dream, but maybe it isn’t. News from the world of cancer vaccine research is very encouraging—colon cancer vaccines are being studied at several major research centers and the early results look promising.

Cancer vaccines, in general, are nothing new, of course. They typically fall into one of two categories: preventive and treatment.  Preventive vaccines prevent cancer from developing in healthy people. These are similar to the traditional vaccines most of us have had.

Two preventive cancer vaccines that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are Gardasil® and Cervarix®, which protect against infection from the virus that can cause cervical cancer. You have likely seen advertisements for these vaccines. Another preventive vaccine protects against hepatitis B (HBV) infection, which can lead to liver cancer. Most children in the United States receive this vaccine shortly after birth.

Treatment vaccines treat an existing cancer by strengthening the body’s natural defenses against the cancer. Only one cancer treatment vaccine has been approved by the FDA. Provenge® is used to treat some men who have metastatic prostate cancer (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body).

In September, Susie’s Cause made a donation to the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins to fund research for a colon cancer vaccine. The team at Hopkins recently completed a phase 1 clinical trial of a vaccine. Their new study will test a combination vaccine therapy in advanced colorectal cancer patients who have completed chemotherapy. If successful, this treatment would give patients a way to keep their disease stable after treatment and could prove to be helpful in earlier stages of the disease as well. 

Other colon cancer vaccine studies are taking place at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute announced initial success of their colon cancer vaccine in human trials earlier this year. Their study, published in the January 2013 edition of Cancer Prevention Research, showed that their vaccine is safe and produced the immune response they expected.

These are exciting times in cancer research! The Susan Cohan Colon Cancer Foundation will be watching to see how these studies unfold. Be sure to check our website (www.coloncancerfoundation.org) and like our page on Facebook for the latest developments.

Thank You for Supporting Susie's Cause and Honoring Loved Ones

Memorial Day is a time to enjoy having fun with family and friends. Thank you for being a friend to Susie's Cause and for helping us spread awareness about life-saving colon cancer screening and prevention.

Just in case you haven't heard them all, we want to share with you some of the great ways our supporters have given their time and money to support Susie's Cause in 2012. It's inspiring to see all the ideas everyone came up with to get out the word about preventing colon cancer with screenings and a healthy lifestyle.

So many of you:

• held galas
• volunteered
• cooked chili
• ran and walked in races
• grew mustaches and beards
• paddled canoes
• ice skated
• shared your stories
• contributed articles
• hosted dinners and dances
• lifted weight
• donated money

You all contributed in so many ways that you really made it clear - no matter what you are interested in, you can use your skills, hobbies, and talents to help fight to eliminate colon cancer as a
life-threatening disease.

Were any of these ideas from your event? Do you have other ideas for events?

Share them with us!

Your grassroots events are a great way to honor and remember family members as well as support Susie's Cause. Is there something you would like to do to support Susie's Cause in 2013?
If so, please contact us at (410) 244-1778.

 

Female Smokers May be at Greater Risk for Colon Cancer

Still haven’t kicked the nicotine habit? Here’s another reason to put down the cigarettes for good, especially if you are a woman: female smokers may be more susceptible to colon cancer than male smokers, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention on April 30.

The study included more than 600,000 men and women who were aged 19 to 67 when they enrolled in the study. Over 14 years, almost 4,000 people in the study developed colon cancer.

Women who had ever smoked had a 19% higher risk of colon cancer and men who had ever smoked had an 8% increased risk of developing the disease than those who have never smoked.

Read More>

Charlotte's Story - Cancer was not in this Mom's Plans

On September 14, 2011, at the age of 35, I  was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. At the time of my diagnosis, my son Jack had just turned 4, my daughter Eleanor was 10 months old and my husband Rick and I had recently celebrated our six-year wedding anniversary. The surgery to remove the tumor that penetrated my colon wall occurred on October 7, 2011 and chemotherapy began right after Thanksgiving. It took a little over seven months to complete my 12 rounds of chemo. I completed the last round on July 17, 2012. All these dates will forever be a part of me and as memorable as the dates of my children's births and my wedding anniversary. 

But I have children.

From the moment I was told the results of my colonoscopy on September 14th, my thoughts went immediately to my children. In fact, when my GI doctor told me what he saw in my colon my response was, "But I have children."

My friends, neighbors and co-workers many times remarked  how hard it must be to have two small children to take care of while going through chemo. Honestly, I don't think I could have done it without them. They made me laugh, they distracted me, they kept me on track with the normal every-day happenings of life. They loved me and I fiercely loved them back. What more did I need, really?

In fact, without the birth of Eleanor, I may have ignored my symptoms. Eleanor was a big baby (almost 9 lbs). I attributed her  size and position as the cause of the blood in my stool.  After Eleanor's birth, the blood didn't go away. I attributed it to post-pregnancy issues.

I didn't have any pain.

When the symptoms didn't go away but started to get worse, I went to see my GI doctor. In April of 2011, I was  examined and it turned out I had hemorrhoids. I remember thinking that made sense because so many women have hemorrhoids post-pregnancy. But I thought it strange that I didn't have any pain. It was the absence of pain that kept me from seeking medical help. 

I didn't call my GI doctor.

When the hemorrhoid medicine didn't treat my symptoms, I didn't call my GI doctor to tell him because I figured that this was just normal for my body. I otherwise felt great and happily went along for a few more months until the GI symptoms became stranger and more worrisome - and yet I still had no pain.

In September of 2011, I finally went back to my GI doctor who immediately ordered a colonoscopy. My doctor said as soon as he inserted the scope, the tumor was right there - in the sigmoid colon. The sigmoid colon links the descending colon with the rectum. Since the tumor had penetrated the colon wall and positive lymph nodes were removed during surgery, chemo was inevitable and in my opinion, welcome. I wanted my body rid of all traces of cancer.

Cancer Free!

I am now a year and a half cancer free and feel like I am in the best shape of my life! Having been diagnosed with the deadly disease opened my eyes to the very real fact that I only get one chance to live. I only get this one body for this one life and I should take care of it the best way possible.

As soon as I regained my strength after finishing chemo, I went back to the gym. I proudly walked with my family in the Susan Cohan 8th Annual 5k Run and Family Walk in September of 2012. Currently I am in a running group with other survivors called Cancer to 5K with the Ulman Cancer Fund which will end with my running a 5k in June. I am also training for an Olympic Triathlon to be held in October of 2013. These are things I never would have dreamed of doing, but now I just can't wait to see what my body is capable of!

Memories Gala 2013 Highlights

Donated by Marie Cardona

What’s not to love about the Fifth Annual Susie’s Cause National Colon Cancer Screening Month dinner dance at Martin's Valley Mansion!

Colon cancer survivors and several hundred guests networked, danced, bid on silent auction items, and sampled lots of delicious buffet items  to support this important annual Susie’s Cause fundraiser.

The Cohan family created the National Colon Cancer Foundation to honor the wishes of their beloved daughter Susan who was stricken by this terrible disease. It is always so inspiring to hear Foundation President David R. Cohan and his dedicated family members speak about their passion to get the word out to as many people as possible about the importance of screening and prevention.

Donated by Marie Cardona

Shout Out to Marie Cardona

The Cohan story resonates with so many brave men and women who have been touched by colon cancer or have a loved one who has.  Folks like Marie Cardona, whose mom died of colon cancer, is now the West Coast affiliate founder. In addition to hosting fundraisers on the West coast, this year Marie provided several of her beautiful photographs for the silent auction.

Click Shop to browse Marie's photographs

Read more on Memories Gala Highlights


If you would be interested in hosting a gala in your city, please contact Foundation Director and Event Planner Kim Cohan at kim@coloncancerfoundation.org or 410.244.1778

Reducing Your Risk of Cancer






Posted by Barbara Armstrong Green

What would you be willing to give up eating if it could reduce your risk of cancer? What about red and processed meats? Could you live without grilling or frying your meat at high temperatures?

According to Joel Fuhrman, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Eat to Live and The End of Diabetes:

"There is convincing evidence that these dangerous foods are a cause of colon cancer. In addition, cooking any meat at high temperatures forms carcinogenic compounds…which contribute to cancer risk.”

Dr. Fuhrman also warns us that non-fat dairy products, egg whites, and fish increase our risk of cancer because they are high in animal protein.

What can you do to protect yourself and your family?

Read More:Animal Protein and Colon Cancer

You Gotta Love Berries


I was so excited to see that Dr. Fuhrman’s latest article published on the Susie’s Cause web site is all about my favorite food – berries – especially blueberries. 

My husband and I have been sprinkling them on our morning cereal for several years because we heard that they were very healthy to eat.   I even keep a bag of  berries in the freezer just in case we run out of the fresh ones.

What I didn’t know was that Dr. Fuhrman, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Eat to Live and Super Immunity lists berries as disease-protective super foods, along with greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, and seeds.

Berries and their kissing cousins - the pomegranate - are full of health benefits. 

Dr. Fuhrman's advice: "Include berries in your diet as often as possible to enjoy these numerous health benefits. Berries and pomegranate have the highest nutrient to calorie ratio of all fruits, and they protect against not only cancer, but heart disease, hypertension and diabetes as well."

Click here to learn more about how these superstars can help to keep you healthy.
How Can Berries Protect You?