Help Us Make a Difference on #GivingTuesday

 Last year alone, over 50,000 people died of colon cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths of men and women. This is due, in part, to the lack of comfort about discussing the disease and proper screening efforts. The encouraging truth is that this disease is over 90% curable when detected and treated early.


This year on Tuesday November 27, 2012, Susie’s Cause is partnering with #GivingTuesday to raise funds to support our communities.  All donations are sent directly to Susie’s Cause.

Can you see it in your heart to help us with this important goal? Every donation helps us get the word out, provide more services and host bigger and better Health Fairs in more communities.

Health Fairs
Your donation on #GivingTuesday will help our upcoming Health Fairs make a bigger impact on the communities we serve. These Health Fairs focus on underserved communities where statistically, colon cancer diagnosis and death rates are alarmingly high. Each event is designated to provide a day of overall health education with a particular focus on colon cancer screening and prevention combined with entertainment, fun, and food for the entire family. Held in conjunction with local hospitals, medical centers and health organizations, the fairs provide an opportunity for the community to take advantage of screenings for blood pressure, heart rate and other services conducted by our partner health institutions.

2013 Program
We are currently developing our program for 2013 and plan to kick off the next fair in the Spring during Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Funding for 2013 comes from corporate and public donations. Any amount you wish to give is welcomed and appreciated. Donations made through #GivingTuesday are easy, safe, and secure. To learn more about our community health initiatives and support our program, visit us at #GivingTuesday. Create your own fundraising page and invite your family and friends to support our programs.

Here's How

1. Visit#GivingTuesday
2. Click the green "Join Now" button
3. Create your account or sign if you have an account
4. Create your own personal fundraising page – complete with photo and video
5. Make your donation
6. Email the link to your fundraising page to family and friends.

Join us  Facebook to be a part of #GivingTuesday.

To learn more about the national #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to

join the celebration of giving, please visit:www.givingtuesday.org



 

Pictures from a recent Health Fair

 

 



Support Susie's Cause on #GivingTuesday







Please join us for #GivingTuesday. It will make a big difference.

This year, on Tuesday November 27, 2012, Susie's Cause is partnering with #GivingTuesday to raise funds and make a big difference to the communities we serve.

We absolutely need your help to raise public awareness of the importance of timely screening and its positive impact on reducing colon cancer deaths. A donation of any amount will help us produce more Health Fairs and educate more people and save more lives.

The truth about colon cancer is that one out of every 20 U.S. citizens will experience this disease in their lifetime. You can change that by helping Susie's Cause in their effort to increase awareness, not only about colon cancer, but also about how screening works and how it can save lives.

How Your Donation Can Make a Difference
Your donation on #GivingTuesday will help the upcoming Health Fairs make a bigger impact on the communities we serve. Our Health Fairs focus on underserved communities where statistically colon cancer diagnosis and death rates are alarmingly high. Each event is designed to provide a day of overall health education with a particular focus on colon cancer screening and prevention combined with entertainment, fun, and food for the entire family. Held in conjunction with local hospitals, medical centers and health organizations, the fairs provide an opportunity for the community to take advantage of screenings for blood pressure, heart rate and other services conducted by our partner health institutions.

Every donation helps us get the word out, provide more services and host bigger and better  Health Fairs in more communities.

2013 Program
We are currently developing our program for 2013 and plan to kick off the next fair in the Spring during Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Funding for 2013 comes from corporate and public donations. Any amount you wish to give is welcomed and appreciated. Donations made through First Giving are easy, safe, and secure.  All donations are sent directly to Susie's Cause.

About #GivingTuesday
#Giving Tuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a national day of giving on November 27, 2012. This first-of-its-kind effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners - charities, families, businesses and individuals. #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays that is dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous with holiday shopping.

For more information about colon cancer, please visit our website -
Susan Cohan Colon Cancer Foundation.

Your donation could save a life.

For more information about colon cancer, please visit our website -
Susan Cohan Colon Cancer Foundation

Visit our Giving Tuesday page to make your donation and learn about our community health initiatives.

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: www.givingtuesday.org

Join us on Facebook to be a part of Giving Tuesday.

Facebook: : www.facebook.com/ColonCancerFoundation

Pictures from a Recent Health Fair in Baltimore 



We Need Your Help to Eliminate Colon Cancer

Mark your calendars and join us for #GivingTuesday.  

This year, on Tuesday November 27, 2012, Susie’s Cause is partnering with #GivingTuesday to raise funds and make a big difference to the communities we serve. Our Health Fairs focus on preventative education for people of all ages in communities where statistically, colon cancer diagnosis and death rates are alarmingly high. Please consider starting this holiday season out right by donating to support our Health Fairs in 2013.

Think about it. One out of 20 U.S. citizens will experience colon cancer in their lifetime. Last year alone, over 50,000 people died of colon cancer. How can that be when this disease is over 90% curable when detected and treated early? Still, colon cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths of men and women. People are dying because they are not finding the cancer soon enough. This is due, in part, to the lack awareness about screening and the difficulty that some find in discussing the disease and reporting symptoms.

But what can you do? You can help Susie's Cause in their effort to increase awareness, not only about colon cancer, but also about how screening works and how it can save lives.

We absolutely need your help to raise public awareness of the importance of timely screening and its positive impact on reducing colon cancer deaths. A donation of any amount will help us produce more Health Fairs and educate more people and save more lives.

“Colon cancer falls especially hard on underserved communities and we need to get the message out about how to prevent and treat it,” says David Rodman Cohan, president of Susie’s Cause.

Susie’s Cause, works to eliminate colon cancer through the development and dissemination of educational programs focused on prevention, early screening and detection, and aggressive therapeutic intervention. This cause is up close and personal to many people who have lost loved ones, including Susie’s Cause President and Founder David Rodman Cohan, who created the non-profit Colon Cancer Foundation after his 40-year-old daughter and mother of two young children died of the disease.

We do not want to keep hearing heartbreaking stories like that.

Your donation could save a life.
For more information about colon cancer, please visit our website -
Susan Cohan Colon Cancer Foundation.

Visit our #GivingTuesday page to make your donation and learn about our community health initiatives.     

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: www.givingtuesday.org

Join us on Facebook to be a part of Giving Tuesday.

Facebook: : www.facebook.com/ColonCancerFoundation

 

 

 

A Recent Health Fair in Baltimore

 

 

Getting Hungry for Thanksgiving Dinner?

 Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Be sure to invite the Allium family to dinner this year. You remember them. They’re a big and powerful family of vegetables that includes delicious onions, garlic, leeks, chives, shallots, and scallions. They are not only delicious, but also are associated with decreased risks of colorectal and other types of cancer.

Onions and the other vegetables of the Allium family can be added to any and every vegetable dish for great flavor and anti-cancer benefits. Remember that they must be eaten raw and chewed well or chopped finely before cooking to initiative the chemical reaction that forms the protective sulfur compounds. Don't worry about crying as you chop. According to Dr Joel Fuhrman, New York Times bestselling author of his new book Super Immunity, when you cut onions and your eyes tear, they are creating the anti-cancer sulfur compounds.

Click on the Prevention Tab  to learn more about how to prepare these delicious anti-cancer vegetables. 

A Night of Celebration, Dancing and Giving



If shopping 'til you drop isn't your idea of a fun way to spend the Thanksgiving weekend, why not start a new tradition that gets you and your friends and  family off the couch and onto the dance floor?  Join in the fun at Carlo's Bistro in Cockeysville, MD.

On Saturday Nov. 24, 2012, Carlo's is holding "A Night of Dancing, Celebration and Giving".  A portion of all proceeds benefits Susie's Cause. There will be dance music from Sinatra to Disco. This exciting evening will surely sell out so make reservations early. Invite your friends and relatives to join in the good food and lively music.

WHEN and WHERE

Carlo's Italian Bistro is located at 9926 York Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030

Reservations:  410.667.0002

"A Night of Celebration, Dancing & Giving"

Saturday November 24th, 6 to 10 pm

Dinner and entertainment will be provided.

Proceeds benefit Susie's Cause.

 Spread the word by clicking on the following facebook link and inviting friends:

  https://www.facebook.com/events/297921436974979

                               Featuring Frank and Trish

 

My Story - Heather Keogh

 

 



Posted by Barbara Armstrong Green

Welcome. Please take a moment to read this important letter from Heather about how Susie's Cause may have saved her life. The folks at Susie's Cause encourage you to check in with your doctor if you suspect there's something wrong.  And don't be afraid to get a second opinion even if you're not scheduled for colon cancer screening yet.

 

Dear David Cohan,

Back in February 2009 (I was 39 at the time), I had what turned out to be my first symptom of colon cancer. This caused me to do what most of us do today…self-diagnose through internet MD. That is when I first saw Susie’s Story. Of course, I dismissed that this could possibly be my ailment, but our life similarities stuck in my head - around the same age, also a mother of two young children. I was from Florida, but now living in Maryland.

 

At that time, I dismissed my symptom and moved on, but her life story was always in my head. A few months later, the symptom resurfaced and I actually discussed it with my internist. Unfortunately, she also dismissed it, figuring it was nothing to worry about.

 

Then, actually on my 40^th birthday, the symptom returned, and I decided to see a GI doctor. He suggested a colonoscopy, just to be sure, which led to my diagnosis in October 2009. I was lucky to be considered an early diagnosis, stage 2A, and so far I have remained cancer free.

 

I wanted to share this with you, as you may not realize the ways in which your foundation is able to reach people and help save lives. I would be happy to offer my assistance if you have any needs locally. Thank you, for continuing her cause and helping to prevent others from suffering.

Warm regards,
Heather

To learn about colon cancer symptoms, click on the Susie's Cause web site's About Colon Cancer tab.  Please leave a comment below. We welcome people to tell their stories.

 

 



 

With My Girls June 2012
 

With Hubby Above and Family Below





 



Medical Disclaimer

The information presented on the Susan Cohan Colon Cancer web site is solely intended to provide you with information that will help educate you on the importance of diet, exercise and regular cancer screening in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Adopting these habits is an individual choice and one that should only be made after consultation with your health care professional. No information provided on this Web site or otherwise offered is intended to replace or in any way modify the advice of your health care professional. 

What You Need to Know about Vitamin D

 

Posted by Barbara Armstrong Green

Welcome. Vitamin D is something I never paid much attention to.  That’s the sunshine vitamin, I thought.  All I have to do is walk outside for a while and I'm covered. And besides, I can also get Vitamin D from various food sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil.

But it turns out to be more complicated than that. I'm paying attention now and so should you.

According to  Dr. Joel Fuhrman, board certified family physician and New York Times bestselling author of Super  Immunity, "Vitamin D can provide powerful cancer protection. Yet Vitamin D insufficiency is common among Americans overall but more prevalent among African Americans. A recent review of the literature suggests that Vitamin D insufficiency is a key contributor to cancer survival disparities that exist between African Americans and white Americans (darker skin is less efficient at producing vitamin D in response to UV rays).

A striking part of this literature review is the comprehensive summary of the existing data on vitamin D status and cancer survival. The authors present a long list of studies reporting that Vitamin D adequacy is associated with reduced risk of death in all cancers combined, breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, leukemia and lymphomas.”

Click the Prevention Tab on our web site to read Dr. Fuhrman's entire article.

The author, Dr. Joel Fuhrman is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutritional medicine. His new book Super Immunity discusses how to naturally strengthen the immune system against everything from the common cold to cancer

 Prevention Tab

Medical Disclaimer

The information presented on the Susan Cohan Colon Cancer web site is solely intended to provide you with information that will help educate you on the importance of diet, exercise and regular cancer screening in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Adopting these habits is an individual choice and one that should only be made after consultation with your health care professional. No information provided on this Web site or otherwise offered is intended to replace or in any way modify the advice of your health care professional.



FDA Approves Two New Colorectal Cancer Treatments

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the following two new treatments for advanced colon cancer, Stivarga  and Zaltrap.

Stivarga Approved in September 2012

In September the FDA approved Stivarga to treat patients with colorectal cancer that has progressed after treatment and spread to other parts of the body. Stivarga blocks several enzymes that promote cancer growth.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer affecting both men and in women and the second cause of cancer death in men and in women in the United States. The National Institutes of Health estimates 143,460 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 51,690 will die from the disease in 2012.

The new drug was reviewed under the FDA’s priority review program that provides an expedited six-month review for drugs that offer major advances in treatment or that provide treatment when no adequate therapy exists, according to the FDA news release on the new treatment. Stivarga is being released one month ahead of schedule.

“Stivarga is the latest colorectal cancer treatment to demonstrate an ability to extend patients’ lives and is the second drug approved for patients with colorectal cancer in the past two months,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The safety and effectiveness of Stivarga were evaluated in a single clinical study of 760 patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients were randomly assigned to receive Stivarga or placebo in addition to “best supportive care” BSC. Patients received treatment until their cancers progressed or side effects became unacceptable, according to the FDA.

The FDA reported study results that showed patients treated with Stivarga plus BSC lived a median of 6.4 months compared to a median of five months in patients treated with placebo plus BSC. Results also showed patients treated with Stivarga plus BSC experienced a delay in tumor growth for a median of two months compared to a median of 1.7 months in patients receiving placebo plus BSC.

Stivarga has been approved with an alert to patients and health care professionals that severe and fatal liver toxicity occurred in patients treated with Stivarga during clinical studies. The most common side effects reported in patients treated with Stivarga include weakness or fatigue, loss of appetite, hand-food syndrome, diarrhea, mouth sores, weight loss, infection, high blood pressure, and changes in voice volume or quality.

Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.

Stivarga was developed by Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. and by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.

Source: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Zaltrap Approved August 2012

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new treatment called Zaltrap for use in combination with a chemotherapy regimen to treat adults with colorectal cancer. Zaltrap inhibits the blood supply to tumors. It is intended for patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) and whose tumors are resistant to or progressed after the commonly used chemotherapy regimen, FOLFIRI. 

“This approval demonstrates the benefits of adding a biological agent, Zaltrap, to a commonly used chemotherapy drug regimen, FOLFIRI,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “An improvement in median survival time was noted with the addition of Zaltrap to FOLFIRI, accompanied by an improvement in response rate and a delay in tumor progression and growth,” according to the FDA.

Zaltrap’s safety and effectiveness was evaluated in a randomized clinical study of 1,226 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose cancer grew while receiving oxaliplatin-based combination chemotherapy, or whose cancer was removed by surgery but returned within six months after receiving oxaliplatin-based combination chemotherapy for post-surgery (adjuvant) treatment. Participants received treatment until their cancer progressed or side effects became unacceptable.

The study was designed to measure overall survival, or the length of time a patient lived. Patients who were assigned to receive the Zaltrap plus FOLFIRI combination lived an average of 13.5 months compared to an average of 12 months for those receiving FOLFIRI plus placebo. A reduction in tumor size occurred in 20 percent of patients receiving the Zaltrap plus FOLFIRI combination versus 11 percent for those receiving FOLFIRI plus placebo. In addition, the clinical trial demonstrated an improvement in progression-free survival, or the time a patient lived without the cancer progressing. The progression-free survival for patients receiving the Zaltrap plus FOLFIRI combination was 6.9 months compared with 4.7 months for those receiving FOLFIRI plus placebo.

Zaltrap is being approved with an alert to patients and health care professionals that the drug can cause severe and sometimes fatal bleeding, including gastrointestinal bleeding and the development of holes in the gastrointestinal tract. Zaltrap can also make it more difficult for wounds to heal. The most common side effects observed in patients receiving Zaltrap plus FOLFIRI were decreased white blood cell count, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, fatigue, high blood pressure, increased amount of protein in the urine, weight loss, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, and headache.

Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.

Zaltrap was developed by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Risk



Posted by Barbara Armstrong Green

Welcome. If you have had the chance to read the “My Story” post about my sister Susan’s battle with colon cancer, you may know that Susan died of colon cancer when she was 59, after a four-year battle. How could someone so seemingly healthy and vibrant be growing a silent killer in her colon and not know it? 

Colorectal cancer, which may begin in either the colon or the rectum, is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States.  What makes this even more tragic is that colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers.  

If I only knew then what I know now, my sister Sue might still be alive.  As Sue’s cancer advanced and she realized that she would not beat this, Sue - ever the big sister - focused on how to turn her personal tragedy into an opportunity to save her two sisters from a similar fate.  She wanted to make sure that my sister Peggy and I (as well as other loved ones) would take steps to protect ourselves by getting screened.

We all want to have healthy lives and healthy families but how do we manage it? How do we make the daily choices that may protect us and our families from cancer? Fortunately, the National Cancer Institute has done our homework for us with a list of preventions and risks that we should all be aware of.  Some risk factors, such as smoking may be avoidable. Others, such as inheriting certain genes, may not. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may help prevent cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Below is a list of protective factors that decrease the risk of colorectal cancer:

• Physical activity: Regular physical exercise
• Aspirin: Taking aspirin every day for at least 5 years decreases the risk of colorectal cancer and the risk of death from colorectal cancer. But aspirin may increase the risk of bleeding in the stomach, intestines, or brain.
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that includes both estrogen and progesterone lowers the risk of colon cancer in postmenopausal women. HRT with estrogen alone does not lower the risk. However, hormone use increases the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and blood clots.
• Polyp  removal: Removing colorectal polyps that are larger than one centimeter (cm) may lower the risk of colorectal cancer. It is not known if removing smaller polyps lowers the risk of colorectal cancer.  The possible harms of polyp removal during colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy include a tear in the wall of the colon and bleeding.

Below is a list of risk factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer:

• Age: The risk of colorectal cancer increases after age 50.
• Family history of colorectal cancer: Having a parent, brother, sister, or child with colorectal cancer doubles a person’s risk of colorectal cancer.
• Personal history: Having a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
• Inherited risk: The risk of colorectal cancer is increased when certain gene changes are inherited.
• Alcohol: Drinking three or more alcoholic beverages per day increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Drinking alcohol is also linked to the risk of forming large colorectal benign tumors.
• Cigarette smoking: Cigarette smoking is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer and death from colorectal cancer.
• Obesity: Obesity is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer and death from colorectal cancer.

Please take a few moments to comment on this blog and return to the Susie's Cause web site to learn more about protecting yourself and your family from this devastating disease.

Source: National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health

 

Medical Disclaimer 

The information presented on the Susan Cohan Colon Cancer web site is solely intended to provide you with information that will help educate you on the importance of diet, exercise and regular cancer screening in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Adopting these habits is an individual choice and one that should only be made after consultation with your health care professional. No information provided on this Web site or otherwise offered is intended to replace or in any way modify the advice of your health care professional.

My Story - Barbara Armstrong Green






Posted by Barbara Armstrong Green

Welcome to the National Colon Cancer Foundation’s Blog.  My name is Barbara Armstrong Green, blog manager.  I suspect that you are here for the same reason I am.  We have had a close encounter with colon cancer. My encounter came eight years ago, the summer of 2004.  My sister, Susan Armstrong Goglia, then 55, was enjoying a relaxing vacation at Ocean City with her husband Michael Goglia, who is my brother-in-law and the web master for this site. 

Coincidentally, my husband Charlie and I were entertaining friends at Bethany Beach at the same time.  It was a perfect weekend. We were so blessed. Then the phone rang.  And my vibrant sister Sue told me she was in terrible pain and had been to the hospital for some sort of blockage. 

The next time I saw Mike and Sue and our sister Peggy was several days later just before Sue was about to have surgery.  Family and friends gathered in the hospital waiting room to support us. After what seemed like an eternity, the surgeon walked over to us and broke the news that it was indeed colon cancer and that it had broken through the colon wall.  We just looked at the surgeon, trying to comprehend what he had just said and what it meant for Sue.  After a stunned silence, one of our family members quietly turned to the surgeon and said, “That doesn’t sound good.”

Sue was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer – stage three! – I didn’t even know what that meant.  I had never heard of stages of cancer.  I had just seen Sue a few weeks ago.  Her only complaint was a little lower back pain.  Who doesn’t have that on occasion?
My beloved sister Sue, an elementary teacher and principal, who touched the lives of countless children, died at the age of 59, after a four-year battle with colon cancer. She left a husband, daughter, son, five grandchildren, two sisters, and too many other devoted family members and friends to list here.  What makes this even more tragic is that colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers.

We hope that you will use this blog to share your stories and comments with one another and learn together. Also check out our web pages, which have a lot of information you might find helpful.

Our family loves to get together.

Three Sisters (from left) Barbara, Peggy & Susan

Family beach day at Bethany Beach

Team Furtub participants at the Annual 5K Run and Family Walk in Towson, MD

Please leave a comment.  We welcome people to tell their stories. Don’t forget to click back to the Susie’s Cause web site for more information on colon cancer.

Medical Disclaimer The information presented on the Susan Cohan Colon Cancer web site is solely intended to provide you with information that will help educate you on the importance of diet, exercise and regular cancer screening in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Adopting these habits is an individual choice and one that should only be made after consultation with your health care professional. No information provided on this Web site or otherwise is intended to replace or in any way modify the advice of your health care professional.