Free Headwrap or Scarf from L. Erickson USA
If you are a woman or girl experiencing a loss or thinning of hair as a result of illness or treatment, we’ll send you a scarf in the pattern and color of your choosing, on us! Our beautiful It’s a Wraps or Good Wishes Scarves are made from soft and silky, hand-picked breathable fabrics that flatter your face, protect you from sun and cold, and carry with them good wishes wherever you go. To receive a complimentary scarf or headwrap due to chemotherapy and hair loss, contact Laurie Erickson for more information at 888.884.3653.
Good Wishes, an L. Erickson USA® program, provides a scarf or an It’s a Wrap to women and girls experiencing a thinning or loss of hair due to illness or treatment at no cost. Each scarf is a gift of hope that carries with it the support and good wishes of our staff and represents the strength and beauty of the woman or child who wears it. All Good Wishes gifts are made with CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements as a special symbol to honor your courage and spirit. L. Erickson USA® and France Luxe® are designer brands of the parent company The Finest Accessories® Inc.
As Laurie explains, “As a CEO of my own company and 20 years of experience in the fashion accessories industry under my belt, one of my most memorable moments came with a simple question asked by a loyal customer, Hillary, who had recently undergone chemotherapy. What did I have for someone who had lost the very thing that I had built much of my business around: Hair. I apologized and told her we did not carry anything of that nature, and then it hit me. Why not offer her something that in my view was arguably even more vibrant and beautiful? For years I had worked with the finest cotton and silk fabrics with the most beautiful and inspiring colors and designs. I offered to send Hillary a scarf at no charge. It was the least I could do for this woman who was just looking for a little something to make her feel pretty and feminine during a difficult time. At our staff meeting later that week, we took a moment for Hillary and we sent our very first scarf along with our good wishes for a quick recovery. It was at that time that the Good Wishes program was born.”
What a beautiful, wonderful idea!
. http://www.franceluxe.com/i/goodwishesscarves/GoodWishesScarves.html

In some unexpected news, seaweed extract may eventually emerge as a lymphoma treatment, according to laboratory research presented at the second AACR Dead Sea International Conference on Advances in Cancer Research: From the Laboratory to the Clinic in Jordan.
What makes seaweed so special? Apparently, it contains a chemical called fucoidan, which is a sulfate polysaccharide similar to heparin in structure, and that has been reported to fight tumors in mice and in some cell lines, one of the study's authors, Mohammad Irhimeh said at the conference.
Irhimeh, from the Hashemite University in Jordan, worked with colleagues from the University of California, Berkley and the Royal Hobart Hospital in Australia on the project. The researchers say they found fucoidans had an inhibitory effect on the growth of lymphoma cell lines, while keeping healthy cells intact. The researchers also noted a significant pattern of activity in the genes known to be linked with apoptosis, or cell death, in lymphoma.
The scientists used commercially available seaweed extract for the experiment.
SOURCE: American Association for Cancer Research, news release, March 10, 2010

For some wonderful news to start your morning, A British Columbia study on Hodgkin's disease has been hailed as a significant finding. Why? It has found a way to predict which patients can be cured with standard treatment and which patients are more likely to relapse.
The response among the usually stoic medical community is the equivalent of a standing ovation. The staid New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) described the discovery as "the breakthrough we have been looking for," and researchers say it may have implications for other types of cancer.
The research offers, for the first time, the ability to predict the approximately 25 per cent of patients who will relapse or die if they aren't treated more effectively from the time of diagnosis. Dr. Joseph Connors, study co-author and lymphoma expert, said that although 75-80 per cent of patients are cured initially, the rest relapse.
Why? A high number of white cells called CD68-positive macrophages in their tumors.
The molecular marker testing method involves counting the macrophages within an enlarged lymph node that has been removed. What’s even better news is that counting them can easily incorporated into a routine diagnostic approach.
In the retrospective study, the 10-year survival rate in patients with the highest number of such cells was 59.6 per cent compared to 88.6 per cent in patients with a lower number. The study also examined tissue samples from nearly 300 patients aged 33 to 46.
Lead author Dr. Christian Steidl said in addition to finding a correlation between the number of macrophages and the outcome of primary treatment, researchers also discovered the number of macrophages could be used to predict success or failure of secondary treatment, like bone marrow transplants, after relapses. That suggests experimental or more intense treatments should be employed sooner, rather than later in such patients, since standard treatments are likely to fail.
Kudos!

An austrailian paper carried the story of Paul Reid last week, who was diagnosed with incurable lymphoma over a decade ago.

He's still alive today. According to him, the secret to his success is apricot kernels - thirty a day.

Reid turned down chemotherapy, vowing to eat himself well. Today, 13 years in remission, the 68-year-old believes that ''cancer-killing'' properties in the kernels he still eats daily, coupled with a strict vegan diet and prayer, have cured him. ''We're not immortal, but I believe I'll be healthy from taking this direction,'' he says.

Reid is among a growing number of cancer patients who see food as the key to their survival - a trend worrying doctors who fear people may be risking their lives by embarking on extreme, unproved diets. Some patients are actually turning down medical treatment and putting their faith in ''anti-cancer'' diets promoted by alternative health practitioners, or buying nutritional supplements online.

To naysayers, Reid argues simply this point: ''So what if there's no scientific proof? What has a person to lose by going on an organic diet?'' he asks. ''I don't think my journey has been unscientific, it's just that there's been no science in a big way applied to it.''

It's an interesting argument. And while I am huge supporter of the many wonderful advances in oncology, I also respect each person's right to choose what seem like the best course of treatment for themselves.

An austrailian paper carried the story of Paul Reid last week, who was diagnosed with incurable lymphoma over a decade ago.

He's still alive today. According to him, the secret to his success is apricot kernels - thirty a day.

Reid turned down chemotherapy, vowing to eat himself well. Today, after over 13 years in remission, it's hard to argue the point. He's 68-years old and believes that ''cancer-killing'' properties in the kernels he still eats daily, coupled with a strict vegan diet and prayer, have cured him.

Reid isn't alone. There are a growing number of cancer patients who are looking toward food or other alternative treatments as the key to their survival. The trend is a worrisome one for medical professionals.

That's the party line, fo course, and I don't blame them. Some people are risking their lives by choosing to embark on unproven diets.
Actually, it's not the diets that worry them. Thirty apricot kernals a day isn't going to hurt anyone. Well, unless they choke. But it's the patients who are turning down medical treatment and putting their faith in ''anti-cancer'' diets tht has health care providers running scared.

To naysayers, Reid argues simply this point: ''So what if there's no scientific proof? What has a person to lose by going on an organic diet?'' he asks. ''I don't think my journey has been unscientific, it's just that there's been no science in a big way applied to it.''

It's an interesting argument. And while I am huge supporter of the many wonderful advances in oncology, I also respect each person's right to choose what seem like the best course of treatment for themselves.