Some interesting Facts

SPOTLIGHT ON: MYELOMA

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
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YOUR FUNDRAISING DOLLARS AT WORK: CANCER VACCINES

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Our immune systems are designed to recognize “self” vs. “foreign” so that they can attack cells that are made foreign by viral or bacterial infection. Unfortunately, cancer cells develop tricks to evade immune attack, and anti-cancer treatments can seriously damage normal immune cells as well as cancer cells, allowing life-threatening infections to occur in many patients, especially those treated with high-dose therapies.



So, researchers are learning how to strengthen immune responses to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients, by fighting infections and fighting cancer too. These new treatments are called “immunotherapies” and include vaccines. The Society is currently investing almost $24 million in sixteen investigations at the forefront of vaccine research! This is your money at work!



As with so many advances in blood cancer research, the vaccine strategies that are proven effective for our patients are likely to help other cancer patients too.



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SPOTLIGHT ON: MYELOMA

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An estimated 15,980 new cases of myeloma will be diagnosed in the United States in 2005. Myeloma may be called by several names, including plasma cell dyscrasia, plasma cell myeloma, myelomatosis and multiple myeloma. The major forms of myeloma are divided into categories, which allows the physician to decide what treatment works best for the particular type of disease. The most common form of myeloma (about 90 percent of cases) involves many sites in the body. It is sometimes called multiple myeloma.

Myeloma results from an acquired injury to the DNA of a single cell in the lymphocyte development sequence that leads to the formation of plasma cells. Myeloma occurs in lymphocytes developing into B cells, as opposed to T cells. B lymphocytes transform into plasma cells, which produce proteins called antibodies.

If you are interested in learning more about Myeloma, please visit: http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page?item_id=7032



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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

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Do you ever think that the money you are donating to my marathon this season isn’t really making an impact on the search to find a cure? Or isn’t really enough to help anyone? I found this little story a few years back and when I start thinking that what I do isn’t enough, it makes me smile and realize that what “little” we all do makes a difference.



Making a Difference

An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. “Why do you bother?” the old man scoffed. “You’re not saving enough to make a difference.” The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. “Made a difference to that one,” he said.

If one life could be saved we have made a difference. Thank you for all of your help!!!! We are over $800.00 in donations. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, you are all my hero's.