March 2010 Archives

A Research Scholar Reception was held in Fort Worth, Texas on March 9, 2010 to honor Amy L. Paguirigan, Ph.D., who was recognized for her investigations into drug-resistant cancer cells. Her funding comes from the North Texas Region's Creating Tomorrow's Miracles research initiative.

Since 2008, Dr. Paguirigan has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at one of the nation's most respected cancer centers, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Paguirigan's work could eventually help scientists identify those patients with drug-resistant cancer cells. This could lead to more personalized and more effective treatments for a variety of cancers.  

Led last year by Janeen and Bill Lamkin of Fort Worth, the local initiative raises money for pay-if (projects that have exceptional potential, but are placed on a funding waiting list) research projects. The reception was hosted by Dr. John A. Malonis and Jamie Malonis, local research initiative supporters.

Each year the American Cancer Society is able to fund just over ten percent of all grant applications. Other projects ranked by the American Cancer Society's panel of research experts as having exceptional potential to yield the next cancer breakthrough must be placed on a waiting list. Since 2006, through the generous support of a select group of North Texas leaders, six research projects originally on this waiting list are now underway. Each gift to this initiative is dedicated entirely to cancer research.

Pictured left to right:

Dr. Paguirigan with her eight-month-old daughter Amelia, and Bill Lamkin

Jones to Chair Leadership Committee in Oklahoma

(OKLAHOMA CITY) - March 3, 2010 - Bernard M. Jones, dean of admissions at Oklahoma City University School of Law, was recently named chair of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Leadership Committee for Oklahoma.

"Advocacy has played a significant role in today's declining cancer death rates," said Jones. "There are so many ways our lives are better because of cancer-related advocacy, and I am truly proud to be at the helm."

The Oklahoma ACS CAN Leadership Committee will organize efforts to assist with membership recruitment and fundraising. The ACS CAN advocates serve as the voice of the organization at the federal and state level to pass public policy laws that impact cancer.

"Advocacy for research has directly translated into advances in early detection, treatment, and prevention," said Jones. "Because of advocacy for colon cancer screening insurance coverage, yesterday the Oklahoma Association of Health Plans announced continued future coverage for colon cancer screenings. And more than half of America has strong public smoking laws and we hope to one day soon see passage of a stronger smoke-free law in Oklahoma."

Besides federal cancer-related legislation, the national ACS CAN organization financially supports local initiatives such as Smoke-Free Oklahoma and colon cancer screening insurance coverage.

Bernard M. Jones is the dean of admissions at Oklahoma City University School of Law and previously worked for private law firms in Oklahoma City and Columbus, Ohio. He earned his law degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law where he was president of the Black Law Students Association. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he served as president of the student body. He is a board member of the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City and board president of Freedom School Oklahoma City. In 2009, Jones was named one of Oklahoma's Achievers Under 40 by the Journal Record.

The American Cancer Society's High Plains Division is comprised of staff and volunteers in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and Hawaii who are dedicated to saving lives and creating more birthdays by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against cancer. For more information, visit www.cancer.org.

ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate organization of the American Cancer Society, dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage lawmakers, candidates and government officials to support laws and policies that will make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.

(OKLAHOMA CITY)- March 2, 2010 -The Oklahoma Association of Health Plans (OAHP) announced today at a joint news conference with the American Cancer Society (Society) that they are joining forces in an effort to fight colon cancer, by educating Oklahoma citizens that colon cancer screenings should be a priority and are a covered benefit for members of individual and fully-insured group health plans.

 Last fall, the American Cancer Society approached the OAHP with details on the toll that colon cancer is taking on Oklahoma citizens, and what the Society is doing to encourage people to get screened.  In their discussions, the health plans agreed on the importance of consumer education on this issue and shared a number of initiatives they already had in place for their covered members.

"Prevention is the key to reducing the risk of colon cancer," said Laura Brookins, executive director of OAHP. "Our member organizations regularly inform and encourage their insured members age 50 and older to be screened for colon cancer, according to the American Cancer Society guidelines. This is a positive step in working collaboratively to reduce the incidence of color cancer in Oklahoma."

 "We applaud OAHP for publicly supporting education and coverage for colon cancer screening," said Mark Clanton, MD, MPH, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.  "These screenings are unique because they can prevent people from getting colon cancer and avert needless deaths and suffering. Detecting cancer before it starts also saves dollars spent on treatment. Insurance coverage and education about recommended colon cancer screening options helps save lives.  Lack of education makes people less likely to be screened for cancer and it puts them at a much greater risk for less successful and more expensive late-stage diagnosis of disease."

The Oklahoma Association of Health Plans includes the following Health Plans:  Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, CommunityCare, Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, GlobalHealth, PacifiCare of Oklahoma and UnitedHealthcare. 

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the United States and is the third leading cause of cancer death for men and women.

Almost 1,900 new cases of colon cancer and an estimated 750 deaths from the disease are expected in Oklahoma during 2010.

Risk factors of colon cancer increase with age. More than 90 percent of cases are diagnosed in individuals 50 and older. 

Preventative measures are to begin screening at age 50 or before if there is a strong family history, maintain a healthy weight and be physically active, eat a well-balanced diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, limit consumption of red meat and processed meat, limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women, and quit smoking.

Colon cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable. It can be prevented by finding and removing polyps before they become cancerous and is highly treatable if found in its early stages. In addition, the five-year survival rate and death rate for colon cancer among Americans has been improving since 1990.

"About half the deaths a year could be prevented in the United States if persons age 50 and older got screened for colon cancer according to the American Cancer Society guidelines," said Pat Marshall, director of government relations for the American Cancer Society, High Plains Division.

The Oklahoma Association of Health Plans is a not-for-profit organization, created in 1987, to promote quality and affordable health care through advocacy, communications and education. They are committed to cultivating a regulatory and marketplace environment that facilitates a robust health care financing market, product flexibility and innovation, and an abundance of consumer choice.

The American Cancer Society's High Plains Division is comprised of staff and volunteers in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and Hawaii who are dedicated to saving lives and creating more birthdays by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against cancer. For more information, visit www.cancer.org.

Wichita, KS. - Did you know that colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the US?  But there's good news: colon cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable. 

      A simple test, called an FOBT, can help detect colon cancer.  It's painless and non-invasive, and can be done in the privacy of your own home.  During the month of March, pick up your free FOBT kit while supplies last at Colvin Neighborhood City Hall or one of these Walgreens pharmacies: Central and Hillside, 13^th and Waco, Central and West, Harry and Broadway, Harry and Edgemoor.

      This free screening is made possible by the following organizations: the American Cancer Society, Via Christi Cancer Center, Walgreens, AMS Labs, Colvin Neighborhood City Hall, Project Access, KU School of Medicine, Wichita Surgical Specialists, Dr. Stephanie Oberhelman of Surgical Specialists, and Via Christi Volunteers/Partners in Caring.

      For more information about the free screening, visit cancer.org/bottomsup or call 800-227-2345.