Herceptin, Tykerb or BOTH

An estimated 8,000 women diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer are being enrolled in a worldwide clinical trial involving more than 500 cancer centers in the U.S. alone (800 in Europe and the rest of the World.) HER2-positive breast cancer is a particularly aggressive form of the disease affecting about 1 in 5 breast cancer patients. The trial is enrolling women with Stage I or II disease who have already been treated with chemotherapy. Participants will be randomly placed into one of four treatment groups: trastuzumab (Herceptin) alone; lapatinib (Tykerb) alone; trastuzumab followed by lapatinib, or; the two treatments taken together. Read the story on cancerpage.com here.

The National Cancer Institute has a Q&A about the treatment and the trial available. Read it here.. Scroll down and look for references to the ALTTO trial.

The mega-search engine Google is getting into the personal medical records business big-time. If you sign up are your personal health records really safe? Are they covered by HIPAA? Can they be subpoenaed into court?

Last week Google announced a collaboration with the world renowned Cleveland Clinic to pilot a new project which helps patients manage their own health information. Yesterday Google unveiled the full project --  Google Health --  at a healthcare conference in Florida. According to Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, it's likely to be several months before the product is offered to consumers widely. That's probably just as well according to the people at the World Privacy Forum who are warning consumers to be careful about their Personal Health Records in systems such as these run by big internet companies like Microsoft and Google. The World Privacy Forum analyzed the issues and looked at possible  vulnerabilities for consumers. It's a pretty easy read. Find it here.

Cleaning House - Yours

A diagnosis of cancer doesn't mean the laws of physics take a vacation and that dust and clutter stop gathering about the house. That's why there's Cleaning For A Reason: The Foundation That Cleans Homes for Women With Cancer. Local efforts went national in May 2006 with the launch of the group by founder Deborah Sardone, the President and CEO of Buckets & Bows Maid Service, Inc., of Lewisville, TX. There are now volunteer member cleaning services in 39 states and the District of Columbia. They'll clean your house for free, four times - once a month over a four-month period. Find out more about it here and where to find a local service in your area.  You can also sign up to sponsor a friend with cancer, volunteer your company's services, donate money, or request help.

Cleaning For A Reason is not unique. One of my workmates told me that when she had a recurrence of breast cancer a local group called "The Red Devils" helped her out by cleaning her house.  The Red Devils is a group in Baltimore, Maryland that helps Maryland families living with breast cancer.  They'll clean your house, cook some meals, get you to the doctor, walk your dog, whatever services the volunteers have offered. The Red Devils are referred to patients by local area cancer treatment centers. To find other resources in your areas, call the  American Cancer Society at 1-800 227-2345.

New Reason to Run Your Buns Off

The  Nation's Triathlon (run September 14, 2008) teams up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Teams in Training to raise money for a cure for blood cancers. Together, they hope to eventually accommodate up to 7,500 runners in the annual Washington, D.C. event.  For more information on how to prepare for the Nation's Triathlon or other triathlons through LLS' Team In Training, click here.