The House and Senate are finishing up a continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the federal government through December 3, and plan to adjourn after voting on the CR until November. Under the CR, funding will continue at FY 2010 enacted levels for most programs – including cancer research programs at the National Institutes of Health and colorectal cancer control programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congress is not expected to finish the fiscal year 2011 appropriations bills until after the election.

Take action today, and tell Congress to increase fiscal year 2011 cancer research funding. As they head home for the election, take a minute to remind Members that they have work to finish when they come back to DC in November. Tell your Senators and Representative that you expect them to make colorectal cancer a top priority.

On Facebook? Take action and share this alert with your friends and family so that they can help in the fight too.
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Listening to just thirty minutes of music significantly reduced pain and distress for cancer patients.

The patients were receiving medication, but still had pain.

Music reduced pain scores by more than 50 percent for almost half of them compared to fewer than 1 in 10 similar patients who just rested in bed. Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe not.

Patients just beginning treatment with different EGFR inhibiting drugs, such as Vectibix or Erbitux,  were randomly told to apply sunscreen or a placebo cream twice a day for four weeks.  The study was doubled-blinded — neither the patients nor their doctors knew who was getting the real sunscreen.

Doctors monitored the development of skin rash and patients reported on how rash affected their quality of life during the four weeks of sunscreen or placebo and for an additional four weeks after the study ended.

During the time sunscreen was being used and for the following month, there was no difference in occurrence or severity of rash nor in patient-reported quality of life. Read the rest of this entry »

Ellen Sigal

Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), announced the appointment of 19 members to the Board of Governors for the new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI or the Institute). The Institute was created by the Affordable Care Act to set comparative effectiveness research priorities, establish research methods, and communicate research results to the public.

The PCORI Board appointed today includes three patient and consumer representatives. One of those representatives is Ellen Sigal, PhD, Chairperson and founder of Friends of Cancer Research, a cancer research think tank and advocacy organization. Ms. Sigal’s term on the Board will expire in September 2016.

The Colorectal Cancer Coalition is a member of Friends of Cancer Research and congratulates Ms. Sigal on her appointment. Nancy Roach, founder and Colorectal Cancer Coalition Board Chair released a statement congratulating Ms. Sigal on her appointment:

“Ellen’s engagement in both the policy and science of research make her an excellent choice. The Colorectal Cancer Coalition looks forward to working with the Board in advancing comparative effectiveness research for the benefit of patients.”

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The House is set to vote this afternoon on the Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2010 (S. 1674) introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The bill provides that the first $2,000 per year received by an individual for participation in a clinical trial shall not be counted as income for the purpose of calculating Social Security benefits.  This provision was included in the House-passed health care reform bill last November, but was not included in the final bill the President signed into law in March.

The Senate already passed this bill on August 5.  House passage later today will clear the bill for review and signature by the President.