Wow… what an event to remember. But the frist of many to come. I hope you’ll continue to support our efforts.

With “Bridging the Gap”, the Alma J. Cameron Foundation (AJCF) launches its inaugural campaign against cancer. This event catalyzes a much-needed conversation about lung cancer, the benefits of integrative medicine and the dearth of cancer awareness and information. Concurrently, the AJCF is pleased to initiate its Integrative Medicine grant program which provides those cancer patients facing economic challenges $6,000 for six months of treatments at the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.

SKIN CHANGES AND CANCER TREATMENTS: TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN AND HAIR – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2010: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Carolyn Goh, MD, UCLA Clinical Instructor, dermatologist and researcher and Jenny Kim, MD, PhD, UCLA Associate Professor, dermatologist and researcher discuss how skin, (the bodys largest immune system), hair, and nails are affected by the trauma of traditional and newer targeted cancer treatments. General appearance can be altered and affects quality of life. Emphasis is placed on ways to improve skin changes during and after treatment with options available to help maintain healthy skin and hair. Tips for reducing side effects, recovery and looking your best are also presented.

LOCATION:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRMC) Auditorium
757 Westwood Plaza
Room B130 (B Level)
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Parking is available at the RRMC and the Medical Plaza.
Cost is $11.

www.SimmsMannCenter.ucla.edu

RECENT TREATMENT ADVANCES IN RADIATION ONCOLOGY – Tuesday July 13, 2010: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Dr. Percy Lee, MD, UCLA Assistant Professor, radiation oncologist and researcher, discusses radiation therapy as an integral component in the fight against cancer and how recent advances have allowed radiation oncologists to target cancer more precisely by conforming the radiation to the size and shape of tumor thus maximally sparing normal tissue. He explains advances in 3-dimensional conformal therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, as well as stereotactic body radiation therapy which result in improved tumor control rates, survival, and decreases in short and longer term side effects.

LOCATION:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRMC) Auditorium
757 Westwood Plaza
Room B130 (B Level)
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Parking is available at the RRMC and the Medical Plaza. Cost is $11 at both locations.

Mark your calendar for the next Insights Into Cancer lecture on August 10, 2010:

Complementary Medicine in Cancer: A Panel of East West, Manipulative Therapies and Herbalism

Mary Hardy, MD, Medical Director, Simms/MannUCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, moderates a panel discussion with experts in treatment areas that complement conventional oncology on how complementary approaches can be utilized to improve quality of life, reduce symptoms and benefit wellness throughout the continuum of cancer care. Keith Henry, BS, DC, Assistant Professor of the Cleveland School of Chiropractic discusses the advantages and cautions of massage and manual therapies for cancer patients; Ka-Kit Hui, MD, FACP, Director, UCLA Center for East-West Medicine describes how acupuncture and herbs are used to treat symptoms of cancer and its treatments; and Amanda McQuade Crawford, BA MNIMH, author, medical herbalist with 20 years of experience shares knowledge about nutrition and herbs as complements to cancer care..

For additional information contact us at www.SimmsMannCenter.ucla.edu
(310) 794-6644

Late last year, I learned two things at about the same time: My cancer was coming back, and I had gotten a new insurance plan. Since then, I’ve learned something else: It’s far easier to deal with my disease than with my new insurers.

I have multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow that’s incurable but treatable. I’ve kept it at bay by aggressively pursuing the most advanced treatments available. By the time I relapsed in December, I had multiple bone fractures, was in significant pain and trying to figure out what to do next. Insurance was the last thing on my mind. I made an appointment in the new year to see the doctors who know me best, the myeloma experts at the Mayo Clinic.

That was my first mistake. Mayo Clinic, it turns out, is not part of the network of UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest health insurers. UHC took over my coverage on Jan. 1 because the company I retired from, The New York Times, was looking to save money. UnitedHealthcare, it also turns out, does not have to pay for any treatment it hasn’t approved in advance. But I didn’t know that. So because I rushed off without notice to consult a doctor I’ve seen for the last decade, I can’t calculate what that might cost me.
Get the new PD toolbar!

Keeping your own doctor is one of the big concerns in the debate on overhauling the nation’s health care system, an effort that appears to be on life support as President Obama convenes a summit Thursday to try to patch together a bill that Republicans can sign on to. Another threat raised repeatedly by opponents of the Democrats’ plan is that it will create a nightmare system where government bureaucrats make all the decisions.

Bureaucrats? There are plenty of those in the private sector, too. But I should be so lucky to get one. All I get when I call UHC is the phone bank. Over the last month, I’ve called at least a dozen times and have never once talked to anyone who is actually reviewing my case or could make a decision about approving it. In fact, when I asked to speak with someone in the Clinical Coverage Department, I was told: “They don’t have a number.” Later, when I asked to speak with the person reviewing my case, the answer was, “She can only speak to the provider.”

What I want is to get into a clinical trial for an experimental drug called pomalidomide, the successor to Revlimid, the drug that put me in remission for the last three years. Doing so would not only save my life but actually save UHC money, as Celgene, the manufacturer, will supply the drug for free. Revlimid had cost my previous insurer $70,000 a year. The first drug Celgene marketed, thalidomide, was my initial treatment, in a clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic in 2000.

Related on Lemondrop: ‘Will Marry for Health Insurance’ — One Woman’s Desperate Quest
The pomalidomide trial would mean spending a month at Mayo headquarters in Rochester, Minn., or its branch in Phoenix. So when I returned from Rochester, I knew it was vital to get my insurance company on board. I called UHC to ask the obvious question: Are either of these hospitals in your network? Three people gave me three different answers. The first said Rochester is but Phoenix isn’t. The second said both are in network. The third said neither is in network. I said, Who am I supposed to believe?

That was only the beginning of the struggle to communicate with my new insurers. At one point, after three weeks of conversations, I was told that information about the trial that I’d given UHC had been deleted from the system. UHC wouldn’t take it because it came from an unauthorized doctor. It was then that I thought I might actually die from toxic insurance company stress syndrome (TICS) before the myeloma killed me!
Every UHC phone call begins with the same ordeal: Before you can talk to a human, you have to be screened by a computer. Are you calling as a health professional? (No.) OK, what’s the member ID you’re calling about? And what’s your date of birth? Now, do you want claims, benefits or something else? Benefits? Sure. What type? Medical, prescription drug, mental health or substance abuse? It’s enough to drive you to substance abuse.

Once you get past the computer, you get a human, who asks many of the same questions. Each time, I patiently explain my situation. Usually I get transferred to someone else, where I start all over again. I never get to talk to the same person twice. And I can’t call back because no one will ever give me a direct number. “Just call the number on the back of the card” is the standard answer. In my myriad phone calls, I’ve been transferred to people in Customer Service, Cancer Resource Services, Care Coordination, Intake Coordination and Clinical Coverage. The last person I spoke with didn’t even know what a clinical trial was. I freaked out.
That’s when I decided to write about this nightmare situation. I called UHC for comment. Cheryl Randolph, spokesperson for UnitedHealthcare, was extremely apologetic for what she called the “ridiculous runaround” I had been given. She said that whether the Mayo Clinic is in network is an “easy question” that should have an easy answer. “I don’t know why you were given three different answers. I apologize for that. It is unacceptable.” She promised she would look into that and “help me figure out the best way to get you to participate in that trial.”

Within 24 hours, I got a call from a woman at UHC who said she was handling my case. I’m grateful for the quick response.

But the insurance company couldn’t really explain why UnitedHealthcare’s system was so convoluted and inefficient. Or why they would not accept information from the doctors most familiar with my case. Or why I was unable to talk with anyone at UHC who actually had any familiarity with my case. Or why this whole process was taking a month, while my cancer advances day by day.
It made me wonder: What about those people who can’t call up corporate communications and say, “I used to work for The New York Times, who switched me over to your coverage, and now am writing a piece for AOL, and I’d like you comment about the unbelievable trouble I’m having getting approval for a treatment that may help to save my life”?

Through my journalism experience and my health problems alike, I’ve become pretty skillful at navigating insurance companies. One of the first things I did when I tried to communicate with my new insurer was to ask for a case manager. All the major companies have them for high-maintenance people like me. Here, from my notes, is the saga that unfolded:

Jan. 25: After several transfers, I get Alice in Cancer Resource Services. She says she’s never heard of a case manager, I should call Customer Service. That’s when I’m transferred to three people who give me totally different answers as to whether Mayo Clinic is in-network or not. I’ve been on the phone for 45 minutes and feel completely spent.

Jan. 26: I try again and repeat my information for several people. The last one (was it Margaret or Vera?) sounds pretty certain that Mayo is out of network but says it could be considered in-network if the trial I want is not offered anywhere else. She creates a file for me and gives me a reference number to check on the status. I begin to think I’ve actually started this ball rolling.

Jan. 29: After three days, I call to see what’s happening. I finally get Customer Care and give them my reference number. They tell me my case is pending.

Feb. 2: UHC actually calls me! Maybe there’s been some progress. But it’s only Carole, who manages transplant patients. I ask why she is calling me; I’ve already had a transplant and I’m not looking to have another. Oh, she says, they sent me your file.

Feb. 3: Lydia phones. She says she needs the diagnosis codes for my illness, all the codes for procedures I would be having in Phoenix and the name of the doctor who will be treating me there. Since I’ve never been, I have no idea. She can’t take any information from my Mayo doctor in Rochester because he’s not a network provider.

Concluding the call, Lydia says she’s canceling out the earlier information because she will get new data from my local (approved) oncologist. Thank God he is in the network.

Feb. 15: I call to check on my case. They tell me it has been deleted from the system because it didn’t come from a preferred provider. If I didn’t know it before, I think I’m really in trouble now.

Feb. 16: The helpful woman in my doctor’s office calls to say she has supplied the insurance company with all the information they requested, but they told her the next thing I need to do is get a case manager. Oh dear, you mean a case manager like the one Alice told me three weeks ago she had never heard of before?

Feb. 16: I call UHC. You can’t have a case manager, I’m told. Your doctor’s office needs to call us first and talk to an intake coordinator. That starts the “clinical gap” request, they say. After that information is entered in the system, a case manager will be assigned. I call my doctor’s office and leave a message that I can’t get a case manager, they need to do it for me to get the ball rolling.

Feb. 19: I call UHC to see if a case manager has actually been assigned. The person I’ve been transferred to tells me they still need clinical notes from my doctor before they can get a manager on the case.

Feb. 19: My doctor’s office calls again: UHC says the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix has no record of me in their files. Well, duh! I haven’t been there yet. Now let’s see if I’ve got this straight: I can’t go there until UHC approves it. UHC can’t approve it until all the requisite information has been filed and a case manager assigned. But I can’t have a case manager until the intake coordinator has entered the case in the system. And the intake coordinator hasn’t entered the case because the hospital where I’m appealing to go has no record of me. I don’t know whether to scream or cry!

Feb. 19: I call Mayo in Phoenix and talk to the scheduler for my trial. Within minutes – and without talking to any robotic voices – I have gotten myself entered into Mayo’s system. Now I just need to tell UHC that if they call again, they will find me there.

Feb. 19: I call UHC back. After the litany of hurdles, I get Jay, who actually gives me a number for care coordination and tells me he’ll transfer me there. I am transferred, and I get the computer screener all over again. Exasperated, I hang up and call the direct number. I still get a robot, but at least it identifies itself as the care coordination department. And finally, I get Diana. I think of Paul Anka. Oh please, please Diana.

I tell Diana I’m calling about my appeal to get into a clinical trial and try to give her the reference number that was given me in a previous call (the second reference number, because the first says my case has been canceled). Diana just needs to get some information first. Here we go again – name, number, date of birth, etc. After the drill, she asks sweetly, Now what were you calling about? I say my appeal to get into a clinical trial. A clinical what? she asks. I’m not familiar with that. Oh my God, I blurt out, unable to help myself. She becomes defensive as I labor in distress to explain what a clinical trial is. Still sounding confused, she asks me, Are you a patient? Yes, I say. Well, she says, that’s why I’m not familiar with your terminology.

I try again: I just want to give you some information about my appeal. Oh, she replies, then you’ve got the wrong department, because we don’t handle any appeals. I’m about to explode, but I say, as calmly as I can, It’s not an appeal of a decision; I’m making a request for a decision to go to a trial at the Mayo Clinic. Well, she says in a slightly indignant tone, we don’t even contract with the Mayo Clinic. Hyperventilating, I say, please, please, Diana, just take the reference number and read the information so you’ll know what this is about!

I give her the number and she puts me on hold, hold, hold. When she returns, she sounds smugly satisfied, like she’s just discovered the simple answer to a question I’ve made unnecessarily complicated: Well, this is just a request for medication!

Aye-yi-yi! Yes, I say, the medication that’s given in the clinical trial. A request for you to let me go to the Mayo Clinic so I can have this drug that will save my life but has not yet been approved for market. Oohhh, she says, in a voice that belies the light bulb that’s just gone off in her head, what you’re asking for is a gap exception!

EXACTLY, I nearly shout out. Then, somewhat patronizingly, she says, Let me explain to you the process for that. You need to get your doctor to make a referral, your doctor has to call to set up what we call a clinical gap request. I cut her off before she can finish. Yes, I’ve done that, I’ve done all that, I say between gritted teeth. I can hardly keep from shouting. His office and yours have been talking for weeks! I just wanted to give you the name of the person to call at the Mayo Clinic so you can see that I’m in their system, awaiting an answer from you to get into their clinical trial!

She says, Well the reviewer working on it says she’s waiting for a call back from your doctor’s office for clinical information. The reviewer working on it? Someone is actually working on it? Who is that person? Can I get her number and speak directly with her? Unfortunately, she tells me, “she’s not going to speak with no one but the provider.”

I’m in despair. I think back to last year, when I signed up for early Social Security. It took one phone call. Fifteen minutes max. Everything was loaded into their system and I could look it up online. All the information was there. It was all correct. My checks come like clockwork on the same day every month. I’ve never had one problem. Last year my husband signed up for Medicare. Same experience. No problems, no complaints. This is your government at work. Some bureaucrats know how to get it right.

John Hopkins Update – Good article

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (’TRY’, BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2.. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime..

3 When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs..

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply..

*CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful.. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.

c.. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans.. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e.. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

1. No plastic containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Cast le Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Pa per isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead..

This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.

Editors’ Note: Local grades available at www.stateoftheair.org.

(Los Angeles, CA, Embargoed Until: 12:01 a.m. (pacific) Wednesday, April 29, 2009) — California’s air quality scored mixed grades with 38 of California’s 52 counties receiving failing grades and 16 receiving “A” grades in the 10th annual American Lung Association State of the Air 2009 report released today. Kern County ranked as having the worst annual particle pollution levels nationwide, as did San Bernardino County for ozone pollution. Likewise, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside ranked as the worst ozone-polluted metro area and Bakersfield received the top ranking for the most year-round particle pollution.

This year, 12 more California counties received failing grades than last year, reflecting the tighter national ozone standard implemented in 2008. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside metro area demonstrates a continued and notable improvement trend for annual particle pollution levels (dropping to number three on that most-polluted list nationwide), based on State of the Air report grades during the past decade, although particle pollution levels remain unhealthy.

The 38 California counties with air quality monitoring stations receiving failing grades for either high ozone days or particle pollution days (in alphabetical order) are Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura and Yolo.

Sixteen California counties received an “A” grade for either low ozone or particle pollution days, with some of these counties also receiving an F grade in one category, but an A in another. The A grade recipients for at least one category, in alphabetical order, are Calaveras, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma.

“Achieving and maintaining healthy air must be a public health priority, and we cannot relent on our work as a state and as individuals to keep our air clean,” said Tony Gerber, MD, PhD, a volunteer with the American Lung Association in California and a pulmonary specialist and assistant professor at the University of California. “Although there are some improvements, the significant number of failing grades for ozone and particle pollution means that the health and lives of millions of Californians are at risk because of our dirty air.”

“Now is the time to be more reliant on cleaner, low carbon fuels for transportation and power generation, such as electricity powered by solar and wind, and vehicles that are natural gas, battery electric and plug-in electric hybrids, and to finally move away from diesel, gasoline and coal” said Trisha Murakawa, board chair with the American Lung Association in California. “The California Air Resources Board’s adoption of the first-ever low carbon fuel standard last week is a giant step forward to achieve these goals and free the state from its petroleum addiction.”

Local governments must commit to strong measures to reduce vehicle emissions such as land use decisions that promote more compact development patterns and integrate transit and other alternatives to private vehicle use. The state must support local government efforts to reduce driving in every way possible, especially by providing needed funding for transit operations and improved planning.

Improving air quality benefits by strengthening the Smog Check program is another way to achieve healthier air. The American Lung Association in California is sponsoring SB 435 (Pavley) to require motorcycles, that emit 10 times more pollution per vehicle than cars, to get a biennial smog check.

“With the documented health risks, it is unacceptable that we still have thousands of old diesel buses and trucks transporting our children, food and products throughout our communities,” said Murakawa. “Effective implementation of the statewide truck and bus regulation, a measure strongly supported by the American Lung Association, will help address this problem. We have massive smoggy super-highway ports beginning in California and linking with roadways to the rest of the country and it is crucial that the ports take action to quickly reduce diesel pollution and that the International Maritime Organization allow the United States to require cleaner ocean-going vessels. Because of the ports, Californians bear the brunt of “delivery pollution” for goods going to the rest of the country.”

The State of the Air report includes a national air quality “report card” that assigns A-F grades to counties across the country and ranks cities and counties most affected by the most widespread types of pollution; ozone (or smog) and particle pollution. The report also details trends for the 25 most polluted cities. Grades for the 1,000 counties with air pollution monitors can be found by entering a zip code at www.stateoftheair.org.

Ozone is the most widespread form of air pollution. Ozone is a powerful gas formed most often when sunlight reacts with vapors when vehicles, factories, power plants and other sources burn fuel. Ozone pollution immediately irritates the lungs when inhaled, resulting in something like a bad sunburn. The health effects of breathing it can be immediate. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing and asthma attacks. Breathing ozone pollution can even shorten lives. Breathing ozone and particle pollution is bad even for healthy children and adults.

The ozone grades incorporate the new national air quality standard for ozone, adopted in March 2008. This standard recognizes that even lower levels of ozone can be more harmful than previously thought. Failing grades for ozone pollution do not necessarily mean that the ozone levels have gotten worse from previous years,” explained Gerber. “It does mean that now we recognize that the ozone we have is much more dangerous and we need to do more to clean up the sources.”

Particle pollution is a toxic mix of soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols. It is the most dangerous and deadly of the outdoor air pollutants that are widespread in America. Breathing in particle pollution can increase the risk of early death, heart attacks, strokes and emergency room visits for asthma and cardiovascular disease. Particle pollution also affects how children’s lungs grow and function.

The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2009 report finds that 6 out of 10 Americans –186.1 million people — live in areas where air pollution levels endanger lives. State of the Air 2009 acknowledges substantial progress against air pollution in many areas of the country, but finds nearly every major city still burdened by air pollution. Despite America’s growing “green” movement, the air in many cities became dirtier since the last report.

“This should be a wake up call, that we as a nation can no longer consider air pollution a nuisance but rather a major threat to human health,” Gerber said. “When millions of Californians and 60 percent of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to affect how kids’ lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem that must be addressed.”

The report finds that air pollution now hovers at unhealthy levels in almost every major city, threatening people’s ability to breathe and placing lives at risk. Some of the biggest sources of air pollution, including power plants, old diesel engines, ocean-going vessels, and wood burning also worsen global warming.

“More than 175 million Americans, including those living in California live in areas with unhealthy smog levels; that’s 80 million more than we identified in last year’s report,” explained Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. “That higher number comes, in large part, because of the tighter ozone standard which let us know that more areas have unhealthy air. Yet, even that understates the problem. We at the American Lung Association believe that the new ozone standard is not yet strong enough to protect human health, an opinion shared by nearly all scientific experts.”

Emerging research has redefined the severity and immediate health impacts of particle and ozone pollution. New data show that women in their 50’s may be particularly threatened by air pollution. Diesel truck drivers and dockworkers who are forced to breathe exhaust on the job may face a greater risk of developing lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“The science is rock-solid. People are hurt by air pollution. Air pollution can harm even healthy adults, but it can threaten the lives of more vulnerable people such as infants and older adults,” said Gerber. “Californians can take steps to improve air quality, steps that can ultimately impact global warming as well. That includes driving less, switching to cleaner-fueled vehicles, like natural gas, battery-electric and hybrid electric-gasoline; walking, carpooling and taking public transportation and bicycles; not burning wood or trash; use hand-powered or electric yard care equipment rather than gasoline-powered versions; and using less electricity.”

“We need to renew our commitment to providing healthy air for all our citizens—a commitment the United States made almost 40 years ago when Congress passed the Clean Air Act,” Connor said. “Even after four decades, we still have much work to do. America needs to cut emissions from big polluters like coal-fired power plants and ocean-going vessels. We need to fix old dirty diesel engines to make them cleaner and strengthen the ozone standards to better protect our health. We also need to improve the decaying infrastructure of air monitors. America now must enforce the laws that help us improve our nation’s air quality.”

Visit www.californialung.org to see local air quality grades and to get involved by sending messages to Congress and Administration officials about taking action to protect the air we breathe.

About the Alma J. Cameron Foundation:The Alma J. Cameron Foundation for Cancer Awareness (AJCF), was created as a tribute to Mrs. Cameron’s heroic fight against lung cancer, her love and compassion for people. It is our mission to use this medium to bridge the gap between access to Integrative medicine for those who do not have access to such treatment option due to financial constraint. We intend to do this by providing financial grants and referrals, so that everyone who wants to will have access to Integrative medicine. The AJCF will also provide lung cancer awareness education online, through grass-root efforts and a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs). www.theajcf.org

AND REMEMBER: “YOU DON’T HAVE TO SMOKE TO GET LUNG CANCER”

For more than a decade, Life Extension® has reported on small clinical studies that demonstrate beneficial effects in those with certain cancers who supplement with coenzyme Q10.

More recent studies have not only documented clinical improvements, but also have identified probable mechanisms by which CoQ10 may help slow tumor growth. Some of these mechanisms include immune augmentation, suppression of vascular endothelial growth factor (that facilitates tumor angiogenesis), and reduction of inflammatory markers that may facilitate cancer cell propagation.

Melanoma and breast cancer are two types of malignancies for which CoQ10 has demonstrated substantial clinical benefit.1,2 Regrettably, the media and cancer establishment have ignored these promising discoveries that could save many lives.

For example, a recent melanoma study compared the effects of administering alpha interferon with or without daily CoQ10 (400 mg). There was an astounding 10-fold lower risk of metastasis in the CoQ10-supplemented group! This effect was even more pronounced for those with more advanced melanoma, where CoQ10-supplemented patients were 13 times less likely to develop metastasis. Alpha interferon is an immune boosting drug that can induce side effects so severe that patients have to discontinue it. In this study,2 only 22% of CoQ10-supplemented patients developed side effects compared to 82% not taking supplemental CoQ10.

Our editorials have harshly criticized the National Cancer Institute for failing to fund larger studies in order to ascertain exactly how effective CoQ10 may be as an adjuvant cancer therapy.

It is our pleasure to reprint an update by the National Cancer Institute that presents their views on the role that CoQ10 may play in cancer treatment. Considering that this report emanates out of a federal agency that is normally biased against alternative therapies, we are quite pleased with the relative balance this report provides.

We do take issue with the National Cancer Institute’s insinuation of CoQ10 side effects, as these are likely the result of the underlying cancer and/or problems inflicted by toxic chemo drugs. Of the tens of thousands of healthy Life Extension® members who use CoQ10, none report these side effects.

Questions and Answers About Coenzyme Q10

What is coenzyme Q10?

Coenzyme Q 10 is a compound that is made naturally in the body. The Q and the 10 in coenzyme Q10 refer to the groups of chemicals that make up the coenzyme. Coenzyme Q10 is also known by these other names:

CoQ10.
Q10.
Vitamin Q10.
Ubiquinone.
Ubidecarenone.

A coenzyme helps an enzyme do its job. An enzyme is a protein that speeds up the rate at which natural chemical reactions take place in cells of the body. The body’s cells use coenzyme Q10 to make energy needed for the cells to grow and stay healthy. The body also uses coenzyme Q10 as an antioxidant. An antioxidant is a substance that protects cells from chemicals called free radicals. Free radicals can damage DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Genes, which are pieces of DNA, tell the cells how to work in the body and when to grow and divide. Damage to DNA has been linked to some kinds of cancer. By protecting cells against free radicals, antioxidants help protect the body against cancer.

Coenzyme Q10 is found in most body tissues. The highest amounts are found in the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. The lowest amounts are found in the lungs. The amount of coenzyme Q10 in tissues decreases as people get older.

What is the history of the discovery and use of coenzyme Q10 as a complementary or alternative treatment for cancer?

Coenzyme Q10 was first identified in 1957. Its chemical structure was determined in 1958. Interest in coenzyme Q10 as a possible treatment for cancer began in 1961, when it was found that some cancer patients had a lower than normal amount of it in their blood. Low blood levels of coenzyme Q10 have been found in patients with myeloma, lymphoma, and cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, colon, kidney, and head and neck.

Studies suggest that coenzyme Q10 may help the immune system work better. Partly because of this, coenzyme Q10 is used as adjuvant therapy for cancer. Adjuvant therapy is treatment given following the primary treatment to increase the chances of a cure.

What is the theory behind the claim that coenzyme Q10 is useful in treating cancer?

Coenzyme Q10 may be useful in treating cancer because it boosts the immune system. Also, studies suggest that CoQ10 analogs (drugs that are similar to CoQ10) may prevent the growth of cancer cells directly. As an antioxidant, coenzyme Q10 may help prevent cancer from developing.

Refer to the PDQ health professional summary on coenzyme Q10 for more information on the theory behind the study of coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of cancer.

How is coenzyme Q10 administered?

Coenzyme Q10 is usually taken by mouth as a pill (tablet or capsule). It may also be given by injection into a vein (IV). In animal studies, coenzyme Q10 is given by injection.

Have any preclinical (laboratory or animal) studies been conducted using coenzyme Q10?

A number of preclinical studies have been done with coenzyme Q10. Research in a laboratory or using animals is done to find out if a drug, procedure, or treatment is likely to be useful in humans. These preclinical studies are done before any testing in humans is begun. Most laboratory studies of coenzyme Q10 have looked at its chemical structure and how it works in the body. The following has been reported from preclinical studies of coenzyme Q10 and cancer:

Animal studies found that coenzyme Q10 boosts the immune system and helps the body fight certain infections and types of cancer. Coenzyme Q10 helped to protect the hearts of study animals that were given the anticancer drug doxorubicin, an anthracycline that can cause damage to the heart muscle. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that analogs of coenzyme Q10 may stop cancer cells from growing.

Have any clinical trials (research studies with people) of coenzyme Q10 been conducted?

There have been no well-designed clinical trials involving large numbers of patients to study the use of coenzyme Q10 in cancer treatment. There have been some clinical trials with small numbers of people, but the way the studies were done and the amount of information reported made it unclear if benefits were caused by the coenzyme Q10 or by something else. Most of the trials were not randomized or controlled. Randomized controlled trials give the highest level of evidence:

In randomized trials, volunteers are assigned randomly (by chance) to one of 2 or more groups that compare different factors related to the treatment. In controlled trials, one group (called the control group) does not receive the new treatment being studied. The control group is then compared to the groups that receive the new treatment, to see if the new treatment makes a difference.

Some research studies are published in scientific journals. Most scientific journals have experts who review research reports before they are published, to make sure that the evidence and conclusions are sound. This is called peer review. Studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals are considered better evidence. No randomized clinical trials of coenzyme Q10 as a treatment for cancer have been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The following has been reported from studies of coenzyme Q10 in people:

Randomized trial of coenzyme Q10 and doxorubicin

A randomized trial of 20 patients looked at whether coenzyme Q10 would protect the heart from the damage caused by the anthracycline drug doxorubicin. The results of this trial and others have shown that coenzyme Q10 decreases the harmful effects of doxorubicin on the heart.

Studies of coenzyme Q10 as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer
Small studies have been done on the use of coenzyme Q10 after standard treatment in patients with breast cancer:

In a study of coenzyme Q10 in 32 breast cancer patients, it was reported that some signs and symptoms of cancer went away in 6 patients. Details were given for only 3 of the 6 patients. The researchers also reported that all the patients in the study used less pain medicine, had improved quality of life, and did not lose weight during treatment.

In a follow-up study, two patients who had breast cancer remaining after surgery were treated with high doses of coenzyme Q10 for 3 to 4 months. It was reported that after treatment with high-dose coenzyme Q10, the cancer was completely gone in both patients.
In a third study led by the same researchers, 3 breast cancer patients were given high-dose coenzyme Q10 and followed for 3 to 5 years. The study reported that one patient had complete remission of cancer that had spread to the liver, another had remission of cancer that had spread to the chest wall, and the third had no breast cancer found after surgery.

It is not clear, however, if the benefits reported in these studies were caused by coenzyme Q10 therapy or something else. The studies had the following weaknesses:

The studies were not randomized or controlled.
The patients used other supplements in addition to coenzyme Q10.
The patients received standard treatments before or during the coenzyme Q10 therapy.
Details were not reported for all patients in the studies.
Anecdotal reports of coenzyme Q10

Anecdotal reports are incomplete descriptions of the medical and treatment history of one or more patients. There have been anecdotal reports that coenzyme Q10 has helped some cancer patients live longer, including patients with cancers of the pancreas, lung, colon, rectum, and prostate. The patients described in these reports, however, also received treatments other than coenzyme Q10, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Have any side effects or risks been reported from coenzyme Q10?

No serious side effects have been reported from the use of coenzyme Q10. The most common side effects include the following:

Insomnia (being unable to fall sleep or stay asleep).
Higher than normal levels of liver enzymes.
Rashes.
Nausea.
Pain in the upper part of the abdomen.
Dizziness.
Feeling sensitive to light.
Feeling irritable.
Headache.
Heartburn.
Feeling very tired.

It is important to check with health care providers to find out if coenzyme Q10 can be safely used along with other drugs. Certain drugs, such as those that are used to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar levels, may decrease the effects of coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 may change the way the body uses warfarin (a drug that prevents the blood from clotting) and insulin.

As noted in Question 1, the body uses coenzyme Q10 as an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect cells from free radicals. Some conventional cancer therapies, such as anticancer drugs and radiation treatments, kill cancer cells in part by causing free radicals to form. Researchers are studying whether using coenzyme Q10 along with conventional therapies has any effect, good or bad, on the way these conventional therapies work in the body.

Is coenzyme Q10 approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a cancer treatment in the United States?

Coenzyme Q10 is sold as a dietary supplement and is not approved by the FDA for use as a cancer treatment. In the United States, dietary supplements are regulated as foods, not drugs. This means that approval by the FDA is not required before coenzyme Q10 is sold, unless specific health claims are made about the supplement. Also, the way companies make coenzyme Q10 is not regulated. Different batches and brands of coenzyme Q10 supplements may be different from each other.

Passive smoking, or the inhalation of tobacco smoke from other smokers sharing living or working quarters, is an established risk factor for the development of lung cancer. Non-smokers who reside with a smoker have a 24% increase in risk for developing lung cancer when compared with other non-smokers.

Radon gas, a naturally-occurring gas that forms when uranium decays, is another known cause of lung cancer. Radon gas can travel up through soil and enter homes through gaps in the foundation, pipes, drains, or other openings.

Asbestos is a compound that was widely used in the past as both thermal and acoustic insulation material. Microscopic fibers of asbestos break loose from the insulation material and are released into the air where they can be inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos fibers can persist for a lifetime in lung tissue following exposure to asbestos. Both lung cancer and a type of cancer known as mesothelioma are associated with exposure to asbestos.

Air pollution from vehicles, industry, and power plants, can raise the likelihood of developing lung cancer in exposed individuals. It has been estimated that up to 2,000 lung cancer deaths per year may be attributable to breathing polluted air, and many experts believe that prolonged exposure to highly polluted air can carry a risk for the development of lung cancer similar to that of passive smoking.

Source: www.medicinenet.com

By ANDREA CANNING