News from the Lung Cancer Partnership

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) held their 2010 Annual Meeting from June 4-8 in Chicago, IL. Here are a few of the highlights in lung cancer research that were presented at the meeting:

New drug targeting ALK gene shows promise for some advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients
Researchers presented encouraging results of a study using a new drug called crizotinib to treat advanced NSCLC patients with an ALK gene fusion. In about 1 out of 20 NSCLC patients, the ALK gene has fused with another gene, which can drive tumor growth. Crizotinib inhibits this process. In the study, crizotinib stopped tumor growth in most patients with the ALK gene fusion, and shrank the tumor in nearly half the patients. Currently, crizotinib is available to patients with the ALK gene fusion as part of a clincial trial.

New agent shows promise for patients with advanced NSCLC
Partnership Board of Directors President Dr. Joan Schiller presented the results of a worldwide study testing novel agent ARQ 197. This agent was found to significantly improve progression-free survival for patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC when added to erlotinib after chemotherapy. Click here to watch a video from ASCO of Dr. Schiller presenting the results. ARQ 197 is available to patients as part of a clinical trial.

Drug combination effective for older patients with advanced lung cancer
A new study shows that a standard chemotherapy treatment currently used for younger patients with advanced lung cancer, a combination of paclitaxel (Taxol) and carboplatin (Paraplatin), is just as effective in patients 70 or older. Patients who received the combination therapy lived about four months longer than patients who received the standard single drug treatment for patients in this age group.

Selenium shown not to prevent a 2nd lung cancer tumor
Researchers presented the results of a study examining whether selenium supplements could prevent a second tumor in people who previously had stage I NSCLC. The study concluded that selenium did not prevent a second tumor. The study was stopped early because patients receiving selenium had a slightly higher risk of developing a second tumor than patients who did not receive selenium.

How healthy are our kids?

Do you know how many kids between the ages of 2 and 19 are considered obese in the U.S.? Or what percentage of American elementary schools provide physical education?

I think you'll be shocked to learn the answers - I certainly was.

Please take our short Healthy Kids Quiz today, and join our fight for healthier kids.

Through the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization, we have a chance to improve nutrition and physical activity in our nation's schools- but only if Congress acts now. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in this country and we can't afford to keep waiting for Congress to make the health of our kids a priority.

Take two minutes today to find out how much you know about our kids' health and what you can do to make a difference. Join the fight for healthier kids today.

WI Passes Bill to Help Educate Students about CPR and AEDs

WI Passes Bill to Help Educate Students about CPR and AEDs
On May 10, 2010, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed a piece of legislation that requires school boards and school operators to provide high school students instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), cardio-cerebral resuscitation (hands only) and information on automated external defibrillators (AED). This life saving legislation will be in effect beginning the 2011 school year.

You’re the Cure advocates were fully engaged in support of the bill, sending nearly 500 messages into their legislator’s offices! Advocate Mike Uttech of Green Bay, WI, played a crucial role in securing leadership for the bill. Mike knows the importance of CPR and AED education, having suffered cardiac arrest while on a treadmill at his local health club. Mike’s life was saved by lay rescuers using CPR and an AED. Thanks to their efforts, he recovered well enough to attend a Green Bay Packers football game three days later! Jack Simono, another You’re the Cure advocate and survivor from Two Rivers, WI, also stepped up to help secure leadership for the bill in the state legislature.

At the public hearing for the bill, Mike Uttech shared his story and was joined by yet another You’re the Cure advocate, Jill Rasmussen, a director at a YMCA , who’s considered a hero for saving a life on a racquetball court with CPR and AED.

You’re the Cure advocates were instrumental in the passage of this crucial legislation. Congratulations to Wisconsin for this outstanding success to help get high school students the education they need to save lives!

Action for Nutrition Education and Wellness in Schools

Action for Nutrition Education and Wellness in Schools

This week, Members of Congress return to Washington, DC, following the Memorial Day recess. You’re the Cure advocates used the recess break to meet with their legislators and deliver hundreds of lunch tray petitions to push for action on the Child Nutrition Act.

Now, we need to continue that push and work to ensure the final bill includes the provisions that will make a difference for the health of our kids.

Strengthening nutrition education in schools, providing school districts with the resources they need to implement their wellness goals, and keeping parents informed and involved in reaching those goals, are all provisions that would be accomplished through the Nutrition Education and Wellness in Schools Act (NEW Schools). But we need your help to build support within the House of Representatives.

Ask your Representative to show their support by cosponsoring the NEW Schools Act today!

Take Action Now

CPR & AED Awareness Week: Are YOU Trained?

CPR & AED Awareness Week: Are YOU Trained?

Getting people to act quickly in a cardiac arrest emergency is critical to a victim’s survival because time is not on their side. Four to six minutes is the window of opportunity for someone to act before it is too late, but fewer than one-third of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from someone nearby.

The American Heart Association wants more people to take action and help cardiac arrest victims. That’s why we’re challenging one million people to learn about CPR and get trained during the month of June. Visit www.cprweek.org to learn about hands-only CPR, play Be the Beat to learn the correct rate of CPR compressions, or record your CPR & AED training or the training you gave someone else.

Take action on School Lunches

With members of Congress in their home districts until this Friday, the American Heart Association is organizing a week of action to keep the pressure on Congress in our fight for healthier kids.

All across the country, advocates are "serving-up" lunch tray petitions to their Senators and Representatives, to urge them to pass the Child Nutrition Act this year- and we need you to join in the action!

Make sure your legislators are receiving this important message by following the steps below:



DOWNLOAD and PRINT your lunch tray petition!
PERSONALIZE your petition with a note and your contact information
DELIVER a copy of the petition to your Senators and Representative by dropping-by their district offices (you can find the office closest to you by visiting your Members' websites)- OR by faxing a copy into their offices (numbers below).
REPORT BACK to let us know you have delivered your lunch tray petition
SHARE this message with family and friends and urge them to deliver their petition too
Your Targets:



Representative Snyder: (501) 324-6029 (fax)
Senator Lincoln: (501) 375-7064 (fax)
Senator Pryor: (501) 324-5320 (fax)
The health of our kids is too important to accept inaction on the Child Nutrition Act this year. Thank you committing to make this important delivery during the recess period!