A team of Spanish scientists led by Marcos Malumbres the National Cancer Research Center, discovered a microRNA or minig that can control the development of some types of leukemia caused by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome.  …read the rest of this entry»

Imatinib is a drug since its approval in 2001 quickly reduced the mortality from disease in the next five years

Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia doubling the daily dose of imatinib, the active ingredient that pushed the disease ceases to be synonymous with death, they respond “before and better treatment than those receiving the standard amount. …read the rest of this entry»

Laboratory tests show that methadone eliminates leukemia cells without harming healthy

Methadone, a drug used to treat people addicted to heroin and other opioids would be effective as a new therapy for leukemia, especially treatment-resistant, a study shows. …read the rest of this entry»

I reflect on the fact that I almost died to show me how much I really wanted to live!Before my diagnosis of leukemia, I struggled with depression. At times I felt it would be better to die than to live with the depression, mistrust, and anger. I felt bitterness toward everything. Most of the time I was in denial. Only my family and close friends knew of my despair.Something happened to me when I was told, “You have leukemia.” Everyone I personally knew who had leukemia had died. Suddenly, I wanted to live! The very doctor in whom I had confided about my depression and despair said, “This reminds me of the story It’s a Wonderful Life.” I finally realized that there are so many great things about life. I fought very hard to live. My usual negative outlook turned to positive energy. I focused on getting well. …read the rest of this entry»

Age at diagnosis: 2 (with leukemia) and 9 (with lymphoma)
Current age: 26
Occupation: Cancer counselor, Long-Term Survivors Program at Duke University

Brett’s advice: Trust in God as hard as it may seem. Never give up, and keep a positive attitude.
Brett’s Cancer Journey
In 1974, when I was two years old, I was diagnosed with leukemia. I started chemotherapy and endured it for five years. I hardly remember much about this time because I was so young, but my mother tells me that I was very sick. My leukemia, however, did go into remission.After I beat leukemia, I went in for routine checkups. During one of the checkups seven years after my first diagnosis, my doctor said that I had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I just broke down crying and asked, “Why me?”

My treatment for lymphoma involved both chemotherapy and radiation. The worst part of it was laying on the cold table in the radiation room. I would look at the X and feel the heavy metal shield pressing against my chest. Sometimes I would become so bored that I would fall asleep. …read the rest of this entry»

Age at diagnosis: 13
Current age: 20
Occupation: Full-time student, part-time library aid

Maria’s advice: Be strong, but allow yourself to cry. Part of being strong is knowing when to cry. Furthermore, find someone you can really talk to.
Maria’s Cancer Journey
I was filled with fear when I was told that I had leukemia. I was 13 years old. I was in a hospital bed, recovering from a bone marrow biopsy that was performed earlier that day. Now it was evening, and my mother and I were waiting for the doctor to come by on his evening rounds so that he could tell us the results. …read the rest of this entry»

Age at diagnosis: 8; relapsed at age 12
Current age: 20
Occupation: Childcare worker with kids who have disabilities or who are chronically ill

Andrea’s advice: Don’t focus on all of the bad. Realize that cancer can be a blessing, as it can teach you what is important in life. It can make you a stronger person and can bestow upon you a profound appreciation for life.
Andrea’s Cancer Journey
As a young child, I had a life that was as close to perfect as possible. I had two loving parents, a little sister, and I lived in a nice house in the suburbs of Washington, DC. I went to a good school, and on the weekends, I rode my bike and played soccer with my friends. It was a life in which bad things were not supposed to happen.I was in the third grade when everything changed. It began with a few bruises on my legs and then a sore throat and fever that just wouldn’t go away. My mother was concerned because I never got sick. She took me to the doctor. The doctor assured us that it was probably nothing more than an infection, but he ordered some tests “just to be sure.” Three days after that initial visit to the doctor, I was in the hospital, being told that I had cancer.

“You have something called acute myeloblastic leukemia,” the doctor said. My parents and I sat there dumbstruck. I remember sitting between my parents, listening to the doctor describe this disease that I had. As he talked about white blood cells, red blood cells, and blasts, I looked past him and down to the trees that lined the street below. As he described the chemotherapy drugs that were going to be used to fight the cancer in my body, I noticed how pretty all the gold, red, and orange leaves were. As the doctor talked about side effects and statistics, I realized that these same pretty leaves were going to be dead in just a few weeks. …read the rest of this entry»

Age at diagnosis: 14
Current age: 16
Occupation: Student

Kimberley’s advice: This will be hard. I’m not going to lie about that. No matter what happens, you can’t give up. Fight hard, be strong, and see what comes out of it. You can do it.
Kimberley’s Cancer Journey
On December 6, 1995, at the age of 14, I was diagnosed with large cell histiocytic non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a very aggressive cancer.About six months before I was diagnosed, I lost a lot of weight. I was 5′6″ and 75 lbs. My family noticed laziness, mood swings, and an overall personality change. My mom knew that something bad was happening to me, and she took me for medical help. One doctor decided that I was anorexic because of the weight loss and because I couldn’t eat anything. My mom was not satisfied with that diagnosis.She took me to doctors all over the place, and we were turned away with no answers. My mom kept trying. Finally, a doctor admitted me to the hospital for testing because, by this time, I had lost so much weight and was so weak that I couldn’t hold myself up. I also had a large bump in my pelvis area. The doctors did several tests and eventually took a biopsy of the bump that had swollen up so much that it hurt to move. …read the rest of this entry»

Type of Cancer: Burkitt’s lymphoma
Age at diagnosis: 15
Current age: 16
Occupation: Student

Amanda’s advice: You need to know and believe that you will survive this horrible disease. It only will take control of your life if you let it. Just remember one thing—after you are cured, you have your whole life in front of you. Don’t give up on any of your dreams.
Amanda’s Cancer Journey
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in September of 1997. It all started on the second day of my sophomore year of high school. I was sitting at lunch with some of my friends when my best friend asked me about the huge lump on the side of my neck. I didn’t know what she was talking about, and I made her come to the bathroom with me. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t believe it. Nothing had been there that morning. The lump seemed to appear in a matter of minutes.I went home after school that day, but I wasn’t worried about the lump. I told my mom, and we made a doctor’s appointment for the following week. My family doctor told me it was possibly an abscessed tooth or a swollen lymph gland. He put me on some medication and told me to come back in a week if the lump hadn’t gone down. After a week was up, the lump still looked exactly the same. My family doctor then referred me to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. …read the rest of this entry»

Age at diagnosis: 12
Current age: 14
Occupation: Student

Bethany’s advice: Believe in yourself, and you will make it.

Bethany’s Cancer Journey
It all started when the health nurses came to vaccinate the kids at my school with the hepatitis B vaccine. After I had the vaccination, I always seemed to have sinus colds. I didn’t go to the doctor because I thought, “Well, it’s winter, and lots of people have colds.”

March break came, and I went to my aunt’s house with my brother to stay for a couple of nights. When I came home, I was really stuffed up, and every time I blew my nose, there was blood. I thought it was because my aunt’s house is really dry and she smokes. Then one day, my mom took me to the doctor because my skin looked yellow. My doctor said I had blood in my nose because I was constantly blowing it and that I was yellow from blowing so much. The doctor also said I had a sinus cold and put me on antibiotics. They seemed to help, but once I was off of the antibiotics, the sinus cold came back. …read the rest of this entry»