Everyone is invited to participate in the festivities and lend support to this Denver-based foundation that is working to put an end to pediatric sarcoma; those rare forms of cancer that are affecting and taking the lives of children and young adults.

The 2012 Mad Hatter’s Ball will include:

• The Queens Feast Cocktail Buffet which is being hosted by some of  the finest eateries including Chinook Tavern, Famous Dave Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que, Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, Serioz Denver Style Pizzeria, and Strings. 
• A secondary buffet, following the evening’s event program, will feature desserts and coffee hosted by Cows Gone Coconut, Happy Cakes and Boyer’s Coffee.
• A bevy of Booths of Wonder will be open throughout the evening and will be offering palm reading, cards of mystery and other extraordinary opportunities to the Mad Hatter guests.
• A White Rabbit Photo Booth, hosted by Castle Rock Photo Booth, will be open throughout the event as a way for guests to photographically capture their amazing headware. 
• The annual Wonderland Silent Auction will once again be stocked full of goods and services fromColorado’s finest proprietors and these items will be awarded to the evening’s highest bidders.
• The centerpiece of the event will be the Fedora Fashion Show which will feature wonderfully designed hats which have been specifically created for the Mad Hatter’s Ball by local and national artisans.  These creations will be modeled by pediatric cancer patients who will be escorted by members of the Glendale Raptors Rugby Teams.  The artistic hat creations will be for sale following the Fashion Show. 
• The evening’s stage program will conclude with the awarding of the evening’s Best Hat as worn by those guests attending and prizes will be awarded to the best male and female hat attire.
• The minstrels of music from Starkey Productions and Colorado AV will be providing the dance party portion of the evening and DVDJ G Funk will be overseeing the tunes that will allow for some more than serious dance moves.

Tickets to the Mad Hatter’s Ball are $75 per person or $100/couple. Reservations may be made by contacting Dani’s Foundation (303.601.1881 or by emailing to martha@danisfoundation.org).

Any local business who would like to become involved with the event, as a sponsor or auction donor, should contact Martha Simmons at Dani’s Foundation (martha@danisfoundation.org). 

Proceeds from the Mad Hatter’s Ball will support Dani’s Foundation and its efforts to put an end to pediatric sarcoma; those rare forms of cancer that are affecting and taking the lives of children and young adults.  The Denver-based Foundation provides information and resources to the pediatric sarcoma community; works to educate the public on the symptoms of pediatric sarcoma with the hope of seeking earlier detection and ultimate survival and works to provide funding for research that is working to find better treatment protocols for all pediatric cancer patients and ultimately the cause and the cure for pediatric sarcomas.

The 2012 Mad Hatter’s Ball is being sponsored by MiNE LLC in association with financial support from Robinson Waters & O’Dorision, P.C., Forte Advertising, and KeyBank. Denver’s 93.3 Radio will be assisting in promoting the event to theColoradocommunity.

For information on how you can be a part of the March 24th Mad Hatter’s Ball, contact Dani’s Foundation (303.601.1881 or by emailing martha@danisfoundation.org).

To preview this report, CLICK HERE!

On behalf of everyone associated with Dani’s Foundation and the Campaign to End Pediatric Sarcoma, we thank YOU for your support during 2011 and look forward to greater associations during FY2012!

Impact of Fasting

Mice involved in the study were divided into two groups:
The results were based on animal studies conducted on mice. The experiment has so far shown its effectiveness in breast cancer, melanoma skin cancer, Glioma brain cancer and neuroblastoma.

Group I included those getting chemotherapy alone.
Group II were getting chemotherapy and also were made to fast.

The mice belonging to Group I, which were undergoing chemotherapy alone couldn’ t survive from the cancer whereas the mice belonging to Group II, who were getting combination of Chemo and fasting survived.

Expert’s Verdict

According to Valter Longo, the lead study author, “Tumor cells responded differently to the stress of fasting compared to normal cells. Instead of entering a dormant state similar to hibernation, the cells kept growing and dividing, in the end destroying themselves.”

“What we are seeing is that the cancer cell tries to compensate for the lack of all these things missing in the blood after fasting. It may be trying to replace them, but it cannot,” he added.

Experiment’s results are in initial stages and quite interesting to pursue the research. Results of the prelim clinical trial that took place in California assessing the benefits of fasting for 2 days before and 1 day after Chemo for the patients suffering from a particular type of cancer, would be presented at an annual meeting of the (ASCO) American Society of Cancer Oncologists in June at Chicago.

Excited and confident of his study results, Professor Longo said, “A way to beat cancer cells may not be to try to find drugs that kill them specifically but to confuse them by generating extreme environments, such as fasting, that only normal cells can quickly respond to.”

The study was published in journal “Science Translational Medicine”.

Shipments From Abroad to Help Ease Shortage of Two Cancer Drugs

WASHINGTON — Dire shortages of two critical cancer drugs — shortfalls that have threatened the lives and care of thousands of patients — should be resolved within weeks, federal drug officials said.

By the National Cancer Institute

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 12, 2012 – Have you dyed or relaxed your hair? Do you put on lipstick before you head out to work? Do you paint your nails? Many Hispanic women have a beauty routine or beauty products that they regularly use. Have you ever worried that yours might increase your risk for cancer? Before you panic and cancel your appointment at the salon, read on—it’s time to break down some beauty-related cancer fact and fiction.

Hair Dye: It is estimated that more than one-third of women over age 18 and about 10 percent of men over age 40 use some type of hair dye.  Hair dyes are full of chemicals—5,000, to be precise—and that hasn’t escaped the notice of cancer researchers. Decades ago, researchers began studying chemicals used in hair dye. They found that early dye formulations contained chemicals that could cause cancer in animals. Not surprisingly, manufacturers changed the formulas and eliminated some of these chemicals in the United States around 1980. Because so many people use hair dyes, researchers continue to monitor whether chemicals in hair coloring products can increase risk for cancer in humans.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the evidence for increased risks for cancer from modern hair dyes use is limited and inconsistent. Some studies have indicated that people who used hair dyes had an increased risk for bladder and breast cancer, as well as cancers of the blood and bone marrow (such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia), while other studies have not. Based on its review of the evidence, the Working Group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that personal use of hair dyes is “not classifiable” as cancer-causing to humans. So it is still unclear if personal use of hair dyes can increase your risk for cancer. If you would like to learn more about hair dye and health risks, the Outreach and Information Center of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has information about hair dyes and how they are regulated. Visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm (search term: hair dye).

Hair Straightening: If you or your stylist uses hair smoothing or straightening products keep in mind that some of these products contain formaldehyde. Although formaldehyde is naturally occurring and is also used widely in many consumer products, this chemical is a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) and can also cause skin irritation and sensitization.  People can be exposed to formaldehyde in the workplace and in their home environment, but the highest levels are found in work settings where formaldehyde is produced or used. In a salon, formaldehyde levels are elevated when formaldehyde-containing products are being applied, but they quickly return to a lower level. Remember that although your cancer risk from these hair products may be low, both hair dyes and straightening products contain chemicals that can hurt your skin, hair, and eyes especially if you are not careful or do not use them as intended. To learn more about the short-term and long-term risks of formaldehyde, visit www.cancer.gov (search term: formaldehyde).

Nail Products: When you head in for a manicure and you see the manicurist wearing a dust mask, you may have wondered about your own safety too. Nail salon workers wear dust masks to minimize breathing in dust particles when filing or shaping artificial nail enhancements.  Dust masks are intended to prevent inhalation of dust, but they do not protect against inhalation of chemicals. Professional nail care products are typically formulated to minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals that may cause adverse health effects.  However, overexposure may occur and could result in skin irritation, allergic reaction, or serious eye injury. If you work at a nail salon, own a salon, or just want to learn more, check out the publication Protecting the Health of Nail Salon Workers by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The publication helps workers understand product ingredients and how to prevent overexposure to those that present potential health risks. As with any cosmetic product that may be hazardous if misused, you should read labels of nail products carefully and heed any warnings. But as far as cancer is concerned, there is no known risk associated with using nail products. To read more about safety information for nail products, visit www.fda.gov (search term: nail products).

Lipstick: Some of the natural colors used in lipstick contain trace amounts of lead.  The National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health says that lead and lead products are “reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.” However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assessed the potential for harm to consumers from use of lipstick containing lead and determined that there is no safety concern because lipstick is intended for topical use and is only ingested incidentally and in small quantities. Always use your lipstick only as directed and keep the products away from children. Visit www.fda.gov (search term: lipstick) for more.

With all the news coverage out there claiming this product or that product may cause cancer, it sometimes may be hard to figure out what’s safe, what’s hazardous, and what’s plain, old sensationalized. One way to minimize the damage and fear caused by misinformation is to identify respected sources—such as the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov) or Food and Drug Administration—and use them as primary resources for your health information.   Knowing the facts is one way to keep your beauty routine good-looking inside and out.

NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI web site at www.cancer.gov/espanol or call NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). More articles and videos in the culturally relevant Lifelines series are available at www.cancer.gov/lifelines.

“THON” is the world’s largest student-run philanthropy, with all proceeds going to The Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.

The record total came in spite of the recent turmoil at Penn State, which began when a scandal involving a former assistant football coach erupted in early November. The school also had to cope with the death of Hall of Fame former football coach Joe Paterno in January.

The fund-raising efforts of the students against such a difficult backdrop — and in such a difficult economy — was not lost on the Paterno family, especially his son, Jay. The former Nittany Lion assistant coach took the THON stage in the Bryce Jordan Center as the event was winding down Sunday and predicted the record total.

“When the storm clouds gathered around campus in November, many ran for the hills,” he said, according to the student Web site Onward State. “But not the students. … You guys stood your ground, you kept up the fight, and later on this afternoon you’re going to shock the world.

“If you live to be 100, what you’ve done here the past two days, weeks, months — all this time you’ve put into this — what you’ve done will echo in eternity.”

This year’s total smashed the previous record of $9.5 million, which was set last year. Since 1973, THON has raised more than $88 million for the fight against pediatric cancer.

More than 700 dancers participated in the marathon, starting Friday afternoon and dancing for the following 46 hours. Tens of thousands of visitors stopped by the arena to check out the action. Also on hand were many of the pediatric cancer patients and survivors who have benefitted from funds raised at THON.

The event concluded at 4 p.m. Sunday.

In the past, Joe Paterno would make a point of stopping by THON with his wife Sue to take the stage and motivate the dancers as only he could. In 2009, he was moved to tears when he said, “I wish the whole world could see and feel what is in this room right now. Love and commitment and the dedication. … It’s been 58 years at Penn State. I’ve never been more proud than right now.”

Though the coach died Jan 22 following a short bout with lung cancer, his presence was still felt at this year’s event. Shortly after his passing, Paterno’s family requested that in lieu of flowers or gifts, that donations be made to THON or Special Olympics.

University of Michigan pediatric oncology researcher Elizabeth R. Lawlor, M.D., Ph.D., has received a $150,000, two-year grant from CureSearch for Children’s Cancer to help study metabolic changes in Ewing sarcoma with the goal of developing new treatments for this bone cancer.

Understanding how these cancer cells survive is a primary focus of investigation in many research laboratories around the world, including Lawlor’s. Lawlor is the Russell G. Adderley Professor of Pediatric Oncology and an associate professor of pediatrics and pathology at the U-M Medical School.

Ewing sarcoma is the second most common type of bone tumor in children and adolescents, typically affecting the pelvis, tibia, fibula, and femur. This cancer most often occurs in adolescents, with nearly half of cases arising when the patient is between the ages of 10 and 20.

While most patients with Ewing sarcoma respond to treatment, nearly a third with localized disease and almost all patients with metastases relapse after their initial remission. Although the reasons for relapse are complex and not yet completely understood, it is believed that in at least some cases, there are cells in the original tumor that survive despite highly toxic doses of chemotherapy.

Lawlor’s lab previously identified that Ewing sarcoma cells have an abnormal response to stressful environments. Specifically, unlike normal cells, Ewing sarcoma cells survive when deprived of oxygen.

In collaboration with her colleague, Jeff Martens, Ph.D., an associate professor in the U-M Department of Pharmacology, Lawlor’s group has discovered that suppression of the potassium ion channel Kv1.5 is, at least in part, responsible for this abnormal cell survival. Kv1.5 is a type of protein in cells that moves potassium out of cells. Lawlor hypothesizes that restoring expression of the Kv1.5 channel in Ewing sarcoma cells may inhibit their resistance to cell death and lead to better outcomes for patients.

To conduct this study, Lawlor and her team will study both normal and cancer cells to understand the mechanisms of Kv1.5 channel suppression in Ewing sarcoma.

“Cell death under conditions of stress requires that potassium ions move out of the cell,” Lawlor says. “In cancer this is often blocked, leading to abnormal cell survival. If we can understand how this response is disrupted in Ewing sarcoma, we can develop tools to reactivate it. Ultimately, our goal is to use this knowledge to prevent survival of the most therapy-resistant cells and thereby prevent tumor relapse.”

Lawlor’s research is funded through the Nick Currey Fund at CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. Established by Ralph and Nancy Currey in memory of their son, Nick, who died in November 2005 after a 14-month battle with cancer, the Nick Currey Fund’s purpose is to support research to find a cure for the disease that took Nick’s life – Ewing sarcoma. The Currey family hopes that research supported by the Nick Currey Fund will hasten the arrival of the day when no young person’s life ends prematurely because of Ewing sarcoma.

The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the country. It was nationally ranked in all ten pediatric specialties in the U.S. News Media Group’s 2011 edition of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” including third in the country for heart and heart surgery. The hospital is now in a new 1.1 million square feet, $754 million state-of-the-art facility that is home to cutting-edge specialty services for newborns, children and women.

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer is a national non-profit foundation whose mission is to fund and support children’s cancer research and provide information and resources to all those affected by children’s cancer. CureSearch raises funds for promising research conducted at more than 175 hospitals in the United States, participating in National Cancer Institute sponsored clinical trials conducted by the Children’s Oncology Group. CureSearch also funds other clinical, basic and translational research so that researchers can understand all aspects of children’s cancer, from its causes to its consequences.

Visit C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital for more information on pediatric cancer’s treated at the University of Michigan or U-M Clinical Studies for childhood cancer clinical trials.

One way to tackle a tumor is to take aim at the metabolic reactions that fuel their growth. But a report in the February Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press Publication, shows that one metabolism-targeted cancer therapy will not fit all. That means that metabolic profiling will be essential for defining each cancer and choosing the best treatment accordingly, the researchers say.

The evidence comes from studies in mice showing that tumors’ metabolic profiles vary based on the genes underlying a particular cancer and on the tissue of origin.

“Cancer research is dominated now by genomics and the hope that genetic fingerprints will allow us to guide therapy,” said J. Michael Bishop of the University of California, San Francisco. “The issue is whether that is sufficient. We argue that it isn’t because metabolic changes are complex and hard to predict. You may need to have the metabolome as well as the genome.”

Just as a cancer genome refers to the complete set of genes, the metabolome refers to the complete set of metabolites in a given tumor.

The altered metabolism of tumors has been considered a target for anticancer therapy. For instance, tumors and cancer cell lines consume more glucose than normal cells do, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. There has often been the impression that such changes in metabolism are characteristic of cancers in general, but cancer is a genetically heterogeneous disease. The team led by Bishop and Mariia Yuneva wondered how metabolism might vary with the underlying genetic causes of cancer.

They found in mice that liver cancers driven by different cancer-causing genes (Myc versus Met) show differences in the metabolism of two major nutrients: glucose and glutamine. What’s more, the metabolism of Myc-induced lung tumors is different from Myc-induced liver tumors.

“Our work shows that different tumors can have very different metabolisms,” Yuneva said. “You can’t generalize.”

Bishop and Yuneva say their findings also highlight glutamine metabolism as a potential new target for therapy in some tumors, noting that the focus has been primarily on glucose metabolism. Interestingly, the data shows that a version of a glutaminase enzyme normally found in kidney cells turns up in cancerous liver cells. That means there might be a way to attack the metabolism of the cancer without damaging normal liver tissue.

“We shouldn’t lose sight of the rather immediate therapeutic potential,” Bishop said.

The researchers will continue to inventory metabolic variation in mouse models. Ultimately, they say it will be important to catalogue the metabolic variation in the much more complex, human setting.