Foundation Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 1 March 2005

by Helen Moss

Since the November 2004 - 5th Annual Tea Party at Myers University Club, so much has happened

5th Annual Tea Party, November 2004

Dr. Gary Deng of Memorial Sloan-Kettering spoke to about 250 people, and we all were heartened. The Integrative Medicine Department at this medical center works together with every one of their major oncologists in consultations with patients and with their continuing research on supplements, herbs, and treatments in conjunction with their mainstream treatments. Their herbal and supplement website is the only one on the Internet from a major medical center with information and studies on hundreds of herbs. Their researcher constantly monitors it. For information I have provided a link (add link). You may read the speech I have at the tea (link).

Endow a Chair in Integrative Medicine here in Ohio!

We need a Chair in Integrative Medicine for research and to educate our mainstream doctors here in Ohio to pass on information to treat their patients in a holistic manner. Because of this void, our Foundation is going to raise $2,000,000 to endow a Chair in Integrative Medicine mirroring the Laurence Rockefeller Chair at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York. I have applied for a grant for $1,000,000. I am working desperately hard to get this grant. I will keep you posted on its success and the plans for the funds. If we miss this one, then we will try for others. I am not giving up.

Optimistic - We will commit $100,000 a year to this new Chair when the money is raised.

Once a Chair is established at a major medical center, it will have to be maintained for its continuation. We want to raise $100,000 annually to insure its continuation. High goals.

Society for Integrative Oncology

Along with two Trustees, I attended the Society for Integrative Oncology Conference founded last November by Dr. Barrie Cassileth who is Chairman of Integrative Medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. There were medical professionals from all over the world. I again heard what was happening with research and services in Integrative Medicine at M.D.Anderson and Dana Farber. I have heard these people speak at two other conferences, and the departments are continuing to become stronger in their work with the physicians at their respective medical centers. Memorial Sloan-Kettering is far ahead of the others primarily due to Dr. Cassileth. This Society will be working with ASCO, the American Society for Clinical Oncologists, the largest society of its kind, which includes most oncologists in the US. The relationships and connections we made for Cleveland cannot be stressed enough. There were only two physicians from Cleveland present. However, until we get a Chair in Integrative Medicine, it is too difficult to disseminate the information to our mainstream physicians.

Dr. Judah Folkman - Speaker for fall or spring

During the Conference Dr. Judah Folkman of Harvard, America's foremost scientist/researcher and America's "Cancer Warrior," spoke about his 30-year project on anti-angeogenesis; i.e., targeting the cancer itself in treatment rather than the entire body. The PBS program NOVA has produced a movie about him called "The Cancer Warrior". I recommend that everyone see it (click here for more information and to watch online). A copy can be purchased from Amazon.com.

I spoke to him. He is a vital, dedicated human being and a wonderful speaker. I will be working with Dean Ralph Horwitz of Case Western Reserve Medical School to bring Dr. Folkman into Cleveland to speak to students, physicians, and the public. We, the public, need to be heartened by this brilliant, caring doctor as well as learn about new ways of treating cancer. We will have him speak late this year or early next year. In fact, he told me that if my cancer came back he would cure me. I smiled. My main focus right now is to get this man to Cleveland to talk to us.

I saw him again in February here in Cleveland. Dr. Folkman was born in Cleveland and is anxious to come and speak. I am very interested in a food supplement that Memorial Sloan-Kettering recommended to me and that I started taking a year and a half ago. I credit it for keeping my cancer in remission. Memorial Sloan-Kettering is studying it for its immune enhancing properties and the early studies are promising. There are no apparent side effects. When I told him about it, Dr. Folkman agreed to test it in his lab for anti-geogenesis properties. I repeat, in fact, I am shouting, "We must have a research center in Northeast Ohio!" We can then work with these other centers to coordinate our research with them.

Fundraising
Please join and contribute as many times as you want.

We depend upon people joining the Foundation to get the necessary funds for our programs. I do not want to have a Fundraiser per se. It will take up too much energy and money. This way, all your money goes immediately to our bottom line. It also goes to produce and update our website, which, in essence, is our office. It is the least expensive way to disseminate information. Please join and help us. Thank you!

My Health

As many of you know, my cancer almost 5 years ago was very serious. I didn't think that I would live out a year. Statistically speaking, only 35% survive in a 5-year period and at the end of 10 years, only 10% are living. I am a lucky woman to be alive.

However, I want to stay alive. Currently I am taking a food supplement, an immune booster that Memorial Sloan-Kettering recommended a year and a half ago. I put on 15 of the 30 lbs I lost and I feel wonderful. If I felt this way before I had the cancer, I would have said that I feel fine. But the euphoria of being alive has made the word "wonderful." I want to keep on going and fulfill the mission of this Foundation.

Immune Booster

There is difficulty in finding certain herbs and food supplements. We want to work to provide availability through the Foundation website.

Our board has been discussing creating another website for selling to the public a few food supplements that have been recommended to me because of the early studies showing such promise regarding the immune system. But, how to find them, where to buy them, and exactly what is being said about them from reliable sources is a problem. Well, the herbal website from Memorial Sloan-Kettering will give information, and we can get a link to show the manufacturer and their guidelines and reputation. What we want is "transparency." We are discussing this possibility with an FDA attorney.

However, the Board wants to be sure that we do not have a conflict of interest. It is my contention that since none of us profits personally and any profits go to the Foundation that there is no "Conflict of interest." There must be certain criteria such as little or no side effects and a warning to discuss the taking of these supplements with your physician. We are also in touch with an insurance company regarding our liability. It is an interesting idea, one that we will continue to explore.

When you face death, that fact will change you.

Recently I wrote a letter of condolence in which I expressed what I think is a truth I learned in facing death. I want to share it with you.

"….I always say that when you face death, that fact will change you. It doesn't mean that you are going to be a better person. And you will not be able to help that you have changed - the finality of death changes you. You will make choices consciously or unconsciously that will lead you into the direction of that change."

My direction was this Foundation. My family and friends give me energy, and I put it into this mission. All you members are my friends. By reinforcing this Foundation, I feel that you are reinforcing my life and giving me the energy to continue.

   Have a wonderful

Helen