Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children from ages 1 to 19 in the U.S. Yet, childhood cancer research and services are vastly and consistently underfunded. This weekend, Northwestern Mutual financial professionals and employees will support the fight against childhood cancer through its nonprofit partner, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), by holding nearly 200 lemonade stands as part of the Foundation’s national fundraising initiative, Alex’s Lemonade Days (June 12-14).
Founded by Alex Scott (1996-2004) in 2004, Alex’s Lemonade Days is a three-day national event that grew out of Alex’s front yard lemonade stand. During Alex’s Lemonade Days, dedicated volunteers host thousands of Alex’s Lemonade Stands across the country, raising more than $1 million for childhood cancer research. June 2015 will mark the 12th Annual Lemonade Days, and will continue Alex’s mission to raise money one cup of lemonade at a time, renewing her idea that any contributor, at any age, can make a difference.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7422153-northwestern-mutual-lemonade-days/
With September marking National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the kick-off of the 2015 NFL season, the Urology Care Foundation and the NFL have renewed their commitment to driving prostate health awareness, as well as teamed up to highlight a Public Service Announcement (PSA) focused on educating men about prostate cancer and encouraging them to take charge of their health through the Know Your Stats® campaign.
The Know Your Stats® campaign is a rallying force to connect, educate and inspire men across the country to know their prostate cancer risk and talk to their doctor about whether prostate cancer testing is right for them.
“It is important for men to know their risk and talk to their doctors so they can determine if prostate cancer testing is right for them,” said Richard A. Memo, MD, Chair of the Urology Care Foundation. “Having the tools and facts empowers individuals and their doctors to make informed decisions.”
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in America, affecting one in seven men. Odds increase to one in five if they are African American and one in three if they have a family history; however, the educational tools are making an impact. More men are talking with their doctors and getting tested, and fewer men are dying from the disease.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7365551-prostate-cancer-know-your-stats-psa/
The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), through its efforts during Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month in September and throughout the year, is working to raise awareness of the increased prevalence of the disease and the associated risk of stroke in patients living with atrial fibrillation (AFib). Today, HRS releases a new public service announcement (PSA) as part of its ongoing work to educate Americans about AFib, the most common heart arrhythmia, and how it increases one’s risk of stroke fivefold. The PSA can be viewed by clicking here.
AFib affects more than three million Americans and it is estimated that 12 to 16 million Americans will have AFib by 2050. AFib occurs when the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) fibrillate, or “quiver,” which causes a rapid, irregular heart rhythm. The normal heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats every minute. When the heart is experiencing AFib, the atria can beat over 300 times every minute.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7312151-heart-rhythm-society-afib-stroke-psa/
Ever since Donna and John met at work three decades ago, they've had the kind of smooth, comfortable relationship that comes when attraction is accompanied by compatible interests as well as strengths and weaknesses that balance each other. They pictured their senior years as an extension of what Donna Dean calls “this nice, easy life. We didn't see the calamity that was coming.”
Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's largest dementia care provider, has created new resources for care partners as part of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November. The candid discussion of many of the disease's most difficult challenges includes an up-close look at Donna's and John’s lives since he developed dementia.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722131-brookdale-alzheimers-awareness/
A ten-month clinical trial at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia has determined that hard surfaces and linens infused with copper oxide compounds contributed to an 83% reduction in C-difficile and a 78% overall reduction in a host of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) including C-diff, MRSA and VRE in a real-world clinical environment. These results occurred in a hospital with a robust protocol for managing infection risk certified by the health care accrediting body DNV-GL Healthcare.
The results of the trial were published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Infection Control on Sept. 28, 2016 and will be presented at the annual conference of the Infectious Disease Society of America in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 27, 2016.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7955751-sentara-healthcare-infections-copper-clinical-trial/
Federally funded research continues to spur progress against cancer; however, accelerating the pace of progress will require robust, sustained, and predictable annual funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, strong financial support for the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative is required, according to the sixth annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Progress Report, released today.
One of the most exciting new approaches to cancer treatment is cancer immunotherapy. As detailed in the report, the utility of immunotherapy is expanding rapidly. For example, on Aug. 1, 2015, one class of immunotherapeutics, checkpoint inhibitors, was initially approved for just two types of cancer—melanoma and lung cancer. As of Sept. 1, 2016, checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for treating six types of cancer—bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7911951-aacr-2016-cancer-progress-report/
Going on the offensive against one of the most daunting challenges in cancer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) today announced the launch of a groundbreaking, collaborative clinical trial for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a deadly disease which has seen few improvements in treatments in more than 40 years.
Beat AML was announced yesterday by Vice President Biden, along with many new, Moonshot inspired initiatives across industry, non-profit and government.
AML is the most lethal of the blood cancers, which together are the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.; AML is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each year. Despite advances in treating other blood cancers, the standard of treatment for AML – a combination of toxic chemotherapies – has remained the same for more than 40 years. Overall prognosis remains poor, with a five-year survival rate below 20 percent for patients over age 60.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7554854-lls-beat-aml-acute-myeloid-leukemia/
Ever since Donna and John met at work three decades ago, they've had the kind of smooth, comfortable relationship that comes when attraction is accompanied by compatible interests as well as strengths and weaknesses that balance each other. They pictured their senior years as an extension of what Donna Dean calls “this nice, easy life. We didn't see the calamity that was coming.”
Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's largest dementia care provider, has created new resources for care partners as part of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November. The candid discussion of many of the disease's most difficult challenges includes an up-close look at Donna's and John’s lives since he developed dementia.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722131-brookdale-alzheimers-awareness/
International research led by University College London (UCL) as part of the ‘Cities Changing Diabetes’ partnership programme challenges current scientific understanding of the rapid rise of diabetes in cities. The findings suggest that in cities around the world, social and cultural factors play a far more important role in the spread of the epidemic than previously thought.
More than two thirds of the world’s 400 million people with diabetes live in urban areas.1,2 The year-long study for Cities Changing Diabetes, a unique public-private-academic partnership, sought to better understand what makes people vulnerable to type 2 diabetes in cities in order to inform solutions for one of the most pressing modern-day public health challenges. To explore this complex issue, more than 550 interviews were undertaken with at-risk and diagnosed people in five major cities – Copenhagen, Houston, Mexico City, Shanghai and Tianjin.
“By largely focusing on biomedical risk factors for diabetes, traditional research has not adequately accounted for the impact of social and cultural drivers of disease,” says David Napier, Professor of Medical Anthropology, UCL. “Our pioneering research will enable cities worldwide to help populations adapt to lifestyles that make them less vulnerable to diabetes.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7690951-study-rethink-rise-diabetes-in-cities/
Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and the American Diabetes Association today revealed common challenges affecting the millions of Americans living with type 2 diabetes as part of the program America’s Diabetes Challenge: Get to Your Goals. Last year, award-winning artist Tim McGraw, renowned actress S. Epatha Merkerson and Chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz called on patients and their loved ones to share their stories – from inspirational successes to daily struggles. Thousands of people from across the country responded, and revealed common challenges like eating healthy, exercising, sticking to a treatment plan and coping with the disease.
“Type 2 diabetes has affected my family, friends and fans, so I’ve learned it can be challenging to manage. It was great to hear from so many people, and I’m impressed by everyone’s dedication to their health,” said McGraw. “The stories we received shed an important light on the similar hardships people in the community face as they work toward achieving their blood sugar goals.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7988751-merck-americas-diabetes-challenge-tim-mcgraw-s-epatha-merkerson-chef-leticia-moreinos-schwartz/
When a serious illness enters a family's life, there are many questions to ask and decisions to make. It is important to answer these questions quickly. The process can seem overwhelming. However, hospice care can be a wonderful resource for information about symptom management and comfort care. Hospice care professionals are available to help assess goals, pain management and care options during the decision-making process.
Are your symptoms minimal or moderate? Are these symptoms just starting to affect your life? If you want to continue treatment but also need comfort and symptom management, palliative care (often called comfort care) maybe an option. Palliative care is patient and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering. Palliative care specialists address the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and families, making sure they have access to all the information about the disease progression and the choices ahead. A patient can receive palliative care in conjunction with other treatments or therapies.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
Zensun Sci & Tech, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company based in Shanghai and San Diego, announced today positive results of four completed Phase 2 clinical trials including three double-blind, placebo-controlled studies conducted in China and Australia and interim results from the United States Phase 2 trial for Zensun’s innovative “first-in-class” anti-heart failure drug, Neucardin™.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/61677-zensun-completes-clinical-trials-of-neucardin-treatment-of-heart-failure
