This page is used for providing informational updates on planned events, announcements and items of interest. Please visit this page to get updates on meetings, workshops, training and other relevant information. If you do have information that you would like others to know about, please feel free to share. Remember be very careful with sharing personal information, as this is a public media and the contents may be visible and accessible to others. Use discretion wisely.

Brease Cancer News May 15, 2008: Being physically active in the early years can stave off breast cancer.
The results from a recent study indicate that exercise and physical activity in women between ages 12-30 can reduce the occurrence of breast cacner.So one more reason to get up off the couch, get physically active. Read the full story a Eflux Media. Encourage your teenage girls to get physically active now and stay that way. You may be helping her in more ways than you can.

• Making first contact phone calls
• Writing encouragement letters, cards and notes
• Making follow up phone calls
• Hospital and in-home visitation
• Praying with and for those with needs

You can elect to serve for a specific duration

• 3 months
• 6 months
• 12 months
• .> 12 months

If you want to partner with us, then we invite you to contact, Glenn or Ann Stevens, annandale@msn.com or Anita Horning (horningfamily@juno.com) or the Church Office.

As usual we will meet in Room 105 (downstairs the main auditorium) on the fourth Sunday of each month at 4:00PM.

Ministry Areas and Cancer Care Providers (CCPs) needed:
As the ministry continues to grow and mature we are now establishing coordinators for the various ministry outlets and CCP to work specifically in these areas.

• Visitation: As the ministry continues to grow and mature we are now establishing coordinators for the various ministry outlets. Anita is now responsible for coordinating visitation support. If you are desirous of visiting (Cancer Care Recipients)CCR at a hospital or in-home please contact Anita.
• Prayer Support: Coordinator needed: The coordinator is the central point for receiving prayer requests and distributing to those who are committed to praying for those impacted with cancer. Please let us know if you want to participate in this area. Until a coordinator is appointed, please let Glenn know of your desire to serve in this ministry area.
• Encouragement Support: Coordinator needed: This ministry area entails doing practical things to encourage CCR. This may include writing get well wishes, encouragement notes, providing encouragement gifts or cheers(balloons, flowers, plants, phone calls etc.) If you want to serve in this particular area of the ministry please contact Ann.
• Information Exchange: Coordinator needed: This ministry area is responsible for developing and maintaining information resources on cancer (agencies, services, resources, relevant news) for sharing with CCRs and CCPs. Also provides updates on other service offerings by other institutions or resources that CCRs can tap into.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008. Largest tumor on record removed from a woman's skull
We seem rather intrigued with records and incidents that defy the norm. The following story courtesy of ABC.com describes removal of a tumor twice the size of a baseball from a woman in India.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/International/story?id=4365105&page=1


Monday, February 4, 2008 Twins kicked out tumor
It really does not get any more bizarre than this, an expectant mother of twins has her cancerous tumor dislodged by the kicking of her twins. For more on this story go the BBC news website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7226730.stm


Older News

December 30, 2007 -Our God reigns.
For those of you who have been praying for Ashley, she is safely home and was in church last Sunday. What a testimony of God's miraculous provisioning as He has carried her through the surgery. Melanie's updates were wonderful as she shared with us how our Lord was setting all things in order. Again I am reminded that the Lord does everything very well. We continue to pray for Ashley's complete healing and that her liver will be totally regenerated.This is a reminder for us that our God cares, He is acquainted with all our infirmities and most importantly, He loves us enough to intervene in our sufferings to bring healing and deliverance.

December 30, 2007- Cancer Care Treatment
The news is always devastating when the biopsy results comes back positive. None of us are ever prepared to hear the news that the cells were c...... . Each of us react differently to the news and very often the health care professional does not seem to be empathetic enough. For all of us who have experienced cancer first hand or secondary the impact of the news is still earth shattering. The GraceCancerCare Ministry team is hear for you. Our Lord has blessed us with caring individuals who have walked in your steps. And yes, no two steps are ever alike, but it helps to know that someone else can relate to what you are going through. The New York Times provides a report on the variety of care provided to cancer across the country that is an interesting read. For more information go to New York Times Cancer Article


November 18, 2007- A food item that kills cancer cells in rats, could it stop cancer in humans?
Yet another case has been presented that provides positive indication that certain food types can inhibit or even destroy cancer cells. In this instance, the latest news is reported in Forbes magazine that rats fed with a diet of frozen raspberries and injected with carcinogens are less likely to develop cancer. The following is a full link to the full story in the November 26, on-line issue of Forbes magazine. Forbes Magazine


October 31, 2007: Being thin can reduce your cancer risks, new study finds
The World Cancer Research Fund most recent study results are out, and surprisingly does not break any new ground. They cite a number of recommendations pertaining to diet and food types intake that can reduce one's risk of getting cancer.
They include not gaining weight as an adult, avoiding sugary drinks and alcohol, and not eating bacon or ham. Everyone must also aim to be as thin as possible without becoming underweight. For more go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7069914.stm

October 24, 2007:Study shows more women are opting for double mastectomy;
More women with breast cancer are choosing to have their healthy breast surgically removed along with their affected breast, a new study has found. Almost 5 percent of patients decided to have the radical procedure in 2003, up from just under 2 percent in 1998. For more go to :
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/health/23breast.html?em&ex=1193371200&en=2f1d35271066c898&ei=5087%0A


October 12, 2007. Decline in deaths resulting from breast cancer.
Even though the battle is far from over, the good news is that deaths from breast cancer in the United States is declining. This is according to statistics released by the American Cancer Society. For more on this please go to: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Breast_Cancer_Report_Death_Rate_Incidence_Continue_to_Drop.asp
The following is an excerpt from the article and highlights activities that are within the control of women to reduce the risk of getting cancer. The emphasis as always is on prevention.
Risk Factors Detailed
The report details the major risk factors for breast cancer that women have some control over. These include:

• Weight: Obesity increases a woman's risk of postmenopausal (but not premenopausal) breast cancer, as does weight gain during adulthood.
• Alcohol use: Women who drink just 2 alcoholic beverages a day face a 21% increase in their risk for breast cancer.
• Secondhand smoke: Although most studies have found no link between cigarette smoking and breast cancer, the link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer remains controversial.
• Exercise: Women can lower their risk of breast cancer by exercising vigorously for 45 to 60 minutes on 5 or more days per week. Postmenopausal women can lower their risk, according to one study, with any level of physical activity performed on a regular basis.
• 
  

October 7, 2007
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the American Cancer Society wants you to become involved.
Hope Starts with You!This year, over 4500 women in Georgia will hear the words, “you have breast cancer.” They are our mothers, our aunts, our sisters, our cousins, our daughters, our co-workers, and our best friends. They all have family members, friends, and colleagues who care about them. But thanks to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event and dedicated people like you, we’re making progress toward a future where no one will have to face breast cancer. For more information and to participate, click on Making Strides Event

September 16, 2007: News Headlines from Cancernews.com

Ovarian Cancer Awareness: What Women Need to Know Source: University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (September 10, 2007) Ann Arbor - Ovarian cancer doesn't get the kind of attention breast cancer gets.[more] Grape Skin Extract Inhibits Prostate Cancer Cell Growth in the Laboratory Laboratory experiments show that an extract of the skin of muscadine grapes can inhibit growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory.[more] Prostate Cancer: New device improves the accuracy of radiation therapy by monitoring patient motion Ann Arbor - Radiation for cancer treatment involves targeting intense beams in a very precise fashion to a relatively small area.[more]

August 12, 2007- Lifestyle Choices can lead to cancer, ignorance is not bliss
A most recent article published by the American Cancer Society entitled " How Much Do You Know About Cancer Risk Factors? Misplaced Beliefs Could Lead to Risky Behavior" reveals some startling information on how our knowledge or rather ignorance can lead us to make life-style choices that can promote the occurrence of cancer. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_How_Much_Do_You_Know_About_What_Causes_Cancer.asp

Ignorance: Based on the study results of 1,000 survey respondents nearly 40% of people said pollution is a greater risk factor for lung cancer than smoking, and another 19% weren't sure.

Fact: Smoking is responsible for about 87% of lung cancer deaths. Ignorance: What someone does as a young adult has little effect on their chance of getting cancer later in life. Nearly 25% said that was true, and another 7% weren't sure. Fact: The younger people are when they start smoking, the more likely they are to smoke as adults, raising their risk for lung cancer and other cancers. Young people tend to be less concerned about sun exposure even though getting sunburned is known to raise the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. Young people may also engage in risky sex behaviors that boost their chances of catching or spreading HPV (human papillomavirus), the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. As the article concludes, make sure you get factual information from reliable and trustworhty sources. Do your research rather than rehearsing myths, concocted stories and urban legends on cancer. To be informed correctly is to be fore-armed. Ignorance is not bliss, what you do not know can kill you. Check out the American Cancer Society for more information on this and many more topics.

Meeting Time Changes
Please note that the Grace Cancer Care Support Meetings will now be held monthly. Previously these were held twice per month, the second and fourth Sundays of the month. The meetings will now be held on the fourth Sunday of the month beginning in August. The meetings will continue to be used for information sharing and support care. Leading up to the September meeting we will be doing a major publication effort to get more people aware of the group and invite more to get involved. As always we value your input and ideas for the group. Remember whatever we do, we are doing it unto the Lord. Grace and peace from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ- Glenn.


July 17-2007- Healthy eating habits and breast cancer- when is too much just enough.
Read up on the study revealing that over-eating on a healthy diet does not reduce the incidence of breast cancer. Full story: http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2007/07/17/hscout606477.html



July 16-2007- Breast Cancer and Eating Grapefruit.
Eating daily diet of grapefruit can contribute to increased incidence of breast cancer. Read the full story from : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6900482.stm


2007 Cancer Care Statistics- Is the battle being won?
The American Cancer Society has compiled the following statistics on cancer. This highly informational and fact based presentation is a must read. http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/Cancer_Statistics_Combined_2007.ppt#349,27,Tobacco Use in the US, 1900-2003



Future Meeting Topics
The first meeting for July we will be a workshop to be presented by Angelo on "Managing Fatigue resulting from Surgery, Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy". Angelo works as a professional in the oncology field in the areas of therapy and will have practical and useful information to share. We want to publicize this to as much as possible so please spread the word.

Special Thanks to Cannon Methodist Church.
We are extremely grateful to Cancer Care Ministry Leadership at Cannon Methodist for their assistance to date in helping us with the launch of Grace's Cancer Care Ministry. This was indeed an arrangement by the Lord, based under the circumstances how we met. Cannon has offered to provide mentoring and assistance as we minister together in this area of the Lord's vineyard.

Information, Invitation Update
As we build out the minisry, we are grateful to the Lord for empowering and gifting us to do His pleasure here on earth. Please do not hesitate to invite others to participate in the ministry. We are currently tyring to get success stories, stories of hope, stories of recovery, that can be posted on the website. One of our goals is to encourage others, and as Paul reminds us we are to support each other burdents. Your story may very well be the one that the Lord uses to comfort another. So please feel free to contribute. If you are shy about posting directly to the site, please email articles to annandale@msn.com or javalont@comcast.net. If you have photographs, poetry, music that you want to share please go ahead and post. Remember the site allows you to invite others to participate in the ministry, so go ahead and use the invite others feature to do this. An email will be sent to them. Use the comments section as well to communicate any ideas, suggestions or feedback.



Cancer Community News
Dekalb Medical Center establishes dedicated support for children impacted by cancer. "GIVING CHILDREN HOPE
TREE HOUSE GANG OFFERS SUPPORT FOR KIDS". For more on this go to http://www.dekalbmedicalcenter.org/shownews.asp?id=960


Gwinnet Relay for Life
Update on the results of the Gwinnett Relay for Life.