Confessions from the Other Side of Oral Cancer

2011-08-05T11:01:00.001-07:00

Have you signed up for the 2011 Cleveland Walk for Oral Cancer Awareness? It's coming up on September 10th, click here for more info & to register online: http://ping.fm/K5tZx

'Like' the Oral Cancer Foundation on Facebook!

2011-06-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

Flickr Page to view photos from past events & blogs

2011-06-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

To capture a glimpse of OCF's past walks, events, and fundraisers check out the foundation's Flickr page! http://www.flickr.com/photos/oralcancerfoundation/sets/

Blythe Danner talks briefly about Oral Cancer and the Oral Cancer Foundation

2010-12-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

www.oralcancerfoundation.org

Help OCF win a $250,000 grant from Pepsi!

2010-02-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

The Oral Cancer Foundation is in the running this month to win a $250,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project! Currently ranked at #20 (that's out of 729!) OCF plans to use the grant towards a national-wide PSA campaign that will spread the importance of yearly oral cancer screenings. Since our battle is awareness, this will be huge for the oral cancer world and could make a big impact in lowering the death rate of this terrible disease.

Vote Vote Vote!! All you have to do is visit OCF's campaign page here: http://www.refresheverything.com/oralcancerfoundation#

Just click the button and youre done! But dont forget to spread the word to your friends, family, co-workers, enemies, etc. promotion is KEY to placing in the top 2 (which is where we need to be to win!) We cant do it without your help and we need your vote everyday until Feb 28th. Please help us lower the death rate from oral cancer in 2010 with the Pepsi Refresh Grant!

Thank you!

Colleen Pinter- OCF PSA

2009-10-19T11:15:00.001-07:00

Spreading awareness of the link between HPV & oral cancer

2009-10-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

This says it all. . .

2009-07-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

The article posted below I took from the OCF website. Originally released by WebMD, this article clearly expresses one of the biggest dangers in the rise of oral cancer's today. This is why its so important to spread awareness of oral cancer so that everyone gets screened annually. People are not going to change their habits and they don't need to as long as they know that something they do can lead to cancer and the only way to know is to get screened.

Oral sex cause of throat cancer rise

Thu, Jul 30, 2009

Oral Cancer News

Source: webmd.com
Author: Salynn Boyles

Changing sexual practices have led to a dramatic rise in throat cancer in the United States over the past two decades, and experts say they fear an epidemic of the disease.

The comments were made Wednesday at a news conference held by the American Association for Cancer Research to discuss research into the role of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus ( HPV) in head and neck cancer.

Increasing rates of HPV infection, spread through oral sex, is largely driving the rapid rise in oropharyngeal cancers, which include tumors of the throat, tonsils, and base of the tongue, said Scott Lippman, MD, who chairs the thoracic department at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Studies of oropharyngeal tumor tissue stored 20 years ago show that only around 20% are HPV positive, Lippman said. Today it is estimated that 60% of patients are infected with the virus.

“The percentage of oropharyngeal cancers that are HPV positive is much higher now than it was 20 years ago,” he said. “This is a real trend, and that is why there is concern of an epidemic given that fact that oropharyngeal cancer is increasing at an alarming rate.”

Changing Face of Throat Cancer
Smoking and alcohol abuse were once considered the only major risk factors for these cancers, but this is no longer the case.

American Cancer Society Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley, MD, said as many as half of the oropharyngeal cancers diagnosed today appear to be caused by HPV infection.

“Changing sexual practices over the last 20 years, especially as they relate to oral sex, are increasing the rate of head and neck cancers and may be increasing the rates of other cancers as well,” he said.

He added that there is some evidence that oral HPV infection is also a risk factor for a type of cancer of the esophagus.

“The paradigm is changing,” Lippman said. “The types of patients we are seeing now with oropharyngeal cancers are not the patients we have classically seen who were older, smokers, and have lots of other problems. These are young people, executives, a whole different population.”

Oral Sex Not Safe Sex
The experts agreed that it is critical for the public to understand that oral sex doesn’t equal safe sex. The message was unofficially promoted in the early days of the HIV epidemic and it is still widely believed by many, especially teens.

Studies suggest that teens are often unaware of the risks associated with unprotected oral sex, including the transmission of HPV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.

“There is a huge public health message here,” Brawley said.

Review The Oral Cancer Foundation on Greatnonprofits.org!

2009-07-17T12:32:00.001-07:00

During the month of July, GreatScoop, Guidestar, and Planet Cancer are running the 2009 Cancer Fighters Awards, to identify the top-rated cancer fighting organizations in the country. Nonprofits with the most positive reviews in their category will be announced as winners and receive media coverage. Awards will be given out of 8 categories (5 geographic US regions and 3 budget size- small, medium, and large). The contest deadline is July 31st.

I'm sure you all can agree that The Oral Cancer Foundation does a lot within the oral cancer world. Receiving recognition of our impact and earning this award would be a huge deal for OCF. With that said, if you agree we can surely use your help! Click on the link below to write a review on our foundation. Your review will help others learn about OCF. The most helpful reviews speak from your personal experience. You can best help others understand your experience by providing details of your story and specific examples. http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/1481157

Thank you for your help and please feel free to pass this message on to others!

Coincidence or Fate?

2009-06-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

The universe works in mysterious ways. Being at the right place at the right time has happened too much for me lately for me to hardly believe in coincidences. Call it fate or whatever you wish, but I believe that everything happens for a reason. With that said, when I’m given an opportunity to directly make a positive impact in someone’s life, I never say no. I had an amazing experience this weekend helping an oral cancer survivor save her home from foreclosure. Renee Duncan is a four-year oral cancer survivor. She lives on a ranch in Perris, CA and takes in animals that have been abused, abandoned and un-loved. Her entire life is dedicated to doing what she loves the most, working with animals. In 2005, she was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. Her tumor was so large that the doctor told her flat out that the odds of her survival were very low. Her options were to either surgically remove the tumor in her neck and half of her tongue or undergo extremely high levels of chemotherapy. She explained to the doctor that if she no longer had her tongue, she might as well be dead so she choose the chemotherapy. As any cancer patient knows, treatment comes with a high price tag. Consequently she could no longer afford her mortgage payments.

Somehow I randomly came across her story. Was it random? I don’t believe so. I was meant to come across her story and in doing so I was given the option to either help this woman or continue on with my life. If you know me, you know I can’t ever just walk away. I wasn’t sure how I could help Renee but I knew it was worth a shot. Saturday afternoon I picked up a huge bag of dog food and a card, and drove out to Renee’s ranch. For several hours I spoke with Renee as she gave me a tour of the property and introduced me to all the animals she’s rescued. Her story is amazing as is her soul. I prepared myself for an emotional visit and emotional it was. I expected to feel sorrow but instead I felt joy! Friday evening Renee’s luck turned when she received a phone call from the Governor notifying her that the eviction deadline had been dropped. At least for the time being she can keep her property until it is sold. The good news isn’t over! There are two investors interested in purchasing the land with intentions of having Renee and her animals stay.

I’m not sure how Governor Schwarzenegger found out about Renee or why he felt the need to help her out of all the people in California that are in jeopardy of loosing their homes. Whatever the reason, the universe brought us all together and I think it was on purpose. What goes around comes around and when you do good things, good things will happen to you. Renee has spent over 20 years helping animals so needless to say her karma levels were off the chart. Maybe that’s tied to her survival? I know without a doubt it’s the reason she’s waking up in her home this morning. Some will argue, well then why was her ranch up for foreclosure in the first place? She obviously was in financial trouble and its hard to get donations when no-one knows about you. Through her misfortune people started talking, soon the press got involved and eventually word got around to people that could change her situation. It’s the domino effect of life.

I was lead to Renee by fate and I choose to help Renee because it never hurts to have good Karma stored away for a rainy day. In addition, it just feels good. It feels good to know that you made a positive impact in this world. I don’t expect to rid the world of all its problems because there are too many to count, but at the end of the day if I know that I made a difference in someone’s life then my existence was put to good use.

Autumn and Hope

2009-06-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this poem he wrote a few years ago after going through a difficult time in his life. I think its very inspirational and has relevance for those diagnosed with oral cancer.

Autumn and Hope

The days, they grow short;
plants are going to seed.

A nip of cold air raises

goose bumps on your arm.

You recognize the end of a cycle is near.

It proclaims the dying

that is inevitable.

Just before the circuit reaches its nadir,

like the last bright flash of the sun,

as it sinks below the horizon,

Mother Nature bursts forth in all her glory.

The delicate scarlet, pink and maize-colored dahlias,

The stunning golden fleeced chrysanthemums, and

The burning reds, glowing oranges, rusty browns,

from Jack Frost’s magic wand.

The beauty is a manifestation of that

sudden, last glorious climax of life

life that eventually ends with

our return to Mother Earth.

From this final blaze of glory,

we find Hope!

Hope that helps us navigate

through the long, lonely,

bone-chilling depths of winter.

Hope that buoys our confidence

that after while,

upon those seemingly dead branches

along Gallup Creek,

a harbinger,

the pussy willow,

will reappear.

The harbinger spawns a joyful realization:

spring is near–

–life is stirring!

Rebirth has come round and

our cycle commences once more.

–– Lou Piotrowski –

Senate passes the bill allowing FDA regulation on tobacco products

2009-06-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last week was an historical advancement in the Senate! After decades of tobacco companies being able to do whatever they want to see that people start smoking at an early age and become addicted to their products, finally the FDA put their foot down. The newly passed bill will allow the FDA to regulate tobacco products. Preventing tobacco companies to market to minors, ban cigarettes that are labeled as "light", "mild", or flavored, limit some tobacco products such as snus, orbs and strips and most importantly require exact ingredients on tobacco packaging. Over time the FDA will also be granted a say in the amount of nicotine (the addictive agent) found in tobacco products. Great success! This is very good news.

Sometimes Life is too short

2009-06-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

As I get older I've come to understand that one of the hardest things in life is fully realizing that we are not invincible. The first time I began to register that was after my father's stroke two years ago. It came out of nowhere and was a complete shock to our entire family. I thank God everyday that he is still with us and in good health because although my mother will never admit this to me, I knew we were very close to loosing him. I believe when you experience a similar moment, your concept on life changes dramatically. Overall, life is short and realizing that is never easy. Today on the OCF message board I saw a post from one of our members whose husband has been battling oral cancer. His name is Ron and he passed away Saturday morning. I would like to share her blog with all of you. As you read her story you can feel every emotion her and her family went through. My heart goes out to Ron's wife and family.

http://www.ronswife.com/

The Oral Sex Cancer Connection

2009-04-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Some food for thought:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=6034244&page=1

I asked why people started smoking. . .

2009-04-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

I sent out a message to all the OCF Facebook followers asking to share their stories of smoking. If they smoke or smoked, why did they start? I've never been addicted to anything and probably only smoked 2 cigarettes in my life, both times thinking they were disgusting. I just don't grasp the appeal of cigarettes or any type of drug. So as Im working on a few videos for OCF, I could talk about the consequences of smoking all day. However, we all know the consequences (I'd like to hope) but people still smoke. The problem isn't being aware of what you're doing, the problem is starting in the first place. Maybe Im not going to be the one to influence my friends to "put out the butt". If I lecture to them they'll just tune me out. I mean in all honesty I would too. What do I know? I've never been addicted. So I went on a quest to find the answer, why do people start in the first place? The only thing that will change people is themselves. Not me, not anyone, just them. BUT if I rewind to the beginning and eliminate the cause of the action in the first place, I can prevent the younger generations from starting; and in the meantime if I influence my generation now to quit, Ill come out on top.

Kim Lorenz Early wrote
at 5:39pm on April 20th, 2009

Hi Megan,
I started smoking when I was 13 yrs old, I just wanted to fit in with everyone. I am still smoking and much older now, and I wish I never started, I have attempted to quit but no success. I lost my Mom 5 years ago to oral cancer as the result of her smoking. If I can be any help please let me know, good luck and I hope the word can get out there before someone else takes up this addictive habit. Kim Early

Shirley Gutkowski (Madison, WI) wrote
at 7:42pm on April 20th, 2009

Started when I was 15 because I could.
Quit at 19 because I was pg.
Started at 21 to keep up with husband.
Quit because I was pg again.
Started because hygiene school was stressful
Quit to keep a job at age 29.

Amy Baker Knight (Panama City, FL) wrote
at 10:11pm on April 20th, 2009

I started smoking at 14. Why, I have no idea. I didn't do it around people for a year. Not even my best friend knew. I quit smoking when I turned 40, just over a year ago. I just couldn't see myself smoking past 40.

Liz Read wrote
at 10:43pm on April 20th, 2009

I started smoking when i was 13. because we all did in the 60's I stopped when i was 46 and started again a week before robin died. when i was 54 I am now hooked worse than i ever was .

Chuck Feeney wrote
at 7:03am on April 21st, 2009

Started smoking at age 12 to fit in. Quit at 36 when my Dad was Dx with Emphysema. Dx with SCCHN at age 55.

Lee Smith (Rockford, IL) wrote
at 7:10am on April 21st, 2009

Started smoking around age 18, as soon as I started college. I smoked alone most of the time, to relieve stress...college was very stressful for me. I used to go through about a pack a day with no trouble at all...didn't matter that I couldn't afford cigarettes, I bought them with credit cards. I quit briefly after college, then started up again when I met my hubby (who smokes). I quit again when I decided I wanted to have kids and haven't started back up since. I actually hate being around cigarette smoke now. My main motivation for not smoking now is my kids, and the fact that I feel alot better now that I've quit. Would love to help my hubby quit, but he has a very addictive personality. He's been hypnotized before, and it helped briefly, but didn't stick. I know I can't make him quit, he has to want that for himself.

Sandy Crye Mccoy (Chattanooga, TN) wrote
at 6:01pm yesterday

My husband was a smoker for 37 years,he tried quitting so many times and also tried the patches,chantix,nircoette gum and nothing worked. He was diagnosed with oral cancer in June 2008 and passed away Jan.6,2009 he was only 55 years old.

Maya Sherif (Sarasota, FL) wrote
at 8:57pm yesterday

Sorry for your loss Sandy.
My husband has been a smoker aswell for almost 28 years never tried or bother quitting!!
He was diagnosed with oral cancer in june 2006 and passed away october 2008 at the age of 43.
our boy is 2 1/2 years old and i'm 36...i miss him so much...may he rest in peace.

Monika Carlson

April 21 at 7:16pm

i smoked for about 5 years, probably 5 cigarettes a day. It actually started with cloves. I love cinnamon and smelled cloves when I was drinking one day and wanted to try one. I smoked cloves for a year and then moved onto menthol lights which all my girlfriends smoked since I'd run out of cloves and that was all they had to offer.

I ended up quitting ironically because I was afraid of oral cancer. I used to work at Zila who makes ViziLite, and no one at Zila smoked. I spent a couple weeks smoking up the street at the gas station after lunch and felt like a junkie. :oP Anyways, a couple months into the job the pictures of oral cancer were getting to me and I started having asthma attacks in my sleep and got really freaked out. I ended up quitting and used training for my first half marathon and then full marathon to quit.

After I had quit a few months into working there I couldnt believe all the other closet smokers that I worked with that I found out about. The clinical pictures we'd look at were so disgusting!! How could it not scare anyone into quitting!

good luck with your project!

- Monika

Deb Ellis

April 21 at 7:21pm

Hi Megan,

I started smoking when I was 16 - peer pressure.
I highly recommend cold turkey as the best method to quit.
And...
www.whyquit.com
Best of luck with your project.

Lisa Furr Nielsen

April 20 at 9:19pm

Hi Megan - I started smoking when I was 15 years old because all of my new friends were smoking. I didn't smoke regularly but did smoke whenever I got the chance, in between classes at high school, and after school with my friends. I only smoked for about 4 years, off and on, and certainly not on a regular basis, except for the last 2 years, when I would smoke maybe 10 cigarettes per day. Twenty-three years later, in 2007, four days after my 43rd birthday, I was diagnosed wtih metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, unknown primary, most likely nasopharyngeal or base of tongue.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I would be more than happy to help.

Susan Pansmith

April 22 at 5:44pm

I started smoking at 17 when I was at college. I think for me the association was it was what adults did. My mother, and all 4 grandparents had smoked or were smoking at the time (mom had quit) and it seemed to be part of the right of passage. Many of my peers in college smoked as well. That's what started me. I quit at least twice before this last time..one time for 5 years and another for 2 years. I restarted each time when under emotional stress. I've quit this time for more than 2 years and since I did under stress, lol, I think it will be permanent.

Dip-nation.com

2009-04-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wow. This has to be the most disgusting thing Ive ever seen. Dip-nation.com is online social network set up exactly like Facebook. They encourage their users to create profiles, post topics about using dip and advertise new smokeless tobacco. It goes to show that these tobacco companies are ruthless and are coming up with new-age marketing strategies to continue to market to younger generations. FYI guys, in no way shape or form is this "cool". I just dont see the appeal of putting something in your mouth that makes your breath smell bad and causes you to spit. Theres no way Im kissing you.

Find more videos like this on Dip Nation

The Daffodil Principle

2009-04-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week my dad sent me an email that told the story of the daffodil principle. If you havet read it, go to this link: http://www.tasgreetings.com/daffodil.htm then you will know where Im coming from.

The story about the Daffodil Principle is very inspiring to me. I think that it can relate to just about everything you do in life. Being young, inexperienced and American I would be lying if I said that I don't search for instant gratification in everything. The fact of the matter is, we all do at times. However, the most rewarding things in life are not as easy to obtain as pulling through a drive-through for a hamburger and coke. Life is a journey and you have to work for what you want a little bit every day to achieve your goals. Here at The Oral Cancer Foundation I am realizing that more and more. Although I want to move a mountain in a day, I cant. However, if everyday I move a pebble and inspire people around me to move pebbles, one day that mountain will be moved.

I was told that working at The Oral Cancer Foundation will be both very rewarding some days and very challenging on other days. Today was a good day, a very good day. I came across the personal blog site of 2 Oral Cancer patients. One has been struggling Oral Cancer for 4 years and the other was recently told that Cancer has cleared his system. After reading there own similar but different stories I contacted each one offering help from the foundation. At the end of the day. . . did I move a mountain? No. But I moved a few pebbles today and thats better than I did yesterday. One day I can only hope that these pebbles will aid in me moving that mountain.

Spreading Like Wildfire!

2009-04-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

I walked into my neighborhood convenient store today and the first thing I see as soon as I walk up to the door is this:

DO NOT BE FOOLED!

Camel, who has been known in the past for marketing tobacco products to a younger audience (such as with "Joe Camel") is doing it again. New Camel tobacco products Snus, Crush, Orbs, Sticks & Strips are now on the market and in stores everywhere. Check out this video below, Users & Parents BEWARE, all of these products have 5 times the amount of nicotine than that of 1 cigarette. 5 times! Thus making these products the most addictive on the market. No wonder they're marketing these to kids & teens, the younger you start the more longevity the customer. Its all about the money and thats a main reason why these are legal. That and the fact that R.J. Reynolds has the government fooled saying that they're goal is to market these products to pre-existing smokers. Backing that up with the facts that snus, crush, orbs, sticks and strips do not cause lung cancer. Well for once they're releasing a true statement. It wouldn't cause lung cancer but it sure as heck will cause Oral Cancer and since consumers are ingesting these products, its only a matter of time before we find the connection to other cancers. Educate yourself and be smart.

No Holding Back

2009-03-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Oral Cancer doesn't hold back so why should we? I put together this image today showing what Oral Cancer can do to you. I call this lucky. They're "lucky" because they fall under the 65% of people that survive from late stages of Oral Cancer. If it were me, Id rather be the 90% of "lucky" people that are diagnosed with Oral Cancer in an early stage. Thats why its so important to ask your dentist for an Oral Cancer screening. Sadly, only 20% of dentists in America perform these screenings. The odds are against you, so take action and control your own fate. Ask for an Oral Cancer screening today!

Hello!

2009-03-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

My name is Megan Cannon and I am the new Communications Manager at The Oral Cancer Foundation. Here at OCF its my job to spread awareness of Oral Cancer to the general public and focusing especially to the young adult population. In all honesty, before I took this position I had no idea of the link between Oral Cancer and HPV. Now I know that this effects me too, a young woman who is smoke and tobacco free! I want everyone else to know too and demand an Oral Cancer screening on the regular from their dentists. I feel very passionate about my new position and I will do everything in my power to make a difference.

I thought it would be neat to give the public an inside look to The Oral Cancer Foundation through my eyes. Ive created this blog so that all can follow me on my daily tasks with this non-profit foundation. I encourage you to keep looking back because I will update this blog on a daily basis as the tasks and activities come my way!

For those of you that are in to social networking, we are on Twitter, Myspace & Facebook. Please add OCF as your friend!

TWITTER page:
http://twitter.com/oralcancerfnd

Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/oralcancerfoundation

Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20872761218

(In addition to this group, add our FB page! This will appear on your profile so you can help us spread awareness more!)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Newport-Beach-CA/The-Oral-Cancer-Foundation/71652992791?ref=mf

Be the change you want to see in the world,

Megan