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Archive for the ‘Canary Challenge’ Category

Lung Cancer Early Detection: Canary Focuses on Non-Smokers

April 17, 2013

Recently, a story was published on KPLC 7 News noting how early detection is particularly difficult with lung cancer. In keeping with Canary Foundation’s two-step process, the Canary Early Cancer Detection for Lung Cancer program’s goal is to develop a combined blood test and imaging approach to detect lethal lung cancer early, because early detection and treatment greatly enhance survival.

“Oftentimes lung cancer symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing are confused with conditions like asthma and pneumonia. That is why it is so important that those in the medical community know the next step for lung cancer diagnosis: Screenings.” (KPLC 7 News Online, “Early detection very difficult with lung cancer”)

The Canary Lung team is tackling the under-recognized area of lung cancer in non-smokers, seeking to understand why it develops and what the disease characteristics are in order to create screening tools for that disease.

Imaging for Lung Cancer Early Detection

CT screening* can reduce mortality from lung cancer, shown recently with the results of the National Lung Screening Trial, or NLST. Currently, when patients undergo a CT scan, it’s possible to see a problem spot, such as a lung nodule, but difficult to determine whether or not it is cancer. This presents a real opportunity to enhance the specificity of current imaging technology so it will be possible to determine if a spot isn’t or is cancer, and if so, whether it shows lethal characteristics. More »

Canary Challenge Training with Vanderkitten Racing

April 15, 2013

Are you looking to step up your performance for the Canary Challenge on September 28? You are invited to participate in a special cycling training session hosted by Vanderkitten Racing! All Canary-registered cyclists are encouraged to attend, and are welcome to bring a friend for no charge.

For those not yet registered, the training is $25 (or you can register for the Canary Challenge to waive the fee). Don’t worry about getting left behind! This is a no-drop ride for beginners and intermediate cyclists.

Training Details
Sunday, April 21st
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Palo Alto, CA
Departs from California Avenue
(Exact location included in response to your RSVP)

Early Prostate Cancer Detection Builds Clinical Trial Base

April 9, 2013

One of Canary’s major research areas is early detection of prostate cancer, as well as differentiating types of prostate cancer. Our clinical trial, PASS (Prostate Active Surveillance Study), has 880 enrolled toward the goal of 1000 participants enrolled with each person receiving five years of follow-up study.

Ultimately, Canary Foundation maintains that the medical community would like to be able to tell a patient if his prostate cancer is an aggressive or lethal form so that it can be treated, while avoiding unnecessary treatment for those patients who do not have an aggressive form of the disease (and therefore sparing those men of the side effects of surgery or other treatments, which includes potential incontinence and impotence).

PASS is increasingly recognized as a strong resource for studies of the types of biomarkers that distinguish aggressive cancer.  Men with early-stage cancer are enrolled and followed closely for signs that their cancer is progressing, while donating specimens for research.  Some men will have cancer that progresses and some will not, and the Canary-led science team will have specimens collected over the years from both groups.

Because it is a high quality resource, PASS is attracting collaborations with scientists and companies who have promising markers to validate.

Tragedy Happens when it’s Too Late

April 2, 2013

A cancer diagnoses changes you forever. You never forget the moment it came. John F. Kennedy once said: “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters – one represents danger, the other represents opportunity”. My diagnosis was definitely a crisis. It was frightening news, but at the same time one of the most beautiful things that has ever happened to me.

How on earth can one admit that cancer is a beautiful thing? Let’s be clear – I am by no means saying that cancer is good. However, the silver lining is that I was immediately awakened. I found myself realizing that life can be taken away with little to no warning. I made amends with long lost friends and loved ones. I became so much closer to my family. I even became a much bigger fan of baseball and the other hobbies that I loved. The one problem was, I had cancer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI-TFy_db54

I was standing in line at AT&T Park getting ready to see my beloved San Francisco Giants. I went to the game hours early with the hopes that I would get my hands on one of their bobblehead giveaways. After standing in line for hours, I began to experience intense back pain. I had a very hard time waiting and found myself sitting on the ground quite a bit with the hopes of the pain subsiding. After a few hours, I finally made it into the park with the very valuable Joe DiMaggio bobblehead in hand and was ready for a very exciting day at the yard.

As the day progressed, the pain did not go away, and I had to leave the game early. I knew that something was wrong. As I was reaching for my train ticket from my front pocket, I experienced a great deal of pain coming from my testicle – a feeling that I’d never experienced before. Knowing my body, I took a deep breath and confirmed that something was definitely wrong.

When I got home, I called my mother. I told her, “Mom…something is wrong and I think I have cancer.” She was taken aback by me saying this and told me to remain positive. Something my mom has always reminded me to do.

I went to see my Urologist and told him about my symptoms. After my examination, he admitted that he felt a nodule on my testicle, but he felt I had nothing to worry about and recommended an ultrasound only for peace of mind. What I had going for me per the physician is that “I was too old (I was 33 yrs old at the time) and that “symptoms are rare.” I had the ultrasound and 13 minutes later I was told that my testicle needed to be removed right away. Basically, act now and ask questions later. I had a ‘crisis’ on my hands.

Fortunately, the cancer was caught at one of the earliest stages possible (Stage 1B, localized, but beginning to spread). But I never saw it coming; there was no history of cancer in my family. How did this happen, and why? What did I do to bring this on? What if it hadn’t been caught early?

Can you imagine a world where testing and early detection would be the standard, and cancer would be that much closer to being solved? I can. The key to winning the battle against cancer is being able to defeat it long before it takes us and our loved ones. I strongly believe early detection testing and technology will become standard someday. We must be vigilant, strong, and as my mom has always reminded me to do, stay positive. Cancer as we know it will be a thing of the past. Someday, cancer will lose its battle.

About the Author:
Eric Henderson is a survivor of testicular cancer. He is a clinical medical assistant with Stanford Vascular & Endovascular Care. Follow him on Twitter @TheHendu.

About The Video:
Eric’s video is a submission for our #WhyIRideCanary Campaign, featuring the stories of Canary Challenge riders and the reason they support cancer early detection research. To learn more and to participate, visit our campaign page.

Mike’s Bikes Supports the Canary Challenge: Riding for Cancer Early Detection

March 19, 2013

We’re very excited to announce that Mike’s Bikes has joined the Canary Foundation family by becoming a Canary Challenge sponsor!

Mike’s Bikes was founded in 1964 as one of Marin County’s very first Schwinn shops. Today, Mike’s Bikes is a growing family of local bike shops, all with a singular purpose – to get as many people on bikes as possible. They own and operate eleven wildly successful stores in Petaluma, San Rafael, Sausalito, San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Sacramento, Walnut Creek, and their newest stores in San Jose and Pleasanton.

Mike’s Bikes will offer a 15% discount to all Canary Challenge riders on parts and accessories at any one of their 11 stores. Riders need to bring in their registration or confirmation form that shows they are a part of the ride. Visit their website to learn more about their products and locations.

Support Mike’s Bikes for supporting Canary, and get a great discount on your riding gear in the process!

Riding Together for Cancer Early Detection: Canary Challenge Celebrates Partnership with Vanderkitten Racing

February 22, 2013

Text “Canary” to 99000 for the scoop on the Canary Challenge!

Canary Challenge celebrated our new partnership with Vanderkitten Racing with a 75K ride along the Canary Challenge route in the lovely hills behind Palo Alto, CA. Ten cyclists from their team came together from all over the world to promote our September 28, 2013 ride to raise funds to benefit the Stanford Cancer Institute and Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection. Since 2005, Vanderkitten has been committed to spreading awareness of women excelling, battling the odds and achieving. They are an organization dedicated to increasing the visibility of successful women and inspiring women by sharing those stories. Canary Challenge is excited and honored to partner with an organization that so highly values and promotes women’s athletics – especially since physical activity is one of the cornerstones of cancer prevention.

The ride lasted about three hours, looping through the scenic route through Portola Valley and up King’s Mountain Road to Woodside and back past Palo Alto. The riders were delighted to be accompanied by Edwin the Early Cancer Detection Early Bird, our very own mascot. If you haven’t ridden the Canary Challenge before, you’ll be astounded by the gorgeous scenery and incredible views. You’re in for a treat!

Following the ride was a healthy lunch and a presentation by our founder, Don Listwin, who articulated the Canary Foundation mission and vision for our new partners. The riders were fascinated by the statistics illustrating how most funding for cancer research goes tocuring cancer at its later stages, rather than investing in technologies that will help us catch it early. By the end of the presentation, the team was fully on board to support Canary’s vision to live in a world where cancer is detected in its earliest, most curable stages.

A tour of the facility proved equally exciting, where the riders had a chance to see the labs and research teams hard at work on the most cutting edge technology in cancer early detection.

We’re beyond thrilled to have Vanderkitten Racing on board for the Canary Challenge. We consider them a part of our team, and they consider us a part of theirs. Join us for the ride onSeptember 28 for a chance to meet the Vanderkitten Racing team and even ride along with them (as long as you can keep up, that is!). Text “Canary” to 99000 for more information, or just go and Register today.

In Memory: Lawrence Viariseo, Canary Challenge Rider and Cancer Early Detection Advocate

January 29, 2013

Lawrence Viariseo survived a fall off of a tall cliff, and fought a brave battle with cancer before his passing in late January. He raised funds for the Canary Challenge in 2012.  His service is being held February 9, 2013 in Palo Alto, California.

Mr. Viariseo asked for friends or family members to donate to the Canary Challenge in lieu of flowers.

His niece Megan Cox describes him this way, “As you may remember, my uncle was a paraplegic who had beat stage 4 bladder cancer once before.  The doctors at Stanford he felt had saved his life. It meant the world to him to be entering into the challenge in 2012 to give back to those doctors.”

CLICK HERE to make a donation to honor his memory. Please write a personal note if you would like.

Here is a lovely article that ran last year regarding his story, and his commitment to the Canary Challenge.

Microbubble Imaging for Cancer Early Detection: Don Listwin Talks the Latest Technology

January 16, 2013

During our annual Ladies’ Luncheon “You’ve Got a Date with the Valley Girl” on February 8th, Jesse Draper, Don Listwin and Sam Gambhir will focus their conversation on microbubble imaging technology. Sound complicated? Watch this short video where Don explains microbubble technology and how it could radically change the way we detect cancer and stop it at the earliest possible stage. We hope you’ll be able to join us!

Canary Challenge 2012: Ride for Life Raises Funds for Cancer Research

November 6, 2012

On September 29, 500 riders convened at VMware in Palo Alto to set off on the Canary Challenge ride. All together, we raised $514,000 to benefit the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Canary Center at Stanford. This year’s numbers far surpassed last year’s ride of 344 riders and $300,000 raised. Take note: we have even bigger plans for next year!

Join us on Septeber 28, 2013 for the Canary Challenge 2013. In 2013, we’re looking forward to bringing 1,000 riders in to raise $1M and we’ve added a fun family 5K route for cyclists of all ages.

Ride On! Celebrating the Canary Challenge for Cancer Research

October 10, 2012

On September 29, 500 riders convened at VMware in Palo Alto to set off on the Canary Challenge ride. All together, we raised $514,000 to benefit the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Canary Center at Stanford. This year’s numbers far surpassed last year’s ride of 344 riders and $300,000 raised. Take note: we have even bigger plans for next year!

Throughout the day, there were countless high points to celebrate. Here are just a few to highlight:

• Team spirit! This year, 32 teams rode together, many of who had trained together for months in advance. The feeling of camaraderie and support was palpable in the air
• Social media: Throughout the day, riders tweeted and interacted with our social media team as they rode, encouraging fellow riders, sharing their experiences, and spreading the word about the Canary Challenge
• Canary Chicks: Every year, the Canary Chicks make a splash! With their telltale boas and exuberant spirit, they put a smile on everyone’s face as they passed
• Creativity: One rider wore wings with each layer representing the number of donors he had- what a creative way to demonstrate the commitment and support of others
• Support: The high school student volunteers cheering on riders at the finish line. They made every rider feel like a champion. Kudos to all of our volunteers who supported riders with food, drink and cheering
• Accomplishment: Seeing the smiles of the first time 100-mile riders as they finished and arrived back at the Village. Their sense of accomplishment and pride was a true pleasure to witness

It was a great opportunity to have fun while making a real difference by fundraising for cancer early detection research. The funds raised directly affect the ability of the Stanford Cancer Institute to fund research and innovative clinical programs.

If you missed the event, check out professional photos from the ride, as well as images from the Canary social media community.

Save the date for Canary Challenge 2013, to be held on September 28. It’s never too early to start building your teams and start training!