As Father's Day Approaches...

An email today from the Komen Foundation reminds that men are affected by breast cancer too. Please click on one of the links and write your Congressman in support of a funding increase for the National Cancer Institute. It takes less than a minute.



Dear Sharon:

Six years ago, I discovered a lump in my chest. My doctors ordered a mammogram, and then a mastectomy to get rid of the cancer they found. It's an experience many women have had...but I'm a man.

My name is Guy Jones, and I'm a breast cancer survivor. After my mastectomy, doctors discovered that I had genetically-linked cancers of the breast and prostate. New tests showed that I was a carrier of a genetic mutation that increases breast cancer risk. Because I knew that, my two daughters and two sons were able to get tested. Those genetic tests - combined with a cutting-edge detection study at the National Institute of Health and the National Cancer Institute - saved my daughter Marty from early-stage breast cancer.

Marty and I are living proof of the critical need for cancer research dollars. As Congress considers its 2008 budget, please take a moment to tell your legislators not to cut funding for the National Cancer Institute.

Send a message to Congress today - increase cancer research funding, don't decrease it.

Scientists today are on the verge of amazing breakthroughs. They're finding new ways to treat and detect cancer, so people like Marty and me have a chance to beat the odds. But if the National Cancer Institute doesn't get enough funding, these potentially life-saving breakthroughs will never reach doctors or patients. This year, 178,000 women and 2,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. This is no time to cut funding and delay research breakthroughs. A lack of funds for the NCI will have a direct impact on cancer patients: fewer clinical trials, fewer studies, and less progress.

Tell Congress to increase funding for the NCI, so cancer researchers can bring us closer to a cure.

I was lucky. Today I'm 78 and going strong. (As Marty tells everyone, we're a tough bunch.) My daughter and I beat breast cancer together, but we couldn't have done it without medical research advances and the National Cancer Institute.

Please remind Congress that this funding really does save lives.

Not many dads can say they went through breast cancer with their daughter. This Father's Day, my wish is that all cancer patients - even those with rare diagnoses, like mine - will have access to life-saving treatments, like Marty and I did. With proper funding for the NCI, we'll come closer to making that happen.

Thanks for listening to my story, and thanks for speaking up for cancer funding.

Sincerely,

Guy B. Jones
Breast Cancer Survivor

Another Good Reason to Walk

The 24-week training program for the 3-Day includes crosstraining 2x/week. Food for thought for everyone: Researchers at USC found that women who did high-intensity sessions such as swimming or running for at least five hours per week had a 20-30 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who did moderate activities for less than 30 minutes a week. "Strenuous exercise can lower production of estrogen and progesterone. Increased levels of these hormones have been associated with a higher risk of breast cancer," according to lead researcher Dr. Leslie Bernstein. But even a small amount of physical activity has an impact on reducing risk according to the study. Amen for the pool at my place.

miles walked = 25 | miles to go = 620 | days till 3-day = 150