ThyCa NEWS NOTES – November 2007
IN THIS ISSUE
Newest California Support Group Begins Meeting
ThyCa Awards Two New Research Grants
Tenth Annual Conference Draws Record Numbers
Person-To-Person Network Serves Survivors Around the Globe
Pediatric Backpacks Go to More States and Canada
Preview of the Medullary Thyroid Cancer Web Site
Peter A. Singer, M.D., Named to Medical Advisory Council
Rally for Research Events Raise Awareness and Funds
ThyCa Medical Advisor Named ATA President-Elect
ThyCa in the Combined Federal Campaign – CFC
Have You Visited the Web Site Lately?
Our Free Guestbook
Thank You From ThyCa
Volunteer Opportunities
Are You a ThyCa Member?
Every Day…
Newest California Support Group Begins Meeting
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. is pleased to announce the ThyCa Central Coast California Support Group, which will meet on the third Sunday afternoon of each month from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Sunday, November 18, 2007.
The meetings are held at the Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Auditorium, 1010 Murray Avenue, San Luis Obispo, California.
All ThyCa Support Group meetings are free and open to people at all phases of testing, treatment, and follow-up for thyroid cancer, as well as their family members and friends.
Jill Fitzgerald is the group’s volunteer facilitator. For more information, e-mail centralcoast-ca@thyca.org or visit the group’s web page.
“Meeting other thyroid cancer survivors in person offers a wonderful opportunity to share experiences and receive and give support,” said ThyCa’s Director of Support Group Development,Sara Brenner. “We thank Jill Fitzgerald for starting the group for California’s Central Coast area.”
ThyCa Awards Two New Research Grants
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. is proud to announce the 2007 ThyCa Research Grants, including two new grants and two continuation grants.
First awarded in 2003, and continuing every year since then, ThyCa’s grants are the first-ever thyroid cancer research grants to be funded entirely by thyroid cancer patients, caregivers, and friends.
The grants are open to researchers and institutions worldwide. An independent expert panel of the American Thyroid Association (ATA), the leading professional organization of thyroidologists in the U.S., evaluated the grant proposals and selected the projects to be funded. ThyCa extends thanks from all of us to the ATA for its wonderful support.
This year’s new ThyCa grant recipients are:
- Krystian Jazdzewski, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland, and Visiting Scientist, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Jazdzewski’s research will focus on the role of miR146a in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
- Mabel Ryder, M.D., Assistant Attending Physician, Division of Endocrinology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. Dr. Ryder’s team will examine the role of Tumor-Associated Macrophages (TAMs) on thyroid cancer progression.
In addition, ThyCa has awarded a second year of funding to its two 2006 grant recipients:
- Lionel Groussin, M.D., Ph.D., Cochin Institut, Paris, France, who is studying how particular enzymes in thyroid cells may suppress thyroid cancer.
- Xianmin Xia, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, who is studying a factor that may affect proliferation of human medullary thyroid cancer cells, as well as anaplastic and poorly differentiated papillary thyroid cancer cells.
Thanks to all of us, who have joined together to raise funds for thyroid cancer research. Whether small or large, all of our contributions count.
Together, we are able to accomplish what most of us cannot do individually—fund independently reviewed research toward cures for all thyroid cancers!
Tenth Annual Conference Draws Record Numbers
Nearly 500 thyroid cancer survivors, family members, friends, and health care professionals took part in the 10th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference held in San Francisco, October 19 through 21, 2007. The conference was sponsored by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc.
Attendees came from 37 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Brazil. Participants ranged from people being tested for possible thyroid cancer to long-term survivors of every type of thyroid cancer—papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic, and variants.
Highlights of the conference’s 100-plus sessions included more than 40 physician presentations and Ask-a-Doctor sessions covering treatment and initial and long-term follow-up, as well as recent advances in targeted therapies and clinical trials testing new treatments.
Speakers also included dentists, a pharmacist, a nurse, mental health professionals, specialists in complementary approaches to well-being, survivors of each type of thyroid cancer, and caregivers.
“Attending the conference was the most important thing I’ve done since my diagnosis,” wrote one thyroid cancer survivor.
“We are thrilled that so many thyroid cancer survivors and their families attended,” said ThyCa Executive Director Gary Bloom, a 12-year thyroid cancer survivor.
Our thanks to the more than 100 wonderful volunteers who helped with the conference, on site at the conference, from their homes during the year-round planning and outreach, or both.
We are excited to announce that the 11th International Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, October 17-19, 2008. We invite you to download and share the flyer on our web site, to help spread the word.
Person-To-Person Network Serves Survivors Around the Globe
Thyroid cancer survivors around the United States and around the globe receive one-to-one support through ThyCa’s Person To Person Network.
Our Person to Person Network volunteers believe that no person should have to face thyroid cancer alone. We are a support network of thyroid cancer survivors who support the emotional and psychological needs of people with thyroid cancer, as well as their families and caregivers. We match people with thyroid cancer as closely as possible with a volunteer who has experience with the same form of thyroid cancer.
Volunteers answer questions based on their own experiences and offer insights on how they are coping with thyroid cancer. They offer an empathetic listening ear to others in the same situation. Volunteers do not give medical advice or medical opinions of any kind. They are not health professionals and do not offer guidance for individual situations. They simply share their experiences and offer emotional support.
The Person to Person Network offers this support service free of charge.
Peggy Melton, facilitator of the ThyCa Dallas, Texas, Support Group, is ThyCa’s Director of the Person To Person Network.
Pediatric Backpacks Go To More States and Canada
Most recently, the free Pediatric Backpacks for children and teens with thyroid cancer have gone to families in Oregon, Virginia, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Quebec, Canada.
Preview of the Medullary Thyroid Cancer Web Site
Our web site has the Home Page Preview of the new MedullaryThyroid Cancer Web Site and soon will launch new sections of the site. Medullary thyroid cancer survivors and caregivers are developing this site, with input and review from physician specialists. For the Preview, visit the right side of the Home Page.
Peter A. Singer, M.D., Named to Medical Advisory Council
We are pleased to announce that Peter A. Singer, M.D. has been named to ThyCa’s Medical Advisory Council.
Peter A. Singer, M.D., Endocrinologist, has been Professor of Clinical Medicine, Chief of Clinical Endocrinology, and Director of the Thyroid Diagnostic Center at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, since 1991.
He served as President of the American Thyroid Association during 2002-2003, served on ATA’s Board of Directors for several years, and has chaired ATA’s Education and Standards of Care Committees. He has been named among the Best Doctors in America (1995–Present) and in 2004 was honored as Outstanding Clinical Endocrinologist by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
Rally for Research Events Raise Awareness and Funds
Special thanks to the volunteers who have organized these wonderful October events:
- Cheri Lindle for organizing our highly successful Dinner/Auction Fundraiser at the 10th Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference
- Kat Adkins of Texas for organizing a benefit concert to raise awareness and funds
- Phil and Susan Schmidt of Maryland for the 5th Annual Schmidt Open Golf Tournament
ThyCa Medical Advisor Named President-Elect of American Thyroid Association
Congratulations to Kenneth D. Burman, M.D., Director of Endocrinology at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, on being named President-Elect of the American Thyroid Association.
ThyCa Accepted into the Combined Federal Campaign – CFC
ThyCa’s CFC # is 11675
Funds Raised Will Provide Education, Support, Resources and Research To Benefit Those with the Most Common Endocrine Cancer
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivor’s Association has been accepted into the world’s largest workplace giving campaign.
Federal civilian, postal, and military employees are now able to choose ThyCa as a recipient of their workplace donations through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). This federal employees’ charitable giving campaign raises millions of dollars each year for thousands of nonprofits providing health and human services throughout the world.
Have You Visited the Web Site Lately?
Our web site has more than 650 pages. More than 50 distinguished physicians plus numerous other specialists give ongoing input and review. We greatly appreciate the wonderful support of these medical specialists.
The web site expands nearly every week. Visit www.thyca.org often for the latest information updates and news about special events.
To receive our free online newsletter, plus announcements of ThyCa events and activities, fill out ourGuestbook form.
We believe that no one should have to be alone when facing thyroid cancer.
Our free support services are offered with this as our main goal.
We thank everyone for giving your time and talents to making possible our free services, publications, and events. We’re grateful to you for reaching out to others worldwide, to help connect them with ThyCa’s support services and resources.
Each volunteer makes a big difference in our efforts to reach out and support other thyroid cancer survivors, families, and friends. We invite you take part in our efforts by becoming a volunteer.
We have one-time tasks that you can do in your home. We also have projects that need regular help, usually on a flexible timetable.
We invite you to join ThyCa. Your membership will support ThyCa’s efforts to serve other thyroid cancer survivors and their families around the world, as well as raise awareness for early detection, and fund grants for thyroid cancer research.
Every day, thousands of people with thyroid cancer, and their families, are offered support, education, and hope by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association. Your generous support is what makes this possible. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation online in support of ThyCa’s work (or you are welcome to donate by mail), so click here to give.
ThyCa NEWS NOTES
Copyright (c) 2007 ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc.
We encourage you to send these News Notes to your family and friends. For permission to reprint in another electronic or print publication, please contact us.
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization (tax ID #52-2169434) of thyroid cancer survivors, family members, and health care professionals.
We are dedicated to support, education, and communication for thyroid cancer survivors, their families and friends, as well as public awareness for early detection, lifetime health monitoring, and thyroid cancer research fundraising and research grants.
E-mail thyca@thyca.org, call 1-877-588-7904, fax to 1-630-604-6078, write to PO Box 1102, Olney, MD 20830-1102, or visit www.thyca.org.