A mountain-sized wink

As many of you know, we have a little cabin in Colorado, at the base of the East Spanish Peak.  Last winter, we took a flight from Des Moines to Albuquerque and I knew we would fly right over the mountain.  But it was stormy and all I could see from the plane were clouds, so I stopped searching out the window and turned to my book.  At one point, though, I realized we had to be almost over the mountain, so I once more looked out, and there it was, "our" mountain (background, on the left), rising over the clouds.  I felt it gave me a big wink.

Life is entirely made up of these small moments that give us hope, make us smile, calm us.   So easy to miss, so important to savor.

Today's treat: healthy watermelon juice

Watermelons may be, duh, mostly water, but they are also high in dietary fiber, thiamin and folate.  Fiber and folate are both especially good cancer-fighters.   And when you juice it with the rind, you add the antioxidant citrulline plus vitamin C and B-6 to strengthen your immune system.

You’ll need a juicer if you include the rind—make sure you wash it thoroughly.  Organic is best.   If you don't have a juicer, cut the rind off and use a blender, then try some other uses of the leftover rind.  Livestrong has several great suggestions.

One cup of watermelon juice has only 71 calories, but it has 15 grams of sugar, so don’t go over a cup a day.

Also, you can easily freeze this summer's watermelons for use later in the year.  Just cube, put in a freezer bag, squeeze out the excess air, and freeze.  You'll want to use them right out of the freezer, though, as they turn to mush pretty fast.

For more information on a cancer-fighting diet, check out my book, Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.  You can get a free signed copy just by donating $25 to this site.  Click the Donate button on the right to donate through PayPal.   You'll then get an email from me asking how you want your book signed and where you want it sent.  Thanks!  And hugs.

Get A Signed Copy of Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Here’s a chance to support this blog and get a copy of my book with a personal note to you or to another recipient.   Just donate $25 to the blog and you’ll get the book free. All you have to do it hit the Donate button on the right and make your donation.  I’ll send a follow-up email from that, asking for the name and some specifics I can use in the note, plus the address to which to send it.  If you already have the book, this is a chance to get a copy for your local library or cancer center, or for a newly diagnosed friend.

There is plenty of information here for anybody facing breast cancer, and lots of tips for anybody who never wants to face it.  One entire chapter is on healthy living, including diet and exercise suggestions. 

If you want to donate to this blog without getting the book, hey I am cool with that.   

Or if you just want the book without donating, I am selling them also on eBay.

This is a short-term offer for the hardcover book, while supplies last.

The book will soon be available in paperback, so my publisher, Oxford University Press, is allowing me to sell a few hardcovers myself.

Thanks so much.  I truly cannot do this blog without you.

Cantaloupe Juice: Healthy and Delicious

Today's treat: cantaloupe juice.   High in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, especially vitamins A and C and potassium.   We juice it rind and all, but cut out the seeds.  Some folks suggest juicing the seeds and adding pineapple juice for a nut drink and I might try that next time.

The anti-inflammatory issue is especially important, given recent research that shows that anti-inflammatory drugs could treat triple-negative breast cancer.

You'll need a good juicer and nicely ripe fruit.  Clean the rind well—we soak it in vegetable wash and then scrub it with a brush.   I'd go organic here because I never feel I get all the dirt off the rind.

Drink a small glass a day—the serving I show here is about half a cup, which is about 1/8th of a cantaloupe.  All juices are high in sugar,  so don't overdo.

Enjoy.

For more information on a cancer-fighting diet, check out my book, Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.  You can get a free signed copy just by donating $25 to this site.  Click the Donate button on the right to donate through PayPal.   You'll then get an email from me asking how you want your book signed and where you want it sent.  Thanks!  And hugs.

Anti-inflammatory drugs could treat TNBC

Some triple-negative breast cancer tumors may benefit from JAK inhibitors, a class of anti-inflammatory drugs currently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, according to research in Cell Reports.   

These tumors rely on an antiviral pathway related to inflammation, widely recognized for roles in cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases. Biologically, they have mutations of the proteins p53 and ARF.

"There are JAK inhibitors in use for rheumatoid arthritis and being tested against a number of other conditions,"  said senior author Jason D. Weber, PhD, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri

For more information, check out my book, Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.  You can get a free signed copy just by donating $25 to this site.  Click the Donate button on the right to donate through PayPal.   You'll then get an email from me asking how you want your book signed and where you want it sent.  Or you can buy the book directly without a donation.  Thanks!  And hugs.  

Virus Kills 100 Percent of TNBC Cells in Mice

From a news release from Pennsylvania State University

A virus not known to cause disease kills triple-negative breast cancer cells and killed tumors grown from these cells in mice, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Understanding how the virus kills cancer may lead to new treatments for TNBC.

Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) infects humans but is not known to cause sickness. In prior studies, the researchers tested the virus on a variety of breast cancers that represent degrees of aggressiveness and on human papillomavirus-positive cervical cancer cells. The virus initiated natural cell death in cancer cells without affecting healthy cells.

"Treatment of breast cancer remains difficult because there are multiple signaling pathways that promote tumor growth and develop resistance to treatment," said Craig Meyers, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Immunology.

Signaling pathways involve molecules in a cell that control cell functions—such as cell division. For example, the first molecule in the process receives a signal to begin. It then tells another molecule to work, and so on.

"There is an urgent and ongoing need for the development of novel therapies which efficiently target triple-negative breast cancers," Meyers said.

In the current study, the researchers tested AAV2 on a cell-line representative of triple-negative breast cancer. The researchers report their results in Cancer Biology & Therapy.

The AAV2 killed 100 percent of the cells in the laboratory by activating proteins called caspases, which are essential for the cell's natural death. In addition, consistent with past studies, AAV2-infected cancer cells produced more Ki-67, an immunity system activating protein and c-Myc, a protein that helps both to increase cell growth and induce apoptosis. The cancer cell growth slowed by day 17 and all cells were dead by day 21. AAV2 mediated cell killing of multiple breast cancer cell lines representing both low and high grades of cancer and targeted the cancer cells independent of hormone or growth factor classification.

The researchers then injected AAV2 into human breast cancer cell line-derived tumors in mice without functioning immune systems. Mice that received AAV2 outlived the untreated mice and did not show signs of being sick, unlike the untreated mice. Tumor sizes decreased in the treated mice, areas of cell death were visible and all AAV2 treated mice survived through the study, a direct contrast to the untreated mice.

"These results are significant, since tumor necrosis, or death, in response to therapy is also used as the measure of an effective chemotherapeutic," Meyers said.

Future studies should look at the use of AAV2 body-wide in mice, which would better model what happens in humans, according to Meyers.  

Please support this site with your donations—that's what keeps it going.  Plus, if you donate just $25 you'll receive a copy of my book, Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Click the Donate button on the right to donate through PayPal.   You'll then get an email from me asking if you want the book, how you want it signed and where you want it sent.  And if you just want to donate without receiving the book, that's wonderful. Thanks!  And hugs.