Tour Des Chutes Raises Over $90,000 for Cancer Survivorship

Bend, Or.  The Punch Worthington Lab is pleased to have helped the 7th Annual Tour Des Chutes raise over $90,000 for cancer survivorship programs in Central Oregon. 

Chris Horner, L, and Roger Worthington, R,

enjoying their moment in the sun at the

2011 Tour Des Chutes in Bend, Oregon. 

Over 1,100 riders, a record, participated in the fun ride, which offered routes between 7 and 100 miles between Bend, Oregon and the Cascade Range. In it's 7th year, the TdC raised over $90,000, another record. Since 2006, the TdC has donated over $430,000 to cancer survivorship programs, including the Livestrong Foundation. 

"This was the best year ever, " beamed Roger Worthington, who has emceed the post-race party the last 5 years. "The live music was awesome, the food was delicious, the crowd was animated, the speakers were inspiring and it didn't rain the entire time."

The Punch Worthington Lab, in honor of Dave "Punch" Worthington, a rugged Oregonian crabber and bow hunter who passed away from asbestos cancer in 2006, is affiliated with the Pacific Heart Lung and Blood Institute, a 501(c)(3) medical foundation in Los Angeles. PHLBI dedicated the Punch Worthington Lab at UCLA Medical School in 2005. 

The Tour Des Chutes is a non-profit, all volunteer charity which holds an annual fun ride, the net proceeds of which are donated to cancer survivorship programs in Central Oregon. The TdC is the brainchild of Gary Bonacker, diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer five years ago, and is still smiling and looking stronger than ever. 

A highlight of the extraordinary day of fun, hope, gratitude, cycling and music was a cameo appearance by local hero Chris Horner, who recently crashed out of the Tour De France. Horner was predicted by insiders to be a podium contender, at the ripe young age of 39.  Horner will be hosting the Cascade Gran Fondo in Bend on August 18-20, a multi-day series of rides, lectures and parties, the proceeds of which will benefit local cancer research and advocacy programs.

Punch Worthington

Horner suffered a mild concussion after crashing in France.  Worthington jokingly asked him if he recalled their conversation the morning of the crash in which he promised Worthington a spot on the Radio Shack's team bus for next years Tour Des France. Horner, a seasoned and charismatic speaker, didn't miss a beat: "Actually that was the only thing I remembered from that day."

The Punch Worthington Lab has been a yellow jersey sponsor of the TdC the past 5 years and has enjoyed helping the event grow into one of the most prestigious, fun and successful cancer fundraising events in Oregon.  The ride registration filled up early this year and the TdC was forced to turn away willing participants, always a tough thing to do by a non-profit. Next year the TdC hopes to raise the ceiling on its registration and expand the venue, but just in case a reminder to sign up early!

Thrive!

Physicians Conclude Unanimously that EPP Should No Longer Be Performed On Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

The 1st International Symposium on Lung-Sparing Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma was held at the Sheraton Delfina in Santa Monica, on Saturday, May 21.  The meeting was chaired by  Dr. Robert B. Cameron who is a board certified cardiothoracic surgeon and trained surgical oncologist specializing in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma who has been involved in the treatment of mesothelioma patients since 1986.  He is the director of the comprehensive mesothelioma program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the chief of thoracic surgery at the West Los Angeles Veterans’ Administration.



A distinguished group of experts from all over the globe, gathered at the Delfina to discuss radical surgery vs. non radical surgery on patients with mesothelioma.  There has been some disagreement among some of the world’s top mesothelioma specialists about the value of using radical surgery, Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) as opposed to non-radical surgery, Pleural Decortication (P/D).  Dr. Robert B.  Cameron stated that “radical surgeries do not provide a safer margin and that there is no reason to be radical and every good reason to be conservative.   Recurrences are harder to detect when the lung is removed”. 

He went on to say that “the best therapy for mesothelioma has certainly not been defined and that the rationale is to approach things surgically”.  He went on to say that PD is a better procedure than the radial EPP.  “No group that has reviewed the data to date has accepted that EPP is better than PD”. 

(left - right) Mr. David Waller, MD, Mr. Tom Treasure, MD and

Dr. Robert Cameron, MD

Some of the most compelling evidence against EPP came from both Mr. Tom Treasure MD and Mr. David Waller MD, who unveiled their findings from a recently conducted study called the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery  (MARS) trial in the UK.   Mr. Tom Treasure is professor at Guys Hospital and Mr. David Waller, is consultant thoracic surgeon at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.  The primary objective of the trial was to review and evaluate the safety and efficacy of EPP for patients with PMP.  It was a randomized trial with 50 patients.  The trialists’ concluded that the results of MARS make it improbable that EPP offers a survival advantage over any less radical forms of treatment.

The other distinguished panel discussed Radiation Techniques, Adjuvant and Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy, Immuno-Gene therapy, Veglin and Other Angiogenisis Inhibitors, Interferon Alpha Maintenance Therapy and Palliative Care.

Help Us Conquer Mesothelioma

Dear Mesothelioma Community:

I can hardly believe that I have already been at the Pacific Meso Center (PMC) at PHLBI for 3 months. The time has flown by and that is because I am having such a great time in this new job. I have been blessed to have this position which has enabled me to meet the most amazing people that I have ever had the honor of getting to know.

It is always heartfelt to meet patients either newly diagnosed or who are battling through their treatments for mesothelioma. I have been touched by their courage, determination and also by their positive attitudes. They are not going to let this disease get the better of them and they are not going to take it lying down. They are all cancer warriors, and they put their lives in Dr. Robert Cameron’s hands, because he is the best in his profession.

I met Terry Latham and his lovely wife, Maryla when I first arrived at PMC. I was so impressed with Terry and his outlook on life. He came to this country with just $25 in his pocket, and became a very successful businessman in real estate. He discovered he had malignant pleural Mesothelioma in March of 2010 and Dr. Cameron performed the surgical procedure pleurectomy/dectortication on him. His wife Maryla has been very proactive with our Breakaway from Cancer Walk (BfC)  and has been soliciting great silent auction items for us.

We want to make a difference with this disease, and so this year my goal is to raise over $1.5 million in funding to open a newer state-of-the-art laboratory here on our premises in Santa Monica. It is an ambitious goal and we have lots of plans in the pipeline to try and reach it. But we can’t do it without your support. Right now you can support us in a couple of ways. Click here to how to donate to PMC.

The Pacific Meso Center is proud to be associated this year with Dana Point Grand Prix Bicycle Event which is in its 5th year, and this year Amgen is sponsoring the event and the new initiative which is Breakaway from Cancer (BFC). PMC will be one of the beneficiaries this year. So please support us in any way that you can.

Why don’t you put on your glad rags and come out for a truly great evening on Saturday, April 30th at the Dana Point Yacht Club for a Cocktail party with Hors d’ouevres, great wine, great beer, great dessert and a fabulous silent auction. Check out some of the exciting silent auction items that we have. Click here  to view silent auction page.   The evening is from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. so it gives you time to get home, have a good nap and then join us the following day. Click here to purchase tickets for our Saturday, April 30th event.

We are extending an invitation to all cancer survivors, family members, caregivers, doctors and nurses, to come together and join us on race day at Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer walk, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 1 at 3:45 p.m. in Dana Point, on the most beautiful bicycle race course in the world.

There are over 1 million cancer survivors who reside in California alone, and the chances are one in four that someone in your family has been affected by some form of cancer. It is important that we all stand together and fight this dreadful disease, but why not do so, while we celebrate that fact that we are alive and we are with our families and friends, or we that we are remembering those who are no longer with us, but who will live in our hearts forever.

Lastly, and importantly the UCLA Mesothelioma Research Program at UCLA is sponsoring the 1st International symposium on Lung-Sparing Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) in beautiful Santa Monica. Dr. Robert Cameron, MD, FACS, the course organizer and the Director of the UCLA Mesothelioma Research Program has had over 18 years of experience with treating patients with MPM.

The seminar’s distinguished international faculty includes both Mr. Tom Treasure, MD and Mr. David A Waller, MD, who will discuss the recent startling results announced from the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery (MARS) Trial conducted in the UK. To view a brochure, click here.   To purchase tickets you can enroll online at www.cme.ucla.edu/courses or by phone at 310-794-2620.

Mesothelioma community, if you have any questions, please call me at 310-478-4678 or email me at ccameron@phlbi.org.

Best Wishes

Clare Cameron