Couture for Cancer

A human-hair wig - fitting, etc. - can easily cost more than $3000. Insurance doesn't always pay for it either. Now a hairstylist headquartered in Florida has launched Couture for Cancer to make sure cancer patients who need them get good quality, individually produced human-hair wigs at no charge.  What's more,  no demonstration of financial need is required.  Prospective recipients just need a letter from their doctor - a prescription -  for a "hair replacement system." Founder Mario Mazza tells cancerpage the organization delivered 350 wigs last year; he expects the number to be around 1,000 in 2007. The Jupiter, Florida stylist  currently has 160 stylist-volunteers nationwide but expects to  have 400 volunteers signed up and trained by October. Because it can take 6-to-8 weeks from the first appointment to delivery of the wig, he suggests that patients who will lose their hair during treatment make a wig appointment early, before treatments start if possible. You can find out more about this program, including how to go about making an appointment, at the Couture for Cancer web site. 

Tell the Kids?

It seems only right. Mom finds out she has one of the genetic mutations - BRCA1 or BRCA2 - that increases the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers and she tells her daughters. After all, they also may carry one of the mutations that can increase the lifetime risk of breast cancer between 37% to 85% and ovarian cancer between 15% to 41%.  Some people wonder if this candor is the right way to go.  While a breast cancer gene carrier may take steps to reduce their risk such actions usually aren't recommended until after age 25.  Dr. Angela Bradbury of the Family Risk Assessment Program of the Fox Chase Cancer Center says more research is needed to determine the best age for telling people about possibly inherited genetic traits. Kids may not understand what they've been told and may become needlessly anxious.  Read more about Dr. Bradbury's study here. 

In the Lab

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville FL say they've successfully turned on a gene that stops the growth of tumors in the most common kind (about 80%) of kidney cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma. In kidney cancer, the gene  - which stimulates the production of a cancer controlling protein, is silenced. In test tubes and test animals  scientists have successfully reactivated the gene - putting the brakes on tumor growth and metastasis. The finding could have implications for other cancers such as breast, ovarian, prostate, bladder, lung and colon cancers because loss of  the  tumor suppressing protein is common in them too. You can read more about the lab work here.