Coming the Evening of September 25 to Noblesville, Indiana

Nate Manahan — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:26:05 +0000

What is Jane’s Mission?

It’s an effort that Jane and I began work on a long time ago, however, it turned into what it is today after her passing. Jane and I began meeting with Nate Manahan to try and figure out what we could do to further the efforts to educate women about ovarian cancer. When Jane passed, I founded this organization to further women’s education of ovarian cancer and in Jane’s memory. On the Web site, janesmission.com, those interested can read her columns, info about her faith, and a depiction of her journey with the disease. Jane’s Mission was also created to possibly generate donations to further educate women on ovarian cancer.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I’m an insurance claim adjuster, however, that’s my job not what I do. Jane and I were married for 11 years on June 1^st and she passed just two days shy of that anniversary. I celebrate her re-birthday every year since her death, two years ago; I paint a painting for her. Before Jane died, she told me she wanted me to go out and date and fall in love again after she was gone; she wanted me to be happy again. Eventually, I’ve gotten to the point where I can. I will always love her and Jane’s mission is something I had to do for her out of that love..

Why art?

I chose art in part because I am an artist and from what I’ve learned, that tends to set us apart in the arena of fundraising efforts. There are other groups that do run/walks…something more traditional, however from what I have learned, the art aspect is really quite unique to us. It is a visual drawing point…no matter what the subject. I would like to try to put together a small booklet full of some of Jane’s writings to hand out to those who attend the fundraisers and someday maybe get some of them published.

What else do you have planned?

Well, in September of 09 we held our first Silent Auction. The theme had to do with art and creative writing…Jane being a writer and I am an artist. A good amount of the donations came from the art community I am associated with. It ended up being a social event, held in a coffee shop off the square. It was well attended and we ended up raising around $6,000, which was outstanding to us.

Our second event will again be in September of this year in Noblesville. Yes, we will try to push another silent auction. We have new members in the group that have new fresh ideas so we are looking at new possibilities. For this auction though, we are encouraging people to donate items that would appeal to a wider audience than just those that appreciate art.

What are your long term goals for the organization? Where do you see this company in the future?

My motto is dream big or go home. Right now we are operating under WORD, since they are the 501c3. I would love to see this be my full=-time job someday. The end goal is to ultimately find a way to beat this cancer. This is my calling…I would rather be doing this eventually than a day job just to pay my bills.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_lz-pTnkos

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li9epjCx_OQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG_VbiJSpJg

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WORDs of Wisdom – OCAM Day 4

Nate Manahan — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:19:09 +0000

Yesterday we discussed our “Let’s Talk” personal history campaign. We believe that women will learn from other women about ovarian cancer. However, there are times that voice of experts is necessary and important. “WORDs of Wisdom” is a video series that features key voices from the field of medicine and research science to personally address questions and issues surrounding current gynecologic cancer trends.

In a recent research project WORD conducted with Regensteiff Center for Healthcare Engineering at Purdue University -- The date reported clearly confirmed that there were three trusted sources of healthcare information -- TV/Radio, physicians, and families. WORD is looking to be able to create digital media that will create accurate, empowering and clear content for all three of these sources. “Let’s talk” is an attempt to bring potential friends and family together to create dialogue through presentation of true media. “WORDs of Wisdom” is targeting at bring the expert into your home or place of business to give real, transparent advice about gynecologic cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Here are a few ovarian examples of WORDs of Wisdom videos.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMhOqNPEdDs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAIXsMJQKFo

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The Faces of Ovarian Cancer – Day 3 – OCAM

Nate Manahan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:30:56 +0000

Ovarian Cancer is about women. Ovarian Cancer is more than statistics, treatments and diagnoses. We want to use the stories of the women affected by this disease to teach, encourage and give hope to others who will go through this disease. Please watch the following movie about how your story could help others.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKAPIvFfZSE

What is “Let’s Talk?”

“Let’s Talk” is a personal history campaign aimed at archiving the stories of women who have battled gynecologic cancer, and those who support them. The best way to teach, to inspire, and to give hope is through the stories of those who live with, through, and beyond cancer. Join in as others talk about their experiances with treatment, share about challenges, and celebrate victories… ”Let’s Talk!”

How will these video be used?

The purpose of these stories is to act as a person-to-person resource for others who wish to learn from other personal cancer experiences. These 2-3 minute stories will be available for public access onwww.youtube.com/wordoncancer and certain DVD mailings done by WORD. WORD does reserve the right to not use or remove interview pieces from this project, but our goal is to use as many stories as possible.

Where can I see more of these stories?

Our goal is to publish as many edited stories as possible at www.youtube.com/wordoncancer, so check regularly to see when new ones are uploaded.

How can I help?

WORD is available at certain events to record these interviews, check our blog to see where we may be heading next. if you have several who might be interested in being recorded or you live in Ohio or Indiana contact us thorugh email (talk@wordoncancer.org) to setup a time that we can record your story.

Can I get a copy of these videos?

If you would like to requested a DVD version of these pieces, please email (talk@wordoncancer.org) and let us know.

Some other examples:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqZfOlhH-Ik

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNs4t4fpp9E

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The Foundation of a Movement – Day 2 OCAM

Nate Manahan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:37:08 +0000

Tomorrow, an otherwise normal Friday, is “Wear Teal Day” in honor of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. In homes, schools, workplaces and parks people will wear teal; I don’t know about you, but teal is probably not my color, so wearing teal is never considered normal to me. However, I will wear teal; not because I look good in it, but because I believe in the cause it stands for: OVARIAN CANCER. I wear teal because I have met and watched people lose too many women whose lives were ripped apart by this cancer. I wear teal because I want more women to know about ovarian cancer, and I want a CURE!

When people stand up by branding themselves with an otherwise nondescript blending of blue and green they are identifying with a cause for this one day. Though they have taken some action; getting dressed is harder work for some than others, they have simply identified that they are aware that there is a cause known as ovarian cancer. This is good, but we hope for more: we hope they become part of a movement. A movement brings together people of all walks of life to make a difference and bring about change. A movement does not stop until the goal is accomplished.

A movement needs people to talk, stuff envelopes, make phone calls, writer letters, tell stories and so much more.

The “Wear Teal Day” is about more than just wearing a color that identifies with a cause, but rather it is one of the first steps to being involved in a movement that might save your mother, sister or daughter’s life. As I think about the idea of this movement that I joined just a few years ago, I am struck that this does not happen in a vacuum. It takes multitudes of women, multitudes of men, and multitudes of groups and organizations focused on defeating ovarian cancer.

Over the last three years I have met so many amazing women and men who are leading this movement. As I sit down today to try to understand some of these people, I have identified several of those leaders’ roles:

An advocate is one who is publicly urging, arguing, and compelling people to take notice of ovarian cancer. They are willing to speak in public, to often shout (respectfully) and to make sure that every person hears about the reality of ovarian cancer and the opportunity of hope. I have personally seen women and men speak in front of Congress, talk to large stadiums of people and not take a “no” from their local media outlet all to “get the WORD out” about ovarian cancer.

Proponents bring together new ideas and tell others how to fulfill the goal of a movement often presenting new proposals or strategies. A proponent dreams about new ways to raise funds, new strategies to catalyze new research and new methods in communicating the signs, symptoms and treatments of ovarian cancer. I have seen women and men use art, dance, writing and so much more to creatively and uniquely communicate the message.

A champion simply does not take no for an answer when it comes to something that he/she believes in. A champion often has to overcome adversity in order for the message to be heard and no matter the cost, a champion continues to fight. Champions inspire us all that what we are going through should never stop us keeping our eyes forward, dreaming of the day when the diagnosis of ovarian cancer is not accompanied by fear and struggle.

A hero is a woman who has fulfilled one of the three roles above and has done so valiantly while actively battling the disease of ovarian cancer. A hero does not consider a diagnosis a licence to let others be the advocates, proponents and champions but rather raises up and gives every last bit of their energy to turn a cause into a movement and turn a movement into a reality and turn despair in the joy of hope.

WORD is so thankful that we have met and worked with many advocates, proponents, and champions. WORD is thankful that there are new women and men who are today standing up and taking on these roles. WORD is confident that in the years to come there will be many more heroes walking and leading among us because of the advocates, proponents and champions who have led and are valiantly leading today!

I know that this blog is somewhat new and our following is not extensive yet, however I would love to read your thoughts, leave us a comment today. Honor an advocate, proponent or champion in your life. Share ideas on how you or others have helped lead the movement to defeat ovarian cancer!

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Ovarian Cancer Awarenes Month Day 1

Nate Manahan — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:15:11 +0000

Welcome to Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (OCAM). Over the next thirty days we will post a minimum of thirty posts on the WORD blog. Today’s post is understanding the basics of ovarian cancer through three perspectives: Science, Numbers and Faces.

Just hearing the words “ovarian cancer” can be scary. We understand that. In fact, it’s the reason we are assembling our new comprehensive look at risk factors, symptoms, treatments and more. After all, if you or someone you love is going to fight ovarian cancer, the best thing you can arm yourself with is information.

Definition
Unfortunately, due to the fact that ovarian cancer is often diagnosed in its later stages, it causes more deaths than any other gynecologic cancer. The good news is, when discovered early, it is highly curable.

Ovaries are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus, or womb. Ovaries make female hormones and produce eggs. There are three types of ovarian cells from which cancers can form– epithelial, germ cell and stromal cell. About 85 to 90 percent of ovarian cancers are epithelial ovarian cancers, which start on the surface of the ovaries. This is the type that we will discuss here.

Know the risk factors. Be aware of the signs and symptoms, which may lead to early diagnosis and a healthier life.

All the following Stats are derived from (http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/ovary.html) (http://www.stats.indiana.edu/profiles/profiles.asp?scope_choice=b&county_changer2=Rmetro:26900)

Stat #1 -- I have two daughters. My youngest was just born April 26 of this year. The chances of my daughter being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her life is 1.39%. In my home region, there were about 550 girls born that month. Of those baby girls born this last April, nearly eight of them will be diagnosed of ovarian cancer during their lifetime.

My Amazing 3 Kids "Camping" in our living room!

Stat #2 - Of the eight girls born in my metropolitan community who will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, maybe 1 (odds are less than one but that is hard to illustrate) of them will be diagnosed in stage 1 where the cancer is localized and the 5 year survival rate is over 90%. Unfortunately, the other seven girls born in April in my home region that are diagnosed with ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in late stages and they have less than 1/3 chance of surviving five years through treatment. By current statistics 6 girls born in the month of April in my hometown will ultimately die from ovarian cancer.

In comparison: 69 girls born in April will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 12 of these girls will die from breast cancer; up to 3 of these will be also diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Stat #3 -- On behalf of all women, the United States appropriates funds to support research. In 2009 $7,493 was spent for every woman we lost that year to fund ovarian cancer research.

In Comparison $18,076 was appropriated per breast cancer death.

Let me leave you with a few “faces” of ovarian cancer. Tomorrow we will talk about how WORD is trying to put a face to the story of ovarian cancer and how you can help, but today here are some stories found around the internet, reminding us this disease is affecting our mothers, sisters and daughters. This is why we must continue the movement to defeat ovarian cancer.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXdUttdM_AA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh8Lezf69WI

Ovarian Cancer Canada has launched a great site highlighting the “Face” of ovarian cancer -- you can watch more here.

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WORD on HPV

Nate Manahan — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:39:29 +0000

This past week, when reading a mail-delivered local newspaper, my wife saw a headline that she knew would interest me. It said, “Before Vaccinating daughter for HPV, consider the facts.” (click here to download a .pdf version, page 21 is the article) Well I certainly agree with that headline. Unfortunately, over the next few sentences and paragraphs I was discouraged to read several false statements, I felt I needed to write some sort of response.. Here is what I wrote in response.

______

As executive director of Women’s Oncology Research & Dialogue (WORD), a Central Indiana-based gynecologic cancer research and education organization, I would like to respond to the article by Carol Rossetti, N.D. in the August 17, 2010 edition of Current in Carmel about the HPV vaccine.

First, I agree on many points in the article.

1. The administration of the HPV vaccine is an important decision of each girl, young woman, parent and mentor. The decision should be made jointly, considering all facts. A completely informed decision is critical to the success of our current and future health care system.

2. The HPV vaccines are relatively new vaccines (first approved 2006), and there is always much to be learned. It is only through the continual scrutiny and analysis of the worldwide distribution of these vaccines that the goal of the eradication of cervical cancer is a reality.

Due to the necessary brevity of this reply – let me present you with a few fast facts about HPV and cervical cancer and refer you to hpv.wordoncancer.org to find a listing of resources (both pro and con) for learning more about HPV, the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer.

Fast Facts:

1. HPV, the Human Papillomavirus, can cause cervical, among other cancers, and is a common virus that can be passed from one person to another during sexual activity. Early vaccination is one measure to help prevent HPV. Up to 80% of sexually active women are infected with HPV at some point during their life.[1]

2. Cervical Cancer affects over 11,000 women in the United States and is the leading female cancer killer among women in many developing countries.(cite)[2]

3. Vaccination against HPV is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. We now know that the currently approved vaccines, coupled with following annual exam and pap test recommendations along with appropriate physician action can and will prevent nearly all deaths and ultimately occurrences of cervical cancer. (cite)

3. The vaccine has been tested and continues to be monitored to be safe. As with any new medicine, information is constantly being monitored. The vaccine prevents only certain strains, particularly focusing on the the two “high-risk” strains 16 and 18, which are known to cause over seventy-percent of cervical cancer cases. In 2009, after three years of reporting, there were 32 deaths “potentially” linked to the HPV vaccine[3]; nationwide, 4,210 women died from complications from cervical cancer last year, and 12,200 were newly diagnosed.[4] This does not include the amount of women who had pre-cancerous lesions removed, which were found during pap screening, nor the amount of women who are affected by the cancer due to inadequate health care.

4. There are currently two vaccines to prevent HPV infection (Gardasil and Cervarix). Both vaccines are created from inactive forms of the virus, so there are no risks of contracting HPV from the vaccine. These vaccines are currently recommended for girls and young women ages 9-16 and have been approved for the prevention of HPV in boys and young men.

5. I was unable to locate an article from the “Journal of the American Medical Association” cited by Ms. Rossetti in which she states “the death rate for cervical cancer is on par with the death rates from Gardasil.” The most relevant JAMA articles that I could find were a series of letter and articles run in the August 19, 2009 JAMA (http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/vol302/issue7/index.dtl). This edition included an article by Drs. Shelia and David Rothman, PhD on the marketing of HPV vaccine. Part of their conclusion stated, “the new vaccine against 4 types of HPV … appears to be a cost-effective intervention with the potential to enhance both adolescent health and the quality of their adult lives.”

In conclusion, WORD, clearly advocates for an informed consent in regards to the HPV vaccine and all other medical care decisions. Speak with your doctor, read the documentation and seek out wise counsel. Our hope is that girls, women, parents, mentors and advocates will learn more so they can practice informed proactive health decisions.

A complete list of references, including footnoted mater can be found at hpv.wordoncancer.org

[1]Dunne EF, Unger ER, Sternberg M, et al. Prevalence of HPV infection among females in the United States. JAMA. 2007;297(8):813-819.

[2]http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CervicalCancer/DetailedGuide/cervical-cancer-key-statistics (accessed August 18, 2010)

[3]Adverse Events and Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Recombinant Vaccine—Reply

John Iskander, Claudia Vellozzi, and Barbara A. Slade

JAMA. 2009;302(24):2657-2658.

[4]http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CervicalCancer/DetailedGuide/cervical-cancer-key-statistics (accessed August 18, 2010)

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WORD’s new website (coming soon)!

Nate Manahan — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:01:30 +0000

If you are interested in helping “test” the new wordoncancer.org email Chad Braham at chad (at) wordoncancer (dot) org. We are looking for just a few people to “test” the site and give us their suggestions as we move forward with this website.

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“WORDs of Wisdom”

chad.braham — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:49:44 +0000

Included here is one of the videos from our “WORDs of Wisdom” video series.

“WORDs of Wisdom” is a video series that features key experts from the field of medicine and research science to personally address questions and issues surrounding current gynecologic cancer trends. In the video embedded below, Dr. Kelly Manahan explains the new HPV vaccine recommendations. To view more of the “WORDs of Wisdom” video series, visit our “WORDs of Wisdom” YouTube playlist her e.

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“WORD on HPV – Behind The Scenes” Video Episode 2

chad.braham — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:48:24 +0000

As promised… here is the second Video Episode of “WORD on HPV – Behind The Scenes”.

In this episode, we walk you through a “making-of” the “WORD on HPV” educational animated short story. First, we show you a quick step-by-step of the animation process. And secondly, we briefly explain the goals of the “WORD on HPV” project.

The “WORD on HPV” is an animated short story recently produced by WORD, with the goal of raising awareness of HPV infection and prevention, and it’s connection to cervical cancer.

To find out when the full 4min version of the animated story is released, be sure to subscribe to WORD’s eNewsletter at WORDonCancer.org

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“WORD on HPV – Behind The Scenes” Video Episode 1

chad.braham — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:41 +0000

In the next couple of weeks, WORD will be releasing previews and “behind-the-scenes” interviews related to the production of WORD’s educational animated short story entitled, “WORD on HPV”. “WORD on HPV” is an educational film focused on raising awareness of HPV infection and prevention, and the relation of HPV to cervical cancer.
Included below is the first in a short series of “WORD on HPV – Behind The Scenes” videos. In this video, you will see a short :30 preview of the full animation piece, as well as some insight to the goals of the, “WORD on HPV” project.

Be sure to subscribe to our eNewsletter for information on how to see the full four minute version of the animation, and to learn more about “WORD on HPV” project.

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