Mesothelioma Empowerment Update - april 12, 2011

Attention Doctors and Patients: Lung-Sparing Therapies for Mesothelioma Seminar, Santa Monica, CA, May 21st

Santa Monica, CA. The UCLA Meso Research Program is sponsoring the 1st International Symposium on Lung-Sparing Therapies for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma on May 21st at the Sheraton Delfina Hotel in Santa Monica.  The Law Office of Roger Worthington is pleased to co-sponsor this first-ever medical seminar that focuses on the treatment options for patients with pleural mesothelioma.

The course will be led by Dr. Robert B. Cameron Director of the Mesothelioma Research Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the West Los Angeles Veterans' Administration Medical Center and a long-time advocate for lung-sparing surgery.

The seminar's distinguished international faculty includes both Mr. Tom Treasure, MD and Mr. David A. Waller, MD from England who will discuss the results announced from the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery (MARS) Trail conducted in the UK.  More...

Breakaway from Cancer Night to Benefit Mesothelioma Research: Go Fast, Have Fun, Give Back!

Dana Point, CA. Here's a chance to eat, drink, dine and be merry at a yacht club in an iconic Southern California harbor, while raising money for mesothelioma research.

In conjunction with Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer initiative, the Pacific Meso Center is holding a dinner and fundraiser at the Dana Point Yacht Club on Saturday, April 30th. The fundraiser will kick off the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer bike race the next day in beautiful downtown Dana Point.

A highlight of the evening will be the silent auction. Thanks to the generous support of a bevy of wonderful people and companies, we have gathered an incredible list of gifts you'll absolutely want to bid on.  More...  

74 Year-old Retired Banking Executive on the Fast Track for Meso Treatment. Laguna Hills, CA

Walter "Wally" Nielsen and his lovely wife, Arleen, sit surrounded by comfort and beauty - testaments to their hard work and creativity. A well-tended garden is a riot of spring color, but the leaden sky and cool drizzle portend another side of the Nielsens' seemingly idyllic life.

You wouldn't know it from his easy going manner and natural smile, but Wally is battling an insidious cancer. This diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma came as a shock to Wally, a tall, fit, active, 74 year-old lifetime nonsmoker. A passionate golfer and skier, he thought the stabbing pain in his back was due to a torn muscle and chest pains from a bout with pneumonia. A chest X-ray and subsequent CT scan revealed a pleural effusion, and a PET/CT scan a week later confirmed the presence of something amiss and nefarious. More...

68 Year-Old Larry Melendrez: This Win's for You! La Mirada, CA

Breakaway From Cancer again swept the podium at the legendary Redlands Classic criterium and dedicated the big win to a big man who could use a big boost right now Larry Melendrez, a 68 year-old retired machinist who has malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

Larry and Mary Melendrez, who have been married 46 years and live in La Mirada, California were living the good life until the recent cancer diagnosis. Larry was a standout high school football player. He loved football so much that when his Catholic prep school dropped its program in his sophomore year, Larry transferred to Bishop Cantwell High in Montebello and happily rode the city bus each day over one hour each way.  More...

The Force in Bob Vitale Remains Strong. Rolling Hills Estates, CA

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." - Muhammad Ali 

What's in a name?  For Bob Vitale (Vitale: Italian form of Latin Vitalis, meaning "of life; vital"), his name is the very essence of his character. At 50, a time when most folks are easing up, Bob picked up running. His running soon became a defining passion. He ran for fun, but he raced to win, garnering many awards for the 5K, 10K, half and full marathons, plus cross country. His zest for running landed him a spot on the cover of "Competitor Magazine".   More...

70 Year-Old Terry Latham: A Life Spent Beating Bullies with Strength, Honor and Kindness. Dana Point, CA

As a teen in Oxfordshire, England, 70 year-old Terry Latham excelled in sports. "I was tall and tough," he recalls with a grin.  "I played rugby. I was fast. I set all kinds of records. Looking back, sports saved me."

From 1948 to 1959, Terry lived and attended school at the Kingham Hill School Orphanage, a place that valued basic survival skills. He both avoided and ended many a scrape, thanks in part to his strength and cunning.  He learned that bullys were simply cowards with brawn and once he overcame his fears they were just another bump in the road.  More...