A word from the president
Fall 2012 : Depression affects cancer survival
Depression affects cancer survival
Symptoms of depression can affect survival among patients recently diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer.
Symptoms of depression can affect survival among patients recently diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer, report MD Anderson researchers in the journal PLoS ONE. The key to explaining this link, they find, may be inflammatory gene regulation.
“Our findings, and those of others, suggest that mental health and social well-being can affect biological processes, which influence cancer-related outcomes,” says Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson’s departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science and director of the institution’s Integrative Medicine Program.
Cohen, the lead author, says the findings suggest that standard care should include mental health screening.
“We now understand some of the possible biological pathways that explain the association between depression and survival,” says Cohen.
Research funding was from the Dana Foundation, the Mary and David Wolff Family Foundation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the MD Anderson Cancer Center Support Grant.
More Stories From Promise
The time is now
Moon Shots Program launches a decisive assault against cancer
Heirs apparent
More than 75 years ago, one man's vision inspired the origins of MD Anderson. Today, the board members of the MD Anderson Foundation enthusiastically continue that philanthropic tradition.
iPromise
Marie and Kevin Brown, of Park City, Utah, have established the Megan Leigh Brown Fellowship for Ovarian Cancer at MD Anderson in memory of their daughter, whom they lost to ovarian cancer in 2009. Here, her mother reflects on her hope for "Megan's Miracle."
Survivors Say
Entrepreneur, fitness enthusiast and prostate cancer survivor John M. Floyd of Baytown, Texas, and his wife, Cher, recently contributed $50,000 to MD Anderson's Proton Therapy Center to support the research of Thomas Pugh, M.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology. John, chairman and CEO of John M. Floyd & Associates, explains the couple's decision to "pay it forward."
Jamie hopes for a cure
Jamie Gilmore, diagnosed with acinic cell carcinoma (ACC), creates Jamie's Hope for a Cure.
School is back in style
Style was in session Aug. 25 as MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital and The Galleria in Houston hosted a back-to-school fashion show benefiting pediatric cancer patients.
Rogers Award recognizes Pam Redden
Pam Redden, director of clinical operations development at MD Anderson, is the recipient of the 2012 Julie and Ben Rogers Award for Excellence in Administration.
CJ Foundation fights with faith
Since 2011, Chris Johnson has approached his diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma with one thought in mind: Fight with faith.
Refusing to lose
The Beth Allison DiPardo Memorial Fund has raised more than $38,000 for pediatric brain cancer research at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital.
Greet the holiday with ease
MD Anderson's Holiday Giving Program is officially under way.
MD Anderson ranks No. 1 in cancer care
For the sixth consecutive year, MD Anderson ranks as the nation's top hospital for cancer care, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Hospitals" survey.
New BOV officers, associate members
Since 1957, the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors has served as an appointive group of volunteer advisers who help the Development Office raise funds, awareness and support for the institution.
Claudine Jreissaty claims 30th annual Arceneaux Award
Claudine Jreissaty, RN, says one goal has guided her as a nurse: "to help people through their journeys with cancer."
An ironic twist
Genomic deletions promote cancer by carving up or eliminating tumor-suppressor genes. But the collateral damage neighboring genes incur exposes cancer cells to vulnerabilities and new avenues for attack, scientists report in the journal Nature.
Radiation and mastectomy
For the majority of older, early-stage breast cancer patients, radiation therapy following breast-conserving surgery may help prevent the need for a later mastectomy, say MD Anderson researchers.