I RIDE… for my friend, Clare, who is currently fighting adrenocortical carcinoma.

I RIDE… to be a part of this grassroots effort to find a cure.

Why do you ride? Pedal the Cause is launching their I RIDE… campaign and we want to know your story. Everyone has a story about how cancer has affected their life. Be a part of the dialogue and share with us your story.

Post your story below as a comment. One lucky contributor will have their story featured in our 2011 Annual Report. Other entries will be featured as stories on our blog and website.

Come together to join us in this grassroots effort to find a cure. Tell others Why you Ride, why you Volunteer, or why you Donate to Pedal the Cause.

While this weekend’s Pedal the Cause ride is behind us, it’s still fresh in my mind and at the top of my ‘Funtastic’ list. I want to take a minute to reflect on why we trained so hard, encouraged others to ride, and earnestly spread the word to help fund research toward cancer’s cure. 

In my reflection, I look no further than my sphere of peers, friends, family, and work colleagues to understand what the power of cycling and it’s community. I would like to share with you what I learned from 3 wonderful ladies whom I admire the strength, courage, and energy they’ve had and have during their journeys with the Giant.

I have not used the ladies real names, even though they have stated it to be okay.  I believe the messages they bring are just as important to you with or without this knowledge.  Stick around long enough in the community and you will get to know these fantastic women (if you can keep up), or you might see a further blog regard a more in depth road map of the road they traveled.

As we ride in honor of our loved ones, our friends, and even those whom we have or never will meet, we think little of the actions our body is doing to propel us from one mile to the next.  Cancer (‘whispered’, as in St. Elmo’s Fire), reveals itself in numerous forms, at various stages in it’s development, and at anytime in one’s life.

The ladies I interviewed were diagnosed with cancer, Stage I, Stage II, Stage IV, and also unconfirmed origins.   Knocking cancer out is not always plain and simple.  It can stick around, looming in the darkness or remaining present waiting on ones mental strength and hope to weaken.  The first thing that all these ladies shared with me was their difficulty coping with their fear and the need to keep “doing” something.

What is or was their recipe?  They climbed aboard that two-wheel rig and set their sites forward.  Riding had a way of taking the cancer and fear off their mind and brought them much needed happiness.  One individual told me “each day was a surprise, being invincible one day and the next, feeling as if they were taking their last breath while riding the same roads.” How did they keep positive and keep going?

The days they would ride helped them feel better than the days they would not. The more they would ride, the less the body complained with twinges and pain. The more they pedaled, the more confident and more reassured they became of their health and well being.   One lady expressed to me that “the psychological benefits of cycling are invaluable”, and “preparing the body for the battle against cancer is essential to success.”  “Cycling, or the thought of cycling, mentally got me through it all.” Another told me, “cycling gave me something to look forward to and my fitness gave me the ability to rebound quickly from surgery and treatment.”  And the other exclaimed, “I was better able to handle whatever came my way because of my new sense of health and well being,” which she felt, “stems from the time cycling with friends.”

All three of these ladies have something very unique in common.  They share the indescribable ability to keep driving forward as if nothing is going to stop them.  They have a freedom that I have no way of describing to you.   

What is amazingly apparent is the strength they show on the bike. These ladies have had or have cancer, but… you’d never know otherwise.

I asked these ladies what they would like to tell you or to leave you with.  If you have been diagnosed, know someone who has been diagnosed, or a survivor, put these on your desk or on your refrigerator. These are women who are right here, right now, and living large!!

“First, find the funny…then find the bike.  If you can’t find the funny, get on the bike and at least find a smile. The rest will follow.”

“Ride as little or as much, as short or as long…. just ride.”

“I realize now that there is more about me an the things I do daily than I am about cancer.”

“PUSH THRU!!”

“Get routing mammograms for early detection, stay active, and always keep a positive attitude.”

“I am a cancer survivor, but it does not define me.”

P.S.: I leave you with this signature and quote:

“Blessed are the cracked, for they are the ones who let in the light.” –Spike Milligan

Thank you ladies!!  You are my heroes.

Carrie

James has the goal to raise $1000 for cancer research in the 2011 PTC ride

In early 2010, I developed a lump in my neck which I initially dismissed.  When it was still there a month later, I grew concerned and visited my doctor, Washington University Physician Dr. James Avery, who immediately ordered a CT scan.  While the best thing that Dr. Avery did for me was to appreciate the potential significance of the lump and get me on the right path, the second best thing he did for me, but I didn’t realize it at the time, was to refer me to ENT Dr. Bruce Haughey.  After a CT scan and biopsy, Dr. Haughey delivered the bombshell that I had cancer.  More particularly, squamous cell carcinoma, which had developed in my tonsil area and metastasized in my lymph nodes (the lump in my neck).  I don’t have a history of cancer in my family, so I never expected this to happen to me.

My wife Ellen was with me and, upon giving us the diagnosis, Dr. Haughey stayed with us until he had answered every question we had.  I felt that if we had two hours of questions, he would have stayed with us for two hours.  Dr. Haughey was fantastic and he really put us at ease.  Two weeks later, Dr. Haughey surgically removed the cancer in my tonsil area and in my lymph nodes.  Approximately six weeks later, under the supervision of Dr. Hiram Gay, I had my first of 30 radiation treatments at Siteman.  It took a while to recover from the radiation treatments, which were very rough, but one year later, I am cancer free and feel great.  Dr. Gay was extremely compassionate and made a very difficult process much more bearable.

I cannot speak highly enough about the care I received at Barnes and Siteman.  St. Louis residents should feel extremely fortunate to have these two exceptional health care institutions in our hometown.  I know that the quality of the care I received at Siteman was due in large part to the cancer research conducted at Siteman and I am so glad that I have the opportunity through Pedal the Cause to do my small part to help support their continued research activities. Pedal the Cause has also introduced me to a new passion: cycling.

I began my treatment not too long after my diagnosis at The Siteman Cancer Center. Throughout my surgeries and radiation treatments, the staff and physicians were top notch. While I certainly didn’t wish to be going through treatment for cancer, I quickly developed a tremendous appreciation for the skills and care provided to me. Moreover, I developed a deep compassion for the many patients of all ages that were facing far scarier prognoses and long-term treatment plans.

After my experience at The Siteman Cancer Center, I truly felt part of a community. The staff, physicians, nurses, patients, their families and I had far more in common than we thought was possible—and far more in common than just a disease. When I finally rang the bell of remission as I left my last radiation session and heard the applause from the staff and those in the waiting room, I knew that everyone, including those who would not have the joy of ringing that bell, was celebrating with me.

The Importance of Cycling

Cycling to work is the perfect way to start my day. Regardless of how tired I am when I wake up, I look forward to jumping on my bike and feeling that first pedal stroke. I love the sense of community I get from using my bicycle to travel past homes, great local coffee shops (I stop at a lot of those!), our impressive civic institutions and serene parks. Riding provides me a deep appreciation for the diversity and richness of our beautiful neighborhoods and I have gotten to know the “regulars” I see out and about as I ride.

I also get a good workout in my daily, 24 mile round-trip commute. By investing a little more than an hour and a half to and from work, I get a free cardio ‘program’ that only takes 45 minutes more than if I made the commute by car! I rarely fill my gas tank, don’t have to search and pay for a parking spot, and maintenance on my car is greatly reduced by reliance on my bicycle.

Equally important are the enormous benefits that cycle commuting provides through reduced air and water pollution as well as limiting the need for expensive road repairs and the myriad facilities required for a largely car-dependent culture. Bicycling is not only the most efficient form of moving people, but the infrastructure for cycling is very cost-efficient as well. 

Pedal the Cause is a great way to get more people on their bicycles and on our roads – all the while influencing our entire community to prioritize and commit to improving the health of our region and our citizens.

These kind of questions all stem from our goals and how well we plan for our journey before these questions actually arise. As a professional cyclist, I put a lot of time in on the bike.  I don’t pretend to know everything.  However, what I have learned, is that I’ve learned from the best and from taking the long way home, if you know what I mean.  

What you and I (pro cyclist) have in common are these things:

I LOVE riding my bike. 

I am a regular ordinary individual with dreams and admirations.  

I strive to find that which will make me better, help me ride faster, and make this thing called cycling a bit easier.

I get discouraged, have bad days, and oftentimes wonder what has gone wrong.

Now let’s talk about why those looming questions aren’t always easily answered and what you can do to help get yourself on to the next step.

Sometimes people call me a bit too optimistic or easy going.  I think big, I dream big, and think the bigger the picture; the better you can see it to replicate it when you need to. What we put in our bodies, inherently affects what comes out (food, drink, feelings, images, emotions, and certainly training.)

I want to tell you it is simple…Okay, “It’s simple.”  It comes down to what the central key is:  Commitment and Focus.  To turn that key inside yourself, you have to ADAPT.

Adversity: Without this everything would be easy.  We cannot grow or learn our true ability without it. Challenge yourself.

Drive: Reach inside yourself to find what truly erupts that fire from within.

Acclimate: Be open to finding ways to get over obstacles, drive through plateaus, and apply new principles to achieve even your smallest goals.

Pain: Use it as a tool.  Listen to it. You will learn when your body is whining and when it is actually hurting.  Pain is an emergency mechanism that tells you to pay attention and evaluate your efforts. 

Tenacity: This cannot be understated.  Teach yourself to never quit.  Today may be the day you teach your body to go to the next level. IF you bow out, concede, or simple don’t show up, you are teaching your body bad habits.

Focus on what you really want. Envision what you want to happen and Commit to doing it.

Ask a buddy, someone else who cycles, or even a professional cyclist to keep you charged. Whatever…Just do it!

*On tap next blog stop:  What fellow cycling cancer survivors say about their journey and how cycling helped guide them.

Daniel is a dual MD/PhD student at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and is currently living with thyroid cancer.

This is the first part of a series where we eventually talk about what it means to say ‘A world without cancer’ or ‘finding a cure for cancer’. In order to eventually talk about ‘finding a cure’ we need to understand the capabilities and characteristics of cancer first. The following is a broad overview of the hallmarks and emerging hallmarks of cancer.

Briefly, tumors and the microenvironment surrounding tumors have the potential of causing the following:

Sustaining proliferative signaling:

• This fundamental trait involves an alteration in the normal conditions of the body that regulate the number of cells, the position of cells within tissues, and the timing and spatial circumstances by which cancer cells receive messages to proliferate. This is similar to a toddler who is told by their parents to stop jumping on the bed but continues in spite of the familiar instructions

Evading growth suppressors:

• The breaks halting cell division are broken or over-ridden. This is similar to the batteries in your smoke detector dying and therefore erasing it’s function.

Resisting cell death:

• Apoptosis or programmed cell death is an essential physiologic process which helps the body form organs and keep cell numbers in check. Think of weeds in your garden that are constantly removed or doused with herbicide, yet amazingly always comeback.

Enabling replicative immortality:

• This basically just means that some of the processes that are related to ageing are manipulated in cancer cells. This is similar to a the alarm you set to wake you up at 6am that somehow malfunctions and decides to go off at 6pm instead.

Inducing angiogenesis:

• Angiogenesis is every racing cyclists best friend, as it means the growth of new blood vessels. Tumors often require vast amounts of blood and many have adopted an ability to release ‘radio signals’ out to the environment calling for these new blood vessels to migrate the way of tumors.

Activating invasion and metastasis

• Although some cells have the ability to pick up and move themselves from one location to another, most cells lining the various internal and external surfaces of the body do not. When a cancer metastasizes, the cells have harvested the genes necessary to pick-up and move, then settle at a distant location. Think of a baby that hasn’t yet crawled and when you turn away and later look back, they’re sitting across the room (bad analogy, but I’m getting tired).

Reprogramming of energy metabolism:

• This is a fascinating observation that many cancer cells seem to utilize the same nutrient and energy pathways as the tissues in a developing fetus.

Evading immune destruction:

• There is a certain probability that various cells in a healthy person’s body acquire some of the traits listed above. Luckily many of these cells are killed by the bodies own immune system.  Cancer cells that form life-threatening tumors somehow sidestep this response…think of a mob boss on the run evading detection by law enforcement for years.

Although the topic of this article is normally catered to cancer biologists and oncologists, if you’re reading this, your obvious care in supporting and understanding these fields of knowledge should entitle you to understand more about this complicated and destructive disease. In my next blog article, I will discuss the significance of these hallmark capabilities of cancer cells with respect to a cure.

Reference:  Hanahan D, Weinberg RA. Hallmarks of Cancer: The Next Generation. Cell, Volume 144, Issue 5, Pages 646-674, Publication Date 4 March 2011.

Indeed, cancer is a global challenge. An overwhelming amount of scientific, medical, and social progress has been achieved in the last 30 years with respect to cancer. However, cancer remains a vexing economic, health, and community challenge around the world. It is estimated that 1,529,560 Americans (789,620 men and 739,940 women) will be diagnosed with and 569,490 men and women will die of cancer of all sites in 2010.¹ The lifetime risk of being faced with a cancer diagnosis is ~1 out of 2 for every man and women, i.e. 40.77% of men and women born today will be diagnosed with cancer of all sites at some time during their lifetime. On January 1, 2007 there were 11,713,736 living US citizens, 5,353,054 men and 6,360,682 women, who had a history of cancer of any site.¹ Globally, the statistics are staggering. It is estimated that 12.9 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2009 and this number is expected to rise to 16.8 million by 2020.³ It is the second leading cause of death and disability both in the US and worldwide.

The global burden of cancer, based on the incidence of new cases and deaths, has doubled within the last 30 years.² The costs associated with this burden include medical spending such as costs of diagnosis, in-patient treatment and care, and out-patient treatment, in addition to productivity losses such as lost income due to cancer morbidity associated with new cancer cases. The worldwide cancer costs, excluding research expenditures have been estimated to be at least $286 billion in 2009 alone.³ That sum does not include the amount spent on cancer research, which totals at least $19 billion worldwide.³ Lastly, it should be emphasized that although the disease is indiscriminate with respect to socio-economic boundaries, the global funding for cancer research is almost entirely accounted for by developed nations.

The people and infrastructure of the scientific research communities of St Louis have contributed to our current understanding of cancer biology. Pedal the Cause provides us with an opportunity to immediately make the world a better place by thinking and acting at both the local and global levels.

Text References:

1. Altekruse SF, Kosary CL, Krapcho M, Neyman N, Aminou R, Waldron W, Ruhl J, Howlader N, Tatalovich Z, Cho H, Mariotto A, Eisner MP, Lewis DR, Cronin K, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Stinchcomb DG, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2007, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2007/ based on November 2009 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2010.

2. Boyle P, Levin B (eds.) World Cancer Report 2008, Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2008.

3. The Economist. “Breakaway: The Global Burden of Cancer-challenges and opportunities”, a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit 2009. Sponsored by LiveStrong. http://www.livestrong.org/What-We-Do/Our-Approach/Reports-Findings/Economic-Impact-Report

What I hear most is, “I want to go faster. Will a new bike help me?” There are a lot of advantages to a new bike, however, you first must learn to “wax on, wax off,” if I may use the pun.

As one might expect, a newer, lighter bike can give a person gains in climbing, descending, and overall comfort, leading to better efficiency and stability.  However, this new machine only enhances the foundational strength, agility, or technique in which we derive from doing skill and fitness base work.   So you must walk before you run, and then you can reward yourself with a new companion to share your accomplishments on.  There is no substitute for time in the saddle or sweat equity, no matter what bike you have.

When asking yourself about the correlation between your current bike and your performance, ask the following:

1) Is my bike appropriate for the type of terrain or activity being done? e.g. a mountain bike (MTB) will require a lot more effort to keep up with a Road Bike at a moderate pace on the street.

2) Is my bike the right size for me, or the person who will be using it?  A bike too small or too large will rob you of power, thus sapping energy.

3) Am I properly and functionally positioned on the bike to ensure the best performance, comfort, and optimal stability and agility? e.g. is your seat/saddle set to the proper height and your stem the correct length, both ensuring proper biomechanics?

4) Is my fitness up to par and I am just looking for a lighter, more comfortable ride, that will lead to enhancing my abilities?

There may be nothing wrong with your current bike, but evaluating a few simple points can better tailor it to fit you and your goals. For instance, if you are riding a MTB on the road it could be as easy as changing to smoother, commuter, or street tires to reduce rolling resistance, helping you reserve energy for a longer ride or when you need it most.

These questions may leave you drawing a blank, however, finding a local shop or cycling organization you are comfortable with and trust, is key to finding these answers and to having a great cycling experience. Sometimes we need someone with an outside, objective view to tell us we need to change a couple of things.

I will say that a new bike is always a motivator for a newfound love of cycling or to rekindle a childhood pastime, but either way, stick to your budget. Whether it’s a new bike or the one you have now, keep doing your skills and riding to become stronger and you will reap the benefits.

Rev On

Carrie

Recently I learned that we have lost a wonderful lady to the fight with cancer. Mary was someone who kept you longing for the next time you’d see her.  She was tenacious and defied the doctor’s prognosis and kept us all with a big smile on our face… an unbelievable tribute to how strong one can be in the hardest of times. Mary was a cyclist and a true athlete.

One reason we ride is to help find the path to a cure and keep our friends and loved ones here with us for as long as natural life allows.

Your and my goal is to push each foot forward as we pedal toward that cure, one dollar at a time.   

Now is the time. It is my charge to you to commit to 2 rides per week, each of at least 10 miles each. If you are riding inside, give me 45-60 minutes of good solid sweat and gears.  Find a group ride to attend once a week.  Surround yourself with excellence.  Do not be afraid of failure or of success, they go hand in hand.

We do not win by sitting on the sofa, or talking about how we want to do this or that.

 If Mary could ride, so can we.

I had no idea that one month later I would be diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It would alter my life, it would affect me profoundly, it was overwhelming and frightening. I asked myself all the questions I think most patients ask: how much time do I have? Will I be around to walk my children down the aisle? Will I hold my grand children? After the shock of the diagnosis wore off, I used all of my investigative skills that I have honed over the past 20 years to find the best lymphoma specialist and to figure out where he or she worked. I researched Dana Farber and researched MD Anderson and I sought the advice of some very accomplished people both in St. Louis and nationally. And every one of them said: “Why would you go anywhere when you have the Siteman Cancer Center in your backyard and you have Dr. Nancy Bartlett?”  They said, “She teaches us the latest protocol in treatment. She travels the world teaching all of the lymphoma specialists the latest protocol and treatment.”

 And so with that decided there was still the reality of my diagnosis. I had tumors everywhere and the lymphoma had spread to 40% of my bone marrow. Dr. Bartlett said we were going to do 6 months of chemotherapy and this treatment would include a targeted therapy that just kills the cancer cells and leaves all of the healthy cells alone. She said this was a tremendous advancement in the treatment of lymphoma and, in fact, all of the experts said this targeted therapy that Dr. Bartlett talked about is the future of all cancer treatment. There is no doubt that this targeted therapy is the future. I am living proof of that.

On Monday, I had a bone marrow biopsy, and yesterday, Dr. Bartlett’s office called and said, “Remission.” Remission. God, it’s a great word. And so with that part of my journey complete, I am now ready to move forward with renewed hope that one day there will be a cure. And that is why I am so excited about Pedal the Cause. As you heard, 100 percent of the money stays in St. Louis. 100 percent! There is no national organization siphoning money off the top. We are the national organization. We are the regional. We’re the local. We are the grass roots. All the money stays here to fund new research projects to develop new medicine like the one working in me right now.

So, with the unparalleled support and backing of KSDK News Channel 5, I am announcing the formation of Team Leisa, and we are inviting all of you, and all of our viewers, and all of our Facebook and Twitter friends to join Team Leisa in this year’s Pedal the Cause event. And here’s the best thing: even if you don’t have a bike, even if you don’t ever want to get on the bike, you can still be part of Team Leisa and you can be a Virtual Rider. It’s really easy, all you have to do is go to pedalthecause.org, sign up as a bike rider or a virtual rider, and join Team Leisa. Together, we can find a cure for all cancers. Thank you.