Tech Startups 3.0: Private Equity HUB: In Memoriam: Keith Benjamin

"Venture capitalist Keith Benjamin has passed away, four days after suffering a major brain hemorrhage while at the gym. He was 49 years-old.
Keith had been a managing partner with San Francisco-based Levensohn Venture Partners since 2002, where he focused on software and digital media investments. He previously had been a general partner with Highland Capital Partners and, before that, was a sell-side analyst at Robertson Stephens.
Like many of his Silicon Valley peers, Keith also was a blogger — discussing both the personal and professional at SF Venture. In the past, he has graciously permitted us to reprint certain pieces at peHUB."

pancreatic cancer: The uplifting 'Last Lecture' man dies at 47

"The cause of his death was metastasised pancreatic cancer, said a spokesman for Carnegie Mellon University. He had survived for A federal eating mugs and judge has given the state of Texas until January to improve its education programs for intensive secondary data school students learning English more than twice as long as.."

Tech Startups 3.0: NYTimes.com: Randy Pausch, 47, Dies; His ‘Last Lecture’ Inspired Many to Live With Wonder#links

ABC News: Cancer Prof Warns Against Cell Phone Use

"The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. The warning from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is contrary to numerous studies that don't find a link between cancer and cell phone use, and a public lack of worry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Herberman is basing his alarm on early..."

Effective Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Remains Elusive

"Although therapeutic strategies have advanced for many common gastrointestinal cancers, significant progress in the treatment of pancreatic cancer remains elusive. The eagerly anticipated results of randomized trials that evaluated gemcitabine-based combination regimens have proven to be disappointing, researchers report in a review paper that discusses the use of systemic therapy in advanced pancreatic cancer. Whereas 2 recent trials have demonstrated a modest survival benefit with combination therapy, some consider the improvement to be too small to justify the risk of toxicity or added cost.
The article appears in the July issue of the Annals of Oncology.

"Not many trials have been promising, unfortunately, as this is a difficult disease," said coauthor John R. Zalcberg, MD, PhD, professor and director of the division of haematology and medical oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, in Melbourne, Australia. "The new biologics have really not, at this point, been as hopeful as we would have liked or expected."

One disappointment has been the negative results from trials combining bevacizumab (Avastin, Roche) and gemcitabine (Gemzar, Eli Lilly), especially because an early-phase study showed a survival benefit. "We were hoping that it would be the opening of a new treatment era for pancreatic cancer, but unfortunately, that hasn't happened," Dr. Zalcberg told Medscape Oncology.

Pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer death; even with treatment, less than 5% of patients survive 5 years. This disease presents a number of challenges that the clinician has to consider and that make effective therapy so difficult, the authors point out. It is frequently diagnosed at a late stage, often after it has metastasized, and disease-related symptoms, including pain and cachexia, negatively affect performance status and limit the safe delivery of treatment.

The disease is highly resistant to chemotherapy, and systemic treatments produce only modest benefits. Only about 10% to 15% of patients have tumors that can be surgically resected; even then, the risk for recurrence is high. However, it is possible that adjuvant therapy will improve outcomes in this population as new strategies are developed."

Fat stomachs 'raise risk of pancreatic cancer in women' - Telegraph

Obese women who carry much of their excess weight around the belly are 70 per cent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, a study has found. The study published in the British Journal of Cancer found a link between waist-to-hip ratios and the cancer while monitoring more than 138,000 post-menopausal women for seven years.

Dr Juhua Luo, of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who led the research said: "We found that the risk of developing pancreatic cancer was significantly raised in obese postmenopausal women who carry most of their excess weight around the stomach. Researchers believe that obesity could increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the most difficult forms to treat, by affecting insulin levels.

TG2 identified as potential therapeutic target in chemo-resistant

For example, TG2 overexpression causes the degradation of the tumor-suppressing protein PTEN in pancreatic cancer, Mehta and colleagues reported in Clinical ...

Nanoparticles Stops Spread Of Kidney And Pancreatic Cancer Without ...AHN - Jul 11, 2008... that deliver drug agents to stop pancreatic and kidney cancer from spreading in mice but have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.

Cancer claims White House aid

"Cancer claims White House aid

Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 15 hours agoSnow joined the Bush Administration as press secretary in 2006, a year after he was diagnosed with cancer and his colon was removed."

"Swimmer is racing to beat cancerTimes Online, UK - 7 hours agoHe has testicular cancer. The 25-year-old from Atlanta has delayed surgery, against medical advice, so that he can fulfil his lifetime ambition of competing ...

US Olympian Shanteau diagnosed with testicular cancer AFP

Swimmer opts for Beijing trip, delays surgery for cancer Seattle Times

Olympics, then cancer surgery Kansas City Star"

RIP Tony Snow

"Ex-Bush press secretary Tony Snow dies of cancer at 53Los Angeles Times, CA - 4 hours agoAfter a long, candid and public battle with colon cancer, former White House press secretary and radio talk-show host Tony Snow died early this morning. "

The Associated Press: Supermodel raises awareness for pediatric cancer

"MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Supermodel Cindy Crawford has been making appearances this weekend in Madison, Wis., to raise awareness of pediatric cancer.

Crawford's younger brother, Jeff, was a patient at University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital. The boy died of leukemia in 1975 just before his fourth birthday.

Crawford is the honorary chair of Kids with Courage, which had its fourth reunion of childhood cancer survivors Saturday in Madison.

She was also part of the three previous reunions in 1993, 1998 and 2003.

The University of Wisconsin says Crawford has been contributing time and money to the UW Pediatric Oncology program for nearly 20 years. "

cancer - Google News

"Plastic surgeons' discarded breast tissue aids cancer researchCanada.com, Canada - 13 hours agoVANCOUVER - To learn about what triggers breast cancer and how to create better treatments, scientists first have to know more about the composition and ...Regulation and research in stem cell medicine PHG FoundationCanada puts $100 million into stem cell research Windsor StarSD stem cell efforts awarded $5 million total San Diego Union Tribune"