ThyCa NEWS NOTES - November 2013
12/2013- ThyCa To Award 3 New Thyroid Cancer Research Grants in 2014
- Nexavar Approved To Treat Advanced Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
- More than 100 Local ThyCa Support Groups Are Here To Help You
- From Our E-Mail Inbox
- ThyCa at Genzyme Thyroid Cancer Advisory Board Meeting
- ThyCa at Clinical Trials Meeting at National Cancer Institute
- New Surveys Coming Soon
- Have you signed our guestbook?
- Honoring and Remembering Others
- Rally for Research News
- Follow Us on Facebook and Twitter
- Low Iodine Recipe of the Month
- Invitation To Become a Member
- Every Day
- About ThyCa NEWS NOTES and ThyCa
ThyCa To Award 3 New Thyroid Cancer Research Grants in 2014
Grants Open to Researchers Worldwide
Proposals Due by January 31, 2014
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc. announces the 12th year of its research grants program, with grants open to researchers and institutions worldwide. ThyCa will award 3 new grants for thyroid cancer research in 2014.
Specifics:
- Each grant will be for 2 years.
- One grant is for research on follicular-cell-derived thyroid cancer (papillary, follicular, anaplastic, and variants).
- Another is for research on medullary thyroid cancer.
- The third grant is for research on any type of thyroid cancer. It is named The Ric Blake Memorial Thyroid Cancer Research Grant, in memory and honor of ThyCa co-founder Ric Blake.
The winning grant recipients will be selected by an independent expert panel of the American Thyroid Association (ATA). ATA is the professional association of clinicians and researchers specializing in thyroid diseases. The grant application guidelines are on ATA’s web site (thyroid.org). The deadline for submitting a proposal summary to ATA is January 31, 2014.
ATA's Research Committee will rank proposals according to their scientific merit. The authors of selected proposals will be notified by the ATA as early as March; they will be invited to submit complete grant applications, from which the grant winners will be selected
ThyCa supports research with the goal of cures for all thyroid cancer. The ThyCa Grants began in 2003. They are the first-ever grants to be funded entirely by thyroid cancer patients, caregivers and friends.
ThyCa has awarded more than $1.2 million for thyroid cancer research, to researchers in 5 countries: France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. ThyCa has awarded grants to researchers at the following institutions:
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Harvard Medical School), Boston, Massachusetts
- Cancer Center Karolinska, Stockholm, Sweden
- Cochin Institut, Paris, France
- Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and Medical University of Gdansk, Poland
- Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
- University of California Los Angeles/Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, California
- University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- University Hospital Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois
- University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
ThyCa invites everyone to join us in our quest to find cures for all thyroid cancer.
Find out more about the ThyCa Research Funds and the annual Rally for Research. Thank you!
top of page
Nexavar Approved To Treat Advanced Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the approved uses of Nexavar® (sorafenib) on November, 22, 2013, and approved the drug to treat late-stage (metastatic) differentiated thyroid cancer.
Differentiated thyroid cancer includes papillary and follicular thyroid cancer and their variants such as Hurthle cell and tall cell.
“Differentiated thyroid cancer can be challenging to treat, especially when unresponsive to conventional therapies,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Today’s approval demonstrates the FDA’s commitment to expediting the availability of treatment options for patients with difficult-to-treat diseases.”
Nexavar is co-marketed by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., based in Wayne, New Jersey, and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, based in South San Francisco, California.
Get more details here: www.thyca.org/news/sorafenib1113/
More than 100 Local ThyCa Support Groups Are Here To Help You
“They helped me through a really tough time, and I don't know what I would have done without their kindness, knowledge, and compassion,” writes an attendee about one of the ThyCa support groups in Florida.
Our support groups are free and open to any and all survivors and their families and friends.
In these groups, people share thyroid cancer information, their experiences with their thyroid cancer, and insights on how they are coping with thyroid cancer, and support.
For the web pages of all the groups, with the facilitator contact information and meeting schedules, go to our Find Support page.
Want to start a group in your area? Either contact the ThyCa Support Group Coordinator at support_coord@thyca.org or else download the application you’ll find on this page (www.thyca.org/sg/).
top of page
From Our E-Mail Inbox
From Arizona
I am helping raise awareness for a college course project for nonprofit organizations. I chose thyroid cancer because my mother is a survivor and thought this is a perfect topic for a Public Service Message. I would like some free awareness brochures to give to my audience.
From Nova Scotia, Canada –
Could I please order 50 copies of each of these educational resources for our Patient Information Centre? (brochures and Thyroid Cancer Basics handbook)
From California –
Thank you, thank you for your quick reply! You are so kind. I appreciate your help.
From Ohio –
Thank you so much for providing these resources.
From Texas -
I am a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and work in a busy office. I would like to request a few of the neck check cards for our patients.
From Colorado –
Thank you so much for everything you do and helping get the information out to everyone.
From New York –
Thanks for all the support and information online. Helped give me ALL the information I was lacking for my Thyroid Cancer and treatment. God Bless You ALL
From Iowa –
Thank you for this entire website. Information is power!
From Arizona –
Our teenage son was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer, and he had a total thyroidectomy. A good friend of ours suggested we check out your website. It has been very informative to us! My husband and I would like to request a backpack of thyroid cancer information for him.
From Oklahoma –
Thanks so much for all you do!
ThyCa at Genzyme Thyroid Cancer Advisory Board Meeting
ThyCa members Gary Bloom, Bridget Corcoran, Ralph Elliott, Wendy Garland, and Tim Lau participated in Genzyme’s Thyroid Cancer Advisory Board meeting in Cambridge, Massachusetts in November, to discuss ways to help future care of people with thyroid cancer. Gary is ThyCa Executive Director and ThyCa Co-Founder, involved in ThyCa for 18 years. Bridget is ThyCa Chicago Co-Facilitator, a member of the ThyCa Board of Directors, represents ThyCa at many medical professional and community health meetings, and conference and workshop planning team member. Wendy and Tim facilitate support group meetings, as well as representing ThyCa at numerous medical and community meetings. Thank you all for your service.
ThyCa at Clinical Trials Meeting at National Cancer Institute
On November 10 and 11, ThyCa Executive Director Gary Bloom plus longtime ThyCa volunteers Elaine Grant, Todd Larson, Cal Pierce, and Katharine Silkin took part in the Thyroid Cancer Clinical Trials meeting that brought together thyroid cancer experts from numerous centers. Speakers and breakout session leaders included many ThyCa medical advisors. This meeting was designed to chart the course for numerous areas of future thyroid cancer research.
Watch for our special newsletter issue, giving you links to 3 important new surveys developed by thyroid cancer experts in California, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. These online surveys are anonymous and quick to complete. Please take part. Together, we can help advance knowledge and help improve how others cope with the many challenges of thyroid cancer.
Have you signed our Guestbook?
Sign up and we'll put you on our mailing list for ThyCa News Notes and special announcements including events and activities. We'll also send you our free patient information packet!
Honoring and Remembering Others
Is there someone you'd like to celebrate, honor, or remember and benefit thyroid cancer research at the same time? We have lovely “Tribute Gift Cards” for special occasions like birthdays, congratulations, get-well messages, sympathy, memorials, and more, that do just that!
We support thyroid cancer research, and have proudly awarded more than $1.2 million in thyroid cancer research grants to researchers in 5 countries thanks to your support! We have awarded grants every year starting in 2003.
ThyCa's Research Grants are open to institutions and researchers worldwide, with grant recipients selected by an independent expert panel of the American Thyroid Association.
Read more here, and find out how you can help, on the official Rally for Research page.
We're now over 8,700 strong on the ThyCa Facebook page and over 1,600 on Twitter
Our support of each other--whether giving or receiving--is an incredible gift. Thank you for joining us.
Low Iodine Recipe of the Month
Contributed by Sharon M.
Blueberry Pancakes
3 egg whites, beaten
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon non-iodized salt
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup water
Fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
Slowly add sugar and vanilla to well-beaten egg whites. Then add remaining ingredients (except the blueberries), stirring after adding each one. Let batter sit for 5 minutes. Then gently fold in the blueberries. Pour the pancakes on hot griddle sprayed with vegetable oil to bake.
Serve with real maple syrup. Makes 10-12 pancakes.
Sharon writes, “Thank you so much for the Low Iodine Recipe Collection, including the general comments about low iodine diets, foods that are okay and not. It is extremely helpful
Thank you, Sharon, for contributing this recipe and your other great recipe. We will include them in the next edition of ThyCa’s FREE Downloadable Low-Iodine Cookbook.
Free and Downloadable
Download the 7th edition of the Low-Iodine Cookbook in English for free, with more than 340 favorite recipes from more than 150 generous volunteers.
The Cookbook is also available in:
Please remember, while you’re welcome to download and print the entire free low-iodine cookbook, you can also print just the pages you need.
This free cookbook is a wonderful help when you’re preparing to receive radioactive iodine for treatment or testing. All the recipes are favorites of some of our ThyCa volunteers, who are sharing them with everyone, to make the low-iodine diet easy and tasty. The recipes are also great for family meals and for potlucks, any time.
To contribute your favorite recipe or tip, send it to recipes@thyca.org.
Help us sustain, strengthen, and extend our services. We invite you to become a member of ThyCa:: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc.
Membership is open to everyone worldwide. You may become a 1-year ThyCa member ($25), 2-year member ($45), or lifetime member ($225).
Your membership dues will support ThyCa's efforts to reach and serve other survivors and their families around the world. Members receive our Membership Messenger newsletter.
For our online Membership Form and our mailed Membership Form, click here.
top of page
Every day, thousands of people with thyroid cancer, and their families, receive support, education, and hope from ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. Your generous support is what makes it possible to sustain, strengthen, and expand our services and outreach.
It only takes a minute to make a donation online in support of ThyCa's work (or you are welcome to donate by mail to ThyCa, P.O. Box 964, Chesterfield, MO 63006-0964).
Thank you very much!
About ThyCa NEWS NOTES and ThyCa
Copyright (c) 2013 ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc.
Please share ThyCa News Notes with your family and friends. For permission to reprint in another electronic or print publication, please contact us at publications@thyca.org.
Thank you to our writing, editing, and proofreading team for this issue: Leah Guljord, Sharon M., Pat Paillard, Barb Statas, Cherry Wunderlich, and Gary Bloom.
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization (tax ID #52-2169434) of thyroid cancer survivors, family members, and health care professionals serving people worldwide and dedicated to education, support, communication, and fundraising for thyroid cancer research.
ThyCa sponsors the annual International Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference, as well as Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, a worldwide observance each September, plus year-round awareness campaigns, research funding, and thyroid cancer research grants.
Contact us for free materials and information. E-mail to thyca@thyca.org call toll-free at 1-877-588-7904, fax 1-630-604-6078, write PO Box 1102, Olney, MD 20830-1102, or visit our website.