FCRC Beyond Blue Fall 2021 - Flipbook - Page 18
Research SPOTLIGHT
LEE JONES
WELLNESS
Research
Did you know research doesn’t only apply to vaccines,
treatments, and new therapies? There are all kinds of
research studies happening to help people get healthy.
One of those studies recently kicked off. It’s being
led by Erin L. Van Blarigan, ScD, at the University
of California San Francisco (UCSF) and is funded in
part by the National Institutes of Health. The study
is looking at how to increase physical activity and
improve diet among CRC survivors—something
that’s critical not only for cancer prevention but also
for treatment and survivorship.
Several of Fight CRC’s research advocates provided
feedback for Dr. Van Blarigan’s study protocol. They
offered comments like, “It’s not feasible,” or “This
won’t make sense to participants.” This study aims to help people get healthier quicker
and to teach healthcare professionals how to effectively help patients—saving both
time and money in the long run.
FL
X YOUR SUPPORT
A #StrongArmSelfie is an easy way to show
you support the fight against colorectal
cancer. It’s a sign to a patient that you care.
A symbol to a caregiver that you’ve got their
back. And, it may also serve as a reminder
to get screened for colorectal cancer.
Fight CRC’s community of advocates have
adopted the “strong arm” as a way to show
we fight relentlessly against colorectal cancer
and will not back down until there’s a cure.
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HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
1.
Take a selfie while flexing your
best strong-arm pose
2. Tag us @FightCRC
3. Post it using #StrongArmSelfie
to raise awareness and funds for
colorectal cancer
“Participating in this research study provided
a great opportunity to share what ‘good care’
means to patients. While surviving cancer is
the initial goal, the patient experience and
perspective play a vital role when it comes
to staying fit, healthy, and active. As I look
back on my cancer journey, the need for
this research is crucial because it will allow
survivors, including myself, an opportunity to
live our best lives within research guidelines
that incorporate the patient voice.”
— Wenora Johnson
Stage IIIb Survivor
“After treatment for CRC, which can be
debilitating (as it was for me at stage III),
survivors need—truly need—rays of hope.
Real-world hope. The UCSF/Van Blarigan
study aims to provide that. Plus, the team has
quickly responded to advocates' suggestions
about how to add ‘real-world’ amounts of
workout and eating advice, without making it
seem like ‘another job’ for the patient! A gift
to us all.”
Microbiome Research
Lee Jones, a stage IV survivor and research
advocate, was one of 10 research advocates
from five countries selected to participate
in the OPTIMISTICC study, a project
investigating the relationship between the
human microbiome and CRC. It is funded by
a five-year grant from Cancer Research UK as
part of their Cancer Grand Challenges program
(now in partnership with the U.S. National
Cancer Institute).
“This research tends to be mostly lab-related
and it requires a much heavier knowledge of
science than I have, but research advocates
have played an important role. We have
helped relate the lab findings to the real world
so patients find more potential value. Also,
dietary information and tumor, blood, and stool
samples are collected at several points during
participants’ chemotherapy or immunotherapy
treatments. We have provided valuable input
regarding this as well.
Findings of the study have so far demonstrated
strong associations between several microbes
and CRC. One of the studies, headed by
Dr. Kimmie Ng at Dana-Farber, is looking
specifically at the role the microbiome
may play in young onset colorectal cancer.
One of the more interesting findings is of a
predatory bacterium that only attacks one
of the cancer-associated microbes. We don’t
know how this might play out in the human
body, but it’s amazing to watch the attack
under a microscope!”
Read more about the microbiome on page 10.
— Curt Pesmen
Stage III Survivor
Join the Fight at FIGHTCRC.ORG
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