Handling Cancer on the NHS

The NHS boasts it is "best in the world". So why do we have one of the worst post cancer survival rates in Europe? Possibly this is partly our fault. Most people diagnosed with cancer in Britain meekly accept what doctors offer; they feel it is wrong to challenge a diagnosis, and as one doctor told me "patients should ask for a second opinion". My favourite medic told a conference at the Royal Marsden, Britain's flagship cancer treatment centre, "doctors don't know how to talk to patients": loud cheers from patients in the audience, whilst medics sat stony-faced. Revd. David Brown was Chaplain at the hospital for 21 years, and said doctors would come to him and say "David, I don't know how to talk to patients". So it is up to patients to talk WITH their doctors. Don't worry about being a nuisance, as privately oncologists admit patients that "kick up a fuss" generally recover better. We need to get over NHS arrogance, and copy what is offered to patients in Europe. As a patient, I became incensed when doctors in Britain dismissed blindness in one eye, caused by one of the drugs I was on, with "I have never seen this before". It was a French professor who said this was a rare but well-documented side effect of the drug I had been put on, Tamoxifen. I saw what help I could get in Europe, mostly common sense, but denied to patients in Britain because doctors just won't look abroad and copy procedures and treatments. If we find information on the Internet that will help us, we don't have to meekly accept arrogant decisions and advice from our medics. We should demand treatment and products European cancer patients receive - so hopefully we all survive longer. For most patientss, everything goes relatively well. Yes, you are going to get tired for no apparent reason. Yes, you get nauseous and have problems with chemo, but as time goes on these are much better handled. You get used to talking to medics, and find whilst you arebeing treated in hospital your problems get sorted. Complicatons come when you are given a hormonal drug such as Tamoxifen, and told you don't have to come back for three months. 5% of patients won't get any side effects, and sail through the next five years. The other 95% do, and these can include temporary blindness and peeling, bloody and painful skin eruptions. These made me the patient from hell. I didn't believe attempts to fob me off with "it's your age" and demanded to know "why?" Eventually it became obvious that the NHS is overstretched; it concentrates on primary treatment, leaving cancer charities to pick up the aftermath. So, why not take advantage of a short break holiday and go to Europe? In most EU countries patients live longer post cancer, and I suspect this is because their doctors don't dismiss side effects from hormonal drugs, but help patients throughout the five years they take them. I had a lovely time learning about good post cancer treatment. Who could complain joining German cancer patients having free massages, or French women getting skincare advice with lovely clinically-tested products proven to do cancer-skins good?! Currently the UK ranks between 17th and 25th for life expectancy post cancer (depending if it is NHS or World Health Organisation survey), I asked the Dept of Health if the NHS were sending people to Europe to see what we could copy. Their arrogant reply "we have no plans" beggars belief. Pound for pound, euro for euro, French cancer treatment is probably the best in world. Overall their health service (state and health insurance top ups together) costs roughly the same as our NHS. But when private insurance companies are involved, they demand accountability. No insurance company would allow hospitals get away with the expensive administration we have in the NHS. The Sunday Telegraph wrote recently that in the past ten years "NHS administrator numbers increased 64%, as against 43% for doctors and 25% for nurses", yet "productivity has fallen by 10%". With administrators on £150,000+ salaries we still have the worst MRSA figures in Europe. So instead of giving us similar treatment to Europeans, the NHS is paying for the extra administrators, and, as cancer guru Prof. Karol Sikora says, "the depth of pile in their carpets". But there is no reason why we can't copy some of the European treatments, and have fun after cancer. These aren't 'airy fairy' treatments or 'miracle foods', but clinically approved products, some of which we can obtain on NHS, but doctors don't have time to tell us, and things such as massage that Macmillan surveys have proven to be very helpful. But before trying anything, tell your doctor or oncology nurse - there might be contra-indications. And HAVE FUN! Verité Reily Collins http://after-cancer.com

Is There Any Way to Beat Cancer?

If you have been diagnosed with cancer it can be overwhelming. There is alot of information all over the internet and in the medical community that can seem very confusing. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer one of the most important things you need to realize is there is hope for total remission. The very first step is believing in yourself and that you can beat your cancer. Cancer is a process that happens over a period of time. You do not get cancer over night. There are several things that have gone wrong in your cell development and your body and your healthy cells where not able to fight the cancer cells. You can however reverse the process. It can take time and determination but it can be done. The further the stage your cancer is in the longer it may take to reverse the process, but you can do it. Your body is designed naturally to heal itself. When we get a cut, an injury, major surgery, illness, broken bones, etc. your body will repair itself. The brain automatically sends out signals to your entire body to fight the ailment or illness. The better you take care of yourself and provide your body and cells with the essentials it needs the easier your body can heal itself. Your body does this everyday of your life, healing itself, rebuilding itself and providing you with life. You may not be aware of this, but everyone has cancer cells. Your body, especially your white cells (NK Cells) fight off and kill the cancer cells. One NK cell attaches to a cancer cell and kills it in a matter of seconds. That same NK cell can continue to kill numerous cancer cells before that NK cell dies off. Your body will naturally continue producing more NK cells. It is an ongoing natural process in your body. It is also important to know that your body has a PH Level and you can monitor and test your Ph levels. Your body is either acidic or alkalized. You want your body to be more alkalized then acidic. In a well balanced or alkalized body cancer cannot survive. If you have cancer you can bet your body is acidic. There are many ways to alkalize your body. You can eat alkalized foods, drink alkalized water, and even bath with alkalized soap. It is important to know that whatever you put on your skin your body absorbs. Start using natural products on your skin. Your skin is an organ, the largest organ in your body. Take caution to what you put on your skin. The same holds true for your internal organs and cells. Your body is designed to "Need" certain foods to survive. You need to begin providing these essentials for your body. Begin taking care of your body and reversing your cancer. The same way cancer developed in your body you can reverse that process.

Debt Consolidation

Drowning in debts as you read this article? Having a hard time settling your debts which are now payable and insistent? Giving up necessities just to get by? Hopeless due to the overwhelming responsibilities your to have to shoulder? Don't think of reporting of bankruptcy yet. There are ways you can do to settle your obligations, or at the very least, lessen the burden you have to shoulder. Consolidating your debt is one. Debt consolidation pertains to the fusion of your debts into a single loan. This definition may sound simplistic, and some people may question how this technique can help them cope up with their financial woes, but debt consolidation has positive outcomes that can assist an individual with financial binds." Debt consolidation can extend the due date of several loans. If you have many debts which have become demandable, for example, you can consolidate them into a new loan with a new due date which will allow you more time to prepare for the same."Debt consolidation can merge several debts with high interest rates into a new loan with a significantly lower interest rate. Believe it or not, when we become remiss in the payment of our debts, their relevant interest rates can mess up our investments. We end up paying and paying our debts, only to realize afterwards that majority of our payments are just only suffice to cover the interests per se." Debt consolidation makes financial planning less of a headache. You can stop thinking of several debts. You can just basically face a single consolidated credit. Debt consolidation is a common approach in managing difficulties of having numerous monetarial binds at one time. Filing for a judicial declaration of bankruptcy is an option to relieve yourself of your unsecured loans, but such should be treated as a last resort. Many finance companies offer debt consolidation loans for beleaguered debtors. Consolidated loans are high in demand. In any case, they bring about issues easier for the debtor. Aside from having just one loan to worry about, debt consolidation also provides a single loan with a lower interest rate (compared to the total amount of the interest rates for the individual debts concerned), as well as a new maturity period that can effectively extend the due date of the individual loans.Frequently, credit institutions that give debt consolidation loans ask for a mortgage from the person in debt, a form of security to ensure compliance with the terms of the new, unified loan. This credit is protected from the house of the debtor. From the time when debt consolidation loans are secured, the finance companies concerned will contact each and every creditor of the debtor to negotiate favorable terms for fulfillment of the debtor's obligations. In a way, finance institutions giving out debt consolidation loans essentially act as economic consultants for concerned debtors. In addition, debt consolidation can also be regarded as a type of debt refinancing. The finance company offering the debt consolidation loan will actually pay for the individual loans , and the debtor will be indebted to the finance company under one, single loan thereafter.Some rational admonitions about debt consolidation loans however:You can only be in a debt consolidation once and never again. This is for the reason that only unsecured loans can be consolidated, and with the mortgage requirement, debt consolidation loans are deemed to be secured loans. Due to this, nonpayers won't be able to relieve themselves of unsatisfied debt consolidation loans even when a proficient court announces them to be insolvent. Bankruptcy only absolves the debtor from paying unsecured loans. The mortgage connected to a debt consolidation loan will still be foreclosed even if the debtor is deemed as bankrupt.Merging your debts is an excellent option if you're encountering some problems in paying off numerousfinances when majority of them are already due and needed. Save yourself from the strenuous fine charges and interest charges by consolidating these loans into one secured loan that will be easier to manage.

7 Secret Tips to Beat Inflation and Save Money

Unless you have been living on Mars for the last year or so, you would know that the days of cheap plentiful oil are well and truly over. At this time of writing, each barrel of oil is being sold at nearly US$150, a price no one would have possibly predicted almost five years ago when prices exhibited an upward trend. Believe it or not, high oil prices are definitely here to stay. This necessarily translates into higher inflation rates and much reduced purchasing power. It means that more and more money will be needed to buy the same number of units of goods. As it stands, weak prevailing US economic sentiments do not help at all in lifting our spirits. Already, high food and fuel prices are triggering violent public protests in many developing countries. "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity", says Albert Einstein. Do not for a moment put your hands up, despair and give up. I am telling you it only takes a change in your attitude and minor tweaks in your lifestyle to maintain a more than reasonable living standard. Not only that, you will get to save money as you go along and pass down good-as-gold thrifty habits to our younger generations. Without further ado, let's examine how 7 simple and practical tips can help you beat inflation and save as much money as you want. They can be easily implemented by anyone living in any country but nonetheless requires a little discipline on your part. 1) If you really need a credit card, then cancel all other credit cards you are holding and just hang on to one. Yes, you heard me right. Keep only one credit card. If not, eschew credit cards totally and go for a debit card instead. In this way, you will intuitively curb your spending and at the same time, consolidate all purchase points on a single card. Once you have accumulated sufficient points, go ahead and redeem a free restaurant voucher or airline ticket for yourself. Yeah, the best things are free! 2) Keep your hair reasonably short but presentable. If you are still reading this article, you can't be living on Mars. And you should be aware it is summertime right now. That is when the mercury shoots right off the edge and your utility bills chew up whatever spare cash you have. Hear me out. Your head radiates a considerably amount of heat. By keeping your hair short, you will feel cool no matter what time of the day is and avoid reaching out for that air-con remote. As you know, air-conditioners are notorious for guzzling energy and can easily account for two-thirds of your energy bills. 3) Consolidate and perform all "manual" tasks in one shot. Take for example you are a stay-at-home mom and have to carry out household chores throughout the day. These chores may include taking the kids out to school, mopping the floor, hanging the laundry and so on. Instead make it a point to carry out as many tasks consecutively as possible. Once you are done, treat yourself to a quick but relaxing ten-minute shower, splash on some fresh-smelling talcum powder and again, you can avoid using the air-conditioner. You smell good, the work is done and by the way, did I mention that doing household chores is a proven great way to slim down? I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised at just how much you can save by just avoiding switching on the air-conditioner. 4) Did you know you can literally have your cake and eat it too? How so? A really neat trick I use is to check out nearby hotels and pastry shops for their "special offers". This is not commonly advertised but it is known that many of them offer massive discounts in the evenings on bread or cakes that are unsold. They are edible for sure and you can keep some for a hearty breakfast tomorrow morning. Most importantly, you get to save some money on quality food! 5) Many of us own a car for either work or personal reasons. But no matter what the vehicle is bought for, all of us are price-takers and hence face the problem of rocketing fuel prices. If you find yourself unwilling or unable to give up your wheeler and take public transport instead, here's what you should do to save gas and stretch your dollar: simply junk the junk. Studies have shown on average every 50kg added load in your car increases fuel consumption by 2 percent. In addition, making sure your car is properly maintained improves your gas mileage and save fuel. This means to keep your tires properly inflated (inflation!) and use thinner tires if you can. 6) This is a real clever way to slash a huge portion of your weekly grocery bills. Food is essential to sustain life but the next time you venture down to the nearby supermarket, keep your eyes peeled for "house brands". They are actually food products bought and packaged by the supermarkets themselves. In the process the unwelcome middle-man is cut off from the supply chain and any savings generated will translate to lower food prices for everyday consumers like us. Conclusive studies have shown the food quality and nutritional value remains unaltered at all, even when compared to more expensive brands. Just try out secret tactic and you will be amazed how all these savings will add up every month. 7) The rise of budget airlines is unprecedented and should not have gone unnoticed by anyone. Whether you are an avid traveler or a businessman, keep a good lookout for special promotional prices offered by these airlines. In fact, an airline ticket can easily go below a dollar, excluding various taxes and surcharges! Some of them may have hit the wrong headline for lower safety standards or financial difficulties but all of them are air-worthy I am sure. Also, they represent good value-for-money air travel deals. For example, you get to save on cheaper flight tickets, lower (pesky) fuel and tax surcharges and you don't compromise on comfort greatly because most budget-type flights are short, each lasting only a few hours. The tips I have written down here is certainly not exhaustive! So please provide your valuable comments and everyone will benefit as a result. Inflation is here to stay for the rest of this year at least. Prudence is now the name of the game. As suggested, make a truthful commitment to change your attitude and lifestyle habits. In the process, you will find yourself saving lots of money and boosting your purchasing power. Beat inflation at its own game!

How to Manage Your HSA Health Insurance Plan

Health Savings Accounts consist of two parts - the high deductible health plan (HDHP), and the Health Savings Account (HSA) itself. By carefully choosing which bank you use to establish your HSA, and strategically choosing how to fund your account and manage your investment, you will be able to get the most return on your money while keeping your expenses to a minimum. Make Sure to Establish Your Health Savings Account By switching from a conventional copay health insurance plan to a high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP), most people are cutting their health insurance costs by about 40% or so. This is such a big savings, that many people neglect to take the next step and set up their HSA. But this is a financial mistake that is costing them money. Unless you pay no income tax and have zero medical expenses (including dental, over-the-counter medications, or charges for alternative care like chiropractic or acupuncture), you will absolutely save money by establishing your HSA. Just find a good HSA Administrator and get started. Run All Your Medical Expenses Through Your HSA Not everyone feels like they have "extra" money that they afford to set aside in their HSA, despite the tax savings and other financial benefits. Even if that's the case, you should still establish your HSA. Every time you incur a medical expense, deposit at least as much money as you spent on that medical expense. For instance, if you went to the dentist and it cost $85, put $85 in your HSA. If you like you can then take it right back out. What this does is convert this medical expense into a tax-deductible expense. Then when you file your taxes next year, you can put the total amount that you ran through your HSA on line 25 of your 1040, and deduct it from the total income you report. Cover Your Deductible Your next step is to get enough money in your HSA to cover your deductible. For 2008, deductibles range from $1100 to $5600 for individuals, and $2200 to $11,200 for families. Annual contribution limits are $2900 for individuals, and $5800 for families. So it could take a couple years or longer to get enough money in your account to cover your deductible. Once this money is in your HSA, you will have the confidence of knowing that you can cover most any medical expense that comes your way, particularly if you have a health insurance plan that pays 100% after your deductible. As you continue to build money in your account, you may want to consider switching to a health insurance plan with an even higher deductible, which will further lower your premiums. Minimize the Fees You Pay If you will be using your HSA to pay medical expenses as you incur them, you should keep an eye on the fees your bank charges. Until you have enough money in your account to cover any fees with investment returns, you probably want to have your HSA with a bank that charges no fees. (Several are listed on the website referenced above). If you plan to access money from your HSA to pay ongoing medical expenses, you may wish to keep a portion of your HSA money in a savings account or short-term CD. But to take maximum advantage of your HSA, you'll want to eventually move some of the funds to investments that have a higher potential return. Investment Options No other investment has the triple tax-advantage that Health Savings Accounts offer. Not only is your Health Savings Account deposit tax deductible, and your withdrawals to cover medical expenses tax-free, but your investment also grows tax-deferred make Health Savings Accounts a great investment option. Taking advantage of tax-deferred growth is one of the best ways to build long-term savings. Some banks will provide a short list of mutual funds you can invest in, while others provide access to an online discount brokerage such as Ameritrade where you can choose from stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and more. The most aggressive strategy is to pay your medical expenses from somewhere other than your HSA, and save the receipt. You can then reimburse yourself at a later date. The additional growth you get from not paying any taxes on your investment may be enough to cover all your medical expenses. By Wiley Long - President, HSA for America ( http://www.health--savings--accounts.com ) - The nation's leading independent health insurance firm specializing in individual and family coverage that works with a Health Savings Account.

Social Health Insurance to be launched in August

Work is underway to launch the government initiated social health insurance scheme by the late August reveals the senior official in charge of setting up the scheme. Thorig Ali Luthfee , the senior most officials in charge of setting up the scheme informed Miadhu Daily that the scheme will be introduced in phases. “With the launching of the Social Health Insurance Scheme, the first phase will be to introduce the scheme to the people registered in the social welfare department, and then it will be introduced to retired civil servants and government employees. When I say government employees, I mean those working in civil service as well as those working for the government outside civil service. We will introduce these groups in this order, one by one” Thorig revealed. Thorig informed that the main objective is to introduce the scheme to all Maldivians by the end of year 2010. Thorig also informed that scheme will benefit all Maldivians and the main priority of the government when introducing such a scheme is to ensure that the full benefits of the system are reached to the citizens on easy and convenient terms. “The scheme being introduced will provide the necessary health care to the respective individual when the individual goes to a registered health service provider, through the use of the national identity cards we can monitor what health services are obtained through our network, we are not employing insurance cards and things like that, the scheme will establish systems of obtaining health care” revealed Thorig. When asked, how much an individual is entitled for health care under the scheme Thorig replied that the aim was to provide quality health care over a sustained period of time. “We are thinking of providing quality health care, rather than imposing limits, the scheme is introduced for the benefit of everyone” he said. President in presidential address this year has informed that a social health insurance scheme is to be introduced for government employees, their families and to those who require financial assistance to satisfy the most essential and basic needs. Attempts were made by Ministry of Higher Education Employment and Social Welfare early last year to establish health care scheme for government staff. However the attempts did not succeed.

More working poor qualify for state health insurance

The Hohman family of West Baltimore got their new medical assistance cards Monday by special delivery — hand-carried by Gov. Martin O’Malley and House Health and Government Operations Committee Chairman Peter Hammen, who engineered the passage of the new Maryland law that expanded coverage to them. “Now I can take some burden off my parents,” said Richard Hohman Sr., 34, who works part time in promotions, making less than $10,000 a year. He broke his back a while back, and needs $200 a month in medication for his bipolar disorder. His wife, Joanne, 53, has a degenerative bone disease and asthma that require $150 a month in prescriptions. They are among the first 2,400 people approved for expanded health insurance that state officials hope will cover 100,000 of the estimated 800,000 Maryland residents without medical coverage. The law passed during November’s special session raises the income eligible for Medicaid for a family of three from $7,500 a year — 44th lowest in the nation — to $20,500, 21st in the nation. The new program will cost $153 million this year, nearly half of that covered by federal funds and the rest coming mostly from the doubling of the cigarette tax and savings to hospitals from the reduction in uncompensated care they now provide to people without health insurance. In October, a new $10 million program to aid small businesses kicks in, and in future years, health insurance will expand to cover working poor who do not have children. Health Secretary John Colmers said the Human Resources Department has expedited processing of the new applicants by eliminating the need for an asset test and eliminating face-to-face interviews. Human Resources Secretary Brenda Donald said hundreds more people are applying every day. “They are our neighbors, our families members,” Donald said. AARP sponsored the event to thank O’Malley, House Speaker Michael Busch and the other legislators who helped win passage of the new program, including all seven Republicans on the Health and Government Operations Committee. The $1 billion in uncompensated care — representing $344 a year in additional health premiums for those with insurance — “is the real tax,” said Del. Donald Elliott, a Carroll County Republican on the committee. “This is only the beginning” in tackling the lack of health insurance, he added.

More working poor qualify for state health insurance

The Hohman family of West Baltimore got their new medical assistance cards Monday by special delivery — hand-carried by Gov. Martin O’Malley and House Health and Government Operations Committee Chairman Peter Hammen, who engineered the passage of the new Maryland law that expanded coverage to them. “Now I can take some burden off my parents,” said Richard Hohman Sr., 34, who works part time in promotions, making less than $10,000 a year. He broke his back a while back, and needs $200 a month in medication for his bipolar disorder. His wife, Joanne, 53, has a degenerative bone disease and asthma that require $150 a month in prescriptions. They are among the first 2,400 people approved for expanded health insurance that state officials hope will cover 100,000 of the estimated 800,000 Maryland residents without medical coverage. The law passed during November’s special session raises the income eligible for Medicaid for a family of three from $7,500 a year — 44th lowest in the nation — to $20,500, 21st in the nation. The new program will cost $153 million this year, nearly half of that covered by federal funds and the rest coming mostly from the doubling of the cigarette tax and savings to hospitals from the reduction in uncompensated care they now provide to people without health insurance. In October, a new $10 million program to aid small businesses kicks in, and in future years, health insurance will expand to cover working poor who do not have children. Health Secretary John Colmers said the Human Resources Department has expedited processing of the new applicants by eliminating the need for an asset test and eliminating face-to-face interviews. Human Resources Secretary Brenda Donald said hundreds more people are applying every day. “They are our neighbors, our families members,” Donald said. AARP sponsored the event to thank O’Malley, House Speaker Michael Busch and the other legislators who helped win passage of the new program, including all seven Republicans on the Health and Government Operations Committee. The $1 billion in uncompensated care — representing $344 a year in additional health premiums for those with insurance — “is the real tax,” said Del. Donald Elliott, a Carroll County Republican on the committee. “This is only the beginning” in tackling the lack of health insurance, he added.

Illinois man to shave beard for cancer fundraiser

While philanthropists have been donating locks of hair to cancer patients for years, Gary Risler plans to trim the other side of his head to fight cancer. The Farmer City man is raffling off the rights to shave the beard he's sported for 18 years. That makes his beard older than Risler's youngest son, who has never seen all of his dad's face. Risler says even his oldest son hasn't seen his bare chin since he was 4 years old. Risler hopes the July 12th fundraiser will bring in $1,000 for his friend Kathy Wain, who is battling cancer. Risler says Wain was one of the first people he met when he moved to Farmer City 30 years ago.

Molecule That Kills Kidney Cancer Cells Discovered

But that could change, thanks to a new molecule found by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers that kills kidney cancer cells. Ideally, the researchers said, a drug created from this molecule would help fight the life-threatening disease while leaving patients' kidneys intact. "You now have a potential means of going after a disease that's been difficult to treat," said Amato Giaccia, PhD, professor and director of radiation oncology and radiation biology at the medical school. His findings will be published in the journal Cancer Cell on July 8. Giaccia said his lab focused on renal cell carcinoma, or kidney cancer, because there is no known cure for it short of removing a damaged kidney from a patient's body. "There is no effective chemotherapy to treat renal cell carcinoma," said Giaccia, also a researcher at the Stanford Cancer Center. "Patients still succumb." Almost 54,400 people in the United States will be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year, and about 13,000 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Radiotherapy, a powerful weapon used to fight cancer, has also proven to be ineffective in killing kidney cancer, in contrast to other types of cancer, Giaccia said. This new research could lead to a treatment to save patients from losing one of their two kidneys. The organs are responsible for filtering blood, controlling blood pressure and preventing anemia, among other tasks. Giaccia's work focuses on the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene, or VHL gene, which normally slows tumor growth in humans but does not work in 75 percent of kidney tumor cells. Giaccia's team searched for a small molecule that would kill cancer cells when this VHL gene is broken. They found their weapon in a molecule called STF-62247. While STF-62247 is toxic to kidney cancer, it is generally harmless to most other cells in the human body, as they carry a working VHL gene, Giaccia said. As an added benefit, Giaccia said, patients treated with STF-62247 should not suffer some of chemotherapy's infamous side effects, like nausea and hair loss, because STF-62247 is not toxic to the entire body. Clinical trials could begin "in the next couple years," Giaccia said. Stanford co-author and postdoctoral fellow Denise A. Chan, PhD, said she believed the new findings could affect how all types of cancer are treated in the future. This study is one of the first to identify a trait unique to a certain form of cancer - in this case, kidney cancer's deficient VHL gene - and exploit it to defeat the disease, Chan said. She predicted other scientists soon would follow suit, looking for characteristics in other cancers that also could be manipulated. Researchers' motivation could be twofold, the study's authors said: to find cures for deadly cancers, and to rein in the debilitating side effects caused by many current cancer treatments. "These results can be extended far beyond kidney cancer," Chan said. The findings also speak well for Stanford's High-Throughput BioScience Center, which opened in 2004. The results of this study are some of the first using the center's equipment. The high-throughput equipment at Stanford can analyze thousands of molecules for their cytotoxicity at the same time, allowing researchers like those in Giaccia's lab to search for hidden genes and molecules that previously would have been quite laborious to find. Without the center, "This work would not have been possible," said Stanford co-author Patrick Sutphin, MD. The findings have special significance for Sutphin, who worked with the Stanford team before moving on to his internship in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 1995, when Sutphin was a sophomore in college, his grandfather was diagnosed with kidney cancer and died three months later, he said. The experience of losing his grandfather to kidney cancer helped motivate Sutphin to study the disease. His hope, Sutphin said, "is that one day our collective research will result in new drugs that are more effective than traditional drugs, and without the toxic side effects." Other co-authors of the study include Stanford researcher and postdoctoral fellow Sandra Turcotte, PhD. The research was funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute.