I love it when I find research coming straight from the halls of the very hospital where I received my breast cancer treatment. It reminds me that I'm in good hands, that University of Florida researchers are on the cusp of breaking through the mysteries of cancer, that I may one day be the lucky recipient of cutting-edge discoveries, like this:

University of Florida researchers report in a paper to be published in the August issue of Stem Cells that bone marrow stem cells attracted to the site of cancerous growths often take on the appearance of the malignant cells surrounding them. While these cells look like cancer, though, they may not act like cancer. They have the same skin, says lead study author Dr. Chris Cogle. But the question is: do they have the same guts?

"Our results indicate these cells act as developmental mimics; they come in and look like the surrounding neoplastic tissue, but they aren't actually the seed of cancer," said Cogle who is affiliated with the cancer center I've called home for more than two years.

Some scientists think that the reason cancer recurs is because we haven't gotten to the root of the disease. What they mean by the root is -- the cancer stem cells.

Stem cells can reproduce and make exact copies of themselves and can live longer than ordinary cells. Embryonic stem cells can have the potential to become many different types of cells, whereas adult stem cells are generally limited to becoming into the cell types of a specific organ.

The researchers gave the analogy of a dandelion that is growing in your backyard. You can cut the weed but if you don't kill the root the dandelion will grow back. It seems that our treatments today for cancer can kill the ordinary cancer cells but can leave the stem cells behind to grow into new tumors and spread.

So how do we kill the cancer stem cells? Well, they don't know yet. But it is promising research that I look forward to hearing more about in the future.

In the April issue of the journal Radiology, researchers published a report that says they have used adult bone marrow stem cells to regenerate healthy human liver tissue.

When cancer invades the liver sometimes it is impossible to have surgery performed to remove the tumor. This is because there is not enough healthy liver left behind to support the body. These stems cells help to regenerate the healthy portion of the liver so surgery can be performed.

Gunther Furst, M.D, coauthor and professor of radiology, says "Our study suggests that liver stem cells harvested from the patients own bone marrow can further augment and accelerate the liver's natural capacity to regenerate itself."

As complied by Forbe's HealthDay, half of the top ten health news of 2006 feature issues of interest to cancer patients and the cancer community in regard to cancer research, treatment and prevention. The top health story involves the concern over cost of medical care among those with health insurance and the continually growing numbers of uninsured. A recent study shows that one in six, or 50 million people, are struggling to afford medical treatment as they now spend more than ten percent of their income on medical expenses.

After much controversy regarding ethics and morality, this year saw the approval of the first cervical cancer vaccine. The federal government recommends that girls as young as nine-years-old be given the vaccine. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) re-approved the use of silicone breast implants. Although banned in 1992 because of concerns that silicone leakage might be linked to cancer, silicone implants were still offered to women undergoing breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery. Supposedly the implants are now safe for all women. Some consumer advocacy groups still strongly disapprove of the FDA decision.

Another controversial issue being debated based on ethics and morality is stem cell research. According to Forbes, the majority of Americans are in favor of stem cell research and the promise it holds in the cure of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many other diseases.

Lastly, scandals swept throught the research community as fake research and researchers were exposed, as was conflict of interest over questionable financial ties in the research community.

Other health news stories that made Forbe's HealthDay top ten list included: Tainted-Food Scares Rattle Public; Drug-Eluting Stents May Stay; 'Morning-After' Pill Goes OTC; Antidepressants' Link to Suicide Debated; and More Progress Against Alzheimer's Disease. You can read the Forbe's top ten list in its entirety here.

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a complication that can occur after a stem cell transplant. GvHD occurs when infection-fighting cells from the donor recognize the patient's body as being different or foreign. These infection-fighting cells then attack tissues in the patient's body just as if they were attacking an infection. GvHD is often treated with steroids, though this does not always work. GvHD is a serious condition with a high death rate so researchers are constantly evaluating new ways to treat it or reduce the symptoms.

European researchers conducted a study to see if a certain type of stem cell, infused into patients with GvHD that are not responding to treatment, would be effective. Patients were treated with mesenchymal stem cells, that are specific types of stems cells that are collected from the bone marrow of a donor. These stem cells are thought to help suppress the donor's immune cells and reduce the risk of GvHD.

The researcher found that 68 percent of the patients responded, children having slightly better results. They concluded that treatment with mesenchymal stem cells appears to effectively treat recurrent GvHD that would otherwise have been fatal in a majority of patients.

Children that undergo bone marrow transplants can develop life threatening infections while the immune system is trying to regenerating itself. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital thinks they have found a better way to harvest stem cells that are more vigorous in reproducing and rebuilding the immune system. These stem cells would reduce the time it takes for the immune system to rebuild--reducing the risk of infection.

When harvesting the donated bone marrow a specific antibody is used to find the vigorous stem cells that mature and reproduce faster. They found that using a new antibody along with the one already used might prove to have better results in capturing the best stem cells needed. This could help the donated bone marrow to take hold faster and lessen the risk of the time children are exposed to serious infections.

Although the studies so far have been done on mice, the researchers believe that this is promising information that with further studies can translate into better treatment for children that need to undergo a bone marrow transplant.

University of Pittsburgh researchers are studying the potential use of stem cells, that come from the fat in our own bodies, for breast cancer reconstruction. Breast cancer survivors may one day be able to avoid the prospect of invasive breast surgeries. This approach uses the stem cells to regenerate tissue to develop into different specialized cell types.

When the fat-derived stem cells are injected under the skin in a rat model, the cellular combination eventually formed what the researchers describe as a mound of tissue. Dr. J. Peter Rubin, M.D., assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said "The surgical options for breast reconstruction involve either the use of implants or a procedure whereby fat tissue is taken from another part of the body is shaped into the form of a breast. Neither is ideal nor without risk. The use of adipose or fat derived stem cells may represent a better solution for soft tissue reconstruction in breast cancer patients".

Dr. Rubin has been given a three year grant from the National Cancer Institute to further explore this unique approach.

Teenager Abraham Cherrix made national headlines recently with a legal battle that earned him the right to fight cancer on his own terms. Cherrix, 16, who chose to treat his disease with alternative treatments after traditional therapy failed to cure him of Hodgkin's disease, was told by the courts that his choice was not acceptable -- that he must undergo higher doses of chemotherapy in combination with radiation and followed by stem cell transplant. Cherrix ended up a winner in court and is currently receiving the therapy of his choice. But despite the legal win, Cherrix and his family are losing financially.

The Cherrix family owns a kayak company in Virginia, and spring and summer are peak seasons. Since the family had to close shop on many occasions due to court appearances, profits suffered. So on Sunday afternoon, local musicians headlined a fundraising concert -- billed as Voices for Choices -- to help with medical and court costs. Cherrix could not attend -- he's in the midst of treatment in Mississippi -- but the show went on. And while the money raised is not enough to cover all outstanding bills, it is enough to remind the family of all the caring people in the world.

Reports from family indicate Cherrix is doing well with treatment and that his tumor is shrinking. If he continues to make progress, he may be able to return home soon -- so he can thank those whose support is so much more than money can buy.

Medulloblastoma is a brain tumor that usually occurs in children between the ages of three and eight. It accounts for 20 percent of all brain tumors in children. Treatment for medulloblastoma can involve surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

In a study published in the Lancet Oncology, the treatment of risk-adapted radiation and a shortened course of high-dose chemotherapy may improve outcomes in children with high-risk tumors. Risk-adapted radiation means that the dose of the radiation was adapted to the risk status of the child. Children with a high risk medulloblastoma received a higher dose of radiation where children with an average risk medulloblastoma received a lower dose. Children with high risk medulloblastoma are defined as cancer that has spread within the brain or spinal cord.

The study included 134 children between the ages of three and twenty one. After five years the overall survival was 85 percent in children with average risk disease and 70 percent in children with high risk disease.

The researchers concluded from this study that risk-adapted radiation therapy and a shortened course of high-dose chemotherapy may improve outcomes in children with high risk medulloblastoma.

The New Zealand Herald has quoted Nobel Laureate and principal scientist at Cancer Research UK Sir Tim Hunt as predicting that while targeted cancer drugs will continue to be developed, it is not likely that a penicillin-type wonder drug to cure cancer will be found. Basically, he explains that cancer cells work the same as normal cells do, but to eliminate cancer cells would mean wiping out normal cells in the process. At least, that is my understanding of what he said. Here is the exact quote, in case I am missing something vital in the translation:

"Basically cancer cells grow using all the same mechanisms that normal cells in the body use. So you could stop the cancer cell growing by standing the right distance from an atom bomb, but then all your other cells also stop growing at the same time." To me, that almost sounds like the standard chemotherapy we go through now.

I am not a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, and I respect the intelligence and training of any scientist who has achieved that honored status, but I do not know that I completely agree with his prediction. I don't know that there will be one specific wonder drug like penicillin, that you take and the cancer is gone, but I do think the advancements made in targeted therapies will one day make it seem as if there is a wonder drug. Cancer is over one hundred different diseases. It might simply be a matter of diagnosing the specific cancer, and then administering a specific targeted drug for that cancer. I realize this is a ways off, but I am hopeful for the future of cancer treatments.

Then again, who knows what scientists will stumble upon in their studies. Could there be a penicillin out there for cancer? Might be. I don't think we can rule out any potential possibility. That's my opinion. What say you?

Interferon is an agent that stimulates the immune cells to help fight cancer. In an article published in Bone Marrow Transplantation it said that the addition of interferon following an autologous stem cell transplant improves survival for children with recurrent Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Patients that have their Hodgkin's lymphoma return after initial treatment may undergo an autologous stem cell transplant. In an autologous stem cell transplant a patients own cells are collected prior to high-dose chemotherapy and then re-infused.

The researchers wanted to evaluate whether the addition of interferon to the stem cell transplant could improve outcomes. The trial included 13 children with recurrent Hodgkin's lymphoma who were treated with an autologous stem cell transplant. Ten of these patients then went on to receive the interferon.

Follow up at five years shows that nine of the ten patients treated with interferon are alive and cancer free. The researchers concluded that interferon provided significant anticancer activity following the transplant.

According to a report in the August 15th Cancer Research stem cell-like glioma cells, taken from glioblastoma biopsy specimens, promote tumor angiogenesis by secreting levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at levels ten to 20 fold higher than ordinary glioma cells.

Figuring out a way to control angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels to the tumor) is what this is all about. Brain cancer is hard to treat and for it to become a chronic disease we need specialized medications that target the cancer cells. By understanding the stem cell-like glioma cells, which the researchers see have characteristics that contribute to tumor malignancy, they can then come up with drugs that prohibit angiogenesis from occurring thus killing the cancer cell.

Celebrities for Stem Cell Research is an organization committed to funding research of all types of stem cell therapy. They promise that all profits after operating costs will be given as grants to those researchers who have proven to be making strides in stem cell research.

Anthony M. Salas writes on the website "I am one of the lucky ones who took a chance with stem cell research and won." Anthony's heart was injected with stem cells and because of this new blood vessels have grown allowing him to have a positive flow of blood to his heart. He feels that he has been given a new life because of stem cell research.

Celebrities for Stem Cell Research is opening Memories Cast in Stone by Laser Creations. This gallery will feature celebrity photographs engraved on pure black polished marble. These engravings will be produced in limited editions and available to the public in exchange for sizable donations.

George W. Bush declared five years ago that no federal funding would be allocated for embryonic stem cell research. He has not changed his mind -- and two weeks ago vetoed a bill that would allow this research. He says that supporting the bill would be supporting the taking of innocent human life in order to find medical benefits for others. For Bush, it crosses a moral boundary. But most Americans support stem cell research and would like to see the Bush White House loosen its restrictions, says Kathy Hudson, director of the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University in Washington. Until this happens, though, scientists and researchers find themselves in an ethically-charged minefield, operating carefully and responsibly and ethically.

Dr. Peter Dirks -- a neurosurgeon specializing in childhood brain cancer at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children who has been making headlines around the world for isolating brain cancer stem cells two years ago -- is one person weighing in on controversial issue of stem cell research. Dirks does not use embryonic stem cells but instead uses cells from tumors removed during brain surgery that would otherwise be discarded. But he says embryonic stem cell research is critical for his success. It's what has led to the findings that exist today -- and it holds the clues for further discovery. It's a delicate matter, though, regardless of the politics surrounding the issue. Before he harvests stem cells from any patient's brain tumor, for example, Dirks asks parents to sign a three and a half-page consent form. And that's just the beginning.

Federally-funded embryonic stem cell research does not yet have its beginning here in the United States. Maybe the tides will change. Maybe we will see progress. Maybe we won't. Only time will tell.

Sadly, another cancer death has occurred -- this one caused by leukemia and ending the life of Arthur Lee. Lee, eccentric singer and guitarist with the 1960s rock band Love, died Thursday at the age of 61. His death was shocking to many who knew him because he had the ability to bounce back from just about everything. Leukemia was usually no exception. But recently, Lee, who was diagnosed this year with acute myeloid leukemia, was not faring well after three rounds of chemotherapy failed. And despite a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from an umbilical cord -- the first of its kind for an adult in Tennessee -- Lee could not overcome cancer.

Lee, a Memphis native, called himself "the first so-called black hippie." In 1965, he formed Love -- the first multiracial rock band of the psychedelic era -- and his groundbreaking albums featured a blend of folk rock, blues, and early punk. Lee is remembered for his hit singles My Little Red Book and Revelation, for influencing bands like Led Zeppelin and Echo, and for spending six years in prison during the 1990s for firing a pistol into the air.

After his release from prison in 2001, Lee formed a new version of Love and performed in Europe and North America. And then others -- like former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant -- performed for him this June in benefit concerts to raise money to help Lee with his medical bills.

Arthur Lee died in at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis -- with his wife Diane at his side.