Lympho Info

Since today is the last day of September, that means Lymphoma Awareness Month is coming to a close. For some of us, awareness is an every day thing.

Anyone who's been reading for a while probably has a pretty good idea of the basics of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and of Follicular Lymphoma in particular. But I know I pick up readers every now and then who find Lympho Bob through a search, and are piecing together what they can and trying to make sense of what being a lymphoma patient is all about.


So to give one more shot at increasing awareness of lymphoma (which, really, not a whole lot of people are aware of, compared to other cancers, even though NHL is the fastest-growing type of cancer in the United States, and lymphomas taken together are the fourth or fifth most common type of cancer), I'm providing some links. Two come from the excellent support organization Patients Against Lymphoma, which has a couple of new resources for anyone trying to make sense of being a Lymphoma patient (or someone who loves such a patient).


The first is a brochure that PAL put together describing the basics on lymphoma. I think it will be an especially useful resource for the newly diagnosed, but also for those who love them who haven't been in on the discussions with oncologists and want to know what the heck is going on. It gives a nice, basic overview.


The second is a new series of Webcasts -- basically, something like an online radio show -- on Lymphoma-related topics. The host will be Betsy de Parry, whom I've mentioned before; she's an author (her book is called The Roller Coaster Chronicles), and a great advocate of RadioImmunoTherapy like Zaevalin (she wnet through two strong chemos that didn't work, and then RIT, which saved her life in 2002). But the best part about Betsy -- her grandmother is a McEachern.


Betsy will have a new guest every week on her Webcast (they'll be broadcast Wednesdays at 8pm, with a link for listening later on) discussing treatments, emotional effects of being a cancer patient, and other relevent issues. It sounds like it will be a great source of information, and having heard Betsy being interviewed on the radio, I think she'll make a great host.

One more really nice "basics" link: a talk by Dr. Laurie Sehn from the University of British Columbia, called "The Basics of Lymphoid Cancers: What Are They and How are They Treated?" It's a 25 minute slide show and audio presentation that she gave last year at a conference for lymphoma patients. She does a really nice job of presenting information on what lymphoma is and how it's treated. A little on the science-y side, but very clear overall. She knows her audience well: non-experts with a keen interest. One of the better presentations of the science behind lymphomas that I've seen or heard.

Hope everyone had a good Lymphoma Awareness Month!