smart drugs, new therapies & The Cancer Treatment Revolution
cancer research journal

Cancer Research Journal Article

Tongue Cancer Survivor Takes Top Chef Honors

On June 8, 2008, named the top chef in the United States.

Grant Achatz is the head chef at , an upscale restaurant recognized as the best in the country by Gourmet Magazine. He’s also a survivor.

Last July, Achatz, an otherwise healthy non-smoker, was diagnosed with advanced . The disease had already spread through approximately 70 percent of his tongue and he was classified .

After consulting several top , the 34-year-old father was faced with : have three-quarters of his tongue cut out or try an alternative treatment approach being practiced at the . He knew the alternative method would be painful, but it might preserve his tongue so he decided to give it a try.

The alternative method (called ) changes the standard order of treatment from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to chemotherapy, radiation and possible surgery later. This approach is designed to shrink or possibly eliminate malignant tumors and lesions prior to performing surgery so more of an organ’s tissue can be spared.

The chef’s case is being handled by a medical team which specializes in trying to save organs rather than removing them. This team of doctors includes oncologist , head-and-neck surgeon , and radiologist . As one members of the team said,

“We were offering him six months of pure misery. But we were also telling him that there was a 70 percent chance that he would be cured.”

Daniel J. Haraf, MD
Medical Director, Radiation Oncology
University of Chicago Medical Center

Achatz did experienced serious side effects which included loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, hair loss, and painful skin burns, but he remained determined. He even created exciting new recipes while he was getting chemotherapy infusions, and his friend sous-chef Jeff Picus helped out by tasting them with his own expert palate.

The chef’s choice appears to have paid off – he’s been cancer-free for five months and his sense of taste is starting to return.

If you’d like additional information on , you can get it on the and the Oral Cancer Foundation web sites.

Source:

Related Links: ; NapaValleyRegister.com; ;

Technorati Tags: ; ; ;


Print This Print This   |     |   Sphere: Related Content

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment


Published by Lisa on Wednesday 11 June 2008 at 6:31 am - permalink
Filed under Head & Neck Cancer, Oral Cancer, People

Browse All Categories:   

Next article: MIT: Striped Nanoparticles Can Deliver Drugs Inside Cells
Previous article: Stat3 Protein Could Be Key to Stopping Prostate Cancer


  white spacer

More News and Information for Cancer Patients, Medical Professionals and Legislators

white spacer

Cancer Research Bookmarks

Creative Commons

Provides free tools authors, scientists, educators, and artists can use to easily license work they create. Allows creators to adjust the level of copyright control they maintain over the materials (from all rights reserved to public domain). Includes interesting piece about MIT physics courseware which has been CC licensed.

Look Good...Feel Better | International

Directory of links and phone numbers to the international branches of Look Good...Feel Better, a US non-profit organization devoted to improving the self-esteem of cancer patients through make-overs. Volunteers help hospitalized patients with wigs, skin care, etc. On-line resources also available.

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnology (PEN) - Consumer Database

PEN database of hundreds of consumer products manufactured with nanotechnology. PEN's goal is to increase public awareness about the potential benefits and risks of emerging nanotechnologies. PEN's product inventory includes the product's country of origin and manufacturer.

EPA - Children's Health Protection

Environmental Protection Agency's list of 31 simple things everyone can do to improve the areas where kids live, learn and play. Published for October's Children's Health Protection Month.

The National Lymphedema Network - Useful Links

Contains list of links with information for breast cancer survivors who experience lymphedema, a chronic condition which sometimes occurs after surgery or radiation treatments involving lymph node system.

PrepareNow.org

Contains useful checklists which patients, caregivers and public health professionals can use to prepare for disasters and evacuations. Checklists address the special needs of patients who are on infusion pumps, oxygen, immobilized, have cognitive difficulties, etc. Info available in 7 languages.

Open Access Day

The Public Library of Science (PLos), Students for Free Culture, and SPARC partner to promote open access to scientific and medical research. International events recognizing Open Access Day will be held October 14, 2008.

more del.icio.us bookmarks...

Recent Cancer Research Articles

Dragon Boat Races Benefit Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast cancer survivors rebuild strength and confidence racing dragon boats. Organizers say it’s a fun, floating support group that also gets you fit.

Northwestern Nanodiamonds Kill the Cancer Left Behind

Scientists at Northwestern University develop a nanodevice that delivers drugs to residual cancer cells left in the body after tumor surgery.

Cervical Cancer Scientist Shares Nobel Prize for Medicine

Discoveries about HPV and HIV earn three European virologists the prestigious Nobel Prize for Medicine.

Waukesha Memorial Hospital Webcasts Brain Cancer Panel

Are you interested in learning more about brain cancer treatments? On Wednesday, October 8, 2008, ORlive will webcast a panel of physicians discussing the case of a brain tumor patient treated with CyberKnife® technology.

Sexy Survivors Raise Colorectal Cancer Awareness

Thirteen beautiful men and women raise awareness about an ugly topic: colorectal cancer. These sexy survivors are showing their scars hoping to save lives.

Genetic Six-Pack Could Cause Common Leukemia

Families of CLL patients face a higher risk of getting the disease, but a genetic link couldn’t be found. UK scientists say a 6-gene combo could be the key.

Wistar Maps Telomerase Enzyme Present in Most Cancers

Scientists map the structure of a key enzyme found in over 90 percent of human cancers. Their discovery could lead to treatments with fewer side effects.


Search All Articles:  

Get CancerResearchJournal.com delivered to your feed reader or browser.

Peer-Reviewed Journals

ECOLOGY: Harmonious Agriculture
Science - Editor's Choice - 11/21/2008

Papers about papers
Nature Nanotechnology - 11/21/2008

The era of personalized medicine: back to basics
Nature Clinical Practice Oncology - 11/21/2008

In-plane conductance measurement of graphene nanoislands using an integrated nanogap probe
Nanotechnology - 11/18/2008

In This Issue
Journal of the National Cancer Institute - 11/18/2008

Ah Receptor Binding to its Cognate Response Element is Required for Dioxin-Mediated Toxicity
Toxicological Sciences - 11/08/2008

Contents Page
Human Molecular Genetics - 11/07/2008

[NEWS & VIEWS] AN INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR TREATING DEPRESSION IN CANCER PATIENTS
CA - 11/05/2008

Genome annotation in the presence of insertional RNA editing
Bioinformatics - 11/05/2008

Factors affecting the incidence of genotoxicity biomarkers in peripheral blood lymphocytes: impact on design of biomonitoring studies
Mutagenesis - 10/31/2008

Frontmatter
Carcinogenesis - 10/31/2008

in this issue
Annals of Oncology - 10/24/2008

Quality Assurance of Radiotherapy in Cancer Treatment: Toward Improvement of Patient Safety and Quality of Care
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology - 10/24/2008

IN THIS ISSUE
International Immunology - 10/23/2008


Cancer Research Journal supports taxpayer access.

white spacer

Latest Cancer Research Journal Comments


Comment on Cuba Approves CimaVax EGF Vaccine for Lung Cancer by LILY

I live in Arnmenia, how can I get the vaccine???? Thank you in advance

Comment on Cuba Approves CimaVax EGF Vaccine for Lung Cancer by christian st-jules

i live in montreal, quebec,canada my father is receiving quimioterapy, because he can't have surgery how can he get this treatment

Comment on Cuba Approves CimaVax EGF Vaccine for Lung Cancer by Dr.Carlos Ariel López

I am a Doctor.I have a female patient with this desease,small cells.I need to contact with us to get the cimavax-egf.The patient is living in Bogotá ,she is in treatment with quimioterapy. Thanks for your information.

more comments...

Cancer Research Journal is a about emerging innovations in the worldwide fight against cancer. We advocate the use of techniques and
philosophies to help accelerate the sharing of information for cancer patients, medical professionals and legislators. Click here to learn more.

Cancer Research Journal is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Site built by Content Developer using Wordpress. Site published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.