Tainted Peanut Products Pose Special Concerns for Cancer Patients

Read the National Cancer Institute's Fact Sheet on Peanut Product Recall and Cancer Patients, and a complete list of recalled peanut butter and other peanut-containing products available on the FDA's Web site.

Hospital & Clinic Visits ~ AKA Caregiver Teas

We normally visit area hospitals and clinics serving pediatric oncology families on the following schedule, offering Panera Bread, coffee, tea, resources and support to caregivers. This schedule is subject to change.



1st Thursday of each month (10am - 12pm) ~ Inova Fairfax Hospital



3rd Wednesday of each month (11am - 1pm) ~ Georgetown Hospital

3rd Thursday of each month (11am - 1pm) ~ Fairfax CNMC outpatient clinic

3rd Thursday of each month (11am - 1pm) ~ CNMC Hospital

Super Sibling Support and Kids with Cancer Days

Reminder - February 16th - sponsored by Life With Cancer but open to all DC area families battling cancer, regardless of treatment facility.

Super Sibling Support and Kids with Cancer Days
10 - 4 pm at the Life with Cancer Family Center, near Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Lunch provided.
For kids and sibs ages 5-12.
Games, crafts, medical play.

RSVP to Jenny Eckert, LCSW, 703-698-2536 or Jennifer.Eckert@inova.org.

Mammography rates low among childhood cancer survivors who underwent chest radiation

The following article stresses how important it is for our young adult female survivors who received radiation to get mammograms.

Mammography rates low among childhood cancer survivors who underwent chest radiation

Speaking of testing recommendations for late effects, this might be a good time to post these articles and guidelines:

Pediatric Cancer Survivors Need Long Term Follow-Up

Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (PDQ®)

COG Survivorship Guidelines

While not designed to replace the clinical judgment of physicians, the guidelines provide recommendations for screening and management of late effects that may arise in pediatric cancer survivors years after their chemotherapy, radiation or surgical treatments. The guidelines are intended to establish national standards to help physicians promote healthy lifestyles among these patients, provide for ongoing monitoring of their health, facilitate early identification of late effects of therapy and provide timely medical care for those late effects.

According to Melissa M. Hudson, M.D., member of St. Jude Hematology-Oncology and director of the St. Jude After Completion of Therapy (ACT) clinic, an estimated 270,000 survivors of childhood cancer live in the United States and an estimated one in 570 young adults age 20 to 34 is a childhood cancer survivor.

Naomi's Hope a miracle

Naomi Bartley is the 28 year old daughter of our own Ruth Hoffman, Executive Director of Candlelighters national office. Naomi is a survivor of AML and endured a bone marrow transplant over 20 years ago.

This is the amazing and inspirational story of HOPE.