Spotlight on ROY Estate

March 9, 2012 2:00 pm

Shirley Roy, proprietor of ROY Estate, will be one of the many vintners to participate in the 2012 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala. She joins LCF for a second year and will be serving her award winning wines at the auction.

ROY Estate got its start in 1999 after Shirley and her husband, Charles, purchased a southern Napa Valley property with the goal of beginning their own winery. Both originally from the East Coast and having spent more than 20 years in owning and operating  executive suites in New Jersey, a winery in California was a new adventure. The two worked with renowned winemaker Helen Turley to design the vineyard to plant cabernet, merlot and petit verdot.

The 17 acre vineyard produce wines that are estate grown and the motto at ROY Estate’s is to make the best wines possible.

One of the best in the business Phillippe Melka, Food & Wine Magazine “Winemaker of the Year” in 2005, joined ROY Estate as winemaker in April 2005. Melka concentrates on creating a Proprietary Red blend and a cabernet sauvignon.

ROY Estate’s 2007 Proprietary Blend, a dry table wine, received four out of four stars from Food & Wine Magazine Wine Guide 2011.

This varietal has been rated a prestigious 94 points by such wine publications as Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

ROY Estate’s reds will be served for guests to swirl, sip and enjoy at the 2012 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala, May 3, 2012. Visit the ‘KY Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala’ section of this site for more information about the auction.  To learn more about ROY Estate, go to www.royestate.com

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Newspaper feature offers cancer survivors chance to share

March 7, 2012 1:00 pm

Image from the New York Times website.

The New York Times wants to hear from cancer survivors for their “Picture Your Life After Cancer” page. The daily newspaper is asking for American cancer survivors to send in a photo and brief description of how their life has changed after treatment ended.

All submitted photos are loaded into a collage to be viewed on the newspaper’s website as an online feature. Many photos are with loved ones, a few are of survivors dancing, several show survivors crossing the finish lines of road races, and one is of a survivor swimming with a dolphin. With each photo is a brief description of life after cancer. Messages are encouraging, heartwarming and filled with hope.


Rich Goade of Lehi, Utah posted the following:

“I was diagnosed with colon cancer in May of 2006. In the beginning, everything felt like an uphill battle. I felt alone and worried.

After many many more trials, I realized that I am not alone. I have my family, my friends, doctors, nurses and medical staff that are all around to support and help me. I have come to realize that I am truly blessed and don’t take things for granted as much as I used to. These have been some of the happiest days of my life, and I have cancer to thank for helping me realize that. When this all started, I never thought I would have said that.”

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Research participants needed in Lexington for study on cancer causes

March 5, 2012 3:00 pm

People looking for a way to make an impact on cancer research now have a chance. The American Cancer Society is in need of  participants for a ground-breaking research study.

This spring, ACS is opening enrollment for a national cancer prevention study, known as Cancer Prevention Study- 3 (or CPS-3). Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 years who have no personal history of cancer are invited to participate.

Nationwide, ACS is aiming for at least 300,000 adults from various racial/ethical backgrounds to participate. Researchers will be examining what causes cancer and what does not. Understanding how to prevent cancer, will save lives.

In Lexington, Central Baptist Hospital has partnered with ACS to hold study enrollment sessions. Interested study participants may join at Central Baptist Hospital on Thursday, April 12 from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. An additional session will be held at HealthwoRx on Saturday, April 14 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Interested participants are asked to make an appointment during those times, please visit the CPS-3 Lexington website to sign up.

At the enrollment sessions, participants will have to sign an informal consent form, complete a written survey and give a small blood sample.

Participants will be required to complete a more detailed survey at home. The survey will ask information on lifestyle and health. Periodically, ACS will follow up with participants. This is a long term study.

For more information about CPS-3 and the selected enrollment locations please email cps3@cancer.org or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.

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Spotlight on Revana Family Vineyard

March 2, 2012 12:00 pm

“Wine is one of nature’s most welcome and wholesome of gifts.”- Dr. Madaiah Revana

Revana Family Vineyard wines were sip and swirled by guests at the 2010 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala. Dr. Madaiah Revana served as the vintner chair in 2010.

Two years ago, LCF was honored to have Dr. Madaiah Revana, proprietor of Revana Family Vineyard serve as the 2010 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala Vintner Chair. Dr. Revana devoted much of his time and energy to make the 2010 event a success. We appreciate his generosity and continued support.

LCF will welcome back Dr. Revana to the Bluegrass this May for his participation in the 2012 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala. Dr. Revana will bring along his world class wines, including his Revana Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 1997, while visiting the Napa Valley, Dr. Revana discovered a small parcel of prime vineyard land just north of the town of St. Helena. He immediately sensed the property’s potential. The area was already known for producing some of the world’s most sought after Cabernet Sauvignon, and the property’s gravelly soils, sloped pitch, and excellent exposures seemed perfect for growing grapes. Studies of the soil composition confirmed that it was an ideal location for premium Bordeaux varieties. His next step was to build a team that could implement his vision.

Guests at the 2012 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala will not only get to swirl the Revana wines but taste varietals from Dr. Revana’s Oregon vineyards, Alexana Winery. Pinot Noirs and Rieslings from the Willamette Valley in Oregon will accompany his famous Napa Valley varietals.

Visit the ‘Wine Auction’ section of this site for more information about the auction.  To learn more about Revana Family Vineyard, go to http://www.revanawine.com

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Fasting may boost chemo treatments

February 29, 2012 2:00 pm

A new study conducted by the University of Southern California supports short-term fasting could assist chemotherapy cancer treatments.

The study was recently published in the Science Translation Medicine Journal and research shows that when cancer patients abstain from food for a short time while undergoing chemotherapy treatment, some cancers were cured. Cancers included breast, melanoma and giloma cells.

The results were true for the lab mice and the next step is more detailed research.

“A way to beat cancer cells may not be to try to find drugs that kill them specifically but to confuse them by generating extreme environments, such as fasting those only normal cells can quickly respond to,” said Professor Valter Longo, the study’s lead researcher to Healthcare Global.

Scientists warn for patients not to read this information and begin fasting, more research needs to be complete to see if the results would be similar for humans.

To read more about fasting boosting chemotherapy treatments, please see healthcareglobal.com.

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High school students seeks cure for cancer

February 20, 2012 12:00 pm

High school student Angela Zhang, 17, says she is a typical teenage girl.

She stays busy studying for her upcoming driver’s license exam, enjoys playing the piano and has a soft spot for shoe shopping.  But this Cupertino, Calif., teen decided to do something else in her spare time. She wrote a medical research paper on how to cure cancer.

Zhang, who began to read doctorate level medical studies in her freshman year of high school and worked at a Stanford University lab the following year, decided to put a thesis she developed to the test. She turned the paper into her high school chemistry teacher, who encouraged Zhang to have the research examined by top scientists.

In December, Zhang’s research that seeks out cancer cells and destroys them won a $100,000 scholarship in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology.

Zhang has made headlines for her “recipe for curing cancer” and her research has been proven successful on mice. For more on Zhang and her research, please check out CBS news coverage on this amazing medical discovery.

Calif. HS student devises possible cancer cure

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Spotlight on Domaine Serene

February 17, 2012 12:00 pm

Domaine Serene "Yamhill Cuvee" Pinot Noir

Making the trip to Lexington this May for the 2012 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala is Ken and Grace Evenstad, proprietors of Domaine Serene.

Originally from Minnesota, the Evanstad couple now calls the Dundee Hills region of Oregon home. After many years as wine enthusiasts, the two decided to pursue the dream of owning a vineyard. In 1989, the two purchased 150 acres in Oregon with the goal to plant, grow and produce a world class pinot noir.

Domaine Serene, named after Ken and Grace’s daughter Serene, has become known as one of the best producers of Oregon’s pinot noirs. In 2008, the “Evenstad Reserve” Pinot Noir was named “Best of Tasting” in the Wall Street Journal.  In 2011, the “Grace Vineyard,” a 2008 Pinot Noir received 97 points from Wine Spectator Magazine, the highest score ever given to an Oregon wine. In fall of 2011, the same vintage was named one of the Top 100 Wines of 2011 by Wine Spectator Magazine.

The Evenstad’s will bring their highly regarded Domaine Serene pinot noir varietals to the 2012 Kentucky Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala for guests to swirl and sip. The Lexington Cancer Foundation is honored to have Ken and Grace join in the festivities this year!

Visit the ‘KY Bluegrass Wine Auction & Derby Gala’ section of this site for more information about the auction.  To learn more about Domaine Serene, go to www.domaineserene.com

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Eddie Montgomery featured in national cancer publication

February 16, 2012 12:00 pm

Grammy nominated country music artist and Kentucky native Eddie Montgomery opened up to Coping with Cancer magazine in the January/February issue about his fight against prostate cancer and his efforts to encourage men of all ages to get their prostate checked.

Montgomery told the publication he first learned of his diagnoses after speaking up about a pain he was experience on his hip. The doctor conducted a X-ray and saw a shadow. The doctor recommended Montgomery see a prostate doctor immediately.

“It freaked me out,” Montgomery said in an interview with Coping with Cancer magazine. He was told he would need to undergo surgery to remove the cancerous tumor on his 47th birthday. Montogmery’s father lost his own battle with prostate cancer at the age of 52. “When I found out, it tore me up.”

Montgomery’s cancer was caught in the early stages and surgery was successful. He received great support from his family, friends, Troy Gentry, and many fans of Montgomery Gentry, he told the publication.

Today, Montgomery is back to performing and recording music. He began 2012 on tour and up for an award, Montgomery Gentry has been nominated for the 2012 Vocal Duo of the Year by the Academy of Country Music Awards.  He strives to share his story with others and bring more awareness to prostate cancer.

According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. When detected early, it can be effectively treated.

“I didn’t know how many men – how many actors, celebrities, and young guys have already been going through this. I mean it is unbelievable. I can’t believe there’s not more talk about it,” Montgomery said.

Symptoms of prostate cancer

There are usually no symptoms associated with the early onset of prostate cancer. Early detection test such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and the digital rectal exam (DRE) are the most common ways to identify its presence. Most advance symptoms of prostate cancer include the following:

  • weak or interrupted flow of urine
  • blood in urine
  • pain in hips, ribs or spine
  • urinating often, especially at night

Information provided by UK HealthCare

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Beanies for Baldies

February 14, 2012 12:00 pm

Preston Allen may only be 10, but he has already found a way to bring smiles to many cancer patients.

Preston and mother, Tonya, sew hats and present them to cancer patients suffering from hair loss due to chemotherapy at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tenn. The mother-son team call their sewing project “Beanies for Baldies” and are on a mission to provide warm hats to suffering cancer patients.

Preston is all to familiar with hair loss and a need for something to keep his head warm. Preston has been diagnosed with cancer twice and began treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma in September of 2011. At five months old, he battled Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, where cancer attacks the white blood cells. Preston’s father, Dana, lost his fight with colon cancer in 2010.

To cover the cost of  hat materials, Tonya has created a page on the online store Etsy for supporters of  “Beanies for Baldies” to buy a hat. Beanies are available in a range of colors and patterns. Hats can be sized for adults, too.

The purchase of one hat, at $5, pays for materials for three additional hats to be made and delivered to patients at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

According to the “Beanies for Baldies” website, Preston has embraced his father’s spirit of giving and sews vigorously to create hats for others fighting cancer. Kudos to Preston!

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New breast cancer screening tool comes to UK Markey Cancer Center

February 13, 2012 12:00 pm

A Selenia Deimensions breast tomosythesis machine.

This February, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center will begin offering state-of-the-art digital tomosynthesis for breast cancer screenings. UK will become the first and only medical center in Kentucky to use this new 3-D technology, the Lexington hospital announced in a release.

Tomosythesis will be used by radiologist to see patient’s breast structure, eliminating confusion of overlapping tissues. During a mammogram, tomosythesis technology will take multiple X-ray photos of the breast and from many angles. A computer will process the photos and create a 3-D image for radiologists. The new technology is believed to find much smaller and earlier stages of cancers that can be missed in a traditional mammogram.

“Tomosynthesis produces images in tiny slices that can be reconstructed into a 3-D image of the tissue, similar to way a CT scanner works,” Dr. Margaret Szabunio, associate medical director at UK’s Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center, said in a statement. “It allows us to look at breast tissue in a way we’ve never been able to before.”

UK plans to begin using tomosynthesis on patients this month. Patients who had an abnormality on a regular mammogram will come in for a tomosynthesis as their follow-up, according to the release.

Tomosynthesis will be used as a regular screening tool for women who are at a high risk of breast cancer or who have dense breast tissue.

“Tomosynthesis digital breast imaging will be of great benefit to our patients when it comes to detecting breast cancer in its early stages,” Dr. Mark Evers, director of the UK Markey Cancer Center, said in a statement. “The earlier a cancer is detected, the higher a patient’s chances are for a full recovery. This technology has the potential to save many, many lives.”

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