The Dr. Oz Show

Dr. Oz is airing a show this Thursday, May 26th on Fox at 4PM. It's called "Silent Cancer Killer of Women." As a survivor of ovarian cancer, I was asked to sit on the stage. I am holding the #56 (my age of diagnosis). It's a very informative show about the early warning signs.

Bill Henderson's How to Live Cancer-Free

Please copy and paste the link below to listen to my interview on Web Talk Radio with Bill Henderson.
Hope you enjoy!
In good health,
Margaret


----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Henderson
To: Margaret Bermel
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2011 10:18 PM
Subject: Great interview


Hi Margaret,

I really enjoyed your book. If everyone would read it BEFORE they get the cancer diagnosis (and go into "fear orbit"), the whole world of millions of unnecessary "cancer" deaths would change.
Thanks for the great interview.
Here is a direct link where you can listen to it or download it (plain mp3 audio file).

http://webtalkradio.net/?s=bill+henderson&task=search

How to Live Cancer Free – “The Cancer Odyssey” by Margaret Bermel
Bill Henderson interviews Margaret Bermel about her new book called “The Cancer Odyssey.”
Margaret researched cancer treatment optons and found that chemotherapy is
a complete fraud perpetrated on the public by Big Pharma. She refused it and
healed her ovarian cancer using natural means.

--
Warmly,

Bill

Bill Henderson
Author, "Cure Your Cancer" and "Cancer-Free"
http://www.Beating-Cancer-Gently.com
http://www.WebTalkRadio.net
"How to Live Cancer-Free"
Listen anytime

The FDA controls all...

This apparently is a required FDA Disclaimer For Sites That Do Not Endorse Chemotherapy. This blog does not endorse chemotherapy in general; however, the blogger believes that chemotherapy is effective for some cancers. The intent of the blog is to get people to ask questions until satisfied that the course of treatment is the correct course for them. Here is the disclaimer:

* This website is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified licensed medical professional. This site DOES NOT offer people medical information. It presents some alternative medical options for their further research. In no way should anyone consider that this site represents the "practice of medicine." This site assumes no responsibility for how this material is used. Also note that this website frequently updates its contents; however, due to a variety of reasons, some information may be out of date. The statements regarding alternative treatments for cancer have not been evaluated by the FDA.*

Targeted Antibody Payload (TAP)

The following is a press release from http://www.freshnews.com/news/474761/immunogen-inc-announces-first-data-its-novel-therapeutic-ovarian-cancer-and-other-carcinomas.
This approach offers hope that researchers are abandoning chemotherapy in favor of targeted solutions, also known as 'smart bomb' drugs.


"ImmunoGen, Inc. Announces First Data for its Novel Therapeutic for Ovarian Cancer and Other Carcinomas

Created 04/04/2011 - 3:31am
businesswire

ImmunoGen, Inc. [1] (Nasdaq: IMGN), a biotechnology company that develops targeted anticancer products using its antibody expertise and Targeted Antibody Payload (TAP) technology, today announced the reporting of the first data on the Company’s IMGN853 product candidate for the treatment of ovarian cancer and other types of solid tumors. The presentations are being given at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Orlando, FL.

IMGN853 is designed to selectively target and kill cancer cells expressing folate receptor 1 (FOLR1). This target is over-expressed on most cases of ovarian cancer as well as on other carcinomas including types of non-small cell lung cancers. IMGN853 was found to be highly effective against human ovarian cancer tumors in preclinical testing. The AACR’s 2011 Program Committee recognized the abstract on the IMGN853 in vivo preclinical findings as scoring among the top 2% of abstracts for poster presentations.

IMGN853 is a TAP compound, which means it consists of a tumor-targeting antibody with one of ImmunoGen’s highly potent cell-killing agents attached via an engineered linker. The antibody serves to target the TAP compound specifically to cancer cells, and the cell-killing agent serves to destroy these cells.

“We conduct ongoing research to continue to enhance our product development capabilities as well as our product pipeline, and IMGN853 reflects several technological innovations that we’ve made in recent years,” commented John Lambert, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. “For example, we engineered the linker used in IMGN853 to not only be stable like all of our linkers, but also to combat the multidrug resistance that makes certain types of cancers highly difficult to treat. This further increased the activity of IMGN853 in preclinical testing.”

Dr. Lambert continued, “We also continually refine the criteria we use to generate and select antibodies for use in TAP compounds as we identify opportunities to further enhance each compound’s therapeutic activity. We evaluated over 100 FOLR1-targeting antibodies in selecting the one used in IMGN853.”

Among the findings being reported are data demonstrating:

* The target for IMGN853 – FOLR1 – is robustly expressed on most ovarian cancers as well as on certain non-small cell lung cancers and other carcinomas. This is based on target quantification methods developed by ImmunoGen scientists (abstract #3617);
* The design of IMGN853 has been optimized for its target – both in its antibody component and in the novel linker used to attach the highly potent payload to the antibody and control its release inside a cancer cell (abstract #4576); and
* The IMGN853 product candidate has been found to be highly active against human ovarian cancer tumors in preclinical testing (abstract #1760). This has been designated as a Highly Rated Poster Presentation by the 2011 Program Committee of the AACR.

About IMGN853

IMGN853 is in development for the treatment of ovarian cancer and other carcinomas that over-express folate receptor 1 (FOLR1). This TAP compound consists of a FOLR1-targeting antibody with the Company's proprietary DM4 cancer cell-killing agent attached using a new linker developed by ImmunoGen to combat cancer multidrug resistance. IMGN853 was found to be highly effective against ovarian cancer tumors in preclinical testing and is on track for IND submission in early 2012.

About ImmunoGen, Inc.

ImmunoGen, Inc. develops targeted anticancer therapeutics using the Company's expertise in tumor biology, monoclonal antibodies and potent cancer-cell killing agents. The Company's TAP technology uses monoclonal antibodies to deliver one of ImmunoGen's proprietary cancer-cell killing agents specifically to tumor cells. There are currently seven TAP compounds in the clinic, with a wealth of clinical data reported with the technology. ImmunoGen’s collaborative partners include Amgen, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Biogen Idec, Biotest, Genentech (a member of the Roche Group), Novartis, and sanofi-aventis. The most advanced compound using ImmunoGen's TAP technology, trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1), is in Phase III testing through the Company's collaboration with Genentech. More information about ImmunoGen can be found at www.immunogen.com [2].

This press release includes forward-looking statements. For these statements, ImmunoGen claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It should be noted that there are risks and uncertainties related to the development of novel anticancer products, including IMGN853, including risks related to uncertainties around preclinical studies, regulatory submissions and reviews, and their timings and results. A review of these risks can be found in ImmunoGen’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission." .

Just say no to chemo. Say yes to the new approaches to overcoming cancer. The old approaches have failed. The cancer industry has to first admit failure, step aside, and get out of the way so that the new approaches can succeed.

Seve

"Seve Ballesteros, the swashbuckling Spaniard whose talent and charisma drove the popularity of today's European Tour and the modern Ryder Cup, died yesterday at home in Pedrena, Spain, from complications of brain cancer. He was 54.

Ballesteros won three British Opens, two Masters tournaments, 50 European Tour events and at least 90 tournaments world wide. More importantly, he captured the imagination of millions of fans and thousands of young players who aspired to be just like him.

On Oct. 6, 2008, Ballesteros fainted as he was about to board a plane in Madrid. Tests showed that he had a malignant tumor the size of two golf balls above his right temple. He underwent four surgeries and several chemotherapies and radiation treatments. He managed a few public appearances in 2009, but after he fell off a golf cart in March of 2010 and hit his head, he was seldom seen." (Newsday, 5/7/11)

If the obit was honest, it would read that he died from complications of chemotherapy. When will we start being outraged when people who take chemotherapy die? Why do we not protest the "treatment"? It obviously does not work. It did not cure him. 2-1/2 years after diagnosis, this robust man is dead. If anyone could survive chemo, this man could. But not even Seve was up for that challenge.

Seve Ballesteros. Greta Waitz. These are professional athletes who could not survive chemo. If they can't survive it, what chance do ordinary people have?
Just say not to chemo. THEY HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THIS!!! People keep dying and they can't put 2 + 2 together. There is a positive correlation between chemotherapy and death. Demand better.

The Immune System

This is from a website describing a treatment that is available in Germany. It makes perfect sense. The immune system is key to recovery from cancer. This treatment should be available in this country. We have to demand options for treatment.

http://immunologyfoundation.org/
The International Immunology Foundation

Applying Immunology to Cancer Treatment

Immunepheresis Program
"There is no cancer type that can be ruled out as a target for this therapy."-Ralph Moss, PhD
"In the last 25 years, immunology has answered one of the central questions about cancer – why cancer cells are not destroyed by the patient’s immune system. Based on the research of Dr. Lentz and others, we now know that cancer cells create inhibitors to shield themselves from attack, much the way military aircraft produce “chaff” to fend off defensive fire.

Using a technology akin to dialysis, Immunepheresis removes these inhibitors from the patient's bloodstream, eliciting a natural immune system response that can lead to rapid tumor shrinkage. The method has been used in human clinical trials for over 15 years, and in several hundred patients, with clear convergence of data on efficacy and safety.

Immunepheresis appears to be effective in a wide range of solid tumor cancers, though not in all patients: the key prognostic variables are (a) cancer stage and (b) strength of the patient's immune system before treatment begins.

Importantly, Immunepheresis has usually shown results that are better than chemotherapy in terms of killing certain malignant tumors. Even in patients with Stage IV disease; multiple metastases and major tumor burden; extensive prior chemotherapy; and exhaustion of conventional therapeutic options, Immunepheresis has shown significant clinical responses (i.e. >50% reduction in measurable tumor volume).

There are a number of reasons this therapy especially interests immunologists:

1. The apparent universality of its efficacy in cancers of varied types; this implies a common immunologic mechanism;
2. The high rate of tumor necrosis (cancer cell death) that can be achieved without collateral harm to the patient;
3. No “dose limiting” toxicity;
4. The relatively mild, short-term side effects;
5. The short initial term of therapy needed to confirm positive response;
6. The response rate even in patients who have exhausted all other therapeutic options; and
7. The expected lack of long-term complications such as the secondary cancers that are known to follow chemotherapy and radiation.

In theory, Immunepheresis in particular and immune therapies in general hold the potential to eliminate virtually every cancer cell in the body over time. Given the newness of the therapy, we can only measure initial, not long term response. In many but not all new cancer therapies, such favorable initial response has proven to be predictive of improved intervals before disease progression and ultimately of improved rates of survival." From the The International Immunology Foundation website.