Bad News For Coach Pagano

 This story pains me, but a harsh reminder of how fragile life can be and how fast heath matters can change for the worse.  My next article will be an exclusive interview(s) with area physicians.  The topic: the psychology behind why people neglect their health. Not necessarily relevant to coach Paganao's situation, but worth investigating a bit more.

Coach Pagano:

(Reuters) - Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is being treated for leukemia and is unlikely to resume full-time coaching duties this season, the National Football League team said on Monday.
The first-year coach, who turns 52 on Tuesday, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia after feeling some fatigue in recent weeks and noticing bruising on his body that he initially thought came from contact during on-the-field coaching or while playing with his grandchildren.
Pagano, who was named head coach of the Colts in January, will be hospitalized for about six to eight weeks as he receives treatment and will be replaced by offensive coordinator Bruce Arians on an interim basis.
"I am optimistic. I feel with every fiber in my body and I know Chuck feels the same way, that he can beat this thing," Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters.
"It's unlikely that he will be all-in as a head coach this season, that's probably not in the cards. ... Certainly to be in the press box, to contribute, to do things, I'm going to let the doctor be more specific about that with his expertise on how this process goes but there are peaks and valleys."
Pagano, who went 1-2 in his first three games as head coach of the rebuilding Colts, was diagnosed with the illness last week when the team had a bye week.
The former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator replaced Jim Caldwell, who was fired after a 2-14 season that sparked a massive rebuilding phase for the Colts, including a decision to cut 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning.
Arians will make his debut as the Indianapolis head coach when the Colts host the Green Bay Packers on October 7.
(Reporting By Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Frank Pingue and Gene Cherry)

Roche and T-DM1

 More good work by Roche. If you or someone you love is fighting cancer read on.  DON'T give up the battle!

Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said its "armed antibody" T-DM1 drug significantly extended the lives of women with an aggressive type of breast cancer compared with those receiving the standard drug cocktail.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, with about 1.4 million new cases diagnosed each year and more than 450,000 women dying of the disease annually, according to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Roche said its Genentech unit will soon submit a marketing application to the European Medicines Agency for trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and has already applied for a license with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Roche said the study of the drug had now met both primary efficacy endpoints of significant improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival, adding it will present the data at an upcoming medical meeting.

Roche, the world's largest maker of cancer drugs, has been developing T-DM1 as a successor to its blockbuster Herceptin, its third-biggest seller, which could be exposed to so-called "biosimilar" generic competition in Europe from around 2015.

Vontobel analyst Andrew Weiss said the data could be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December, predicting possible peak sales for the drug of 1.7 billion Swiss francs ($1.8 billion).


"Roche is the dominant force in cancer and ... continues to drive innovation in this area," Weiss said as he confirmed his "buy" recommendation on Roche shares, which were up 0.3 percent by 0733 GMT.

The trial for women with breast cancer known as HER-2 positive - which makes up about a fifth of all breast cancers - compared T-DM1 to a combination of GlaxoSmithKline drug Tykerb, and Roche's Xeloda.

An advantage of T-DM1 over conventional treatment using Herceptin plus chemotherapy, is that it causes fewer adverse side-effects like hair loss and low white blood cell counts.

T-DM1 combines trastuzumab, an antibody and the active ingredient in Herceptin, with the agent DM1 - a derivative of a powerful type of chemotherapy called maytansine - which is carried directly into cells.

"We believe that antibody-drug conjugates have the potential to change the future treatment of cancer," Roche Chief Medical Officer Hal Barron said in a statement.

In June, U.S. health regulators approved Perjeta, another new breast cancer drug from Roche for HER2-positive women.

Genentech, which developed Perjeta, suffered a blow last year when the FDA revoked approval for its blockbuster drug Avastin as a treatment for breast cancer, saying the drug was not effective enough to justify its risks. ($1 = 0.9594 Swiss francs)

Credit Lena Sullivan/Reuters

Basic Benefits of Swimming

I asked friend, colleague and local swimming instructor Ben Christoffel to give me five good reasons why people of ALL ages should swim on a regular basis.  His answers:

1. Low Impact 
2. Swimming can be both aerobic and anaerobic
3. Improves lung function
4. Stimulates metabolism 
5. Burns calorie 

 Ben's Bonus:

Ben also added that group swimming is an excellent way to meet new people, foster friendships and find a pal that will help motivate you to stick with a consistent program.  Thanks buddy!  Look for more from Ben in the future!

About Ben:

Ben Christoffel, Program Director and Assistant Coach
Hailing from Fort Wayne, Indiana, our Program Director has been swimming since the age of 6. During his high school career swimming for Wawasee, Ben was the High School State Champion in both the 50 Free and as part of the 200 Medley Relay. At Ball State University, Ben continued to excel in the water as the team captain of the Men’s swim team earning MVP honors three times and becoming an NCAA Mid American Conference Champion. Since joining USMS in 1999, Ben has been a 12 time USMS All-American, is a USMS Record Holder, and was a U.S. Open Finalist. In addition to his swimming accomplishments, Ben has been coaching for 4 years and is an ASCA/USMS Level I and Level II Certified Coach. You’ll find Ben coaching on deck wherever he is needed. His favorite stroke is breaststroke.

True Grit!

You have to see this video about Notre Dame student athlete Teddy Hodges and how he battled back from serious heart problems.  WOW!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma5C9u9xlbw&list=PLDAEDCC08F68A05F2&feature=plcp

Beware of Holiday Indulging!

The "holiday run" is just ahead.  At least that's what I call it.  This is the time beginning around Halloween and ending when the last green beer is chugged on St. Patty's Day.  This "run" is when lots of people (myself included) make every excuse on the planet as to why it's ok to have that extra piece of candy, pie, turkey, etc.  It's tough. Really tough if you like food and love to socialize.  But if you don't watch it you could gain lots of tonnage before long. I'm not preaching that you should not enjoy a few treats, you MUST live a little!  But BE SMART.  One of my favorite reads is "Eat This, Not That".  Check out this series on the web when you can.   In the meantime I suggest taking a quick glance at this link: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/articles_and_tips?depth=2.  Good stuff

Health Matters!

ROCHE EXPANDING IN INDY

Roche Diagnostics plans to expand in Indianapolis

The medical research company will be putting its new human resources shared services center in Indianapolis. The center will provide HR help for all of Roche's 23,000 North American employees.Indianapolis—

 More jobs are headed to the Circle City as Roche Diagnostics announced plans for an expansion to their current operations. The medical research company will be putting its new human resources shared services center in Indianapolis. The center will provide HR help for all of Roche's 23,000 North American employees.

"It's just wonderful to have a company like Roche have such a large presence. A large international company continues to grow here in the City of Indianapolis and that's part of what many of you know I've been trying to do for a long time now, to make this a more global city," said Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.

Video link.  Credit FOX59

http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-roche-diagnostics-roche-diagnostics-plans-to-expand-in-indianapolis-20110610,0,6674532.story

 

WALK TO A BETTER YOU

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                                               WHY WALKING ROCKS!

                                                        By Tom Trace

Why walk instead of jog (or even run)? That is the question!  The answers are rather simple, but sometimes it helps to break matters down into the basics.  Below you won’t see a list of confusing terms combined with a biology lesson. As my confused uncle once said “This ain’t rocket surgery”…

1)    Walking is just plain easier on your body.  The impact from running or even jogging can slam your joints and create injury.  If you carry a few extra pounds, the likelihood of getting hurt jumps up if you attempt to jog. Borrowing from the NIKE ad, “Just Do It”, but “Do it” slowly.

2)    You will probably continue walking longer than jogging.  Jogging is harder work. The idea here is a long-term plan not overnight success.  If you think jogging once or twice will make you skinny you are sadly mistaken!

3)    It’s easier to find a walking partner than a jogging/running partner. If you want to see someone who doesn’t normally run, just ask him or her to go running then watch them RUN away!

4)    Brisk walking burns more calories than running for a person who is overweight. Fact: Many folks that need the benefits of walking will not be able to jog log enough to have success. The goal is consistency.  Keep up the walking and you will lose weight. 

5)    Let’s not forget about fun.  Running and jogging is yucky, it’s painful.  Walking is less of a chore and is more enjoyable.

All exercise takes work, but you need to move your body.  My confused uncle finally made sense when he said, “If you don’t know what to do, just do something”.  Not bad advice in this case.  If you want to lose weight the safe way, consider adding a brisk walk to your workout. Forget about jogging or running for now and walk your way to a healthier lifestyle!

Credit Research Greg Todd