OUR NEXT MONTHLY MEETING IS AT 7:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2005
Mark Dailey, the well known Co-anchor of "CityPulse Tonight" and "The voice" of 'Citytv', will present a talk on "Brachytherapy" and share his experiences following his own diagnosis of prostate cancer. Mark has produced a 5-part Audiovisual series "Journey To A Cure", which has been aired over the 'Citytv' channel. Excerpts from the series will be included in Mark's presentation. Don't miss this event!
If you have any detailed questions that you would like submitted to Mark before the meeting, please send them to the attention of Fred Norris, Chairman, (905) 877-8092 or e-mail fred.norris@ustoo-brampton.com.
We look forward to seeing you in Room #2, The Terry Miller Recreation Center, 1295 Williams Parkway at the southwest corner of Williams Parkway & Bramalea Road. Parking is free.
 

MARCH 8, 2005 DR. IAN TANNOCK - "HORMONE THERAPY & CHEMOTHERAPY"
Some 65 members, spouses and guests attended Dr. Ian Tannock's presentation. Dr. Tannock is the Daniel E Bergsagel Professor of Medical Oncology at the Princess Margaret Hospital and the University of Toronto. His research is in physiological causes of resistance to chemotherapy and methods of overcoming them. He has led several large clinical trials for patients with prostate cancer and breast cancer and has received several prestigious awards.
Dr. Tannock illustrated Hormone and Chemotherapy treatments by following the case of a hypothetical 68-year-old patient who presents with bone pain, a Gleason score of 8, a PSA of 245 and a positive bone scan. He described Hormonal treatment options such as Orchiectomy, Estrogen, and Antiandrogens and then detailed treatment with Zolodex and Casodex, including side effects such as bone loss and hormonal resistance. Dr. Tannock then went on to describe the treatment of Hormonal resistant cancer and to discuss the Chemotherapy options suitable for the hypothetical patient.
The results of several clinical trials were presented with their outcomes covering quality of life and mortality. Dr. Tannock concluded his talk on a note of hope, tempered with words of caution, as he described new therapies under investigation such as those involving inhibition of growth factors, stimulation of processes that can make cancer cells more likely to die and immunological approaches.
The lively Question & Answer session saw numerous questions forthcoming from the audience, making it a very informative session for all! If you missed this session or wish to review the information presented, you can find the audio and Dr. Tannock's slides on our web site http://www.ustoo-brampton.com.

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Spring is a time for better weather, longer days, rejoicing, and reflection on the immediate past. I am referring to the many volunteers who have made, and continue to make our group tick. In this short space I would be hard pressed to name them all, for fear of omitting one name, but here are just a few of them:
The Telephone Committee, coordinated by Stew Cornell, consisting of: Fred Sutton, Marion Macdonald, Jackie Stoddart, Clure Cheyne, George Deshpande, Jack Dainton, Morris Rambout, Herbert Heale, Alec Gardiner, Bill Hammacott, Byron Wynter, Ken Macdonald, Norm Lingard, Mike Loughnan and Ken Gurnsey. These caring men and women spend hours each month contacting all active members to remind them of upcoming meetings, to inquire into their health and to offer support when it's needed.
The members of the Steering Committee. Gerry Brunjes, who so ably maintains our finances. Mukul Luthra, who maintains our Multimedia setup and Web site. Jim Dorsey, who edits the monthly Newsletter. Tilly Netherton, who arranges for the Refreshments at each monthly meeting. The many others who perform one or more of the tasks both large and small that allow us to maintain our vibrant fluidity.
This association with Us Too! has made me many friends, and their comments and criticisms - the latter often well founded - have made the bond even stronger.
All of us come together with the mutual understanding that it is our mission to aid everyone afflicted with this disease and to continue to broadcast awareness and that maybe one day we will all see a complete cure for Prostate Cancer.
My Sincerest Thanks to all of you for making this the Premier Support Group in the country!
Fred Norris, Chairman, (905) 877-8092 e-mail fred.norris@ustoo-brampton.com.
 

A (REPEATED) MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR REGARDING FREE P.S.A. TESTING
The Ministry of Health recently reiterated its P.S.A. collection and testing policy. They have again directed hospital staff to accept P.S.A. test requests from any physician licensed to practice in Ontario, regardless of whether or not the physician has admitting privileges for their particular hospital.
I.e., men who have cancer or have been treated for cancer, or who are being investigated for symptoms which indicate an increased likelihood of prostate cancer, can utilize any of the three local hospitals - Brampton, Etobicoke or Georgetown.
Do call ahead for an appointment to have your blood collected. The telephone numbers and hours for each site are listed below:
Brampton: Out Patients Clinic, 2nd floor (905) 451-1710 ext. 24010 Thursday and Friday 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Etobicoke: Out Patients Dept., 6th level (416) 747-3400 ext. 32515 Tuesday and Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Georgetown: Laboratory (905) 873-0111 ext. 47235 Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Fred Norris, Chairman, (905) 877-8092 e-mail fred.norris@ustoo-brampton.com.
 

2004-2005 GUEST SPEAKERS & EVENTS
Our confirmed speakers and events for the remainder of the 2004 - 2005 season are:
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - Dr. Gabor Madarasz, D.C. of Life Chiropractic Centre will speak on maintaining a healthy life style with focus on the nervous system (precise title to be announced).
Tuesday, June 14, 2005 – Summer closing Pot Luck and Social, hopefully with some SOFT live music!
Friday, June 24, 2005 - The 2005 Relay for Life will start Friday evening and run overnight to Saturday morning at The Brampton Fairgrounds.
As always, we are continuously seeking interesting speakers; your suggestions and recommendations for future meetings would be appreciated!
Mukul Luthra, Speaker Committee, (519) 853-4075, e-mail mukul.luthra@ustoo-brampton.com.

NEW MEMBER MEETINGS
New Member meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month throughout the year. The next scheduled meeting will be held between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26.
Please phone ahead to confirm meeting time and location. Contact: Bob Vandrish, New Member Coordinator at (905) 791-5595, Sean Butterly, Special Consultant at (905) 454-4237 or Chairman, Fred Norris, at (905) 877-8092 e-mail fred.norris@ustoo-brampton.com.

FINANCE
You may have heard the expression "Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits". Well, here I am, hopefully doing the former, with my mind seemingly traveling in several different directions at the same time. Realistically, I am aware that we can only think of one thing at a time - or can we? My children come to mind, of which there are three, so I'm thinking of three people at the same time...right?
Now, I have always prided myself on being a fair person who loves to see justice for all. I try hard to listen to what others have to say before voicing my opinion...most of the time anyway. Not a selfish bone in my body, or so I thought, till I started this "sits and thinks" exercise.
When the kids were young, I took them camping and fishing most summer week ends. Of course, my wife, being a concerned mother, came as well...to do a little fishing and a lot of cooking over a smokey camp fire, marshaling us all to provide a resemblance of order: "get some water", "find some firewood", "wash your hands", "eat your dinner", in fact keeping us reasonably civilized.
So what's my point? Well, in the first place, I was really only thinking of myself: I loved camping and fishing, but I do not recall ever asking the wife and children if they wanted to go. I just assumed that they did. Therefore, I did not give them any option in the matter. Well intentioned, or so I thought, but very selfish because we all did what I wanted to do. But, give them their due, they made me feel they loved those week ends...and they still insist that they did!
These days things are very different. My kids all have children of their own and are doing a great job of making good citizens out of them. However, for the most part, the grandchildren all get to do what they want to do, their parents aiding and abetting where possible, and often inviting me along for the ride.
So now, I turn my attention to other matters. Well, having read me so far, all you "wanna-be psychiatrists" are thinking, here is a guy with a huge guilt complex, to which I reply...you're right! So, to atone for my past sins and indiscretions, I put aside things that I always hankered to do during my days in retirement, such as taking a trip around the world, exploring New Zealand or Japan, spending winters in Florida...well, you know what I mean.
Now, if you are looking for something useful to do for our community, maybe to atone for past indiscretions (like me), here's a suggestion: Become an active member of Us Too! - give a few hours of your time each month to help others newly diagnosed, who often mistakenly believe their remaining days are few in number. Or, if you prefer, give a try on the committee -- help run the show. Your ideas may be just what we need...who knows.
If none of that's your bag, well, just pay your yearly subscription if you haven't done so already. You'll feel a lot better than if you just "Sits and thinks", believe me.
Sincerely, Gerry Brunjes, Finance, (905) 791-3043, e-mail gerry.brunjes@ustoo-brampton.com.
 

US TOO! 5th ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT - MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2005
Peter Barhydt, our Golf Convener, reports that the Acton Golf Club is still the most reasonably-priced venue available and that he will be booking Monday, June 27 for the 2005 Golf Tournament. Stay tuned for more information. As always, your suggestions and participation are welcome.
Contact: Peter Barhydt: (905) 459-8516, peter.barhydt@ustoo-brampton.com OR Fred Norris: (905) 877-8092, fred.norris@ustoo-brampton.com.

AWARENESS
This month I have received literature from the Canadian Continence Foundation (CCF), including copies of "The Informer" newsletter. Many of the publications put out by CCF are intended primarily for women; however, two recent articles in particular may interest our members: "Catheters and Catheterization" and "Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy".
I have a limited stock of these as well as other literature describing Kiegel exercises, all available to our members. They will be stored in our cabinet at Terry Miller Recreation Centre. We also have one copy of a videotape entitled "Having Choices", which deals with incontinence following treatment for prostate cancer. Produced by Rogers Community TV for CPCN, this is one of a series of videos that are also held at Brampton Public Library. You can visit the Continence Foundation website at www.continence-fdn.ca for further information about their publications.
Ian Smith, Awareness Coordinator, (905) 454-3880, or e-mail ian.smith@ustoo-brampton.com.

OUR THANKS TO MEMBER X FOR THE STORAGE CABINET
Our thanks to Corrado Serrentino, "Member X", who contributed one of the two storage cabinets that we have been allowed to place in the meeting room at the Terry Miller Recreation Center. Now Mukul Luthra no longer has to transport our audiovisual equipment to each meeting, and Tilly Netherton can store our coffee supplies instead of lugging them in every month. Thank you, Corrado!
 

6th ANNUAL CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE
It appears that Tilly Netherton, Denis Paris, Kenneth Clarke, Frank Connolly, Mukul Luthra, Ian Smith, Mike Loughnan and Reg Ballam will all walk again this year. Bill Blance, Carol Smith and Sandi Dorsey have all agreed to walk as well, but we the more the merrier!
The Relay will be held at the Brampton Fairgrounds on Heart Lake Road, starting after dinner on Friday, June 24th and finishing twelve hours later on Saturday morning. Even if you can't spend the night with us, please sign up for the Survivor Reception and / or the "Survivors' Victory Lap" on the Friday evening. This is always a deeply moving event - and an opportunity to celebrate our personal victories.
Check the Canadian Cancer Society's web site at http://www.cancer.ca then call Jim Dorsey at (905) 453-3038 or e-mail jim.dorsey@ustoo-brampton.com or see me at the April meeting for more information about the Survivor events and / or to sign up to walk.
NOTE: There will be a brief meeting of team members after the General Meeting on April 12.
 

PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL VIRTUAL TOUR AND PATIENT EDUCATION PROGRAM
Most of us are well aware that Princess Margaret Hospital is one of the best cancer treatment facilities in North America; now we have a chance to help make it even better.
Our members are asked to sign on to http://www.uhn.ca/directories/virtual_tour/index.html, take a "virtual tour" of PMH and then complete a brief online Survey. This survey is designed to help the designers to modify the tour to make it the best possible source of information and comfort to future cancer patients and their supporters. Your grumpy editor took the tour and although I admired both the technical features and the content of the tour, I initially reacted strongly to the lack of treatment of Prostate Cancer.
But as David Wiljer, Director, Knowledge Management and Innovation at Princess Margaret reminded me, this is very much a work in progress, and Prostate Cancer will indeed be covered as development progresses, hence the request for general feedback in the meantime.
So please take a look at http://www.uhn.ca/directories/virtual_tour/index.html for maps of the hospital building, descriptions of the treatment programs for many types of cancer and links to other extremely useful web sites. More about this valuable source of cancer information in future issues.