The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation

“Questions and answers about COVID-19 for cancer patients”, visit: mayoclinic.org

“Protect yourself and others during COVID19”, visit: cdc.gov

“Cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic”, visit: medicalxpress.com

“A Guide for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers and Family Members”, visit: cdc.gov

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The coronavirus pandemic has affected us all across the globe, in one way or another. While these are trying times and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to see the light at the end of the tunnel, it is important to not despair. We will get through this together. Hold on to your hope. As Anne Frank said, “Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.”

Thank you to all of the nurses, doctors, first responders, government officials, pharmacies, pharmacy workers, grocery store workers, truck drivers, volunteers and EVERY single person who is working tirelessly, risking their health, to make a difference. Thank you also to those who are staying home in attempts to flatten the curve. Let’s keep working together and please remember to wash your hands!

For up-to-date information on coronavirus (COVID-19) please visit the Centers of Disease Control & Prevention’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Visit, like and share The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation’s Facebook page for announcements, information regarding esophageal cancer, April ‘Esophageal Cancer Awareness’ month and more: https://www.facebook.com/SalgiFoundation

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Each year, April 30th marks the last day of Esophageal Cancer Awareness month.  In 2017, April 30th was also the date that Raymond John Glazer passed away from esophageal cancer.

Now his daughter Michelle is hosting a fundraiser in his memory. Michelle will be selling periwinkle tack pins on her website to benefit The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation.

The Esophageal Cancer Awareness Periwinkle Pins are $5, shipping included and are available on her website, please click here. 

Please read below to learn more about her father’s story and how you can purchase an Esophageal Cancer Awareness Periwinkle Pin(s) to make a difference.

Michelle’s Story, In Loving Memory of Raymond John Glazer:

“Esophageal cancer research is severely underfunded; there are currently no early screenings or any effective treatments for this very deadly disease!

My father developed a problem swallowing, which he never mentioned. He had been caring for our mother for 3 years post stroke at 80 years old. He cleaned her, changed her, fed her and checked her blood sugar, absolutely refusing to put his wife in a nursing home. We also noticed he was getting extremely thin, always had heartburn and was not eating much.

Then September 23rd, 2016, my sister took him to the hospital because he couldn’t even swallow water. He had an endoscopy with biopsy the next day. The doctor had the Oncologist meet with us the following day, telling us he had a golf ball sized tumor right above the stomach in his esophagus. The biopsy came back poorly differentiated high grade adenocarcinoma.

He agreed to the 4 months of radiation daily and chemo weekly, as what was recommended. I sat with him for hours every day at the hospital. He also made me his power of attorney if he could no longer make decisions for himself. The GI doctor placed a mesh stent in the esophagus to hold the tumor back which allowed him to eat and gain some strength before treatment started.

He became so sick from treatments and wasn’t eating, electrolytes were off and he was extremely confused. After discussing it with him, I signed to have a gastric tube placed in November. He could barely walk at this time, so we also got him a wheelchair. The doctor that placed the tube told me after surgery that the tumor was growing through the mesh. Last mega radiation was early December and he would have a CT with contrast in May.

On April 25th, I took him to the ER. He woke all sweaty, couldn’t breathe or talk well and could no longer stand on his own. I asked the admitting doctor if he could order the CT now, which he did. He called me to come in on April 27th, because Dad wasn’t doing well. He waited for me even after his shift was done to tell me that the CT showed the tumor had invaded straight across the abdomen, into the spinal cord, lungs, brain, prostate and hip. The absolute worst thing I had to do was inform the rest of my family and sign a Do Not Resuscitate, Do Not Intubate. Dad had told the doctor this was what he wanted.

On April 30th, he passed in his sleep at 4:40am, ironic that it was the last day of Esophageal Cancer Awareness month. I am raising funds for Salgi, as I did last year, in hopes of finding a way to test early and hopefully a treatment that works for those that become afflicted. All proceeds are being donated in memory of Raymond John Glazer.”

In memory of Raymond John Glazer

Esophageal Cancer Awareness Periwinkle Pins are $5, shipping included and are available here: https://the-peacock-orchid.myshopify.com/products/periwinkle-ribbon-tack-pin-fundraiser-for-esophageal-cancer-awareness

Please join us in thanking Michelle by sharing this fundraiser and post with your family members, friends and on social media.  Thank you, Michelle!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalgiFoundation

Photos and story courtesy of Michelle Z. https://the-peacock-orchid.myshopify.com/products/periwinkle-ribbon-tack-pin-fundraiser-for-esophageal-cancer-awareness

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Research is beginning at Virginia Mason that will assess the accuracy of a breath test for detecting esophageal cancer, one of the fastest growing and deadliest cancers in the United States.

The project, supported by a grant from the Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation, is led by Donald Low, MD, who specializes in esophageal and thoracic surgery at Virginia Mason, and George Hanna, PhD, of St. Mary’s Hospital in London (Imperial College Healthcare), who is the co-investigator.

At Virginia Mason, the project will involve as many as 50 patients over the next 12 to 18 months. The research will attempt to build on findings from recent research into a potential breath test for esophageal cancer conducted in England. See article in JAMA Oncology.

“There are currently no standard screenings for the early detection of esophageal cancer, and symptoms often present only after the illness is advanced and difficult to treat,” Dr. Low said. “We hope to change this. Research in London demonstrated the potential for breath analysis to provide an indication when early esophageal cancer has occurred. The purpose of our study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a breath test.”

Virginia Mason researchers will examine the reliability of such a test “longitudinally,” Dr. Low added, explaining that patients enrolled in the study will provide sputum and urine samples, in addition to exhaled breaths, that will be evaluated for common markers at three separate points in their treatment journey. The ultimate goal is to develop a noninvasive test for the detection of esophageal cancer that is based on the unique signature of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath.

In 2019, an estimated 16,000 people will die from esophageal cancer in the United States, while less than 20 percent of those diagnosed with the disease will survive more than five years, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also called acid reflux disease and heartburn, can lead to Barrett’s Esophagus, a primary risk factor for esophageal cancer.

“One of the reasons for conducting research is that you never know what you will discover,” said Dr. Low. “It’s exciting to imagine a day, not far in the future, when a person will breathe into a special device that can provide reliable information, based on the breath, indicating whether the individual has early-stage esophageal cancer. This would be a marvelous advancement for medicine and patients. My colleagues and I are proud to be involved in the assessment of this new diagnostic approach.”

Virginia Mason is a leading provider of esophageal cancer treatment, serving patients from across the United States.

For more information, please visit: VirginiaMason.org

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What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Mashed or sweet potatoes, stuffing, the turkey, or vegetables?  Did you know that the week of Thanksgiving is also dedicated to bringing awareness to a growing disease which affects roughly 20% of Americans?

That disease is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Also known as acid reflux disease, GERD is a condition of the digestive system, which has increased significantly in recent decades.  GERD is also a primary risk factor for esophageal cancer, one of the fastest growing and deadliest cancers in the United States. Esophageal cancer, like GERD, has also increased significantly in past decades. In fact, incidence of esophageal cancer has risen over 733% in the past four decades and only an overall five-year survival rate of less than 19.2%.

The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation, a nonprofit which has funded two grants for esophageal cancer research, one in July, 2015 and another in November, 2018, is working once again to bring awareness of the dangerous link between GERD and esophageal cancer.  The Salgi Foundation, a Rhode Island based nonprofit with chapters in St. Louis, Missouri, Colorado and Brooklyn, New York has recently been named a “2019 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits.  This award was based from online reviews of supporters who, for some, have first-hand experience of the dangers of acid reflux disease and its most common symptom: chronic heartburn.

Heartburn does not typically cause major concern, as billions of Americans experience it at some point in their lives. However, persistent heartburn, which occurs two or more times a week, should not be taken lightly, as it could be a symptom of the disease.

President of The Salgi Foundation, Linda Molfesi, said, “my father suffered from chronic heartburn for years and was never warned by doctors of the possible risks. We found out too late, once he started having difficulty swallowing, that his chronic reflux had led to esophageal cancer.” Molfesi continued, “My father passed away a little over a year after he was diagnosed and it was, and still is, devastating.”

Unfortunately, esophageal cancer has few, if any, early symptoms. Symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, chronic cough or hoarseness, food getting stuck or choking while eating often occur once the cancer has spread and reaches an advanced stage. To make matters even worse, there are currently no routine or standard screenings to detect esophageal cancer in earlier stages.   The foundation is hoping to help change that, awarding $62,597 to researchers at Virginia Mason Medical Center who are currently developing a breath test for detecting esophageal cancer earlier.

Molfesi encourages those who suffer from reflux to be proactive about their health, stating “never ignore frequent heartburn and never rely on medications alone. Talk to your doctor about all of your options, especially how you can get screened for any possible damage.”

The Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to raise awareness, encourage early detection and to fund research of esophageal cancer in hopes of a cure.™  The charity has hosted events in Rhode Island, Missouri, Colorado, Ohio, Kentucky, New York City, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maine, New Jersey and Illinois, with additional locations currently in the planning stages. These events gave rise to chapters in St. Louis, Missouri; Arvada, Colorado and Brooklyn, New York.  For more information, please visit: www.salgi.org

Learn the Facts About Esophageal Cancer:

• No standard or routine screening to detect cancer in earlier stages
• One of the fastest growing and deadliest cancers in the US and western world
• Symptoms often arise once the cancer has spread
• Research receives low government and/or private funding
• In 2019, estimated 17,650 diagnoses and 16,080 deaths from the cancer.
• Overall five-year survival rate of less than 19.2%.
• Stage IV has a survival rate of only 4.8%.

Esophageal Cancer Risk Factors:

• Acid reflux disease-GERD (chronic heartburn)
• Obesity/overweight
• Poor nutrition
• Heavy drinking
• Tobacco use
• Barrett’s esophagus

Common Symptoms of Esophageal Cancer:

• Painful/difficulty swallowing
• Food getting stuck
• Weight loss
• Hoarseness or cough
• Indigestion/heartburn
• Pain behind breastbone or pain in back

For more information, please visit: SALGI.org/gerd