Tag Archive for: cancer risk

December 2022 Notable News

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Research is a valuable tool in every aspect of cancer; prevention education, treatment advances, and effectiveness of new treatments. New research has shown that survivors of childhood cancer have a significant increase in risk for cardiovascular issues. Oral chemotherapy is a new modality for cancer treatment and research shows the pros and cons of this treatment. This month, research confirms that there is a direct link between alcohol consumption and increased risk in getting certain cancers. All these studies will help to educate cancer patients, causing better outcomes for people.

Survivors of Childhood Cancer Face a Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

The researchers said the risk of cardiovascular disease was significantly higher in cancer survivors in virtually all categories, including sex, race/ethnicity, income, education, smoking status, and physical activities reports healthline.com . The increased risk of cardiovascular disease for survivors of childhood cancer comes from the use of chemotherapy and radiation to treat the cancer at an early age. The class of chemotherapy commonly used is anthracyclines and it is known to place patients at risk for damaging the heart muscle. Radiation therapy directly to the chest causes damage to the heart muscle and the heart valves. The research did show an increase in risk to children that were treated for cancer in households making under $50,000. To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for these patients, they should follow a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, and do not smoke. Oncologists need to refer childhood cancer patients to cardiologists for screening to find cardiovascular disease in its early stages. Catching the disease in its early stages allows for prompt treatment and better outcomes. Click to read the full story.

Oral Chemotherapy: What are the Advantages?

Chemotherapy kills or slows the growth of cancer cells. In some cases, it can eliminate cancer. In others, it prolongs life by slowing down the progression of the disease reports MedicalNewsToday.com . Oral chemotherapy can come in the form of a pill or liquid that can be swallowed or placed under the tongue. This treatment can be given at home which is less expensive and less inconvenient for cancer patients. The dosing of oral chemotherapy is especially important and requires clear instructions from the doctor. The medication requires special handling such as wearing gloves and storing it at a specific temperature. It needs to be kept secure and dry in an airtight container away from food, children, and pets. The side effects of oral chemotherapy are the same as IV chemotherapy; hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and bruising. It is important to log side effects and notify the doctor of vomiting. There are several disadvantages to taking chemotherapy orally. If a patient has an adverse reaction to the medication, they are at home instead of with a medical professional and will take longer to get help. This medication given orally is very dose dependent and patients can make errors at home that affect the treatment outcome. There is also a high out of pocket expense in using oral chemotherapy versus IV, some insurance companies will not cover the cost of oral chemotherapy. Oral chemotherapy is not available to treat all forms of cancer but in some cases, it has been proven to be more effective than IV chemotherapy. Click to read the full story.

Alcohol and Cancer Risk: Most Americans Aren’t Aware

The new study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, notes that there are seven cancer types that have been linked to alcohol consumption reports Healthline.com . The types of cancers linked to alcohol consumption are mouth and throat, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, and breast cancer. Alcohol consumption is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for people to prevent cancer. Since the pandemic, consumption of alcohol is on the rise. There needs to be interventions made to help educate people on the direct link to cancer such as media ads, warning labels, and doctor’s educating their patients. Older Americans are less aware of the increased risk of cancer form drinking alcohol. There is no safe level of drinking of any kind of alcohol and this needs to be emphasized to help prevent cancer. Click here to read the full story.

December 2020 Notable News

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This month there is a lot of promising news giving hope to the possibility of a brighter, better new year. A better understanding of why humans are prone to advanced cancers and more knowledge about obesity as a risk factor, coupled with advances in targeted therapies and combinations of medications to better treat myeloid leukemias, breast cancer, and get the immune cells involved are all helping to bring about better treatments and outcomes for cancer patients. However, the technology used to create the vaccine for the novel coronavirus Covid-19, that dominated the year and changed the world for us all, just may be the biggest game changer of all. It could revolutionize the way we treat cancers and many other diseases.

The Covid-19 vaccines use a technology that could lead to managing other diseases, like cancer and heart disease, reports bloomberg.com. The technology, called mRNA therapeutics, uses messenger RNA in the vaccines to turn the body’s immune system into a factory with the healthy cells producing viral proteins that create a strong immune response. The approach has never-before been used outside of clinical experiments, and many researchers are stunned by how well it works. Cancer researchers have been studying the technology for 20 years, and the vaccine was able to be created so quickly due to what they knew from working on developing cancer vaccines. These vaccines could lead to a whole new field of medicine, with mRNA drugs for treating cancer expected to be approved in two or three years. It’s possible all infectious disease vaccines will use the technology in the next ten to 20 years, as the method is faster and cheaper than current options. The hope is to use mRNA to create flu vaccines, heart failure treatments, an HIV vaccine, and much more. Learn more about the exciting mRNA possibilities here.

When compared to our closest cousin, the chimpanzee, humans have a high risk of developing advanced cancers, and researchers now think they know why, says sciencedaily.com. New research shows that there is an evolutionary genetic mutation that is unique to humans. The SIGLEC12 gene was eliminated by the body because it lost its ability to distinguish between self and invading microbes. However, it’s not completely gone from the population, and it can be a problem for the 30 percent of people who still produce SIGLEC12 proteins. Those people, when compared to people who don’t produce the proteins, are at more than twice the risk of developing an advanced cancer during their lifetimes. Researchers are hoping to use the information to help determine who is most likely to get advanced cancers, and have developed a simple urine test to detect the proteins. Learn more about this evolutionary snafu here.

In another story about cancer risk from sciencedaily.com, researchers better understand the relationship between obesity and cancer. Obesity is linked to increased risk for more than a dozen types of cancer, as well as a worse prognosis and chance of survival. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered that obesity provides the right environment for cancer cells to take fuel away from cancer-fighting T cells. Cancer cells respond to increased fat availability by reprograming themselves to eat fat molecules and thus deprive T cells of fuel. Get more information here.

When it comes to treating cancer, better therapies are discovered all the time, and now researchers have found a new class of targeted cancer drugs that may effectively treat some common types of leukemia, reports medicalxpress.com. The drugs target and eliminate leukemia cells with TET2 mutations, which are one of the most common mutations found in myeloid leukemias. The findings show that a synthetic molecule called TETi76 can target and kill cancer cells in both early and fully developed phases of leukemia and may be more effective than current targeted therapies. Find out more here.

Speaking of more effective treatments, it turns out that some women with breast cancer might not have to undergo chemotherapy for treatment, reports nih.gov. Initial results from a clinical trial show that postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2)-negative breast cancer that has spread to one to three lymph nodes and has a low risk of recurrence won’t benefit from adding chemotherapy to hormone therapy. The trial also showed that premenopausal women with the same HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer characteristics did benefit from chemotherapy. The trial was made up of more than 9,000 women who were monitored for an average of five years and will continue to be followed, so more insights about breast cancer are expected to come out of the trial. Get more information about the trial here.

Another advancement in breast cancer treatment was reported by cancernetwork.com. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved margetuximab-cmkb (Margenza) in combination with chemotherapy to treat patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received 2 or more prior anti-HER2 regimens. A study showed a 24 percent reduction in the risk of disease progression or death. More information is available here.

Immunotherapies have helped change the way many cancers are treated, and the process is still evolving. Researchers at Purdue University have created a new immunotherapy treatment, reports purdue.edu. The new treatment focuses on the immune system and has been shown to work in six different tumor types by reprograming the immune cells within the tumor to kill the tumor rather than giving it the chance to grow. The technique could be used to treat many types of cancers because the nonmalignant immune cells that are in the different types of tumors tend to be similar. Folate, a type of vitamin B, is used to deliver the anti-cancer drugs to the cells. The new therapy could be available within ten years. Learn more about the new therapy here.

Immunotherapies used to treat advanced cancers don’t always work for everyone, but now researchers have found that two cholesterol lowering drugs might improve the effectiveness of these therapies, reports cancer.gov. Studies show that when evolocumb (Repatha) and alirocumab (Praluent) are used on their own and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, they slowed the growth of tumors. The drugs, approved by the FDA since 2015 are considered safe, can be taken at home, and are less expensive than many cancer therapies. Learn more here.

June 2020 Notable News

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It’s officially summer so grab a cup of coffee and soak up some vitamin D because this month we learn that both of those things can help prevent cancer. We also learn about the recall of a popular drug and the approval of some others. In addition, there’s a new blood test to diagnose liver cancer and some tips on how to recognize skin cancer. Finally, research shows that COVID-19 remains a very real threat, especially for cancer patients.

Vitamin D and Coffee Benefits

With so much going on, your vitamin D status may not be on your mind, but you might want to give it some thought, reports sciencedaily.com. It turns out that a good vitamin D status is good for cancer prevention and prognosis, especially for colon and blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. Conversely, a low vitamin D status often correlates with higher incidence of cancer and lower survival rates. You can learn more about vitamin D and cancer here.

While you’re out soaking up the vitamin D from the sun’s rays, you might want to bring your favorite cup of coffee because there’s evidence that coffee could reduce the risk of cancer, reports dailycoffeenews.com. The news comes from an update in the diet activity guidelines from the American Cancer Society. It’s not known how or why coffee seems to help prevent several types of cancers, but there’s been a decade of research that supports the claim. In addition to coffee, the American Cancer Society recommends following a healthy diet, limiting alcohol, staying active, and maintaining a healthy weight. Research shows that diet and exercise lifestyle choices are connected to 18 percent of all cancer cases in the United States. Learn more about coffee and cancer here.

Take a Look at Your Skin

All this talk about sun exposure makes it a good time to think about skin cancer. Especially since there’s room for improvement in skin cancer survival rates, says consumerreports.org. Getting to know your own skin could be the key to survival. A Consumer Reports survey found that only 52 percent of Americans have their skin regularly checked by a doctor. There’s debate about whether or not everyone should see a dermatologist every year, but early detection of skin cancer makes a big difference. When skin cancer is found early treatment is relatively non-invasive and early stage melanoma has a 98 percent survival rate. So, whether you see a doctor or not, you should perform monthly skin checks of your own. Get familiar with the moles and marks on your skin and look for any that don’t seem to fit in. If you find something that looks irregular, let your doctor know. Learn more and find examples of what skin cancer looks like here.

Metformin Hydrochloride Recall

While you’re checking your skin, you might also need to check your list of medications. A popular diabetes drug has been recalled due to cancer risk, reports webmd.com. All lots of metformin hydrochloride extended release 500 mg tablets were recalled due to the possibility that they contained high levels of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) which is a chemical thought to cause cancer. A test by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found higher than allowed levels of NDMA in one lot of metformin. Get more information about the recall here.

FDA Expands Indication for Gardasil 9

The FDA has given accelerated approval for the use of a vaccine to prevent head and neck cancers, reports statnews.com. The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil 9, is recommended for both males and females ages 9 through 45 to prevent several cancers. However, the vaccine was not previously recommended as prevention for head and neck cancers even though they are commonly caused by HPV in the United States. The hope is that, by including head and neck cancers in the list of cancers the vaccine prevents, it will raise awareness for and help prevent the occurrence of these types of cancers. Find more about Gardasil here.

Good News for Thyroid and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The FDA has also given accelerated approval for a drug to treat thyroid and lung cancer, says cancer.gov. The drug selpercatinib (Retevmo) will treat people with thyroid or non-small cell lung cancer with tumors that have a gene alteration called RET. The drug blocks the RET proteins and was shown to shrink tumors. Selpercatinib has fewer side effects than older RET blocking drugs. Accelerated approval means that, although the drug has not gone through all required levels of testing, it can be approved for use, but testing must continue while the product is on the market. The process is only used for drugs that treat serious or life-threatening diseases without better treatment options. Learn more about the accelerated approval of selpercatinib here.

Combatting Nausea

There’s another drug of note this month giving hope to advanced cancer patients who have nausea and vomiting, says cancer.gov. In a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute the drug olanzapine (Zyprexa) was found to reduce nausea and vomiting in advanced cancer patients. Olanzapine is an antipsychotic medication mainly used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and has also been used off-label to prevent nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Learn more here.

Detecting Liver Cancer

The National Cancer Institute was also involved in a study where a blood test has been developed to determine which people are most likely to develop liver cancer, says cancer.gov. The simple blood test is used to check for exposure to certain viruses that lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which is the most common form of liver cancer. The test could help lead to early diagnosis and treatment. Most patients with HCC are diagnosed when the cancer is advanced and incurable, but when caught early the prognosis is much better. With HCC on the rise in the US, a test that could help with early detection is welcome news. Learn more about the testing here.

COVID-19 Update

The not-so-welcome news continues about the novel coronavirus. There are some new studies that emphasize the danger of the coronavirus for cancer patients, reports apnews.com. The studies showed that current and former cancer patients who developed COVID-19 were more likely to die within a month than people without cancer. One study showed that 13 percent of cancer patients with COVID-19 died. Another study found the death rate to be 28 percent. The studies are a reminder of how critical it is for cancer patients to do all they can to follow safety guidelines so they can avoid contracting the virus. Find out more here.

Let’s Start Healthy Habits to Reduce Your Cancer Risk

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Living a healthy lifestyle can be very helpful in reducing your risk of contracting various diseases, including heart diseases, osteoporosis, stroke, and diabetes.  You might not believe it, but just by eating healthy, exercising regularly, and incorporating healthy eating habits, you can reduce the risk of one of the most dreadful diseases, cancer.

Nowadays, cancer has become quite common. Studies have shown that our lifestyle choices play a vital role in reducing your risk for this dreadful disease. Here are some simple tips that can be very helpful in cancer risk reduction.

Cancer Risk Reduction:

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight

We all understand the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. Still, many of us fail to maintain our body weight. If you are overweight, the first and foremost thing that you need to do is avoid adding any more extra kilos. Once you start keeping a check on your weight, it would automatically help in improving your health. Once you achieve this goal, put some extra effort and try to reduce your weight by a few pounds.

Tips for weight loss:

  • Do regular exercise or indulge yourself in physical activity.
  • Focus more on eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Avoid taking fried food, canned food, and sweetened aerated drinks

For faster results, you can even take phentermine. Phentermine is found to be very useful in weight loss when accompanied by regular physical activity and a healthy diet. The best part of this supplement is the availability of “online phentermine prescription”

2. Don’t use tobacco

We all are well aware of the ill-effects of smoking. Smoking may result in various kinds of cancer like lung cancer, bladder cancer, cervix cancer, mouth cancer, pancreas cancer, larynx cancer, kidney, and bladder cancer. It’s not only active smokers that have higher chances of getting cancer. Passive smokers, too, have higher chances of getting cancer of lungs.

Hence, avoiding tobacco products or quitting smoking completely is very important if you want to reduce your risk of cancer. Quitting such addictions is not easy. But with determination, strong will power, and support of your family and loved ones, you will be able to quit it. If you want, you can seek help from professionals.

3. Protect yourself from the sun

We all know the importance of sunlight for sustaining life on earth. But, too much exposure to the sunlight may cause skin cancer. Tips to protect yourself from skin cancer caused due to sunlight:

Sun rays are strongest between morning 10 to evening 4. So avoid going out at this time of the day. Try to keep yourself in the shade when you are outside. Wearing hats, glares, and applying sunscreen lotion can be very helpful. Avoid using sun lamps and tanning beds.

4. Cancers that should be tested for regularly:

Going for regular check-ups is very important if you want to reduce your risk of cancer. Numerous tests help in detecting cancer at an early stage. Early the stage of detection higher is the chances of survival. In the case of breast and cervical cancer, women are recommended to go for cancer screening tests at an interval of six months. These simple screening could save thousands of women’s lives every year.

Cancers for which screening test should be taken frequently:

  1. Breast cancer
  2. Cervical cancer
  3. Lung cancer

5. Avoid alcohol and if you take it, take it in moderation

Drinking alcohol increases the chances of getting cancer. Taking a drink or two occasionally might not be that harmful, but people who drink regularly that too in quite large quantities should try to overcome this addiction. If you want to quit drinking, you can start by avoiding parties and gatherings which are centered around alcohol. Try taking non-alcoholic drinks at parties. If needed, consult a health-care professional. Avoiding alcohol would not only save your liver but would also reduce the chances of getting liver cancer.

6. Avoid risky behaviors

Another essential health tip that would help you in reducing your risk of cancer is to avoid getting indulge in dangerous habits.

Practice safe sex:

Sexually transmitted diseases are found to be a major cause for various types of cancer, including cancer of lung, anus, and liver. Always follow healthy sexual habits. Try to have a monogamous relationship. Whenever possible, talk to your kids about the importance of safe sex. If possible, get your kids vaccinated against HPV at the right age.

Avoid sharing needles:

Sharing needles is another reason for the transmission of HIV. Besides this, sharing needles with a person having Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B would result in the transfer of these diseases, which may further increase the chances of having liver cancer. If you are looking forward to getting rid of drug addiction, taking help from a professional could be very beneficial.

Cancer is a very dangerous disease. It not only affects the patient, but it hampers the life of the people surrounding who are connected with the patient. If, by following some healthy habits, we can reduce the risk of these diseases, believe me, it is worth every effort. Eat healthily and live a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of the health monster named Cancer from entering into your life.

Notable News: October 2018

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How tall are you? Do you eat breakfast cereal? What’s your blood pressure? Oh, and, moms, how old were you when you had babies? The answers to these questions just might be an indicator of your cancer risk. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Well, if October’s Notable News teaches us anything, it’s that strange is not so unusual, especially when it comes to cancer risks.

The mysterious workings of the human body continue to offer up surprises, and appropriately enough for October, the latest surprise is about breast cancer, according to medicalexpress.com. For some time, scientists have known that women who have babies before the age of 30 have a reduced risk of getting breast cancer later in life, but now they know the specific week in which the risk reduction occurs. Women who have babies after 34 weeks averaged a 13.6 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than did women who had no children. The risk reduction if the pregnancy ended just one week earlier was only 2.4 percent. Researchers don’t yet know what magic happens in the 34th week, but they do know that women must be under the age of 30 to benefit from it. More information can be found here.

While we’re on the subject of breast cancer, let’s talk about men because they get breast cancer, too. As Patient Empowerment Network blogger and breast cancer survivor Marie Ennis-O’Connor noted in her October 19 post, Beyond Pink: The Other Side of Breast Cancer Awareness and Lessons We’ve Learned From Each Other, breast cancer is not gender specific. While men make up less than one percent of all breast cancer occurrences, says breastcancer.org, an estimated 2,550 men in the United States have been or will be diagnosed this year. And because men are not routinely screened for breast cancer, they tend to be diagnosed when the disease is more advanced; therefore, it’s important for men to know the risk factors, which can be found here. While breast cancer awareness still focuses mainly on women, more attention is beginning to shift toward men, even making it’s way to primetime television. The series premiere of the new ABC drama A Million Little Things introduces a main male character who is a breast cancer survivor. More information about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer in men can be found here. Please, take the time to find out if you, or the men you love, have any of the risk factors.

There’s a new risk factor to be mindful of…your height. That’s right. Your height. As reported by the guardian.com, the taller people among us are more likely to get cancer simply because they have more cells in their bodies. More cells means more opportunity for mutation. Apparently, it’s true for dogs, too. Bigger dogs, bigger risks. In humans, height seemed to cause an increased risk for 18 out of 23 cancers, including melanoma, which had a stronger link to height than researchers expected. Since there’s not much you can do about your height, researchers suggest that you focus on other risk factors instead, by maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking. Learn more about how height affects your cancer risk here.

You might want to consider breakfast cereal, too, reports freep.com. There is a chemical called glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weed killer, Roundup, that is showing up in products that are made with “conventionally grown” oats, which includes a lot of breakfast cereals. The International Agency for Research on Cancer says glyphosate is probably carcinogenic for humans, but Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, maintains the product is safe. While some experts say the information isn’t cause for hysteria, it is a good idea to pay attention to where your food comes from and what might be affecting it. You can find more about the glyphosate content in foods and which foods are affected here. It’s best to stay informed about the potential risks and use your best judgement.

The same holds true for those of you taking blood pressure medication. medicalexpress.com reports that some blood pressure medications might be linked to an increased lung cancer risk. The drugs are angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor drugs (ACEIs), and the risk is elevated for people using the medication for five years or more. Overall, the risk is low, but is notable because of how widely ACEIs are prescribed. ACEIs are very effective at treating blood pressure and, if patients have concerns about any potential cancer risks, they should consider the risks and benefits with their doctors. There is still a lot more to be learned about ACEIs and their connection to lung cancer. You can find out more here.

Whether you’re a tall person who eats breakfast and has high blood pressure or you have some other strange cancer risk, the main thing to remember when it comes to risk factors is to stay informed, because when you have knowledge, you are empowered and that’s what it’s all about.

Notable News: September 2018

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Since smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide, reports about it don’t usually contain good news, but this month they do. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is convening in Toronto, Canada this week for the 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer #WCLC2018, and the importance of screening is being emphasized. Data coming out of the conference shows that CT screening reduces lung cancer deaths by 39% in women and 24% in men. Cdc.gov says the only recommended screening for lung cancer is low-dose computed tomography (also, low-dose CT scan or LDCT). Yearly lung cancer screenings are recommended for people who have a history of heavy smoking, smoke now or have quit in the past 15 years, and are between 55 and 80 years old. So, if you are at risk, make sure you are getting screened! Also, you can find the cdc.gov fact sheet about smoking here.

Another study shows that smoking might not remain the leading cause of preventable disease and death, but something else is going to take it’s place. Right now smoking is the leading cause of preventable cancer among women in the United Kingdom, but that is set to change, reports cnn.com. Thanks to a reduction in smoking and an increase in body weight, obesity will be the leading cause of cancer in women by 2043 if current trends continue. The news is particularly alarming because obesity can also cause some cancers, including breast cancer, to spread. Data collected between 1979 and 2014 was analyzed to determine the projections. Campaigns highlighting smoking risks are credited with the reduction in smoking-related cancers, and researchers are suggesting similar campaigns about the risk of obesity be implemented. More information can be found here. These findings aren’t unique to the UK; this report from November 2017 shows similar trends in the United States.

Obese or not, the quality of your food can increase your risk for cancer, reports medicalnewstoday.com. A study done in Paris shows that regular consumption of food low in nutritional value increases cancer risk. Of the 471,495 participants in the study, 49,794 had been diagnosed with cancer. More specifically, the findings showed men had an increased risk for colorectal cancer, cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract and stomach, and lung cancer. Women showed an increased risk for liver cancer and postmenopausal breast cancer. The research is being used to support the enforcement of a food-labeling system that would clearly state nutritional value of products. Learn more about the study and the food-labeling system here.

More good news comes this month in the form of new information. A study reported in cancer.gov reveals that cancer of the appendix, while usually given the same chemotherapy treatments, is actually quite different from colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. The study also showed that the type of gene mutations present in appendiceal cancers could serve as an indicator for a patient’s prognosis. While the study isn’t likely to change practice yet, the information does provide helpful information about a rare cancer, and it indicates a need to develop treatments based on each specific cancer subtype. Much more detailed and technical information about the study findings and appendiceal cancers can be found here.

Finally, there are a couple of stories that happened this month that are worth sharing because they emphasize the poignancy of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in a way that little else could. The first is a love story about a couple that recently got married on the grounds of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The bride and groom are both childhood cancer survivors who met at St. Jude’s while undergoing treatment 25 years ago. They lost touch over the years, but they were reunited when they both accepted jobs at St. Jude’s, and they rekindled their childhood friendship. Their friendship blossomed into love, and this couple of survivors chose September 1, the first day of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, as their special day. Read more about the couple’s big day here. Bonus: there’s a video!

The second story is a different kind of love story. It’s about two-year-old Brody Allen. Brody has terminal brain cancer, and he loves Christmas. Brody isn’t expected to make it to Christmas this year so his parents decided to celebrate Christmas early. They put up a tree, and they put up outdoor decorations. Then, their neighbors started to decorate, too. Soon, the whole town was in on it and, earlier this week, Brody’s hometown put on a full-on, life-size Christmas parade in his honor, complete with super heroes and Santa Claus. You can read more about Brody here and see clips from his parade here. Merry Christmas, Brody.