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A Journey through Cancer
By Muffet Dolar Villegas
March 23,2008
They Found the Ringleader!

We don’t want cancer to come back. This is the unanimous cry of all those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and all other cancers. I have known people who have survived breast cancer for more than twenty years. Yet most of these survivors are plagued by the thought, “What if one day the Big C comes back?” What if it comes back with a vengeance? The fear of it is normal, but fear can paralyze us and takes away all the joy of living the remaining days, months or years.
The breast cancer gene “ring leader” has been found! According to the latest study and research on breast cancer which was published last March 12 this year by WebMD Medical news.
“The Breast cancer gene in question, called SATB1, bosses other breast cancer genes and hushes anticancer genes.” Said Melinda Hill, in her article “Breast Cancer Gene Ringleader Found.”

The prime suspect gene SATB1 triggers other cancer genes to spread throughout the body. This can lead to new developments in breast cancer treatment, Hill explained.

This particular gene may not only be active in advanced breast cancer but also in early stage breast tumors before it spreads from the breast to other lymph nodes. However, these findings came from laboratory experiment on test tubes and mice, and further studies should be done more on people.

Meanwhile, in another source, Reuters Health reports also said that SATB1 is crucial to the development of the immune system but can also reprograms the expression of more than 1000 genes to fuel cancer growth.

According to scientists, breast cancer cells need this kind of gene to become metastatic, a stage when the cancer cells invades other pars of the body.

So what is SATB1? This gene, is actually a protein which is a genome organizer, a component needed to develop our warrior T-cells, to fight infection.
This peculiar gene is expressed in breast cancer cells, and when it does, it coordinates the invasion process.
The researchers of this study which appeared last March 13,2008 edition of Nature
Included Hye –Jung han, PhD, and Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu PhP, of the the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley.
While more people are diagnosed with all kinds of cancer, scientists, researchers are also doing their jobs to lengthen or save more lives.

Store It..

A journey with Cancer
by Muffet Dolar Villegas
March 16,2008
Memory Bank

I sat there, transfixed, as the performers souls joined with mine, inside the spacious, cool, state of the art Luce Auditorium. If music is the language of the soul, at that moment, our souls, were listening intently to the most wonderful communication in the universe that God made. Music.
Once more, the three generation of music and bonding, Japi, Annabelle and Suyen or Ana Joaquina in long version, played their favorite pieces in piano as they joined the semestral recital organized by the Silliman University College of Performing Arts at the Luce Auditorium last March 13, Thursday at 5 p.m. The eleven year old Ana Joaquina Adriano, who started learning the piano at the age of five, played The Entertainer by Joplin, the mother. Annabelle Lee Adriano played Etune in E. Op.10,no.3 by Chopin and the grandmother Joaquina Villegas Lee performed Claire de Lune by Debussy. My heart skipped a bit. These three people are dear to my heart, because I see that age is not a problem with spending time with each other even if it takes time to go to their lessons with Tim Montes, music professor in Silliman University.
This is life. Its not only the daily grind of mundane things that make life but the joy of watching your friends, family, and relatives in their cherished moments. This is worth a million treasures stored away inside a memory bank which lives inside us forever.
Pretty little girls in their blue outfit opened the event with dances. One little girl caught the crowd’s hearts as she moved away from the group and did her own unique interpretation of the dance, following her heart filled with glee, completely enjoying the moment. It was the most beautiful and natural dance I ever saw.
The ballet performance was done by Gabrielle Limbaga, Aisha Yashin, Hikaru Nagasawa, Garnet Cello, Anya Katarina Pantejo, Anna Natalie Kolnes, Sarah Marie Kolnes Francesca Marie Flores and Sabrina Barot.
In music, Kahlil Andoni Denura, performed My Pony by Olson, Keira Nolyn Nocete, with Firefly and chim chim Cher-ee fr “Mary Poppins” by Faber and Sherman Faber, Millie Anne Estolloso, violin and piano with morning tune no.5 and Party song by J Sailen Bowman, Nino Adrian Losaria, sang the Little lamb, by J. Styne, Liana Thea violin with Perpetual Motion by S. Suzuki, Stephen Gerard Denura, piano with Danny Dolphin and Camptown Races by Olson arr by Faber, Marc Villavicencio, piano with Old Macdonald and Yankee Doodle, Yeashua Quizo, violin, Allegro by S. Suzuki, Reggae Kayl Ege piano The spinning Song by M. Aaron, Xian Aiby Generoso voice, Castle On a Cloud,by C.M. Schonberg, Isobel Flores, violin,Morning Tune No. 5 by J Sailen, Glenna Christina Duch, violin and piano with Sonatina in C Op 8 by I Pleyel and Rondino by A.Diabeli.
Other performers were Aurora Ab Latif, violin, with Morning Tune No.6 by J Sailen , Lissa patricia Duch, violin piano and voice with Morning tune no.5 by J Sailen, Tarantella by M Aaron, and Climb every mountain by Rodgers Hammerstein. While Arriane Adrian performed Allegro by S. Suzuki in Violin and sang Reflection by Matthew Wilder, Joyce Elizabeth Anderson, violin with Grasshopper tune, Amyrrah Estolloso, violin and piano with Chorus from Judas Maccabeus and Spring Improntu by G.F. Handel and Aaron respectively.
Other performers were Amidalla Gabrielle Quisumbing, Marriane Villavicencio,Sarah Jane Kolnes, Joushua Sisona, Anna Natalie Kolnes, Jesse Llyd Villanueva, Brian Majarocon, Alanise Rhei Nacar, Sabrina Barot, John francis Reyes, Samuel Cantos, Eric jennies Duhaylungsod, Jonald Alabastro, Lianette Flores, Marvin Urbano Tia, Benjamin Limbaga, Ma. Cassandra Ortaliz, Andrew Marc Alvarez, Jae-So and Jae –Hwan Jang, Hwang In Soon, Gae won, Simoun Glen Alvarez, Bryan Vincent King, Mykaela Luz Maxino, Megan Lozada, Hee won Lee, Jason Sisona, Alexis Faye Pal, Carmel June Saga, Seo Yeong (Rachelle) Jo, francheska Louise Salcedo, Jon riam Quizo, Katrina Mira, Gian Paolo Sisona, Onna Rhea Quizo, Lheolyne Mandingal, Seong Ha-lee, Reahna Ruamar, Soe Jeong, and Carolyn Goltiano. I looked forward for this recital to bring my senses the much needed rest and pure relaxation.

Gracegrowers

A Journey through Cancer
By Muffet Dolar Villegas

“Gracegrowers”

Two prisoners looked out of the window. One saw the bars and the other saw the stars.

I love pearls. They come in different array of colors like white, pink, blue or the rare ones which are the black pearls. They are magical and feminine, and the only gems which come from a living organism which is an oyster.
But these lovely gems started as “irritants”. These irritants are mostly sand that gets inside the oyster shells. To protect itself, the oyster tries to cover these foreign bodies with layers of pearly substance known as “nacre” which gives the pearl a unique appearance and iridescent glow. As time goes by, these so called irritants become pearls.
In life , we meet people or trials that may irritate us, yet somehow they produce life enduring values like patience, love, long-suffering humility or faith.
I borrowed the term “gracegrowers” from someone who also borrowed this term from another. Gracegrowers refer to people or circumstances that are hard to understand or love yet they mold us positively or negatively depending on what we are made of.
I’m sure you have met this person sometime, somehow, or you may have encountered trials or problems beyond compare. Whether we like it or not they are part of our daily existence. They may be fleeting occurences or someone you have to live with for the rest of your lives.
Have you breathed these words,” This person brings out the worst in me.” or “ I wish this ordeal ends.”
Sometimes, these irritants are vital in our growth. God seems to allow them in or lives for some purpose. We only learn to be more patient with people who stretch our patience. We learn to love unconditionally to those who are hard to love. Trials produce fortitude, courage, endurance and faith. Gracegrowers may produce pearls someday.
They say that success is not the real test of character, but give a man failure and you will know who he is.