Komen Greater Race for the Cure - Fort Worth, TX

It will be three years ago this March that my oldest sister Joy found out she had breast cancer at the age of 53.

Luckily, after chemotherapy and three surgeries, she survived and remains cancer-free today.

The 19th Annual Komen Greater Fort Worth Race for the Cure happens April 9 in Texas at Ridgmar Mall and is presented by Yoplait, American Airlines, Bank of America, Ford, NB, ReMax, Self Magazine, and numerous other sponsors. The local presenting sponsor is Kroger.

If you register before Feb. 6 at midnight, you could win a Kroger gift card valued at $300 and your name goes into a drawing for a big store gift card.

To register, access http://greaterfortworth.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/FTW_GreaterFortWorthAffiliate?fr_id=2124&pg=entry&autologin=true.

Every team captain who has ten or more people registered online by midnight Feb. 6 for their team will also be eligible for the $300 gift card. If you register now, start a team, and get ten people to join you by midnight Feb. 6, you could win a total of $600 in gift cards from the store.

They will announce the winner or winners in an email next week.

Any team that raises $5,000 or more between now and April 1, will receive a ten x ten tent in the Team Tailgate Village where you can invite your team members to relax, have a bite to eat, and take photos.

In unrelated cancer news, for the second year, Cancer Care has been selected as a charity partner to participate in the Five Boro Bike Tour May 1 in New York featuring 32,000 cyclists. Last year 25 riders rode in the tour as Team CancerCare and raised over $19,000 to provide the agency's free, professional services for people facing cancer.

To learn more about the tour and how to register to be a Team CancerCare cyclist, look up www.cancercare.org/biketourjoin.

In other cancer news, in a recent Health Day News article, it was reported that cancer cells may be able to urge their own death. (http://www.cancercompass.com/cancer-news/article/35252.htm?c=NL20101222).

Another Health Day News story states that a rare genetic condition known as Cowden Syndrome may pose an increased risk for colon cancer for some.

"And because such patients typically have a larger than normal head circumference, head size should be used as a screening marker for such elevated cancer risk, the study authors say," according to the article. "Cowden Syndrome has already been associated with several other cancers, the researchers noted."