Ethnic minorities on the bone marrow registry are alarmingly low.  Non-blood-relative bone marrow matches for minorities are therefore very difficult to find.  There is a large genetic component based on racial similarities in determining a life saving match!  People of African descent, Asian descent, Pacific Islander descent, Hispanic descent, Middle Eastern descent, Native North/Central/South American descent, or people of racially-mixed decent have a very difficult time finding a match. Joining a registry could save a life.  A simple blood test or cheek swab puts you on the registry.  They will contact you if a match is found.  This is the last chance for many desperate marror recipients despite horrible odds.  Jeremy Fisicaro was one of the rare matches.  He graciously shares his experiences as a minority bone marrow donor.

Chris Brewer is a globetrotting mAss Kicker. He is the Senior Manager of Development and one of first volunteers at the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  He is an avid sportsman and has dedicated his life to fighting cancer.  His passion for a balance of fitness and advocacy is contagious.  He is a very busy man traveling to exotic places, but we were lucky to catch up with him in between trips and ask him some questions.  He was kind enough to put up with our crazy interview.

By now, you’ve probably seen the meager statistics of clinical trial participation among cancer patients: less than 5% of cancer patients have participated in a clinical trial (NCI); 85% of cancer patients are unaware that clinical trials are even an option (Harris Interactive). A recent New York Times article by Gina Kolata, “Forty Years’ War – Lack of Study Volunteers Hobbles Cancer Fight,” (Aug. 3, 2009) further highlights the ongoing crisis in low patient participation in cancer clinical trials.