White House press secretary Tony Snow says his resignation has nothing to do with cancer and everything to do with money. According to sources from the Bush administration, he will step down from his position. Snow, however, is not making an announcement at this time.

"I'm not going to be able to go the distance, but that's primarily for financial reasons." Snow said. "I've told people when my money runs out, then I've got to go."

There's this guy. His name is Matthew Zachary. He's a cancer survivor, a motivational speaker, a concert pianist, and the founder of a resource portal for young adults surviving cancer.

Steps for Living, Inc. -- also known as I'm too young for this -- was created by Zachary because he wants us all to know there are awesome cancer support services out there for adolescents and young adults. He means really awesome opportunities -- like spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, financial scholarships, and more.

You may be too young for cancer, but you are not alone, says Zachary whose mantra is Get Busy Living. And this is exactly what he is doing, despite challenges and setbacks in his own cancer recovery.

Think about this, an e-mail written by Zachary for those near and dear to his heart:

I am writing to share that I have suddenly gone deaf in my left ear. The condition is called Sudden Sensory Neural Hearing Loss.

After consulting with the country's best hearing experts as well as my oncologist, it has been determined that this is unequivocally a latent, long-term side effect of my post-operative cancer treatments from eleven years ago. Evidently, the excessive radiation dosages to the left hemisphere of my brain have caused irreparable neurological damage to my cochlea, which has ceased functioning.

There may be options (cochlear implants) but I will not know more for several weeks. As you can imagine, this is a devastating blow to my personal life and music career, especially since I remember fighting so hard to regain dexterity and muscle control in my left hand when it ceased functioning prior to my initial diagnosis in 1995.

That said, it has only reinvigorated me to stay the course and continue to advocate on behalf of the more than 500,000 young adults living with, through and beyond cancer each and every year. Now more than ever, I stress the importance of recognizing that remission is not a cure and that public awareness and adequate funding for adolescent and young adult cancer survivorship programming is tantamount to that of cancer research.

This is what it means to be a cancer survivor.

To read more about Zachary's powerful journey, click here for an unbelievably moving essay -- titled The Cost Of Living: No Cure For Cancer -- written by this unbelievably grounded guy.

Advocacy runs far and wide. Thank goodness for that.

Think about this:

A new breast cancer non-profit organization has been launched especially for South Africans affected by the disease.

Founded by Samantha Galliet, the 31-year-old breast cancer survivor who made headlines with her "David and Goliath" battle to get life-saving Herceptin treatment, created PinkLink to give patients affected by breast cancer a voice.

PinkLink, focusing on the need for self-examination and awareness to encourage prevention and early detection of this silent epidemic, is intended to be a one-stop-shop with valuable South African based information on doctors, treatments, financial considerations, and health issues.

International pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is donating $10 million to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The donation is one of the largest gifts ever received by the ACS and will help provide support for patients in United States hospitals.

Support will come in the form of specially-trained ACS employees who will work in 60 different hospitals and cancer centers and will offer social, emotional, financial, and transportation assistance in medically underserved Atlanta areas.

London-based AstraZeneca, maker of breast cancer drug tamoxifen and other breast and prostate cancer drugs, made $26 billion in sales last year, the same year the company gave $7 million to a Boston Cancer Society for the development of a Hope Lodge.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. So any bit of progress on the pancreatic cancer front is a big deal. And researchers are happy to report they've found a chemotherapy drug that can help patients who have received surgery prevent a return of the disease for a longer period of time.

In a German study, participants who received Gemzar, or gemcitabine, lived an average of 13.4 months without their cancers coming back. Participants who did not receive the drug lived without the disease for 6.9 months. While the findings of this study may seem modest, they really are quite encouraging because pancreatic cancer is such a rapid killer, and patients with this disease have the worst chances of recovery.

This study, published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, brings hope for the mere 20 percent of pancreatic cancer patients who are candidates for surgery. While surgery is the best hope for a cure, the disease still returns in the majority of cases -- so Gemzar is surely worth a shot.

It should be noted that some study authors report financial ties to Gemzar drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. Researchers, however, report the firm had no influence in design or data interpretation.

I used a written journal and then a blog to record the stops along my cancer journey. I kept a file for financial paperwork, and I made lists of questions in anticipation of medical appointments. I saved all prescription instructions to track the abundance of drugs entering my body, and I earmarked a large white cardboard box as my cancer treasure chest. The contents of this box include cards, gifts, newspaper clippings, books, literature, and more. It's practically spilling over with stuff -- the stuff of cancer.

My system -- which may seem a bit unorganized and splintered -- worked well for me as I tried to keep my head above water following my cancer diagnosis. For others, a more central system may work -- a system that incorporates all pertinent information in one convenient location.

The LIVESTRONG™ Survivorship Notebook, offered by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, is one option for those seeking a clean, concise way to manage the details of cancer. It's designed to organize and guide. It's portable. It's available for the cost of shipping and handling only. And it includes the following:

Survivorship Tools -- this section includes a personal health journal, an appointment diary, a list for medications, a summary section for health and financial information, and a medical history and treatment area.

Survivorship Stories -- this section features stories of cancer survivors that will inspire and empower.

Survivorship Topics -- this section offers readings, answers to questions, and resources about physical, emotional, and practical issues related to cancer.

This yellow notebook -- a symbol of one man's fight and victory against a mighty disease -- could be the perfect accessory for someone facing the unknown. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of organization to calm nerves, minimize anxieties, soothe fears, and instill a sense of control over an otherwise uncontrollable journey.

The cost of drugs to treat cancer can be very expensive. If you do not have good medical insurance it could prove disastrous for you and your family.

I read an article in Cure Magazine last night called Help for Patients. In this article it provided information on assistance programs. It also mentioned that many patient assistance programs will require proof of income, social security income, interest and retirement to prove financial burden and to meet income requirements of the programs.

Patients interested in enrolling in an assistance program can start by doing some research on the organizations listed below:

• Amgen Reimbursement Connection: 800-272-9376 www.amgen.com/patients/assistance.html
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation: 800-736-0003 www.bmspaf.org
• CancerCare: 800-813-4673 www.cancercare.org
• GlaxoSmithKline's Commitment to Access: 866-865-6491 www.commitmenttoaccess.gsk.com
• Genentech's Single Point of Contact: 888-249-4918 www.spoconline.com
• Lilly Cares: 800-545-9662 www.lillycares.com
• Partnership in Prescription Assistance: 888-477-2669 www.pparx.org
• Patient Advocate Foundation: 866-512-3861 www.copays.org
• Pfizer's FirstRESOURCE: 877-744-5675 www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com
• RxAssist and Rx Outreach Patient Assistance Programs: www.rxassist.org
• RxHope: 877-979-4673 www.rxhope.com
• Sanofi-Aventis's PACT plus: 800-996-6626
• Schering-Plough's Commitment to Care Program: 800-51-7157 www.schering-plough.com
• Together Rx Access: 800-444-4106 www.togetherrxaccess.com

There is something to be said for the power of prayer. On the morning the lump in my breast was removed, a friend rallied more than 80 friends from our local MOMS Club to say a prayer for me -- at the exact time I was wheeled into an operating room. I know nothing of the prayer they said for me, but I do know I emerged from surgery with my breast intact and with the knowledge that my cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes.

I don't know for sure what role prayer played in my good fortune -- but I don't discount that it is in some way responsible for the fact that I am alive today.

But there are other obvious factors responsible for my survival -- like chemotherapy, radiation, physical therapy, targeted drug therapy, and counseling. So I don't think prayer alone saved me. I think it took a balance of varied forces to save my life -- a balance one Ohio man was not able to achieve.

The children of Darrell Perry are filing suit against their aunt, Darlene Bishop -- Perry's sister and an evangelical preacher -- who claims both she and Perry were cured of cancer through prayer.

Perry was not cured and died a year and a half ago from throat cancer. And Bishop now reveals she was never diagnosed with breast cancer -- like she claimed at one time -- but was merely worried she may have had the disease. Yet the message in her book Your Life Follows Your Words speaks loud and clear in its message -- that prayer can cure cancer.

Perry's children says their aunt is lying and exploiting their father for her own financial gain. They have filed two suits -- one accusing her of mismanaging and misusing Perry's estate and the other alleging wrongful death for convincing Perry to pray rather than seek medical help.

Puja Thomson, counselor, healing facilitator, educator, and minister, has a newly-released book -- After Shock: From Cancer Diagnosis to Healing: A step-by-step guide to help you navigate your way -- that is just perfect for just about anyone dealing with cancer.

Thomson, surviving her own bout with cancer, offers practical suggestions to help others clarify their cancer journeys in this book that features topics such as reaching out for help, designing your own personal wellness program, crafting challenges into hopeful perspectives, and organizing financial records and medical paperwork in simple ways.

Thomson shares her own firsthand stories and borrows reflections from other fellow cancer travelers. She offers a well-balanced sampling of ideas from which readers can pick and choose as they create their navigation plans. She does it all because she knows cancer can come as a shock. She also knows life goes on after the shock.

Sarita Zouvas knows what it's like to have a child in the hospital. Her daughter, Isabella -- who died while receiving treatment for cancer -- spent many days in the hospital, and Zouvas says it's hard to anticipate what items from home will make a child's stay more comfortable.

"We don't go prepared," she says. "You don't take clothes; you don't know what's going on. You get there and they put a gown on them. My first response is, 'I want to make them comfortable because they're scared.'"

Zouvas has found a way to bring comfort to the lives of children at her local Children's Hospital. And her goal is to make sure every child admitted to the hospital during the holiday season gets a complimentary pair of pajamas.

After the death of her daughter, Zouvas became involved with the Friends of Scott Foundation (FSF) -- a non-profit organization founded in memory of Scott Delgadillo who lost his life to childhood cancer. FSF strives to help children with cancer and their families with emotional and financial support in order to cope with this devastating disease. Zouvas became a part of the FSF support team and is thrilled she can help bring comfy jammies to sick children.

Zouvas says the response to her call for help has been overwhelming. Most pajamas are donated and have come from as far away as Boston. Employees of the San Diego Padres, Southwest Airlines, and the district attorney's office have also helped Zouvas in the endeavor she hopes will continue year-round.

For more information on the Friends of Scott Foundation and Zouvas' pajama drive, click here.

"This is shocking. Having cancer should not cost you your home," states Macmillan Cancer Support's General Manager for Wales, Cath Lindley. For six percent of cancer patients, loss of home follows a diagnosis of cancer. In number, six percent represents approximately 15,000 people. For those who are self-employed, 11 percent lose their home. Another 18 percent face devastating financial hardship and desperately struggle to make the rent or mortgage payment.

What's going on? Cancer treatment can be debilitating and require the patient to take time off from work. Some cancer patients lose their job. Factor in increased medical costs including prescription drugs, special diets and transportation costs and it becomes a recipe for financial disaster, and ultimately, homelessness.

UK's Macmillan Cancer Support has launched Hitting Home, and in partnership with Shelter, a national housing charity program, to offer help to cancer patients who are in a financial bind as a result of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The Hitting Home program offers these tips for cancer patients facing financial difficulties:

• Talk to your mortgage lender and explain -- you may be able to switch to an interest only mortgage, defer payments or take a mortgage break. Or talk to your landlord and explain your situation.
• Check your insurance policies. You may find your rent or mortgage is covered.
• You might be entitled to claim benefits such as disability living allowance, income support, or housing tax benefit.

The tips are useful for anyone, regardless of the country in which they live. However, if you live in the UK, visit Macmillan Cancer Support for contact numbers and direct assistance.

I'm Too Young For This! (i2y) is a recently launched portal for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Featured i2y resources and support services include survivor spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, and financial scholarships.

"The i2y website is primed to become a premiere online resource for AYAs with cancer by eliminating the stress and hassle of navigating through thousands of search engine results," said Matthew Zachary, founder and executive director of Steps For Living and an 11-year young adult survivor of pediatric brain cancer. "Our goal to make I'm Too Young For This! the first place adolescents and young adults with cancer think of to go when in search of credible, targeted support programs, tools and services."

"This website is just what the doctor ordered. Now, with the click of a mouse, they can instantly connect with a universe of others just like them." Doug Ulman, Chief Mission Officer for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and a 10-year young adult survivor says, "We are pleased that Steps For Living is dedicated to making a difference in cancer advocacy for this community."

To raise awareness for the i2y organization, the AYA Steps For Living musician/cancer survivors have released a 21-track benefit CD featuring their original songs and music. You can listen to the playlist here. Included in the album is an i2y online resource guide.

The tagline of i2y reads: Got Cancer? Under 40? Sucks, huh? Get Busy Living. Indeed, if you are between the ages of 15-39, i2y is a destination meant just for you. If you are a caregiver or friend of a teen or young adult who is facing the challenges of cancer survivorship, let them know about i2y. This is a phenomenal group of artists, musicians, writers and photographers who, as young adult cancer survivors, got busy living. Visit I'm Too Young For This! to learn more.

The Child Cancer Foundation -- a non-profit charity in New Zealand providing practical and emotional assistance for children with cancer, their families, and their health care providers -- operates solely from the support of its 22 branches scattered across the country. The foundation receives no funding from government agencies or other cancer support groups. So any bit of support they receive is a big deal.

Lately, the Child Cancer Foundation is making a big deal about Hyundai, the fast-growing vehicle brand supplying a range of SUVs and cars to the foundation. Five Hyundai Tucson SUVs and three Hyundai Getz will be donated, and the head of the Foundation will drive a Hyundai Sonata V6 sedan.

The Child Cancer Foundation provides support in the form of financial assistance, meals, transportation, accommodation, support groups, education scholarships, and access to holiday homes. It also contributes financially to research initiatives. The donated vehicles will help tremendously in the delivery of this support.

Is it a sign of the times? A harbinger of things to come? A chilling move to bar patients from receiving medical care who fall into categories that make them less than ideal patients?

According to UK's Daily Mail reporting, last year it was obese patients in east Suffolk who were refused medical care involving surgery. Now, if you are a patient treated through the Norfolk Primary Care Trust or Newcastle-Under-Lyme PCT in north Staffordshire, in need of life-changing surgery and smoke, you will be denied care unless you quit smoking.

It appears to be a matter of saving money. Public health trusts are stating that smokers suffer more complications after surgery and require more care which translates into higher health care treatment costs in financial dollars.

It would be a good idea for people who are overweight to maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can lead to a diminished physical quality of life and disease. It would be a good idea for a smoker to quit smoking. Smoking is bad for your health, no doubt. Each of us should feel a sense of personal responsibility to live as healthy as possible to avoid disease, and to a certain extent be held accountable for the choices we make. But to be denied medical care? Today it is hip and knee replacements. Tomorrow?

This new health care policy seems a slippery slope. It makes me feel uneasy -- not reflecting our most humane and compassionate nature. It raises more than a few questions. One day, will there be additional lifestyle choices added to the criteria of who is denied care? Cancer treatments are very expensive. Could we see a day, in order to keep costs down, that some cancer patients would be denied care based on lifestyle choices? More than one expert has suggested a significant percentage of cancer development is based on lifestyles. I am just wondering where this type of policy might eventually lead.

How does the policy in cutting health care costs based on a patient's weight or lifestyle habits make you feel? Would you be in agreement to deny care to someone who practices a lifestyle habit deemed unhealthy?

Molly MacDonald knows it will create attention and that is what she wants in order to raise funds for a non-profit to help women struggling with financial issues while they undergo breast cancer treatment.

Last year, MacDonald was diagnosed with breast cancer and what she remembers is the financial struggles of meeting monthly living expenses and medical expenses. She was between jobs, and found herself barely making if financially and needing to borrow money.

MacDonald would like to help other women who find themselves in the same bind of not only worrying about surviving the chemotherapy and radiation treatments for breast cancer but also how to keep the pantry stocked and sometimes, how to keep from becoming homeless. On Monday, MacDonald is launching an eBay auction of a bust of her pre-surgery breasts.

According to the feature story of events planner and graphics consultant MacDonald, "The great thing about eBay is if it's weird, it gets attention." The bust up for auction was cast by artist Nance Aitchison in dental stone and painted gold and yellow the night before MacDonald's breast cancer surgery last year.

On behalf of women facing financial struggles during breast cancer treatments she hopes to help with her fundraising efforts, she said she is ready for her 15 minutes of eBay fame. MacDonald is calling her non-profit the Pink Fund.

No, Venus de Milo is not up for auction.