How We Support Cancer Research

Butterfly Jewelry - to support hope in efforts for a cure. The mission of The Butterfly of Life® is "To promote cancer awareness and support cancer research and education in efforts for a cure. We are committed to offering fine jewelry that cancer survivors and supporters can personalize and wear to support awareness, education and research. Our purpose is to raise money to support a cancer cure and carry out our designer's vision."

Butterfly of Life® supports Bladder Cancer with a yellow sapphire. The wall of the bladder has several layers. Cancer begins in the lining layer and grows into the bladder wall. As the cancer grows deeper into the layers of the wall of the bladder, it becomes harder to treat. There are 4 main types of bladder cancer: Urothelial carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma and Small cell.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Bladder Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Bone Cancer with a yellow sapphire. Most of the time when someone is told they have bone cancer, the doctor is talking about a cancer that started somewhere else and then spread to the bone. This is called metastatic cancer and can happen to people with advanced breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer, as well as many others. When these cancer cells are looked at under a microscope, they look like the cancer cells that they came from. If someone has lung cancer that has spread to the bone, the cells there will look and act like lung cancer cells and they will be treated the same way. Other kinds of cancers that are sometimes called "bone cancers" start in the bone marrow-in the blood-forming cells. The most common of these is multiple myeloma. Certain lymphomas (which more often start in lymph nodes) and all leukemia start in bone marrow.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Bone Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Brain Cancer with a gray diamond. Most brain tumors come from cancers that started somewhere else in the body and spread, or metastasized, to the brain. Primary brain tumors can start in any of the different types of tissues or cells within the brain or spinal cord. Some tumors contain a mixture of cell types. The majority of brain tumors are not associated with any risk factors. Most brain tumors simply happen for no apparent reason. However environment, immune system disorders and family history can increase the risk of a brain tumor.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Brain Cancer.

Butterfly of Live® supports Breast Cancer with a pink sapphire. Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that starts from cells of the breast. The disease occurs mostly in women, but men can get breast cancer too. Experts don't know exactly what causes breast cancer, but they do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. Some risk factors, such as smoking, drinking and diet are linked to things a person does. Others, like a person's age, race, or family history, can't be changed. But having a risk factor, or even many, doesn't mean that a person will get the disease.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Breast Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Childhood Cancer with a citrine. The types of cancers that develop in children are different from the types that develop in adults. Although there are exceptions, childhood cancers tend to respond better to chemotherapy. Children also tolerate chemotherapy better than adults. But, because chemotherapy can have some long-term side effects, children who survive their cancer need careful attention for the rest of their lives. Leukemia, brain and other nervous system tumors, lymphomas, bone cancers, soft tissue sarcomas, kidney cancers, eye cancers and adrenal gland cancers are the most common cancers of children.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Childhood Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Colon Cancer with a blue sapphire. Colorectal cancer is a term used to refer to cancer that starts in either the colon or the rectum. This cancer begins in the digestive system where the food is processed to create energy and rid the body of solid waste matter (stool). The wall of the colon and rectum has several layers of tissues. Colorectal cancer starts in the inner layer and can grow through some or all of the other layers. The risk of getting colon cancer can be linked to risk factors that can be controlled and risk factors that cannot be changed. Risk Factors that can be controlled could be smoking or diet. Risk factors that cannot be change are age, history of bowel disease, family history, etc.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Colon Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Esophageal Cancer with a blue sapphire. There are 2 main types of cancer of the esophagus. One type grows in the cells that form the top layer of the lining of the esophagus. These are called squamous cells, and cancer that starts there is known as squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell cancer can grow anywhere along the length of the esophagus. It accounts for about half of all cancers of the esophagus. The other type usually starts near the opening to the stomach. It is called adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer cannot start unless squamous cells have been changed by acid reflux.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Esophageal Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports General Cancer Awareness with a white diamond. Cancer occurs when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Normal cells divide and grow in an orderly fashion, but cancer cells do not. They continue to grow and crowd out normal cells. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all have in common this out-of-control growth of cells.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about General Awareness.

Butterfly of Life® supports Head and Neck Cancer with a rhodolite garnet. Laryngeal cancer affects the larynx which is often called the "voice box" or the "Adam's apple." The larynx has 3 main sections: the glottis (vocal cords), the supraglottis and the subglottis. Cancer can also affect the hypopharynx which surrounds the larynx. It part of the esophagus or food pipe. Food enters the esophagus here as it passes through the neck and chest into the stomach.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Head Neck Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Kidney Cancer with a padparadscha sapphire. The most common type of kidney cancer is called renal cell cancer. It accounts for more than 9 out of 10 cases of kidney cancer. While there are other types of kidney tumors, the information that follows refers only to renal cell cancer. Like all cancers, kidney cancer begins small and grows larger over time. It usually grows as a single mass within the kidney. But a kidney can have more than one tumor. Sometimes tumors are found in both kidneys at the same time. The cancer might be found only after it has become very large. Most of the time it is found before it has spread to other organs through the bloodstream.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Kidney Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Leiomysarcoma (LMS) with an amethyst. There are several types of vaginal cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common vaginal cancer that begins in the epithelial lining of the vagina. They tend to occur in the upper area of the vagina near the cervix. Vaginal squamous cell carcinomas do not appear suddenly; they develop over a period of many years from precancerous changes called vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia. Scientists have found that certain risk factors make a woman more likely to develop vaginal cancer. Even if a woman does have one or more risk factors for vaginal cancer, it is impossible to know for sure how much that risk factor contributed to causing the cancer.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Leiomysarcoma LMS Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Leukemia with a padparadscha sapphire. Leukemia is a type of cancer that starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow) and often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes, the spleen, liver, central nervous system and other organs. Radiation exposure, chemicals and viral infections are just a few risk factors that can increase your risk for leukemia.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Leukemia Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Liver Cancer with an emerald. The liver is made up of several different types of cells so there are many types of tumors that can form in the liver. Some of these are cancerous and some are not cancerous. These tumors have different causes and are treated different ways. The outlook for your health or recovery depends on what type of tumor you have. A very important risk factor of liver cancer is on-going (chronic) infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Other contributing factors can include: cirrhosis, diabetes, obesity and more.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Liver Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Lung Cancer with a diamond. There are three different types of lung cancer which include non-small cell, small cell and carcinoid. Most lung cancer starts in the lining of the bronchi, but it can also start in other parts of the lung. Lung cancer often takes many years to develop. First, there may be areas of pre-cancerous changes in the lung. These changes are not a mass or tumor. They can't be seen on an x-ray and they don't cause symptoms.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Lung Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Lymphoma with a peridot. Lymphoma is a cancer of lymphoid tissue, a part of the lymphatic system. The major tissue in the lymphatic system is the lymph node. Lymph nodes make and store lymphocytes, the white blood cells responsible for immunity or your defense against infections. There are 2 main types of lymphomas: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Lymphoma Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Melanoma with a black diamond and Multiple Melanoma with a rhodolite garnet. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer formed by cancerous plasma cells in the blood. Normal plasma cells are an important part of the body's immune system. Scientists are learning how changes in DNA can cause plasma cells to become cancerous.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Melanoma Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Melanoma with a black diamond and Multiple Melanoma with a rhodolite garnet. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer formed by cancerous plasma cells in the blood. Normal plasma cells are an important part of the body's immune system. Scientists are learning how changes in DNA can cause plasma cells to become cancerous.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Multiple Myeloma Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Ovarian and Cervical Cancer with a teal diamond. Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus in the pelvis. The ovaries produce eggs, called ova. They are also the main source of a woman's female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. The ovaries contain 3 kinds of tissue: Epithelial cells, which most cancer starts in this covering, Germ Cells, which make ova inside of the ovary and Stromal Cells, which make most for female hormones.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Ovarian Cervical Cancer.

Cancer of the cervix, also called cervical cancer, begins in the lining of the cervix. This cancer forms slowly. First, some cells begin to change from normal to pre-cancer and then to cancer. This can take many years, but sometimes it happens faster. It is important for women to get a Pap test on a regular basis to check for various types of cervix cancer.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Ovarian Cervical Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Pancreatic Cancer with an amethyst. Both the exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas can form tumors, but those formed by the exocrine pancreas are much more common. Not all of these tumors are cancer. A small number of tumors are not cancer. There is no sure way to prevent cancer of the pancreas at this time. For now, the best advice is to avoid smoking and to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Pancreatic Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Prostate Cancer with a blue sapphire. Although there are several cell types in the prostate, nearly all prostate cancers start in the gland cells. This kind of cancer is known as adenocarcinoma. Most of the time, prostate cancer grows slowly. Autopsy studies show that many older men (and even younger men) who died of other diseases also had prostate cancer that never caused a problem during their lives. On a basic level, prostate cancer is caused by changes in the DNA of a prostate cancer cell.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Prostate Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Sarcoma with a yellow sapphire. Soft tissue sarcomas are malignant tumors that can develop from fat, muscle, nerve, fibrous tissues surrounding joints, blood vessel, or deep skin tissues. They can develop in any part of the body and there are about 50 different type of soft tissue sarcomas. Risk factors can be lifestyle-related, environmental, or inherited.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Sarcoma Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Testicular Cancer with an amethyst. Germ cell tumors are the most common type of testicular tumors. Germ cell tumors grow in the cells that make sperm. Cancers of the prostate, lung, skin, kidney, and other organs can also spread to the testicles. Scientists have found a few risk factors that make a man more likely to get testicular cancer. Even if a man has one or more risk factors for this disease, there's no way to know for sure how much those factors contributed to causing the cancer. Also, most men with testicular cancer do not have any of the known risk factors. Research in this area is going on.
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Testicular Cancer.

Butterfly of Life® supports Uterine Cancer with a padparadscha sapphire. Uterine sarcoma is a cancer of the muscle and supporting tissues of the uterus (womb). Several types of benign tumors, such as leiomyomas, adenofibromas, and adenomyomas, can also develop in the connective tissues of the uterus. These are also called benign uterine fibroid tumors. If they cause symptoms such as pressure or excessive bleeding, these tumors are usually treated by surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy).
Visit the Amercian Cancer Society to learn more about Uterine Cancer.