Is there an increase in cancer, or am I just at the age where everyone gets it? A few years ago a friend of mine got throat cancer at the age of 38 and died 6 months later. Today my sister tells me that she has breast cancer and is going for surgery next week followed by radiation and drug therapy. She's in her 40's, vibrant, successful in her job with an active family. Makes you appreciate things.
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cancer
- Thread starter beds
- Start date
Very sorry to hear about your sister. Aggressive and fast treatment are critical.
There are rises in several types of cancer, and it varies by country and even region as to what cancers are more common. Worldwide skin cancers are up. Breast cancer is up. Lung cancer is far more common in America than Japan (twice the rate) despite the fact that smoking is more common in Japan than America.
Many types of cancer are being PARTIALLY blamed on diet now. Fat intake seems to be one of the triggers for cancer, and that is one of the major differences between the Japanese diet and the American diet. Also, many are questioning links between certain chemicals like ROUND-UP, as well as many pollutants and cancer of many types. Not sure if there is a scientifically establishable link, but the reasoning seems to be fairly sound and the superficial evidence seems to be reasonable to draw some conclusions.
There are rises in several types of cancer, and it varies by country and even region as to what cancers are more common. Worldwide skin cancers are up. Breast cancer is up. Lung cancer is far more common in America than Japan (twice the rate) despite the fact that smoking is more common in Japan than America.
Many types of cancer are being PARTIALLY blamed on diet now. Fat intake seems to be one of the triggers for cancer, and that is one of the major differences between the Japanese diet and the American diet. Also, many are questioning links between certain chemicals like ROUND-UP, as well as many pollutants and cancer of many types. Not sure if there is a scientifically establishable link, but the reasoning seems to be fairly sound and the superficial evidence seems to be reasonable to draw some conclusions.
Sorry beds. I will pray for you and your sister.
Try to be supportive and encouraging, and never give up.
My wife had a masectomy in early 2003 followed by chemo and radiation. Everything seemed to be going OK for a while, but during 2004 she started having some pain in her back. Those reading the scans and Xrays said they thought her problems were arthritic, but she was referred to an orthopedic doctor who insisted it was cancer. In February 2005 she had a 3L spondylectomy (3rd lumbar vertebra was removed) because bone cancer had weakened the vertebra and there was great danger that it could collapse and kill or paralyze her. While in the hospital for this surgery she contracted staff infection in the surgical site, around the steel bracing. After six weeks in the hospital and then six weeks of vancamycin (sp) she was released by the surgeon for chemo and radiation for the bone cancer. In July she was hospitalized again to determine the cause of severe pain. We discovered the staff infection was back; apparently the chemo reduced her immune system and helped it along. While in the hospital we discovered the cancer was also in her liver. From August to December she deteriorated steadily and was in severe pain. There seemed to be no hope, and the oncologist didn't offer anything.
Clutching at straws, we struggled and managed to get an authorization from our insurance company to allow her to go to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in December. The oncologist there told her straightup that because of her residual staff infection there wasn't much that could be done because all traditional chemo treatments compromise the immune system, which would bring back the staff problem along with everything else. However, there was one pill that MIGHT help, that didn't compromize the immune system as traditional intraveinous chemo treatments did... called Xeloda.
She started taking it 19 December 2005. At that time she was using 200mcg fentanyl pain patches and heavy duty pills for breakthrough pain. Any walking was with a walker, and trips away from home required a wheelchair. She didn't have energy to do anything, and spent most of her days in pain on the couch or in bed.
Today she rarely requires anything for pain. She spent about six hours out shopping (she drove herself). The walker and wheelchair are on a high storage shelf in the shop. I looked out this afternoon and she was on the golf cart picking up limbs after some winds yesterday, carrying them to the burn pile.
In November and December I was about ready to shop for a tombstone. Today she's not well, but she does have hope and can enjoy some of the day.
She still sees her original oncologist, as well as the one at MD Anderson. We asked him recently why he never offered this drug and he said that he had given her a "derivative" of that and that she didn't respond to it so he didn't think it would be effective. Thank God we tried someone else.
Good luck, and our prayers are with you.
My wife had a masectomy in early 2003 followed by chemo and radiation. Everything seemed to be going OK for a while, but during 2004 she started having some pain in her back. Those reading the scans and Xrays said they thought her problems were arthritic, but she was referred to an orthopedic doctor who insisted it was cancer. In February 2005 she had a 3L spondylectomy (3rd lumbar vertebra was removed) because bone cancer had weakened the vertebra and there was great danger that it could collapse and kill or paralyze her. While in the hospital for this surgery she contracted staff infection in the surgical site, around the steel bracing. After six weeks in the hospital and then six weeks of vancamycin (sp) she was released by the surgeon for chemo and radiation for the bone cancer. In July she was hospitalized again to determine the cause of severe pain. We discovered the staff infection was back; apparently the chemo reduced her immune system and helped it along. While in the hospital we discovered the cancer was also in her liver. From August to December she deteriorated steadily and was in severe pain. There seemed to be no hope, and the oncologist didn't offer anything.
Clutching at straws, we struggled and managed to get an authorization from our insurance company to allow her to go to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in December. The oncologist there told her straightup that because of her residual staff infection there wasn't much that could be done because all traditional chemo treatments compromise the immune system, which would bring back the staff problem along with everything else. However, there was one pill that MIGHT help, that didn't compromize the immune system as traditional intraveinous chemo treatments did... called Xeloda.
She started taking it 19 December 2005. At that time she was using 200mcg fentanyl pain patches and heavy duty pills for breakthrough pain. Any walking was with a walker, and trips away from home required a wheelchair. She didn't have energy to do anything, and spent most of her days in pain on the couch or in bed.
Today she rarely requires anything for pain. She spent about six hours out shopping (she drove herself). The walker and wheelchair are on a high storage shelf in the shop. I looked out this afternoon and she was on the golf cart picking up limbs after some winds yesterday, carrying them to the burn pile.
In November and December I was about ready to shop for a tombstone. Today she's not well, but she does have hope and can enjoy some of the day.
She still sees her original oncologist, as well as the one at MD Anderson. We asked him recently why he never offered this drug and he said that he had given her a "derivative" of that and that she didn't respond to it so he didn't think it would be effective. Thank God we tried someone else.
Good luck, and our prayers are with you.
beds said:
Beds,
I'm truely sorry to hear about your sister. You and her both will be in my prayers. It's a tough battle and she'll need all the support you can give.
I sure hear about way more people getting the bad news. Maybe because I"m older and paying attention to it more. As our population grows, and the infamous baby boomer generation hits middle age it stands to reason there will be more diagnosed with cancer. When anyone close to you gets it, you also pay more attention, so that might be part of it for me also. My sister had the same diagnosis three years ago. She had to go thru chemo and radiation. Quite an ordeal, but she came through it. She has made a full recovery. She was in her mid 40's when she was diagnosed.
Glenn,
Good luck to you to my man. What an ordeal. You and your wife are also in my prayers.
Thanks everyone for your support. Glen, I will definitely pass along that info. She is very strong. I'm on soccer duty 2 nights and chef duty (do they know what they're in for?) one night. It's a shock, but she is strong-willed and I will try to fill her with good thoughts and confidence.
I'll be praying for your sister too. Cancer is getting diagnosed earlier and treated better than ever before. In many cases it is a curable disease. Let's hope for the best.
PB
PB
