Something To Think About

I just received an e-mail from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. It was an advertisement similar to one you would see for a car company. It touts: "M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is the number one ranked cancer center in the United States." It leads with a testimonial from a lymphoma survivor who now runs marathons, picturing him wearing running shorts, in full stride with a bold, red line crossing out the word "lymphoma." I AM NOT A CONSPIRACY NUT! But besides being a bit bold and tacky, this type of promotion makes me think. There is big, big money in cancer care and research. Every small town hospital is adding a cancer care wing. Are there enough patients to go around? And what happens when we do close-in on a real cure for cancer(s)? Doesn't that put a lot of these people out of business? More practically, I have sensed a more competitive edge between different cancer centers. "My treatment regimen is better than yours" type of thing. I'm afraid economics dictate it will only get worse. Hope the patients don't get caught in the cross-fire!
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Find Purpose, Live Longer

In an article published in the November, 2009 issue of AARP Magazine, Dr Harold G. Koenig of Duke University Medical Center states that "People who feel their life is part of a larger plan and are guided by their spiritual values have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, a lower risk of heart attack and cancer, and heal faster and live longer." The article sites a number of large studies that support the Doctor Koenig's statement. "Those who felt their lives had meaning had significantly lower rates of cancer and heart disease than did those who didn't feel this way." I absolutely subscribe to this theory. When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was relatively passive about the process. I was already in a great deal of pain even before I started my radiation and chemotherapy which left me weak and disoriented. It wasn't until later, after I decided to begin writing and to dedicate my life to helping others with cancer that I began to fight. To feel that I must defy the odds and live! After all, I had so much to do and so much to say and so many people to help... I wanted and needed to live! Now, I can't prove that my revelation, my epiphany is extending my life. All I can definitively say is that, pain or no pain, it is a lot easier to get out of bed every morning now that I have a purpose and a cause bigger than myself, my family or my friends.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Doctors Are Your Healing Partners

I was re-reading a great, basic primer about dealing with cancer called Cancer- 50 Essential Things to Do, by Greg Anderson. In Chapter 18, Anderson discusses operating under new assumptions. My favorite is this:
"Instead of being the authority, a doctor or other health care professionals are your healing partners. As a former coach, I imagine that I am assembling a medical team. My internist or general practitioner, my oncologist, oncology nurses, specialists at Mayo clinic, a nutritionist and naturopathic doctor. Your team might also include an exercise or occupational therapist, chiropractor and/or counselor. Almost everyone that enters the health care profession wants to help you, their patient. It is your job to coach, coordinate or orchestrate their efforts to maximize this help. Like other, more traditional coaches and teams, there will be wins and losses. Good days and bad. It isn't easy. But you can do it!"
Words to live by for every cancer patient!
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Has The Colon Cancer Returned?

Why my sudden interest in colorectal cancer? Pattie's mom is a colon cancer survivor. She was diagnosed a decade ago or so ago and has been just fine. Recently, her doctors suspected the cancer had returned. There isn't a reliable blood marker for this type of cancer, and she is too old and frail to risk a colonoscopy, so everyone is just guessing. But her hemoglobin recently dropped so low she was hospitalized for a transfusion. The most likely cause – a slow bleed in her intestine or colon. I'm sure Pattie's mom, Marie Doyle, would appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

By Any Name, This Can Be Nasty Stuff!

Yesterday, while writing about colon cancer I identified it in several ways; colon cancer, colorectal cancer, cancer of the colon, rectal cancer. All are correct. All are often treatable with some success. The media and common sense tell us early detection is key when fighting this type of cancer. That may in fact be true. But not always. Prevention and early intervention are difficult things to measure. As a matter of fact, there seem to be a number of studies disputing the highly publicized notion about high fiber diets helping to prevent colorectal cancer. Think about it: How do you measure prevention? The issue seems to be that once diagnosed, some cancer patients don't live any longer statistically than patients treated less aggressively or not at all. What about using a high fiber diet to help prevent colorectal cancer? Here are the results of a large study published many years ago in the New England Journal of Medicine:

Background We tested the hypothesis that dietary intervention can inhibit the development of recurrent colorectal adenomas, which are precursors of most large-bowel cancers.
Methods We randomly assigned 2079 men and women who were 35 years of age or older and who had had one or more histologically confirmed colorectal adenomas removed within six months before randomization to one of two groups: an intervention group given intensive counseling and assigned to follow a diet that was low in fat (20 percent of total calories) and high in fiber (18 g of dietary fiber per 1000 kcal) and fruits and vegetables (3.5 servings per 1000 kcal), and a control group given a standard brochure on healthy eating and assigned to follow their usual diet. Subjects entered the study after undergoing complete colonoscopy and removal of adenomatous polyps; they remained in the study for approximately four years, undergoing colonoscopy one and four years after randomization.
Results A total of 1905 of the randomized subjects (91.6 percent) completed the study. Of the 958 subjects in the intervention group and the 947 in the control group who completed the study, 39.7 percent and 39.5 percent, respectively, had at least one recurrent adenoma; the unadjusted risk ratio was 1.00 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.90 to 1.12). Among subjects with recurrent adenomas, the mean (±SE) number of such lesions was 1.85±0.08 in the intervention group and 1.84±0.07 in the control group. The rate of recurrence of large adenomas (with a maximal diameter of at least 1 cm) and advanced adenomas (defined as lesions that had a maximal diameter of at least 1 cm or at least 25 percent villous elements or evidence of high-grade dysplasia, including carcinoma) did not differ significantly between the two groups.
Conclusions Adopting a diet that is low in fat and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables does not influence the risk of recurrence of colorectal adenomas.

OK. So maybe changing to a low fat/high fiber diet may not help as much as some surviving patients would hope. What about people who have never had colon cancer? Here is a 2005 study, published in Alternative Medicine Magazine, that found the same result for non-cancer patients:

Context Inconsistent findings from observational studies have continued the controversy over the effects of dietary fiber on colorectal cancer.
Objective To evaluate the association between dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer.
Design, Setting, and Participants From 13 prospective cohort studies included in the Pooling Project of Prospective Studies of Diet and Cancer, 725 628 men and women were followed up for 6 to 20 years across studies. Study- and sex-specific relative risks (RRs) were estimated with the Cox proportional hazards model and were subsequently pooled using a random-effects model.
Main Outcome Measure Incident colorectal cancer.
Results During 6 to 20 years of follow-up across studies, 8081 colorectal cancer cases were identified. For comparison of the highest vs lowest study- and sex-specific quintile of dietary fiber intake, a significant inverse association was found in the age-adjusted model (pooled RR = 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77-0.92). However, the association was attenuated and no longer statistically significant after adjusting for other risk factors (pooled multivariate RR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.86-1.03). In categorical analyses compared with dietary fiber intake of 10 to <15 g/d, the pooled multivariate RR was 1.18 (95% CI, 1.05-1.31) for less than 10 g/d (11% of the overall study population); and RR, 1.00 (95% CI, 0.85-1.17) for 30 or more g/d. Fiber intake from cereals, fruits, and vegetables was not associated with risk of colorectal cancer. The pooled multivariate RRs comparing the highest vs lowest study- and sex-specific quintile of dietary fiber intake were 1.00 (95% CI, 0.90-1.11) for colon cancer and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.72-1.01) for rectal cancer (P for common effects by tumor site = .07).
Conclusions: In this large pooled analysis, dietary fiber intake was inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer in age-adjusted analyses. However, after accounting for other dietary risk factors, high dietary fiber intake was not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

To be fair, there are far more studies supporting the practice than dissing it! Personally, I just feel this type of thing is difficult to quantify, no matter how hard researchers try. It is a bit like the social sciences. You can set up a scientific model but that doesn't make the study scientific or necessarily accurate. No conclusion here. Just something for all of us to think about.
So don't be discouraged! Feel good, keep smiling and eat your vegetables for a wide range of reasons - vitamins, minerals, positive enzymes, and yes, lots of fiber! Pat & Pattie

Colon Cancer Basics

Mosby's Medical Dictionary lists the two main causes of colon cancer to be a poor, high fat/low fiber diet and genetics. Colon cancer is often curable if caught early. Early detection is the key to stopping this cancer. Surgery is often enough in early cases. Once tumors have penetrated the serosa or entered the lymphatic system, radiation and/or chemotherapy is usually necessary. We have all heard that a collonoscopic exam is a good idea after a person reaches the age of fifty; earlier if colon cancer runs in the family. There are clinics in and near large, metropolitan areas that do nothing but colonoscopies. There has been some controversy recently about the value of a high fiber diet in preventing colorectal cancer. Several studies have even questioned the efficacy of early screening. I will delve into that tomorrow. To learn more about cancer of the colon, click on the link that is located on the lower right side of this page.
Feel good and keep smiling- Pat & Pattie

New Drugs For Lung & Prostate Cancer On The Way!

While in Boston earlier in the week at Millennium, now a division of the Takeda Oncology Company, I learned about several new drugs currently in development. Motesanib, now in Phase III trials, is working well against small cell lung cancer. The drug shows promise in broader applications against other cancer as well. As most of you know, lung cancer is one of the more difficult cancers to treat with chemotherapy, so this is great news! MLN-9708 was developed as a myeloma drug but is showing real promise attacking solid tumors as well. Two drugs not yet approved by the FDA for live clinical trials here in the US are doing well in tests over in Japan against both prostate and lung cancer. TAK-700 and AMG-655 are the kind of drugs that should be eligible for fast-track approval by the FDA soon.

Feel good, keep smiling and remember to thank the dedicated researchers working on the next generation of anti-cancer drugs! Pat

Maintenance Chemotherapy Use On the Rise

You should read this excellent article in the New York Times about maintenance chemotherapy options for treating a wide variety of cancers. I found it to be fair and balanced. It talks about progress being made and the increased use of maintenance therapies. But it also discusses disadvantages such as high costs and mixed results in clinical studies. Check it out!
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Comprehensive Skin Cancer Site

With the sun at it's highest and most damaging point, are you looking for a comprehensive site about skin cancer? Maybe you should be! Go to Mayo Clinic's skin cancer Website and begin to feel guilty about your lunch hour spent outside without sun screen!
Get outside, feel good (not guilty!) and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

The Future Looks Bright!

Using a full-sized laptop on an airplane, in coach, is no easy task! It doesn’t help that the gentleman sitting next to me was once a football lineman. At least I have an isle seat! But I’m so excited about my trip I wanted to write about it as soon as I possible. Cramped and difficult or not, let's give it a try! I am returning from a two day whirlwind trip to Boston, where I attended an uplifting medical conference today, sponsored by Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Millennium is the company that manufactures Velcade, one of a handful of new, relatively effective drugs used to fight multiple myeloma and lymphoma. Since myeloma is the company’s primary focus, I will be blogging about the meetings in detail on http://www.multiplemyelomablog.com/ over the next few days. But there were several exciting developments announced by the company during our morning meeting that reach far beyond myeloma.
Let me pause here and give you the back-story about my trip. I was approached by my friend, Eric from Millennium, several weeks ago and asked to become a charter member of a new patient advisory board they were creating. The goals of the board were to help develop a patient outreach and drug reimbursement program, sponsored by Millennium’s new parent corporation, Takeda Oncology Company. Takeda is Japan’s oldest pharmaceutical company, founded well over 200 years ago. But why me? After all, I have never used Velcade and I’m not a scientist or physician. But that is one of the things that intrigued me about the project – Millennium was interested in my point-of-view, even though I have been successfully using the competitor’s drug, Revlimid. Most importantly, I saw this as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other cancer patients. Idealistic? Yes. Unrealistic? Maybe. After all, this was to be a drug company sponsored program. Still, it’s worth a try, right?
Fast forward to today’s presentation about projected advances in chemotherapy research. Sounds like there is lots of promising news for lung and prostate cancer patients in the pipeline. Have you ever heard of a drug called TAK-700? How about AMG-655? Until this morning, neither had I! These are two examples of drugs currently undergoing clinical trials in Japan, not yet FDA approved in this country. But the “word in the lab” (sort of like the “word on the street!) from Japan is that preliminary results are exceeding expectations. As a matter of fact, there are a number of drugs currently in Stage I trials in this country as well that showed phenomenal potential in the lab and continue to impress even in early scientific trials. This is unusual in early trials, where the emphasis is on determining how high a dose can be tolerated by patients, not the efficacy of the new drug.
OUCH! Shouldn’t the stewardess, I mean flight attendant, apologize when they crack your elbow with that darn drink cart! That must be my cue to sign-off.
Feel good, keep smiling and make lots of money so you can afford to fly first class! Pat

Concerns About Microwaving Food Revisited

Last October I wrote about the possible negative effects of microwaving vegetables: "My most used kitchen accessory is a $10 microwave vegetable steamer. A simple, 3 part device that steams broccoli, spinach or carrots in 3 minutes or less. I have heard and read that a microwave destroys much of the nutritional value of vegetables. According to Dr Lynne Eldridge in her book, Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time, there are studies that indicate that microwaving may destroy a significant amount of some vitamins and phytochemicals in food and therefore may frustrate their protective effects against cancer. Bummer. I guess that I should take the good doctor's advice and opt for steaming rather than microwaving my veggies." Since then I am proud to report I now use a stainless steel pot and steamer exclusively to cook my veggies. Does it make a difference? I figure it can't hurt! And if I didn't know better, I would say they taste better slow steamed on the range top, too.
Feel good, keep smiling and please, please eat your vegetables every day! Pat

Don Needs Health Insurance!

I am writing a second book, Living Longer (and Better!) with Cancer. One of the chapters will include tips for navigating our complicated and confusing health care maze. This is a difficult task, even for an educated, informed and experienced patient like me! I thought I would share a recent conversation I had with a friend about health care:

A good friend of mine, Don, is a fifty-seven year old, self-employed carpenter. During a recent conversation while he was doing some work on my home, I was surprised to learn that Don did not have health insurance. Nada, nothing. A physical job, working day in and day out on ladders, using saw and hammer. Yet Don couldn’t afford health insurance. “But how can you afford not to have it?” I asked in disbelief. “What happens if you are seriously injured, or get sick like me? What are you going to do if you can’t work and the medical bills pile up?” Don didn’t hesitate. “Pat, life isn’t always fair. If I get hurt, I get hurt. If I lose everything, I will just have to start over. That’s just the way life is!”
Oh my god! Talk about a train-wreck waiting to happen! “Don,” I replied, “I bet you could get some kind of major medical plan for $200 a month. At least then you wouldn’t get wiped-out if something went wrong with your health. And they have disability insurance…” Don stopped me before I could finish my sentence. “Pat, I can’t afford $200 a month. I just keep trying to get up each morning and make it through the day.”

Don is a great guy, and a skilled, honest carpenter. (Those aren't easy to find!) He is a good conversationalist and very well read. And he has no health insurance. Not my problem you say? Wrong answer! If Don gets hurt or sick, he will end up in the emergency room. We, the taxpayer, will pay for Don't health care. The system is broken and it must be fixed.
Feel good, keep smiling and please write your congressman or woman and demand health care coverage for all Americans! (And don't forget about the pre-existing condition mess, too!) Pat

How Do We Pay For Healthcare?

Friday I had an interesting discussion with a staff member working in a Veteran's Affairs office. This helpful civil-servant volunteered his opinion about the pending health care legislation - That it would be a mistake to allow the government to take over health care. Yes, he had seen first hand how efficient the VA could be. But he also warned about the layers of bureaucracy involved. His conclusion: Providing good service and benefits at the VA is one thing. Handling hundreds of millions of people is another. So who pays for health care? How can we control costs when the choices someone makes affects real people, with real lives and stories? Doesn't someone have to say no to something? At a lunch meeting today with a friend and fellow cancer survivor, Gene Krushek, the topic came up again. Gene was more optimistic about the proposed government plan. His feeling is allowing a government-run insurance program would keep insurance companies honest and force them to compete. This is President Obama's position. The drug companies are actually on-board, supporting the President's plan. Why not? Millions and millions of newly insured citizens will soon be prescribed billions and billions of dollars worth of drugs. If we do get a federally funded health care program, who pays to continue cancer drug research? Does the focus change back to the big picture? You know, the war on cancer? Or do we continue to rely on drug company funded studies and priorities? Both? Smarter people than I can't figure this out... At least not yet.
Feel good, keep smiling and pray for our president and congress. They need the help! Pat

The Future Of Cancer Research

Where is cancer research heading? We expect the current trend to continue - Drug company paid scientists winning small battles and skirmishes around the edges of the war against cancer. But there is hope for major break-throughs, especially in the field of newly engineered targeted drugs. On my other blog, www.multiplemyelomablog.com, several of my readers are debating the effects of a family of drugs that use angiogenesis, or protein blockers which slow the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors. Other targeted drugs include those that block the effects of hormones, inhibit growth factors in tumor cells, as well as drugs that hinder the ability of cancer cells to divide or travel to distant sites. Mapping of the genome shows long term promise, but that's all. Tomorrow let's discuss who is and who is going to pay for this research and the resulting care.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

The Future Of Cancer Research

Tuesday I vented my frustration about the lack of progress recently in our war against cancer. Yesterday I back-tracked a bit, conceding researchers have achieved some success during the past decade against certain types of cancer. I referred to this as "Baby Steps." Today, let's muse about why cancer research has evolved the way it has and where it may be headed.

I have a theory. It is the theory of justification. Of positive re-enforcement and success. According to the book, Everyone's Guide To Cancer Therapy, 90% of the gains made in the fight against cancer over the past ten years have been made in 10% of the cancers. The majority of these are blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Breast, ovarian and kidney cancer are also showing progress. Why? Partly because these cancers respond better than some others to chemotherapy. But another important reason is success. Think about how a paper towel wicks and attracts fluid. It works like this. Drug company funded research discovers a compound that shows positive results, no matter how small. The company gets positive press and shares this positive news with it's shareholders. The stock goes up. More researchers are recruited, partially because of funding but also because success attracts successful people! Researchers as well as drug companies feel good about themselves if they are making progress. Who wants to hit their heads against a brick wall over and over again, year after year? But if you are a researcher in multiple myeloma research today, you are a success! Different drugs, different combinations are expanding patients life-spans exponentially. The success is actually outstripping survival longevity studies! Wouldn't you want to work in such a field? More success equals more money equals better researchers equals more success. Get the picture? How else can you explain so many breakthroughs in a type of cancer that only effects 19,000 new patients in the United States each year? OK - I changed my mind. Let's finish this up tomorrow with a discussion about the most likely advances we can expect in cancer research, in the short term, over the next few years.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Baby Steps

Now the good news! Yes, newly diagnosed cancer cases are way up in the United States each year. But patients are living longer once they are diagnosed. Yesterday I shared my opinion we are losing the war against cancer. I was critical of the short-sighted, profit driven motivation of privately owned drug companies. It all depends how you spin it! This is definitely a glass half empty/half full situation. Everyday there is a press release announcing a newly approved cancer drug or drug combination. That is the new thing, you know. Using existing drugs in combination to slow the growth of the cancer. And it is working! A year here, a few months there – Last time I checked that adds up to a longer life for millions of cancer patients!
Baby steps. By taking this approach, drug companies and researchers get positive reinforcement. Anytime a new drug is approved by the FDA that company’s stock shoots up. And the FDA is approving more and more new drugs all of the time. Thankfully, the bar for approval has been re-set very low for cancer related therapies. Show any significant improvement, even if the study is small and documented improvements are only for a month or two, and the FDA fast-tracks the chemotherapy approvals and allows drug companies to use expanded studies and then get the drug to market relatively quickly. In tomorrow’s third and final installment, I will share my theory about why this is working and where cancer research is headed in the near future. See, the glass is half-full after all!
Feel good and keep smiling- Pat

Are We Losing The War Against Cancer?

Yesterday we reported on a newly approved drug for renal cancer. The drug, Afinitor, delayed the growth of kidney tumors by several months in a majority of patients after their initial chemotherapy regimen had stopped working. Good news, right? Maybe not!
Do you all remember how scientists and physicians used to talk about finding a cure for cancer? Well, it seems we have lost the war, at least for now. Researchers now realize cancer is a thousand different disorders that effect patients in a number of different ways. The notion of curing cancer is only a dream – Too large a goal or project for today’s world of instant gratification! Drug company stock holders expect large profits and rapid results. So while a few, government and foundation funded researchers wrestle with the big picture, drug company researchers "stick and move" around the edges, winning a skirmish here and a battle there. But we are losing ground! Several hundred-thousand more cases of cancer are diagnosed each year. Last year 1.4 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States. This year is will be over 1.6 million cases. By The American Cancer Society estimates we may be approaching two million newly diagnosed cancer patients a year as early as 2010!
Yes, Americans are living longer. Yes, diagnostic procedures are improving. That may be responsible for some of the increase. But environmental causes are growing too. Sure, as cancer survivors, we need to take whatever advances we can get, no matter how small. But where is the push, the energy, the ambition to really make a difference? I will share a more positive spin on this tomorrow.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

New Kidney Cancer Drug Approved

Based on a Phase III trial, Afinitor (everolimus) has been approved by the FDA for use as a targeted, second line agent against renal cell carcinoma. According to the drug's manufacturer, Novartis, the approval was based on a trial that compared Afinitor with placebo in 416 patients with kidney cancer whose tumors had progressed on other chemotherapy. Afinitor delayed tumor progression in half of the patients by about five months, compared with two months in patients on placebo. In addition, date also showed that 25% of patients on Afinitor had no tumor growth after 10 months. Sounds promising!
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Back To Basics

Summer has traditionally been a time for re-runs. That isn't always a bad thing. Getting back to basics can be important. So here is a re-run of our original post last October:

Hello cancer patients, family and friends! Help with Cancer. Org. was started to help cancer patients and survivors live longer and better lives. Beginning October 5th, 2008, we will be posting helpful articles every day to help simplify and clarify cancer related research and treatment options.You can use the links on this site to go directly to helpful information sources relating to your specific type of cancer. We will be adding more links often. you will also be able to order books about cancer directly through our Help with Cancer. Org. Bookstore. We will only sell books that have been recommended and reviewed by other cancer patients and survivors. Prices of these books will be discounted as much as possible to help you save as you learn and your knowledge and understanding grow. Remember that information is power, especially when dealing with cancer!

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Vegetarians May Have Lower Cancer Risk

Sorry, meat eaters! Check out this article in Reuters:

Vegetarians are 12 percent less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters and the advantage is particularly marked when it comes to cancers of the blood, British researchers said on Wednesday.
Past research has shown that eating lots of red or processed meat is linked to a higher rate of stomach cancer and the new study, involving more than 60,000 people, did confirm a lower risk of both stomach and bladder cancer.
But the most striking and surprising difference was in cancers of the blood — such as leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma — where the risk of disease was 45 percent lower in vegetarians than in meat eaters.
"More research is needed to substantiate these results and to look for reasons for the differences," Tim Key, study author from the Cancer Research UK epidemiology unit at Oxford University, said.
Key and colleagues, who published their findings in the British Journal of Cancer, followed 61,000 meat eaters and vegetarians for over 12 years, during which time 3,350 of the participants were diagnosed with cancer.
The study, which looked at 20 different types of cancer, found the differences in risk were independent of other factors such as smoking, alcohol intake and obesity, which can all increase the chance of developing cancer.

Feel good, keep smiling and please eat your veggies! Pat & Pattie

Old Musings About A Current Cancer Debate

Apparently questions about the effectiveness of early cancer detection are not new. In an article published in 2005, Lucinda Marshal wrote about emerging questions surrounding the effectiveness of yearly mammograms in women over fifty years old. One paragraph from Marshal's article seems eerily familiar and relevant to a number of different cancers today:

"Unfortunately, the truth about mammography and early detection is not so cut and dry. Mammograms may detect cancer earlier (although the majority of women detect their own cancers) but they do not prevent cancer or protect women from cancer and early detection does not necessarily translate into longer survival. What is perhaps most important to understand is that survival rates are counted from when a woman is diagnosed. So if a woman is diagnosed in 2000 and lives for 15 years, this is no different than if she was diagnosed in 2005 and lived for 10 years. She would still die in 2015. In other words, a woman may live longer past a diagnosis that occurs earlier, but not necessarily longer overall."

Breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma. Three distinctly different cancers where early detection does not necessarily extend a patient's life expectancy. And check this out...
Lucinda Marshal goes on to say:

"What these corporations understand is that supporting breast cancer awareness and funding is a great public relations gambit. As Barbara Brenner of Breast Cancer Action points out, "If you slap a pink ribbon on a product, people will buy it." But where does the money raised by the sale of all these products go? Some companies clearly state what portion of the proceeds are donated, but many just say something along the lines of, 'a generous portion of the proceeds will be donated to finding a cure for cancer'. The definition of 'generous' can vary widely and all too often there is no definitive accounting of how much was raised and who benefited from the proceeds."

Interesting. Who benefits from early cancer screening? Hospitals? Drug companies? Physicians? Patients? I'm not saying I buy into this type of conspiratorial thinking. Or that early detection in most cancers is not a positive thing. But what if it isn't? Personally, I would like to know as early as possible if I had cancer. Face the enemy, sort of speak. But for some, the stress of knowing alone may lead to a host of physical problems and health issues.
Feel good, keep smiling and think about this stuff from time to time; it may help delay the early stages of Alzheimers or dementia! Pat

I'm Confused!

Yesterday, Pattie and I wrote about the disappointing data suggesting there is little to no advantage to diagnosing prostate cancer early. Yet today I read a current article about Avodart and how prostate cancer mortality is decreasing, "likely because of early detection." So which is it? One red flag about the Avodart article is the source: www.avodart.com. Could it be Avodart's maker, GlaxoSmithKline, isn't current on the most recent prostate cancer survivorship studies? Or is the promise of a longer life due to early detection in the drug maker's self interest?
Feel good, keep smiling and don't forget to question any study or article's source, especially when you find in on the Internet! Pat & Pattie

Does PSA Cancer Screening Save Lives?

There is an interesting, yet disturbing article in the most recent edition of CURE Magazine about PSA screening for prostate Cancer. A large study, just concluded in the United States, found no evidence that the PSA test saves lives. Ouch! How is that possible? What about early detection? Apparently, if the cancer is aggressive enough to be dangerous, treatment doesn't help much. A similar study done in Europe was a bit more positive, but only a bit. The European study did say there was a 20% reduction in prostate cancer deaths in men who had the PSA test. However, they also reported that to save one life, 48 men would have to be treated for the disease. CURE goes on to report that, given the cost and side effects, such as impotence and incontinence, it isn't yet clear whether the test actually resulted in a life-saving benefit for many men diagnosed with the disease. I have been noticing this trend in a number of different cancers - where early detection does not necessarily equal a longer life. We will try and follow-up soon with other examples, pro and con.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Dogs, Cats And Cancer- Revisited

This past February I wrote the following post:

One of our many cats was diagnosed with cancer this week. We have always had a lot of rescued animals. I am president of our county humane society and Pattie has never met a homeless animal she didn't want to save. Still, our grey cat Blarney has been with us ever since we rescued him, cold and shivering, from under a neighbor's porch fifteen years ago. We have lost a number of furry family members over the years to cancer. Pattie was diagnosed with cervical and uterine cancer at age 34 and needed surgery, so we never had children. Our animals have always been our kids. So for us, it can be as difficult to lose one as a human friend or family member. Blarney's prognosis is good. The growth on his neck was removed surgically and he should be with us for some time to come. Just another reminder of how finite and fragile our lives really are.

Since that time we have lost another one of our dogs, Heather, to kidney failure most likely caused by cancer. She was around fifteen. It can be difficult to tell with rescued, shelter animals how old they really are. I took another one of our dogs, Chance, in to see a new vet today. We rescued her from a wilderness home north of Duluth, Minnesota on what locals call the "Iron Range." She had already fought off blasto micosis (a serious fungal disease) and two different bouts of Lyme Disease. Blind in one eye, her health has never been good. We rescued her when she was seven or eight years old. Now, six years later, she is in poor health again. Cancer? Who knows? But at least for a few more days or weeks, Chance will be with us, ironically enough in tropical Florida!

Feel good, keep smiling and give your dog or cat a hug tonight! Pat & Pattie

Thank You From Cure Magazine

For those of you that don't go back and read comments on past posts, Alex Hurd from Cure Magazine responded to my positive review and recommendation of the magazine as follows:

On behalf of CURE magazine, I wanted to thank you both for speaking so highly of CURE and recommending it to your readers! I also wanted to let folks know that we have recently launched a variety of blogs on curetoday.com and we would love to have your readers check them out and give us some feedback! While they are there readers can also sign-up for a variety of e-newsletters and join our CURE Survey Panel (it is so important for us to get reader feedback)!If anyone ever needs anything from CURE please feel free to reach out to me directly at alex.hurd@curetoday.com. Thank you again Pat--Alex @ CURE

Glad to help Alex! Keep up the good work! Everyone feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Cryosurgery Another Weapon Against Cancer

I wrote a two part series about Cryosurgery in March. Cryosurgery uses extreme cold to destroy tumors. Most often used to treat liver and prostate cancer, it is also being tried against breast cancer tumors with some success. Probes as cold as -320 degrees are placed in the tumor. Hopefully the damage caused by the probes leads the body to destroy and reabsorb what remains of the tumor. Sounds promising!

Here are answers to some specific questions about Cryosurgery. Currently, the most common use for cryosurgery is against primary and metastatic tumors in the liver. Colon and rectal cancer are often the source of metastatic liver tumors. Cryosurgery is used when tumors have spread throughout the liver, making conventional surgery difficult or impossible, or are located in such a way as to make surgery risky. Cryosurgery is often combined with conventional surgery and/or chemotherapy. Cryosurgery is also a primary treatment option for prostate cancer, especially when the cancer is deemed to be slow growing.We hope you or those you love won't need cryosurgery anytime soon. But if you/they do, we wish you the best!

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Two Reasons To Celebrate!

Happy Independence Day! We both look at holidays and birthdays differently since we have been diagnosed with cancer. We try and take every opportunity to celebrate whatever and whenever we can – to celebrate life!

We are alive! (You must be too if you are reading this!) That is reason enough to celebrate! Like Elizabeth Edwards often says: “Yes, my treatment causes complications and there are unpleasant side effects. But we are all trying to beat the ultimate complication, dying!” Aches and pains, down days, hurried and complicated lives. Challenges, frustrations, disappointments. Do you know what that means? You are alive! Beats the alternative!

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat & Pattie

Excellent Info About Colorectal Cancer Available

On the right side of this page you will find a link to the American Cancer Society's in-depth Website about colon and rectal cancer. 10% of all the cancers diagnosed each year in the United States originate in the colon or rectum. My elderly mother-in-law was treated for this disorder a decade ago and is still alive today. Take a few moments and read about this common type of cancer by clicking on the colon and rectum cancer link described above.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Summer Issue Of Cure Magazine Available Free!

My summer issue of Cure Magazine arrived in the mail today. This publication is, without a doubt, the finest cancer related magazine available at any price. But a subscription is FREE!
I have recommended Cure on this site before and I am just as excited about it after I receive each quarterly issue. Click on www.curetoday.com and sign up today. Or save the paper and just read each issue on line.
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

More About Acetaminophen

Yesterday I shared an alarming article about the dangers of using too much acetaminophen, most commonly known as Tylenol. Tonight it was the lead story on the CBS Evening News. I have been fortunate that, despite my chronic bone pain caused by multiple myeloma before I was successfully diagnosed, that Tylenol has worked to turn the pain into moderate, tolerable discomfort. I always believed it was better to take Tylenol than stronger pain meds like oxycodone or vicodin. Now I'm not so sure. I would like the option to mix in aspirin or ibuprofen. But since I am using a blood thinner along with my chemotherapy, I cannot use either of these over-the-counter medications. My oncologist at Mayo Clinic stressed I never exceed 4 gm of Tylenol during any 24 hour period. That is six 8 hour 650 mg Tylenol Extra Strength Arthritis caplets a day or eight 4 hour 500 mg extra strength Tylenol during any 24 hour period. I rarely exceed this amount and try to reduce it by a pill or two each day. (For example, I might only take one caplet at night before I go to bed)

However, recently I have needed heavier doses while battling a painful outbreak of shingles. I thought I was just being paranoid about my dosing. Now I am leaning toward using more Oxycodone so I can reduce my dose of acetaminophen. But user beware: Vicodin, Percoset and most cold and flu medications also contain acetaminophen. I didn't know there was acetaminophen in Vicodin!

So please be careful out there when taking your pain meds!
Feel good, stay pain free and keep smiling! Pat