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Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK

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  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello BernieEllen


    I forgot to say that you should not worry about trying to keep up with all the names and posts on the various threads. I think this is an impossible task. The thread should be a place for you to go where you can relax and post in a leisurely manner. It should not become stressful or a chore. I tend to think there are a lot of women being diagnosed with TNBC in the US, but I have to keep reminding myself that the population is over 300 million, so I have to keep it in perspective. The population of the UK is about 61 million so this represents just a fifth of the US population and I think people here are probably more reserved and more likely to view than post. Do you know what the population of Ireland is?

    Keep happy and relax and just do what makes you feel good. You have just gone through gruelling treatment and it will take quite a time to get back to normal.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello bak94


    As promised I did try to find some statistics about complete pathological responses in TNBC. I found one site which stated a 22% response in TNBC compared to an 11% response in non TNBC. We have to remember that TNBC tumours grow rapidly so might be quite large when treatment begins, so the tumour will not completely disappear. As already stated, chemotherapy does not claim to be a cure for cancer. It is part of surgery and radiotherapy and for non TNBC drugs such as Tamoxifen and Arimidex play an important role after treatment for hormonal.

    I did read also that the platinum agents, carboplatin and cisplatin are being used for stage II and III TNBC.

    I also discovered that there is A TRIPLE NEGATIVE TRIAL evaluating carboplatin against docetaxel (Taxotere) in a metastatic setting.

    The site was up to date, November 2011. The link is:

    http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/healthprofessional/page8

    On the radio this morning cancer was again in the headline news. It was stated that 164,000 cancers could be prevented (42%) out of 390,000 in the UK. These could be prevented by not being obese or overweight, staying away from alcohol, not smoking, and eating a good diet. It stated that being overweight or obese was a greater risk factor than alcohol.

    That is all for now. I hope you are relaxing with all the good news you have had.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello mccrimmon324 (Heather)


    I was glad to know that you have just three boosters to go with your radiotherapy. You will feel very relieved when this comes to an end.

    I am so glad that all of you are making it through this challenging journey. You have all done so well.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • BernieEllen
    BernieEllen Member Posts: 2,285

    Hi Sylvia, thanks for that. the population of Southern Ireland is approx four and a half million and the north is about one and a half.

  • Maria_Malta
    Maria_Malta Member Posts: 667

    Hi ladies,

    Been busy as have had workmen in the house re-doing the membrane on our roof (flat roof and to avoid leaks we attach a special 'skin' on it to stop water from coming in).. anyway, we had a massive storm 10 days ago, and water did come in and the result is that we have to patch up the roof and so the workmen..  We live in a very old house and maintenance NEVER stops..apart from that I have am back at work and though part-time I have a lot of paper work which I do from home..things like proof reading, and now unfortunately a pile of Form 2 and 3 corrections which were not adequately done by a part-time English teacher who was asked to leave a week ago for not doing a proper job.Correcting is never fun, but correcting workassigned by another teacher is really a pain..still, it keeps me busy.

    Finally started radiotherapy on Monday..so far so good.  Sylvia I'd also read about the tips from Canceractive and am doing most of the recommended things.  Have been adding half a tsp of flaxseed (or linseed) in my muesli for some time..not only good for radiotherapy; apparently better ground I can't be bothered grinding it. Sometimes one comes across contradictory advice..for example I think I'd read somewhere that folic acid is NOT recommended for cancer patients, but don't take my word for it..will try and look it up.

     Tomo therapy doesn't seem to exist here, Sylvia, but we do have a PET scan, and being such a small island nothing is very far away.. my one concern is whether I should have a PET scan when I finally finish  treatment..Bernie Ellen, you have finished all teatment haven't you now?  Were you given any additional scans/tests, or do you just wait until your next checkup?

  • BernieEllen
    BernieEllen Member Posts: 2,285

    Hi Maria, i had to laugh, we have exactly the same at the moment with our flat roof on the extension.  I also live in a very old cottage.  I inherited down from my greatgrandfather.

    I have finished my treatment but I'm waiting to go for a bone scan.  I have an ache/pain in the back of my thigh which is steadily getting worse.  Just have to wait and see.

    I did burn a bit with the radiotherapy but it wasn't as bad as it sounds and all healed now.  How many sessions are you having? 

    I know i will be having a mammogram next march.

    Other than that things are fairly normal. 

  • bak94
    bak94 Member Posts: 652

    Sylvia, thank you for the links! I am really happy about the complete response because some of my positive nodes were not operable, so it is up to the chemo and rads. They do not show up as cancerous now. Weird thing is when I had the snb the dye traveled to my axillary nodes, which were not positive, but not to my internal mammary nodes, which were positive. I forgot to ask the surgeon about this, as I would think that since the cancer traveled that way the dye would also. This cancer stuff confuses me! I  also have no tumor left, except from the original biopsy to retest to confirm the 3% er positive. My mo want to put me on tomoxifen but I am not sure it would be orth it. Just so many decisions.

  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 794

    Moring everyone,

    Down to my last 2 boosts then I'm done. 

    Maria, I had a PET scan when first diagnosed so I don't believe I will get any more scans unless something seems off.  My next mammo is scheduled in March. 

    Bernie, hope your leg pain clears up and I'm sure that it's not related at all to BC. 

    BAK, again so happy for you!! 

    Sylvia, you seem to be a research expert.  Not sure what my husband was doing last night but he ran accross some information online that says low Iodine levels are linked to BC it is very beneficial, in fact it may be almost as good as Chemo.  Apparently they were going to do a clinical trial in the US for it but it got shot down by the Pharmaceutical companies.  Now, having said all of this, just want to point out my hubby found this info, so I really don't know anything about it but thought you might find it interesting enough to look into.  I do plan on asking my Oncologist about it and reading up on iodine supplements as well. 

  • Maria_Malta
    Maria_Malta Member Posts: 667

    Bernie, it looks as if we have a lot more than bc in common!  I'm really sorry to read about the pain in the back of your thigh...It could very well be a hangover from chemo..hopefully you will find out asap.  I have to do 3 weeks of radiotherapy, so will be finishing shortly after Xmas, as we don't go in on weekends, and we have a couple of other holidays in the next fortnight.

  • Maria_Malta
    Maria_Malta Member Posts: 667

    Thanks, mccrimmon...I never had a PET scan, but bone scans and mri...will wait and see what my onc suggests...

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello BernieEllen


    Thank you for the information about the population of Ireland. It must be so nice to live in a country with a small population. England is over-populated and it does take away quality of life. It is probably better in Wales and Scotland as well, because of a smaller population. I love the English countryside and Devon is particularly beautiful with Dartmoor and Exmoor. The towns and cities are a different matter. Even Exeter is not as pleasant as it used to be and it seems impossible to find a quiet café in which to have a quiet cup of tea. It seems as though everybody shouts these days and talk loudly on their mobile phones. Recently we were in Costa's in Exeter when three young girls came in and sat down next to us. They were all talking at the tops of their voices and had loads of bags of shopping, which they proceeded to unload and display all their latest clothes, shoes, boots, underwear and make up to one another. They then went onto their phones!!!

    I hope you will get your bone scan soon. When you say bone scan do you mean the bone nucleide scan, or are you having a CAT scan? With four different scans (the two mentioned plus MRI scan and PET scan) being offered in general it does get confusing. I have never had an MRI scan or PET scan.

    All I can say is that I had a CAT scan and a bone nuclide scan when I was first diagnosed and the same two scans after I had finished treatment.

    On the whole I think you all know that, as far as I am concerned for my own treatment, I do not like the idea of too many scans because of the radiation which is a cause of cancer. I can understand those who want to take the risk that it does give peace of mind if the scans appear to be clear.

    Have a good weekend BernieEllen.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello Maria_Malta


    It sounds as though you have been very busy dealing with the problems with your roof. At least that will take your mind off BC. There is always something to do in a home! You also sound very busy at work, even if you are part time. I can understand how frustrating correcting another teacher's work must be. I know that I would hate doing that. How old are your pupils in Form 2 and 3? I ask it because here in the UK we have gone from form to year. It gets confusing. I think the first year of secondary school is now called year six. Standards have gone down in this country. The latest scandal here is about examining boards telling teachers which part of their subject to teach and which part not to bother with, as it will not be coming up in the exams. Examiners and teachers were secretly filmed at their pre-exam meetings. Knowing what was coming up was of great interest to the teachers to make sure their pupils got good marks. It give a completely false picture of the standards in schools.

    I was glad to know that you have started radiotherapy, so today you will have finished one week, or did you not have treatment on Thursday December 8th, which is marked as a religious day on my diary, but it does not say whether it is a holiday.

    I was a bit surprised to know that you appear to be having interruptions in your treatment, as I was told it had to be five days a week for three weeks with no interruptions except at weekends. You do not have long to go now.

    If I were you, I would ask if you will receive any immediate scans after your treatment finishes. After that it will be regular mammograms and physical check ups.

    I was glad to know you are following the tips from the CANCERactive site. I am a great believer in the information they give.

    Apparently linseed or flaxseed is very good for your general health. I have been taking them on and off for the past six and a half years. I have bought them whole or ground. If whole, I keep a special coffee grinder to grind them up. I f ground, I buy Linusit organic premium milled flaxseed. Flax seed is a rich source of omega 3. I have read that the whole seeds may cause problems by sticking in the intestines etc. I wonder about this because they are quite soft. As you say you do get contradictory advice with so many things. I have read that the omega 3 from flaxseed is not as good as that from fish. You always have to think about bias. There is a lot of bias from the big meat, fish and dairy industry against vegetarian diets, especially the vegan diet. We have to remember that these companies are making big profits. It is the same with the drugs companies and the medical establishment. They are always biased against alternative medicine. It is always about big bucks!

    I shall have a look about folic acid and cancer, as that also rings a bell with me. I think I remember reading also that smokers with cancer should not have beta-carotene. We have so much information floating around in our heads these days that we have to keep checking. I was glad to know that you have a PET scan.

    Have a good weekend, Maria.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello bak94


    Thank you for your post. I am so happy for you about the complete response. I am glad that the internal mammary glands do not now show up as cancerous. It is strange about the sentinel node biopsy and the fact that the dye travelled to the axillary nodes but not to the internal mammary nodes. Perhaps in the interests of all of us it might be useful to ask your consultant why that was the case. It could be that the snb is only useful for axillary nodes.

    I can understand that you find all this cancer stuff confusing. I think it is confusing because nothing is black and white. We cannot say that there is one cause of cancer and that one magic bullet will cure it. With all the information we have we are led to believe that it is multi-causal and that there are many risk factors that make us eventually end up with a tumour. With all the drugs that we have none would appear to lead to a cure and cancer can pop up again any time any place. All that is confusing and complicated and does not lead to peace of mind.

    I can understand your difficulty with not having any tumour left, except from the original biopsy to confirm the 3% +ve ER. All I can say is that when I got my diagnosis and the progesterone was 5% +ev, the consultant dismissed that as negligible. You have a hard decision to make with 3% +ve, but do not let your consultant push you into a decision. If it were me, the decision would have to come from me. Tamoxifen apparently has all kinds of side effects, but no one can know how you personally will react to it. Women are put on it for five years, but I think nowadays, especially for older women, they are taken off after a few years and put on Arimidex. I would think that those women who cannot cope with Tamoxifen are probably put on Arimidex.

    Take your time making these decisions.

    Your next challenge is to get through radiotherapy and then, if I remember correctly, you will go back on Abraxane and Avastin. If it were me, I would want to know how those drugs will interact with Tamoxifen or Arimidex.

    Are you still on Zometa?

    Have a good weekend. Relax and enjoy your days.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello mccrimmon324 (Heather)


    Thank you for your post. I think we are all counting down for you.

    When you were first diagnosed did you have only a PET scan? I am trying to figure out how the medical people decide which scans to give you. In my own case I had a CAT scan and a Bone Nuclide scan (not to be confused with a DEXA bone scan, which measures bone density and is looking for osteoporosis). I did not have an MRI scan or PET scan. As explained, I have recently discovered that my hospital does not have a PET scanner, so that is probably why I did not have one. I know that MRI scans are very expensive, but also very accurate, but they take a long time to perform so they are used only in certain groups of women. They are very accurate at looking at young women's breasts and useful for looking at the breasts of young women who have a very strong family history of breast cancer. MRI are also very useful in women who have a lump under their arm which is shown to contain cancer cells that have to a lymph node. This probably explains why I did not get an MRI scan. My information is also that an MRI scan can sometimes find a cancer in the breast that has been missed by other tests.

    I was very interested to know that your husband had been doing some research online and had found information about a link between low iodine levels and breast cancer. It is something that I have read about and understand that it is another one of the risk factors. Apparently a lot of people are thought to be suffering from iodine deficiency. This is linked to under-active thyroid problems and people having low levels of thyroxine and being put on synthetic thyroxine by their doctors. Feeling very tired and lethargic, putting on weight and hair thinning are among the symptoms of under-active thyroid. I think one of the problems in the UK is that we no longer have iodised salt. I shall do some more research when I have the time.

    My husband and I use kelp powder on our food and take kelp supplements, because we were told by our GP that we were borderline under-active. We also make sure to eat some cold water north Atlantic prawns from time to time. I shall be interested to know what your consultant has to say about iodine supplements. We have to be careful what we take. There are so many risk factors quoted for breast cancer and cancer in general that if we took all the supplements recommended we would rattle! We have to try to get most of what we need from our diet. This is not easy with everything being processed and the goodness taken out of our food.

    I am not surprised at the reaction against the usefullness of iodine. The big drug companies are making huge profits out of cancer treatment and I often think that comes before what is best for the patient. Can you imagine if there were ways that could be used to help combat cancer that did not involve chemotherapy, radiotherapy and disfiguring surgery, and harsh drugs for those with hormonal. I sometimes think that a combination of simple, inexpensive things might be the answer.

    If we all act together and post any snippets of useful information, we can all help one another.

    Have a good weekend and enjoy yourself.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello mccrimmon324,

    I just wanted to let you know that I have just googled iodine and the connection with breast cancer.There is a huge amount of information and mention of a paperback book by Dr David Derry - How to prevent and how to survive breast cancer.

    I shall post more information when I have more time.

    Best wishes

    Sylvia

  • christina1961
    christina1961 Member Posts: 450

    Bak, I'm so happy for you!  The percentages sound about right from what I've read - complete response is absolutely great! I'm due to start tamoxifen as soon as I get finished with this clinical trial. I was told I have 5-10% ER receptors. I didn't have a very good response to chemo so I want to make sure and take the tamoxifen in case it is helpful. My PR is negative.

    Sylvia, my last infusion is Feb. 17th - it will have been almost a year of treatment (my first chemo was 2/28/11.) I don't know if my hair will darken or not.  I do think it is a bit thinner than normal from the treatments, but I have curly hair so it hides it pretty well. I don't believe I was this grey but I have colored my hair for years so I didn't really know what color it was anymore.  I am still not used to the grey look and not at all sure that I like it but I'm just grateful to be here, grey or not, 10 months past diagnosis. My oncologist wants me to wait a year after my first surgery for reconstruction to make sure there is no recurrence.  I am planning to visit the plastic surgeon soon to get things started so I can be on the schedule for next summer . I am hoping to avoid doing a lat flap.  The plastic surgeon, who is very good and does a lot of reconstruction, said sometimes he can work with the tissue there with alloderm without using a flap.  I do not have enough of a tummy for a TRAM flap.  My skin has recovered quite well and is only a little darker than the non radiated side. Of course that may mean nothing in terms of elasticity.

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello christina1961


    Thank you for your post. I hope that your treatment will run smoothly between now and February 17th. That must seem far away at the moment. I am sure that all of us on this thread have great admiration for you and the way you have put yourself through two lots of chemotherapy in a year.

    If I were you I would get all the information that you can between now and then about Tamoxifen and all its possible side effects. From what I have read it is not an easy drug and for a lot of women it apparently causes a lot of weight gain. If you want to you could read the latest Amoena magazine articles on line. This is a free UK magazine for breast cancer patients, which I receive, and in this latest edition there were bits of information about Tamoxifen. One woman had apparently put on fourteen pounds in a month. Of course, we have to remember we are all different.

    I also thought that I had read somewhere that for post menopausal women Aromatase inhibitors, such as Arimidex, were better. Sam52, you are the expert on this, so perhaps you might like to post and give information.

    I was interested to know that your progesterone was negative. I have read that progesterone is the protector and oestrogen the enemy, so I wonder whether you should ask your oncologist whether you should have some progesterone. I read somewhere that natural progesterone is beneficial.

    As far as your hair is concerned, you will need to give it plenty of time to recover. Again, I think with our hair, we all react differently to chemotherapy. I was surprised to read in Amoena magazine that a woman said her hair had got a lot thicker after chemotherapy! My own hair is back to its normal colour, but it is not as wavy as it was. I think after hair loss the hair grows back in much the same way as a baby's grows after birth. It will be interesting for you to tell us what colour hair you have in about six months time. I wore my wig for seventeen months from the second chemotherapy infusion until I felt my hair looked normal.

    I think your oncologist is right to wait a year after your first surgery for reconstruction. If I were you I would not be in a hurry. You need a lot of time to recover. Remember surgery takes it out of you just as much as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. All of it is a tremendous shock to the body. Take it all slowly and one thing at a time. When you have finished your chemotherapy, your body will have to adapt to Tamoxifen or whatever they eventually give you.

    I was glad to know that your skin has recovered quite well from radiotherapy.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello Suze35


    We are all sending you our best wishes for success with eribulin. I am sure that christina1961 will be able to give you lots of information and support.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello bak94


    I am glad to know that you are feeling so upbeat. I hope you are not feeling so tired now and I hope you will soon start radiotherapy.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello mccrimmon324 (Heather)


    I have been doing some research about iodine deficiency and breast cancer. I have found one link that is very informative and the link is:

    http://www.heartlandnaturopathic.com/Iodine.htm

    You might like to look at it and post your comments.

    Here are a few snippets of information.

    Without iodine the thyroid hormones cannot be produced. One of the most important functions of these hormones is to regulate the rate of metabolism. Without sufficient thyroid hormones nothing works correctly in the body. With inadequate hormone production and the symptoms caused by this, you will have what is known as hypothyroidism or an under-active thyroid gland. Untreated, you can apparently end up with a swelling known as a goitre. Hypothyroidism in women is associated with infertility, miscarriages, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

    Hypothyroidism can usually be detected by a blood test for the thyroid (T3, T4 and TH).

    Symptoms of hypothyroidism:
    Fatigue
    Cold intolerance, increased sensitivity to cold
    Cold hands and feet
    Constipation
    Weight gain
    High cholesterol
    Essential hypertension
    Goitre
    Thin, brittle fingernails
    Hair loss, thin brittle hair
    Puffiness in face and elsewhere
    Muscle aches
    Dry itchy skin

    I do not know what is meant by essential, but hypertension means high blood pressure.

    Iodine is found in every tissue in the body, not just the thyroid gland. The second highest concentration is found in breast tissue. Low iodine is associated with fibrocystic breast disease and animal studies show that low iodine increases the risk for breast cancer.

    There seems to be a connection between people consuming less iodised salt and problems with hypothyroidism. In the USA refined table salt has iodine in it but other salts do not. In the UK we no longer have iodised salt.

    There seems to be a problem as well with too much bromine in things such as bakery products and insufficient iodine. Bromine should not be found anywhere in the body and iodine should be found everywhere, but is being pushed out by the bromine.

    Apparently holistic doctors believe that adequate iodine supplementation can deal with a lot of health problems.

    Apparently there are several studies showing iodine to be an effective breast cancer treatment and probably should be added to any breast cancer treatment protocol.

    My information is that it not advisable to self-medicate with iodine as too much of it can be as problematic as too little of it. A person would need to work with a health care practitioner who knows how to work with iodine as a medicine.

    Good sources of iodine are kelp powder and sea vegetables such as seaweed. It is easy to buy dehydrated seaweed in natural food stores.

    I take two kelp tablets a day, sprinkle kelp powder on my food and from time to time get dehydrated seaweed to sprinkle on my food.

    There is more information on iodine deficiency on the following link:

    http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_f-n_2/Hypothyroidism-iodine_deficiency.html

    I have read many times among all the many risk factors associated with breast cancer and others that hypothyroidism is a risk factor.

    I have also read that one hormone not working properly in the body upsets all the other hormones.

    I hope you and your husband will find all this helpful and I am glad to know you have such a helpful husband.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello to BernieEllen and Maria_Malta


    I hope you will both have a good week and that you, Maria, will make good progress with your radiotherapy and that you, Bernie, will make good progress with the pain in your leg.

    Thinking of you both.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    To three fellow Brits, Karen3, TEK2009 and Josephine_


    I know you are not posting and do not know whether you are reading. I just wanted to say you are in my thoughts and I do wonder what has happened to the three of you. I do hope you are alright.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 794

    Slyvia,

    Thank you for reading up on the iodine for us.  I'm going to take a look at the link you posted today and it's something I'm definitely going to bring up with my oncologist. 

    Well, today was my last radiation zap.  I'm all done, very happy to have it be over with and at the same time maybe a little nervous that I won't be getting anymore treatment. 

    Hope everyone has a great day.   

  • BernieEllen
    BernieEllen Member Posts: 2,285

    Hi Sylvia, thanks for that.  Pain wasn't bad over the weekend but a bit painful now.  Scan on Jan 11th unless there is a cancellation before that.

  • Maria_Malta
    Maria_Malta Member Posts: 667

    Hello girls, just popping in quickly to say that radiotherapy seems to be fine so far, let's hope this continues... well done mccrimmon for coming to an end and hope pain subsides Bernie.  As usual, thanks for all your research Sylvia, you are a fount of information.

  • BernieEllen
    BernieEllen Member Posts: 2,285

    Hi Maria, glad the rads are going well

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello mccrimmon324 (Heather)


    Thank you for your post. Congratulations on finishing your radiotherapy. It is a great relief when chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy are over. At first you do feel strange when you have gone through treatment for TNBC and there is nothing else to do. You soon adjust to this and get back to a more normal life. I would think you would have some scans to finalise things but all hospitals are different. You can now get on with your life and just expect regular physical check ups and mammograms. Congratulations to the end of a long journey.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello BernieEllen


    I was glad to hear that you had a bit of pain relief during the weekend but sorry that it is painful today. You must be relieved to know you have a date for the scan and we shall all be thinking of you on that date. Let us hope there is a cancellation and that you can get it sooner.

    What are you doing to relax?

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello Maria_Malta


    Thank you for your post. I was glad to know that you found the information about hypothyroidism iodine deficiency and breast cancer useful. It seems that there is so much information about possible risk factors for this disease. It seems to have a lot to do with deficiencies in what has been done to our food supply. Do you have iodised salt in Malta? It looks as though low salt diets are perhaps not good for us. One piece of information I have found is that only people suffering from heart failure need to be on low salt diets. As you said in one of your posts, there is so much conflicting information.

    I was glad to know that so far radiotherapy seems to be fine. We all hope it will continue.

    I heard on the news that in the UK we are sending some of our bendy buses to Malta. They were brought in by the former Mayor of London but have proven to be impractical for the narrow London streets. Apparently they were also a great gift for fare dodgers, as they could creep in at the back of the bus! It seems that we are always off-loading something. Apparently Admiralty Arch in London is also up for sale as a hotel. The cost will be £5,000 a night!!!!

    I do not know what 2012 will be like. We are living in times of austerity but next year we have the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It is all probably going to end in more debt. A huge barge, a replica of the type last used under the Stuart Kings is to be built.

    Have a good week. I am so proud of you and the rest of the group, as many of you complete your breast cancer journey. You have all come a long way.

    Bak94 will have a lot of support and information from all of us when she starts her radiotherapy.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 794

    It's hard to believe we're all finishing up treatment.  I never thought this day would get here.  Good luck on the rest of your radiotherapy.

    Bernie Ellen, hoping all is well with your leg and pain subsides. 

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