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Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK

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Comments

  • i-sha
    i-sha Member Posts: 2

    i wsa diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in may 2011.i had 8 cycles of chemootherapy,EC and TAXOL.had lumpectomy+constructive surgery on 8th december 2011.my radiation therapy of five weeks will start in jan.

    i am feeling a lot of pain in my right rib where the lump was ...i mean right under the breast.what concerns me more is not the pain but what it means.i am so anxious and worried right now as i feel sensations in the breast as well and the fear of unknown is killing me.

    any advice?? 

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello christina1961


    Thank you for your two posts.

    Do not worry about having a hard time giving up sugary things. You are going through a difficult time at the moment with the eribulin trial, which will be taking a toll on you. You will probably be able to do better when you finish treatment on February 17th and give yourself time to recover from that. I never had a really sweet tooth and do not make desserts at home. It is my husband who has a really sweet tooth, which comes from a childhood full of sugary things. He does much better now. I used to eat fairly plain biscuits, scones or plain buns, but now I seldom do. I have a feeling that this desire for sweet things comes from stress and anxiety, or feeling upset on nervous. The only treat I have now is Lindt 90% dark chocolate. I know that I feel the need to eat this when I feel stressed or anxious. I feel that you probably need sugar to calm all the anxiety of cancer treatment. I find that dried fruit is a good alternative when you need a "sweet fix". Soft dried apricots and raisins are a good alternative, especially Muscatel raisins. Give it a try, but do not go overboard, as it is still sugar.

    Have you any idea what caused you to have tears on Friday with your breast surgeon? Of course, you would have been anxious and nervous and the outburst was probably the relief of being with someone empathetic with experience of what happens emotionally to women with breast cancer. I find that, when I feel upset, I can keep it inside me when alone, but when someone starts to talk to me and question me, I can start to weep. Remember, it is good to let out your emotions and bad to bottle them up. Try not to worry. There is nothing better than a good cry.

    You have been through a tremendous amount of treatment this year and your hormones are probably all over the place.

    How do you feel about going on Tamoxifen? On the different threads there seems to be a lot of discussion about this drug and whether to take it when you are slightly ER+. I do not think there will ever be agreement about this. I have heard some women are badly affected by it and have to come off it, and others do not seem to be affected by it. I have a friend here in Exmouth who went on a Tamoxifen trial over ten years ago, because her mother had died of breast cancer. She stayed on it until quite recently and went for regular check ups at the Royal Marsden Hospital, which is said to be one of the best cancer hospitals in the UK. She had nothing but positive things to say about Tamoxifen and said that, because she was on it, she had a trouble free menopause.

    I can understand your feelings of loneliness because you have to be careful about avoiding crowds so as not to pick up infections. I think the secret is to take very good care of yourself and have visitors that understand your situation. You cannot be completely isolated.

    It is a pity that your family herbal remedies were not passed down. It is lucky that you had your great aunt to give you some family history. I think we do not question our family members enough while they are alive about our family history. I know very little about my father's side of the family. His mother died giving birth to him and there was just his older sister. I know that his father remarried and had seven children with his new wife. We had little or no connection with that new side of my father's family, but I kept in touch with his older sister from my childhood. Now that it is too late there is so much that I would like to know. I think that in the US and Canada you take great pride in tracing your family roots.

    It sounds as though your slow cooker is going to be of great use to you. Your vegetable soup sounds very tasty and healthy. Let us know how you get on with your slow cooker. I think it is the ideal thing for soups. I use a pressure cooker and have been cooking with one for many, many years.

    I hope you had a good day yesterday.

    That is all for now. Best wishes.
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello i-sha


    Thank you for your post. I was sorry to hear that you had been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, but glad to know that you have got this far in your journey. You have done the right thing getting in touch, as you will get a lot of support here. We all hope that everything will go well with your radiation therapy that you will start in January. You can get a lot of support here for that.

    I can understand that you are feeling anxious and worried right now about the pain in your right rib where the lump was and I can imagine all the things that are going through your mind. I think all of us that have been through treatment have gone through the worry of aches and pains that appear and know how our minds go into overdrive. The best thing that you can do, i-sha, is to get in touch with your breast cancer surgeon/oncologist and explain what is happening and arrange to see them. You could also phone your breast cancer nurse today, explain your situation and ask advice. You should have been given a breast cancer nurse on diagnosis, someone to talk to when you need. I found this kind of nurse to be useful and even when I had to leave a message for her, she always got back to me. For peace of mind, if I were you, I would see the breast cancer consultant surgeon. It could be simply a case of bruising, or something similar, from your recent surgery and reconstruction.

    Please let us know how you get on.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia and everyone on the thread.

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello everybody


    I hope you all had a great Christmas day and I look forward to hearing how your day went. I opened up the computer this morning to find an e-mail from Chris Woollams of CANCERactive and I thought you would be interested in reading it. I am posting it because I do believe in what he has to say and I understand his special wish for 2012. I do believe that, in the UK, we are still in the dark ages with regard to cancer in general and we have got to take our blinkers off and take note of what is going on in the rest of the world. I firmly believe that we need to build integrative treatment programmes or, in other words, enlightened medicine.

    What do you American ladies know about cancer expert Dr Henry Friedman?

    I have received useful information along with this Christmas greeting, about dioxins, plastic water bottles and xenoestrogens and their connection with breast cancer and cancer in general. I hope you find time to read this. The link is:

    http://blog.canceractive.com/

    To summarise the Junk Science blog, in Chris Woollams own words, this is what he says:

    "I hope this clears up the confusion. To imply that Dioxins do not cause cancer, or that xenoestrogens are not linked to breast cancer is tosh."


    "Sylvia, Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. My special 2012 wish? Here's hoping that the UK Medical and Cancer Bodies wake up in 2012 to what is going on in the rest of the World and the opportunities available for people to beat cancer, encouraging, for example, UK cancer patients to build Integrative Treatment Programmes - 'Enlightened Medicine' as American Cancer Expert Dr Henry Friedman called them - helping patients increase their personal odds of beating cancer. A little bit of 'enlightenment' could go a very long way.
    Have a great holiday season. Chris Woollams"

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello everybody


    I have been reading some of the threads where some women appear to be going "prune-crazy" following some research about prunes and their ability to help in strengthening the bones in osteoporosis, which is a side effect of cancer treatment. Apparently you need to eat about 11 prunes a day. However, reading through some of the information, I read that it may not be good for breast cancer patients or those at risk of breast cancer, to eat prunes, at least not in large amounts. They may be good for osteoporosis (and I think this is because they are rich in antioxidants) but not for breast cancer. My understanding is that prunes are a promoter of the insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which is associated with breast cancer risk. I do eat some prunes, for their iron, but if it were me, I would not go overboard with consumption. Remember that the worst thing for IGF-1 is dairy products!

    By the way, apparently prunes have undergone a name change and are now called "dried plums"! As I understand it, this has been done to get away from the image of prunes as something old people take to alleviate constipation!!! The powers that be wish the name dried plums to promote a young and healthy image to get young people eating them. Like so many things, moderation is the name of the game. We can always eat dried figs for iron and calcium, until someone tells me otherwise!

    Thinking of you all. Best wishes.
    Sylvia

  • i-sha
    i-sha Member Posts: 2

    thanks sylvia....i will contact my nurse tomorrow as everything was a stand still coz of christmass.will keep u guys informed.

    thanks for ur concern.

    ayesha 

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello Ayesha,

    Thank you for your post.I do hope all will be fine today.

    Good Luck,

     Sylvia.

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello Bernie Ellen,

    I have just read your diet sheet for the holidays and found it hilarious. Thank you so much for making me laugh. You are such a great person. I needed to laugh because I had a phone call this morning to tell me my elderly aunt had a terrible stroke yesterday.

    I do so hope you had a good Christmas. Let us know all about it.

    Best Wishes,

    Sylvia.

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello bak94,

    I was so sorry to read that you are having some problems with your scar. I hope it can all be sorted out quickly. It  must have been worrying during the Christmas shut down.

    I hope you managed to have a good Christmas. Let us know how it went and let us know how you got on today.

    Thinking of you and sending hugs across the pond.

    Best Wishes,

    Sylvia.

    Ithink something went wrong with my post.Ishall submit this and then rewrite what seems to have gone missing

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello bak94,

    All seems well with my post after all.

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello mcrimmon 324, I was glad to know that you appreciated Bernie's holiday diet.

    I hope you had a good  Christmas.

    The seafront here was packed on Christmas Day as the locals here turned out to watch some brave souls go into the cold sea for the traditional Christmas swim. They must have been freezing.

    Tell us about your Christmas festivities.

    Best Wishes,

    Sylvia.

  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 794

    Slyvia, I'm so sorry to haer about your aunt.  I hope she gets better soon. 

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello mccrimmon324 and everyone else


    First of all, thank you for your kind comments with regard to my aunt.

    I thought you and everyone else would be interested to know that the anti-diabetic drug metformin (Glucophage) is back in the news with reference to its use as a preventive drug for breast cancer. Months ago I posted about this and asked if anyone was taking it for this purpose. I do not think anyone posted to say they were.

    I have recently been reading about trials posted on the following link:

    http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/053111/page6

    The following paragraph was of particular interest to me.

    "The drug metformin (Glucophage) has been used for decades to treat people with diabetes. Researchers have found that diabetics taking metformin are less likely to develop cancer or die from the disease than diabetics who do not take metformin. In addition, women with early-stage breast cancer taking metformin for diabetes have higher response rates to presurgical, or neoadjuvant, therapies than diabetic patients not taking metformin or patients without diabetes. Recent results of studies in women with breast cancer who are waiting for surgery have shown that metformin may slow tumor cell growth. These observations have suggested that metformin may be helpful in preventing recurrences in women treated for early-stage breast cancer."

    The following paragraph was also of interest.

    "So, metformin is biologically a very interesting drug, and because it's been used so widely, its side effects are well known," Dr. Goodwin added. "In general, it's a very safe and well-tolerated drug if you avoid its use in patients older than 80 and those with abnormal liver, kidney, or cardiac functions. The most common side effects are mild bloating and diarrhea that usually go away on their own after a few months, but we are starting off at half the dose of metformin for the first 4 weeks to help participants adjust."

    I would be interested to know whether anyone reading the thread is taking metformin to prevent
    recurrence after treatment for breast cancer. I have not heard of metformin being used in the UK for this purpose.

    There is also a thread on breastcancer.org discussing this subject. The thread is Metformin - anyone in this trial?

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topic/765092?page=4#idx_104

    I hope you have all recovered from Christmas. Have you been out in the post-Christmas sales? It has been absolute madness in the UK, despite the fact that we are supposed to be living in austerity Britain! What are you all doing for New Year's eve?

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello Everyone.

    I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy, Healthy New Year and to say that I hope 2012 will be a good year for all of us.

    Love to all of you.

    Sylvia.

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello everybody

    I thought you might be interested in an article about metformin. I think we all have to be cautious about headlines about breast cancer, possible cures etc. We have to read the small print. I remain convinced that breast cancer is multi-causal and that there is no magic bullet.

    The following article comes from The Daily Mail of November 12 2011. This is a UK newspaper.

    "A drug that costs only 8p a day could be a major breakthrough in the prevention of ovarian cancer.
    Metformin comes in tablet form and is widely used on the NHS to treat patients with type two diabetes.
    Now a study of more than 1,600 British women reveals taking metformin for long periods could slash their risk of ovarian cancer by around 40 per cent.
    Researchers found that women who had been prescribed metformin at least ten times for their diabetes were less likely to develop a tumour than women who never took the drug, or had been prescribed it fewer than ten times.
    The findings, published in the journal Gynaecologic Oncology, come at a time when several research groups are investigating the anti-cancer properties of the cheap drug.
    American scientists at Duke University in North Carolina are carrying out trials to see if giving metformin to obese women with high cholesterol and blood pressure can help to keep breast cancer at bay. German researchers are looking at whether it can help protect against breast tumours by boosting the immune system so it can destroy malignant cells before they take a hold.
    The drug is also being tested against prostate and lung cancers."

  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 794

    Hi Slyvia,

    I printed out the info you posted for my onc appt in Jan, I'm very interested in Metformin. 

    Thank you and a Happy, Healthy New Year to you too. 

  • BernieEllen
    BernieEllen Member Posts: 2,285

    Hi Sylvia, so sorry to hear about you aunt.

  • BernieEllen
    BernieEllen Member Posts: 2,285
    This is from an NCI Bulletin published in September 2009
    "Low doses of the commonly used diabetes drug metformin may be an effective treatment for breast cancer, primarily because the drug appears to target breast cancer stem cells, Harvard Medical School researchers reported online September 14 in Cancer Research. Cancer stem cells, also called tumor-initiating cells, are thought to be relatively rare cells that can give rise to new tumors and are resistant to standard cancer treatments.
    In the study, the combination of metformin and the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin was more effective than either drug alone at eliminating cancer cells and cancer stem cells in cultured cell lines of four genetically distinct breast cancer types, including HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancers. In a breast cancer mouse model, the drug combination eliminated tumors and prevented regrowth, whereas doxorubicin alone only reduced tumor size and did not prevent regrowth, and metformin alone had little effect.
    "With both drugs, regression was quicker...and, more importantly, there was no relapse," said senior author Dr. Kevin Struhl during a press briefing on the study.
    When the researchers analyzed cell populations taken from the tumors of mice after three cycles of treatment, they found almost no cancer stem cells in the animals that received the drug combination but found the stem cells easily in tumors from mice given only doxorubicin. The highly beneficial effect of the combination treatment and the limited effect of either drug alone support the cancer stem cell hypothesis, Dr. Struhl said.
    The results support previously published epidemiologic and laboratory studies that have suggested metformin has an anticancer effect, Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, a breast cancer researcher from Harvard University who was not involved with the study, said during the briefing. As a result, a large phase III clinical trial will test whether using metformin after standard treatment in women with early stage breast cancer can improve outcomes. The trial is being sponsored by NCI and coordinated by the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Trial investigators hope to start enrolling patients in the study next year, Dr. Ligibel said."
    Canada started Phase III trials in 2010, and the US started early this year, I think.
  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello everyone


    I thought the following might be of interest to you after the Christmas feast!!!

    "CHANCES are as you read this you are feeling bloated, sluggish and a little worse for wear. Eating to excess, too many late nights and a few days cooped up with the family rooted to the sofa and passing germs around can play havoc with the immune system.
    This is the first line of defence and helps it resist infection and serious illness.

    If the immune system is under par we become unwell which is why we tend to get coughs and colds when we feel run down. The immune system also protects us against more serious conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
    Many foods and spices contain disease-fighting nutrients that boost our immune system and protect us against a host of ailments. Read on to see how to keep yourself in tiptop condition.

    Brussels sprouts

    Good news for bubble and squeak lovers. Sprouts are rich in vitamin C which is good for strengthening immunity and skin, nerves and mucous membranes.

    They also help maintain energy and blood fat levels and may protect against asthma, migraine and depression. Rich in compounds called glucosinolates they increase the activity of enzymes that help the body eliminate potential carcinogens and so help fight cancer.

    Onions

    A key ingredient of turkey curry, onion is a natural antibacterial that helps lower cholesterol. Onions also help the body dissolve blood clots.

    Onions inhibit the activity of helicobacter pylori, which is the bacterium thought responsible for gastritis and stomach ulcers and also may protect against stomach cancer by reducing the conversion of nitrates to nitrites. Onion soup is a remedy for coughs and colds.
    Bottom of Form 1
    Avocado

    Prawns in avocado make great seasonal starters. Avocado is highly nutritious and full of benefits. It is rich in potassium which lowers blood pressure and is packed with antioxidants that mop up free radicals, the destructive molecules that trigger the development of cancer and heart disease.

    The phytochemicals in an avocado have anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties that combat yeast infections. Avocado also helps protect the skin from ageing and maintains the health of the hair. New research suggests avocado can also help improve sperm health.

    Oats

    A bowl of warming porridge is an excellent way to start a cold day. High in protein and iron the soluble fibre in oats is proven to lower cholesterol. Oats also ease stress and soothe tired nerves.

    Soya

    The basis for many vegetarian dishes, soya contains beneficial phytochemicals some of which halt the growth of hormone-sensitive tumour cells.

    Soya is believed to reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancers and can help prevent and treat heart disease.

    Potatoes

    You probably have bags of spuds left over from Christmas and the good news is they are excellent for your nervous system. They also help ease digestive disorders and stomach ulcers.

    Most of their nutrients such as vitamin B, potassium, iron and fibre are in their skins so cook them in their jackets.

    Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and carotenoids which enhance the immune response and help the body deal with infections and cancer. They are also useful in convalescence as they help maintain healthy muscles.

    Carrots

    Stay warm by rustling up a carrot and coriander soup. Not only are carrots packed full of vitamin A and carotenoids which are great for eyesight they also help circulation and wound healing.

    Carrots help prevent the formation of cancer cells and protect against heart disease.

    Puréed carrot is excellent for treating child and infant diarrhoea.

    Bananas

    Slice some banana on your morning cereal to give yourself an instant energy boost.

    Full of potassium that lowers blood pressure, fibrous bananas are easily digestible and promote , hair, nerves and bones.

    Curly Kale

    This winter vegetable contains three groups of protective phytochemicals (cancer-protecting glucosinolates, bioflavonoids which stimulate the immune system and sterols that absorb cholesterol from food).

    These chemicals also facilitate the transport of oxygen to the tissues, support immunity, aid liver function, play a part in controlling blood fat levels and help the body release and use the energy in food.

    Curly kale promotes health in the heart, nerves and muscles and protects against high blood pressure, vascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

    Tomatoes

    A tomato dip is perfect for parties. Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants and improve the immune response while helping maintain energy levels.

    This makes tomatoes a good choice for anyone suffering from conditions such as prostate cancer and heart disease. Tomatoes also boost resistance to infectious diseases and encourage healing.

    Brazil nuts

    You'll find a bowl of nuts in most houses at this time of year. It is the combination of vitamin E and selenium that gives this nut its special immune-enhancing properties.

    Each of these antioxidants improves the performance of the other to boost the immune system. Selenium activates an enzyme which inhibits the formation of the free radicals that damage DNA. It also protects against infection and suppresses tumour growth.

    Grapefruit

    This guilt-free breakfast is a natural detoxifier and acts on the digestive system and liver.

    Grapefruit is an effective pick-me-up when you are lacking energy. It also aids healing by strengthening bones, blood vessels and other tissues. The soluble fibre in grapefruit helps lower cholesterol and other blood fats. It binds with excess cholesterol and bile acids and promotes their excretion from the body.

    Sage

    A prime ingredient of leftover stuffing, sage is an antiseptic which improves the health of mucous membranes. It can also .

    Red Pepper

    This colourful vegetable has a high vitamin C content and contains powerful protective antioxidants that increase defence against degenerative disease including the eye condition age-related macular degeneration.

    Garlic

    The cook's most popular flavour enhancer is one of the most effective natural antimicrobials stimulating the production of white blood cells and acting against a range of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses.

    It fights various gastrointestinal infections such as dysentery and typhoid. It contains a volatile oil mostly excreted through the lungs that makes it an excellent remedy for respiratory disorders such as bronchitis and whooping cough.

    Garlic acts on the circulatory system to reduce the level of blood fat and cholesterol and over time will lower blood
    pressure significantly.

    Spinach

    Spinach salad is a healthy addition to any buffet table. The leaves are high in folate which is vital for the healthy development of the foetus. It makes spinach an important vegetable for women before and during pregnancy.

    Spinach is also rich in vitamins A, C and K helping protect the skin and stimulate the immune system. The
    carotenoids are powerful antioxidants protecting against cancer particularly of the lung, breast and cervix. They also look after the eyes and aid liver function.

    Oranges and Satsumas

    The high vitamin C content in oranges helps prevent high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. They are useful for the management of gastrointestinal disorders.

    Extracted by EMILY KENT SMITH from Eat To Boost Your Immunity (Duncan Baird Publishers, £12.99). To order with free delivery, call 0871 988 8367 (10p per minute from BT landlines) with your card details, send a cheque payable to Express Newspapers to: The Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ or visit www.expressbookshop.co.uk."

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


    I shall be most interested to know what your oncologist has to say about metformin and its use in the treatment of breast cancer. I am sure you will get more information than we can get here in the UK.

    Good luck with your check up. I know that you have finished the standard treatment. Are you thinking of getting involved with any trails about breast cancer prevention?

    I hope you are feeling well post-treatment.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello BernieEllen


    Thank you for your kind words about my aunt and thank you for the article about metformin. It is interesting to know that this drug targets breast cancer stem cells, also known as tumour initiating cells. It sounds as though recurrence or metastases occurs if you have these stem cells. I wonder why they are resistant to standard cancer treatment. It is interesting to know that a combination of doxorubicin and metformin eliminated cancer cells and cancer stem cells in cultured cell lines of four genetically distinct breast cancer types. If this could work in humans, this would appear to be good news, especially for TNBC. It seems odd that this combination can work for HER2+ and HER2- breast cancers.

    Since you have only recently finished your treatment, do you think you will be asking your oncologist about metformin and do you think you would be interested in going on a trial?

    I hope you have an enjoyable New Year's Eve.

    Good luck for 2012.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello Maria_Malta


    I just wanted to wish you all the very best for 2012. Have you had any more radiotherapy this past week? What do you think of all the news about metformin?

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello suze35, christina1961 and bak94


    I just wanted to wish you a happy, healthy New Year and to wish you good luck as you continue with your treatments, suze35 and christina1961 as you continue with the eribulin and bak94 as you begin your radiotherapy in January 2012.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello sam52


    I hope all is well and that you are having a bit of relaxation. I wish you a very happy and healthy New Year and one that is not so hectic for you.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello margarett and i-sha

    I just wanted to wish you good luck as you go through your treatment. Let us know how you get on.

    I hope you will have a good 2012.

    Best wishes

    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello everyone again,


    I thought this article might be of interest to you.

    The link is:

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/72/topic/757916?page=36#idx_1079

    Bone health in 2012: My top five wishes
    Happy 2012! It's time for my annual wish list for bone health in the coming year. And this time, I'm also including a suggestion - or two - along with each wish - that can serve as a little push for its fulfillment. After all, our wisdom and our collective focus can actually make wishes come true - especially important to remember in an area as essential as bone health!
    My 2012 wish list:
    1. 2012 will herald a new age of partnership between physicians and their patients. Physicians will partner with each individual woman to develop a unique bone strengthening program appropriate for that woman and the way she lives.
    And just in case this wish needs a little push... If your healthcare provider thinks that your bone health situation is serious enough to warrant use of a bone drug, then we know it's serious enough to warrant a full medical workup looking for the hidden causes of bone loss. Take my osteoporosis medical workup recommendations to your doctor and say you also are concerned about your bone health and would like these tests to look for possible causes of osteoporosis.
    2. Everyone will be tested for vitamin D adequacy. It will be widely recognized that as many as half of all osteoporotic fractures could be prevented by maintaining a minimum 32 ng blood level of vitamin D. This awareness will inspire universal vitamin D testing.
    And just in case this wish needs a little push... If you can't obtain vitamin D testing from your healthcare provider, you can order an at-home vitamin D test online from public interest groups such as the Vitamin D Council and Grassroots Health.
    3. Everyone who experiences a fracture that occurs without great trauma will take the hint from nature and get serious about implementing my Better Bones Program.
    And just in case this wish needs a little push ... Make it a New Year's resolution to spend some time reading my articles on Better Bones.com. You will see that our Better Bones Program offers a life-supporting approach that fortifies bone while it strengthens your entire body. Even if you feel your fracture was due to trauma, you will be inspired to further strengthen your bone by joining us in our natural Better Bones Revolution.
    4. The "Alkaline for Life" concept will become a household saying and even restaurants will offer alkalizing meal alternatives.
    And just in case this wish needs a little push... Make it another of your New Year's resolutions to include two cups of vegetables for lunch and dinner, use more spices and herbs, consume two or three fruits a day and reduce your intake of excess protein, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and processed foods. And explore these alkalizing menu possibilities.
    5. Chronic stress, excessive worry, and fear will become recognized as key emotions that disrupt neuroendocrine functioning and weaken bone. Meditation, stress reduction techniques, and mindful exercises such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong will become essential elements of all osteoporosis prevention and treatment programs.
    And just in case you get this message before the insurance companies do... Commit yourself to creating peace and inner quiet on a daily basis. Take 10-15 minutes a day, close your eyes and just relax. Notice your breath and entertain the idea that all is well, even amid any turmoil in the present moment.
    Let's make all of our wishes come true in 2012!

  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 794

    Hi Slyvia,

    Unfortunately, I've already asked my onc about Metformin once.  All he said was, not for you but this time I want a definitive answer.  He also has not mentioned any trials for me either but I will certainly be bringing them up to him. 

  • mccrimmon324
    mccrimmon324 Member Posts: 794

    Happy New Year ladies!

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943

    Hello bak94

    I was sorry to read that you have a staph infection and are back in hospital. I am sure that this infection can be cleared up quickly and that you will soon be back home.. When do you start radiotherapy in January?

    My year is ending and begining on a sad note. My elderly aunt, who was not in bad health, died yesterday, New Year's Eve, so I am starting the year with a funeral.

    Wishing you well.

    Sylvia

  • sylviaexmouthuk
    sylviaexmouthuk Member Posts: 7,943
    Hello everyone


    I found the following information on MacMillan Cancer Support.

    Www.macmillan.org.uk

    The drug liposomal doxorubicin was mentioned as a drug being used to treat advanced (metastatic or stage IV) breast cancer.

    Apparently there are two different forms of this drug. One is Caelyx and the other is Myocet.

    I do not know whether these are drugs that are already current in the US, but I thought any bit of information that we pick up should be posted.

    Another piece of information that I found this week in Bone Health Better Bones was once again the importance of vitamin D and a target level of 32 ng blood level.

    You might be interested in the Better Bones blog by Dr Susan E Brown PhD.

    Finally, I was wondering whether you all read the Breaking News section of breastcancer.org? The latest one was about Breast Cancer Brachytherapy May Be Overused.

    You may remember brachytherapy was about more targeted radiotherapy. If my reading was correct, it would appear that brachytherapy leads to more recurrence.

    What do you think is happening in the US with breast cancer? So many women seem to be getting diagnosed with it.

    Wishing you all the very best for 2012 and hoping that the lack of posts from the UK means that women are not being diagnosed with TNBC or any other breast cancer.

    Best wishes
    Sylvia

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