Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Hello Sylviaexmouthuk - & other Xneg UK babes!
Sorry was a bit quiet... was (anxiously ) awaiting my 2nd year check-up - And just received the all clear! So happy... and relieved! Now awaiting my revision surgery date - any day now...
BTW, I was recommended a book on another thread by Lawyerrunnergirl - Living in the Postmastectomy Body: Learning to Live in and Love Your Body Again . I bought it on Amazon, and am eagerly awaiting my copy to come from the US to the UK. Something to read whilst recovering from my revision surgery, I think. If it's any good, I'll post about it..
All the best!
Buddhawolf
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OH! Forgot to add this link too:
It's an interesting site which explores food & suppliments recommended for consumption by those with breast cancer. I find it useful & also empowering to use food to support my body against reoccurence. What do others think?
X Buddhawolf
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Hello youngmommy
Thank you for your post. I am glad to know that your wife is doing well. I hope the discomfort from her BMX will gradually disappear. Is she doing any exercises? The day after my mastectomy, the physiotherapist came to see me in my hospital bed and showed me exercises that I had to do straightaway. I continued to do them for some time afterwards. I later noticed a bit of puffiness in my right hand, so I phoned my breast care cancer nurse and asked to go to the lymphodema clinic as a precaution. I did go and was advised on more exercises to keep my arm in good shape. The nurse also measured around my arm and concluded that any lymphodema was very mild and I did not need to attend regularly. There are tight sleeves you can wear to keep lymphodema in check, but I chose not to wear one, and I had no problems. As a precaution also I asked for physiotherapy sessions and this request was granted. I found the few weeks that I had very useful and I continued to do the exercises at home for a long time. I still do them from time to time when my arm feels a bit heavy. I also have a special brush that I bought to do manual brushing of the arm. It was the nurse at the lymphodema clinic who showed me how to do this with my hand and I later discovered about the brush.I do hope everything will go well for your wife with the radiotherapy. I had it about five weeks after the mastectomy. Tell her that she is nearly at an end with her treatment and to look forward with optimism to it finishing.
Thank you for all the information about Neupogen and Neulasta. I am sure all those going through chemotherapy and having to use these two drugs will find it useful. Thank you for all the details.
Best wishes
Sylvia0 -
Hello BuddhaWolf
Thank you for your interesting two posts.I have run out of time for this morning, but I will reply later.
Best wishes
Sylvia0 -
Good morning to all! I just wanted to say to Dulcie that I had neulasta shots following each dose of TAC and it did cause bone pain for a few days which was well controlled with oxycodone pills. The shots seemed to make my white blood cell counts rebound so I recommend them despite the discomfort. I had six doses of TAC, surgery, radiation, then another four months of another chemo, Halaven aka eribulin. It was rough, but I got through it and am back now to working very long hours and walking 3-4 days a week. I am also doing some light weight training. My last chemo was February 17th. I am 51 years old.
Sylvia, I was glad to read that you didn't pursue getting a lymphedema sleeve and have been fine for all these years. I have noticed some change in my arm/side lately. All of a sudden I was aware of my arm brushing my side and could not determine whether the arm was larger or simply my sensations were returning. I went to the lymphedema clinic and had a follow up measurement to the one I had taken prior to surgery. My cancer side arm was 1.5 cm larger at the upper arm area. It was recommended that I learn the lymphatic drainage massage and get a sleeve to wear while exercising. This will be a total cost of about $500 US dollars so I have decided for now to just keep a watchful eye on it. There is no swelling in my forearm, wrist, or hand. I've read that 2 cm difference is the diagnostic measure for lymphedema.
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Hello BuddhaWolf
Thank you for your post. I can understand that you wanted to stay quiet and perhaps did not feel like posting, as you waited to go through your second year check up. All of us here know the anxiety and fear as we wait for check ups. I am so glad that you are in the clear. I can almost hear you sighing with relief. I still go through all those feelings after nearly seven years.I do hope you will soon get a definite date for your surgery and that it will soon be behind you.
The book that you have ordered, Living in the Postmastectomy Body: Learning to Live in and Love Your Body Again, sounds most interesting. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about it.
Do you think that there are lots of women who have problems with how their body looks after surgery? For some reason, I did not seem to worry about lacking one breast after a mastectomy. I never contemplated reconstruction. I went through much more anxiety about the thought of losing a breast than I did after actually having lost it. It surprised me really, because I had always been a tall, elegant woman, who took great pride in her appearance, but I am also a no-nonsense type person. I told myself I was lucky to be alive and the rest was irrelevant.
Thank you for the link which I shall have a look at later. We have had a lot of discussions about food, supplements, alternative treatments etc., so I am sure the link will be of interest to everyone. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting some exercise, is something we can all do to try to prevent breast cancer or prevent it recurring. There are no guarantees, of course, and healthy fit women still end up with breast cancer. The ones in my immediate neighbourhood who were diagnosed with breast cancer, all seemed fit and healthy. The development of cancer is a complicated process. With your obvious interest in healthy eating, you would probably enjoy reading Chris Woollams articles at the CANCERactive website. He has written a book entitled the Rainbow Diet. I think we all know on this thread that we need to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables, especially those that are brightly coloured, orange, red, yellow, purple, black, green etc.
Wishing you all the best
Sylvia0 -
Hello christina1961
I was so glad to see you posting again, as I have been wondering how you, bak94 and mccrimmon324 are doing. I have not noticed bak94 posting anywhere and I have been wondering how she is doing. I know she was having to face a hysterectomy sometime soon.Thank you for your great words of encouragement to Dulcie. I am sure they will have reassured her and let her know that she can get through this treatment.
I was most interested to read your comments about lymphodema. I also notice from time to time, that the upper part of my right arm appears fatter than the left, and that sometimes it can brush against my side. I find that massaging, stretching my arm upwards, or generally using that arm, works wonders and I suppose this is because it helps to keep the lymph moving around the body. Because of the breast cancer treatment, the lymph system around the body has been disrupted a bit like a broken pipe.
I am so glad that you did not go for a sleeve. With the measurement in your arm being below 2 cm I would not think a sleeve was necessary. I did try one on at the clinic, just to please the nurse, but I took it straight off again, knowing that I would never get on with my arm so tightly bound up. I thought the sleeve would make things worse. I later told my GP that I had turned it down, and, I was told that it was a good decision on my part.
It is very easy to massage your own arm. You can do it with a firm upward sweep of the palm of the hand from the wrist right up to the top of your arm. I usually do that a few times, but you can do as many as you like. The next part is to massage in the same way from the top of the arm across the area where you had surgery. I find it is very relaxing and beneficial.
A bit later on I was talking to a woman who had gone through breast cancer and she mentioned a brush. I bought one for about five pounds in my local pharmacy and did the same massage using the brush. I found it even more beneficial. Just keep using your arm and keeping it active.
I do hope all is going well with you. Have you gone back to your studies. You are leading a very busy life and must be fit.
Very besst wishes
Sylvia0 -
Hello everyone
I am just posting to say that with breast cancer you must keep asking questions. I have been having a general look at some of the threads and feel that some women are not being told enough when first diagnosed. Please do not be afraid to question anything you are told and to seek second opinions if you feel that it is necessary.For those preparing for chemotherapy, especially in the UK, you should be having a pre-chemo interview with nurses at the chemotherapy clinic. At least that was the procedure before I started my chemotherapy. It took place a few days before I was to start treatment. I went through an interview in which I was asked all sorts of questions and in which I was free to ask my own. I had already started oral Iscador, an immune booster, prescribed by a doctor at the Royal Homoeopathic Hospital in Bristol. I also said that I was taking various supplements and homoeopathic treatments. I cannot remember clearly what their reactions were but I had already decided that I was going to have these things regardless. I have a mind of my own and felt I had to play my own part in getting through chemotherapy.
I was appalled last week to read about a young surgeon in this country, who was told quite a few times that she did not have breast cancer. It was finally decided that she did have it and treatment was begun. Briefly, at some point, she needed certain drugs, but these were denied her. This was all because she became a victim in the post-code lottery that we have in the UK that decides some people will have access to these drugs and that others will not. This depends on which PCT area you happen to live. In one area the PCT will be allowing the drug and in another it will not. When this young surgeon was finally allowed the drugs, it was too late and she died at the age of just 32.
We have to fight tooth and nail to get any cancer drugs that will help us to stay alive. Make sure you are informed about any drugs that may help you and fight to get them. Do not forget that not so many years ago women were being denied Herceptin when they had HER2+ receptor status. They were taking NICE to court to get the drug and were winning. Neither NICE nor PCTs have, in my opinion, any right to pass a death sentence on one person and not another. Peoples lives cannot be based on cost-effectiveness of a drug and it is certainly not right that one person can obtain a drug if they have the money to pay for it, and another denied it because they cannot pay for it.
Please make sure you fight your corner.
Kind thoughts to all of you.
Sylvia.0 -
Hello BernieEllen
I cannot believe what happened to your good friend in England. Something must have gone badly wrong. You must be very upset.
Thinking of you.
Sylvia
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I'm in shock just found out an old friend of mine in England was muredered sunday night - stabbed by his wife.
You could not have met a more gentle kind man.
Please say a prayer for his family.
May he Rest In Peace
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Hi Coxy ..sorry you had to come here..but its a good place for advice..
Sylvia ..i didnt get to have my 2nd chemo..so thats two weeks behind now! I was all geared up for it yesterday..but i knew i had another chest infection...so i am back on antibiotics again...the ONC is now changing tack..and says after this next...chemo.. fingers x..they are now going to go ahead and do a full masectomy..then she is vague about what next...mumbled about chemo again..afterwards...
Dulcie x
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So sorry BernieEllen i didnt read your post till just now....how terribly sad...poor man..RIP
Thank you Christina...very grateful indeed!
Sylvia i too was furious at the surgeon not getting her drug until too late..i have been following her story...
Dulcie
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Hello Dulcie
I was so sorry to know that you did not have your second chemotherapy and that you are now two weeks behind from your first treatment. I was so sorry, also, to know that you are back on antibiotics. I do hope the chest infection clears up quickly. I do hope that you will be able to get the second chemotherapy in the near future.I suppose your oncologist must have a reason for going ahead and doing a full mastectomy. At least, like that, it will get rid of the tumour and anything surrounding it. It is very common nowadays to do the chemotherapy before surgery, especially when a tumour is large, but with smaller tumours I think they still do the surgery first. Your oncologist probably thinks it better to do the surgery rather than let weeks go by with no chemotherapy and nothing stopping the tumour from growing. Just take it one step at a time. I am sure the oncologist will do more chemotherapy if necessary, or may do just radiotherapy. Someone I know had to stop chemotherapy and then had surgery and radiotherapy.
Make sure, Dulcie, that you know exactly what the plan is for you, and do not permit any vagueness.
I was glad to know that you had been following the story of that poor young surgeon.
Thinking of you.
Sylvia0 -
Hello BuddhaWolf
Thank you for the link entitled "Food for Breast Cancer".I have just read the first three pages of this link and it was good revision for me about triple negative. I recommend everyone to read it. There is a list of foods that are said to reduce the risk of TNBC. A lot of them you will know as we have discussed food before. The list of foods that have the potential to increase the risk of TNBC did not surprise me. Top of the list is bacon and other processed foods.
Something of great interest is the mention of fructose, which, this article states, has been shown to induce changes in TNBC cells that may increase their aggressiveness. This suggests that patients should avoid beverages and other processed foods sweetened with fructose.
There is a further list of foods that have been shown to help regulate glucose and protect against breast cancer. These foods may help reduce the likelihood or extent of metabolic syndrome. Such foods include flaxseed, brown rice, turmeric, and walnuts.
Please read these articles for yourselves, so that you get a full list of all the foods.
On the third page of this link is a list of other links which I am sure will give you much of the information you need about TNBC.
Thinking of you all.
Sylvia0 -
Hello bak94,
I was very concerned that I had not seen any posts from you in a while and then I suddenly saw you had posted. I was so glad to know that you were alright. I was sorry to know that you have problems with lymphoedema, but it will go away. Keep your spirits up and pop in to say hello,when you feel like it.
Thinking of you,,
Sylvia.
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Hello Bernie Ellen,
I was so sorry to know that you are feeling so down, but I do understand why. Try to cherish the happy memories that you have of your friend.
Pop in when you feel like it or post us some quotes or sayings. They are usually so profound.
We are all thinking of you.
Warm thoughts,
Sylvia.
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May you remember to enjoy life as it happens, live each day to its fullest, and make memories from life's little moments. You only get one chance at life!
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Hi Bernie ellen only back from england and read your sad news.
Going to meditation and visualisation later and will send all of the healing white light to your friends family and to you
x
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Hi sylvia,
Back from England yesterday and went straight to a First Aid class and will be off to the last Time to Adjust group session soon.
Very tired so will post later.
Great course at Royce in Banbury
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Hello BernieEllen
Thank you for your post and for your words of wisdom. I think we should all heed those words and take full advantage of every moment of our lives. You are dead right. We get only one chance at life. This is definitely not a dress rehearsal! At the end of it, let us hope we can say in the words of Edith Piaf, "No Regrets" (Je ne regrette rien). Perhaps, if do not want to be too idealistic, in the words of Frank Sinatra, "I did it my Way" (Regrets I have a few, but not too many to remember).Keep your spirits up, Bernie.
Warm thoughts.
Sylvia0 -
Hello linali
Thank you for your post.When you are not so tired, post and tell us about your course at Royce in Banbury. It sounds as though you got a lot out of it.
Best wishes.
Sylvia0 -
Thank you Sylvia, my husband lived in france for years. He adores edith piaf and i love the music of frank sinatra.
Linali, thinking of you - thank you for the healing thoughts.
all my love
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Hello everyone
I have just received my latest e-mail from Chris Woollams of CANCERactive and there are some interesting pieces of information. I do urge you to read them. You can sign up for them. It does not cost anything and there is more information than I can post.Aspirin is in the news again as a possible preventive in breast cancer. We have discussed this before and whether or not to take a low dose aspirin (75mg) every day.
There is interesting information under the title "Can a Teenager's Diet Come Back to Haunt Them as Breast Cancer?"
This is too late for us of course, but important for those of you bringing up daughters.
Another article of interest is one by Dr John Millward who is concerned about mineral deficiencies and one in particular, selenium, in the development of cancer. If you obtain the newsletter you can click on this and get more details. I eat Brazil nuts regularly to get selenium. It is also in prawns.
I was particularly interested in pages 3 & 4, about the 2010 report that takes America's largest database and informs on the cases of poisoning in America throughout the year. It looks as though number one was prescription drugs, but none from vitamins or herbs, which are always being knocked by the medical establishment. The second largest cause was personal care products and third was household cleaners. Chris Woollams suggests it is time to go toxin free. You can click on Toxin Free Products in the newsletter.
I do not know about you, but I find it very difficult to find really non toxic products that are effective. I am forever reading labels and do not like what I read.
On page 4 I was interested in the title Alarming Finding in Breast Cancer. There is a comment about how all women in a test sample had Parabens in their cells, whether or not they used under-arm deodorants. I think we all know there has been a long debate about deodorants and breast cancer. The information on this page is to steer clear of parabens, which is a commonly used preservative. On the newsletter click on Parabens and Breast Cancer.
On page 4 there is interesting information on Liposomal Vitamins. This is in response to demand from readers.
This is the information printed. "Liposomes are little balloon-like packages that your body uses naturally to transport nutritional factors from your gut, across membranes and then to the correct destination. The balloon wall is comprised of fat, as are membranes, and so this allows the transport. Liposomes are the new "Big Thing" in drug delivery, but are as equally effective with vitamins. Importantly, although the liposomal vitamins might be more expensive, they have been shown in research to deliver between 11 - 20 times more of the active ingredient to the cells, depending on the product. Chris Woollams 4 Health International web site is building a range of liposomal products.
I was touched by the article about Emily, aged fourteen, whose mum died of cancer. This young girl, to support CANCERactive, her mother's favourite charity, shaved off all her hair and raised £6,000, which is still going up. Read more details in the newsletter.
On CANCERactive please read all the details about aspirin in the prevention, reducing metastases and reducing death in cancer.
I am still trying to decide whether to take it. What are your views?
Have you seen the advert on television from Cancer Research, which states that someone is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes in the UK? To me this represents a failure with this disease. A way must be found to stop this disease.
In the past few days we had the sad news of the death from lung cancer of Donna Summers. Today I woke up to the sad news of the death of Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. Donna was just 63 and Robin 62. I really loved Night Music and Staying Alive from Saturday Night Fever.
As we begin a new week, I wanted to say that I hope it will be a good one for all of you.
Best wishes
Sylvia0 -
Hi Sylvia..
I wonder if we all have something in us that might be a similar link as in ..are we all 'perfectionists' just a thought ..i read with interest about the Parabens in deodrants and always use special deodrants..but it is of course in body lotions and ..baby oils that you would think would be pure...
Also i have an article and dont know how to put it here about an unknown cheap drug that has not been allowed to be patented? which sounds very interesting involving an acid...in Canada..i have it in email...
I finally had second chemo..then the Neulasta jab..but my hand was 'practised' on at the last chemo..and is now quite bad..and the first chemo site has just swelled and it seems there is damage there that might last a long time..of course nobody was watching the 'red' was going in properly...as i went in as an emergency...so i have been to hospital 4 days in a row now...
I hope you are well?...i would just like my hair back for a while ...to feel like me...
Take care
Dulcie xx
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Hello Dulcie
Thank you for your post. I was interested in your comment about all of us having a link. I am taking that to mean the same link in all of us on the thread, that is we are all perfectionists. I can certainly say that I am and have always been a perfectionist, starting from childhood. I do not know whether perfectionism is a good or a bad thing from the point of view of our health. It must cause stress, but there is good and bad stress. All I can say is that whatever I undertake I have to do it properly and thoroughly and I cannot change.I took care of myself before my cancer diagnosis and when I was diagnosed with it I felt disappointed with myself and also had a sense of unfairness. I remember my breast cancer surgeon telling me that I should not have it and that I should not blame myself. Nevertheless, I did have a certain sense of guilt. However, I had to accept the diagnosis and when, after a great deal of thought and delaying, I decided to accept treatment, I put everything I had in to doing all the right things, or at least what I thought were the right things, to get myself through treatment.
I think it is so difficult to avoid all these toxins, like parabens, in our everyday life. I would be interested to know what special deodorant you use. Shampoos are another problem as most of them have sodium laurelsulphate in them, which is another carcinogen. I think this makes the shampoo foam. If anyone has any suggestions for non-toxic toiletries and household products, I am sure we would all be interested.
I was most interested to know about that article in Canada about an unknown cheap drug that has not been allowed to be patented. Is the article a long one? If not, I think you could copy and paste it onto the thread when you post. I am not a whiz kid when it comes to computers.
You can bet that the drug companies will put up a big fight to stop any cheap drugs that would stop the huge profits they make from chemotherapy drugs. I do not think more and more chemotherapy drugs is the answer to cancer treatment. It is too damaging to the body.
I was glad to know that you finally had the second chemotherapy. Did you have any bad side effects from the Neulasta jab? I was sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your hand. I suppose this was from putting the cannula in and finding a vein. You must ask them to be more careful. I remember one chemotherapy session at least where this procedure was done in a rather rough way and I was quite bruised. In fact, a nurse from the counselling service at the hospital befriended me when I first went there after counselling and then accompanied me on my chemotherapy sessions, was not at all impressed at the way the cannula was handled on that particular occasion.
Please keep an eye on your hand and make sure the nurses go easy at your next session.
How have you been feeling after this second chemo?
I can understand how much you must miss your hair, as it is one of our prime identity factors. You just have to persevere. Put down your next chemotherapy date and then try to live as normally as you can until that date. Keep telling yourself that each day brings you closer to the day when you can say "I have finished this cancer treatment".
Take care of your scalp. It can get very dry and develop little crusty bumps. I used to wash my scalp with Baby Johnson's shampoo and rub some pure avocado oil into my scalp and then rinse off.
I am fine Dulcie. I try to live as normally as possible but get scared if I look at other threads and discover people with recurrence, spread or new primaries after a long time. It is now six years, eleven months and five days since I was diagnosed. I do not think that is a date I shall ever forget.
Thinking of you and wishing you well.
Sylvia0 -
Hello linali
I read one of your posts on another thread and thought that you seemed dejected. I can understand how you feel because we all have our ups and downs, our doubts and fears. Try to look on the bright side. It is nearly two years since your diagnosis, so look how far you have come.If I remember correctly, you were diagnosed on June 10th 2010. If I remember correctly, June 10th was also a special day for you because it was a family member's birthday.
Thinking of you and wishing you well.
Sylvia0 -
Hello sam52
I hope all is well with you. I saw that the dangers of calcium supplements are back in the news this week. It was all about these supplements doubling your risk of heart attacks and strokes. It also said that they did not work for osteoporosis and that you should treat this through calcium in the diet only. I really do not know what to do.What do you think about all the news with aspirin and its being a preventive for cancer and for recurrence etc. if you have had cancer? I know people here that are taking 75mg a day as a preventive for heart attack and strokes.
What do you think about Metformin as a possible treatment for breast cancer?
I hope you have had a good week.
Love
Sylvia0 -
Hello everyone
To our American friends, I hope you are all having a good Memorial weekend. What kind of things do you do on this special weekend and what is it for?To all my fellow Brits I hope you are enjoying the unusually hot weather and finding time to relax. I was wondering what plans you have for our approaching long Bank Holiday with an extra day for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. When I look at my diary I see that June 2nd is the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation, which I remember vividly as a child. Not many of us had televisions in those days, and it was only black and white and one channel. Our family gathered at the house of my aunt who died last year and was the only one with a television. We all watched the Coronation. It was the first time that the actual Westminster Abbey service was televised. There was a street party. June 4th is Spring Holiday, June 5th is Queen's Diamond Jubilee day, June 9th the Queen's official birthday and June 10th Prince Philip's birthday. What a lot of celebrations!
I have just received the latest e-mail from Chris Woollams and there is information that I am sure you will find interesting. Have a look at the CANCERactive site. I shall just outline a few highlights.
"Three ways to survive cancer longer, According to the American Cancer Society".
"The American Cancer Society has just produced a report in which it talks of an 'explosion' of research since 2006. From over a 100 studies it concluded that there was 'overwhelming' evidence that three complementary therapies, if rigorously adopted as part of a cancer patient's Integrated Programme, could help a patient 'live longer' and stay 'cancer free'.
The link that you might want to look at is:
It is suggested that you might want to show your oncologist this information.
With summer now fast approaching you might want to check out what is in your sun cream. There is new research that links the chemical oxybenzone with a risk of endometriosis. This is a disease that is increasing in young women in the UK. The reason is that oxybenzone is an oestrogen mimic, a xenoestrogen.
I think we have all read enough to know that there is a link between xenoestrogen and cancer.
I was particularly interested to read in this latest e-mail about an update on sodium bicarbonate, because I have been taking it on and off. Apparently this is another potential treatment that is going into clinical trials.
Another heading that caught my eye was "Hyperthermia - is this the future of breast cancer treatment? It surely is for prostate cancer". Hyperthermia is known as HIFU. For prostate you can now get this on the NHS in London.
With reference to breast cancer, I read the following:-
"So, when the Karolinska came up with their results on localised hyperthermia in three clinical trials with 80 women and breast cancer, we would only wonder if it was going to be another 8 year wait for the slow-moving British Medical profession to adopt a treatment that clearly works and is POTENTIALLY HUGE for all women."
This appears to be a breast cancer treatment which, it is claimed, you could even have in your lunch hour, avoiding surgery. It 'works' the same way as HIFU.
It apparently took 8 years for the prostate cancer treatment to come to fruition!
http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=3155
I hope you will all find the above information useful. All of us whether we have finished our treatment or not, need to keep up to date with everything new about breast cancer, at the same time as we lead normal lives and do not become obsessed with it all.
I hope all of you that went through treatment while posting on the thread have put breast cancer into a small corner of your lives but still view and post from time to time.
For those of you going through treatment, such as Karen_Sheffield, Dulcie, BuddhaWolf, youngmommy, and Coxy1803, I do hope you are managing to cope.
Best wishes
Sylvia0 -
Hellol BernieEllen,
I hope you had good results from your hip scan on May 24th.
Hello Maria Malta,
I hope all is well with you.How is school? How is the garden?
Thinking of you both,
Sylvia.
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Hello everyone
I cannot believe how silent this thread has been for the past five days. It looks as though all of you must be suffering from breast cancer fatigue. I can understand that and hope you are all having a good break.I am posting snippets of information about breast cancer that have been in the news this week. I was interested to read that the link between breast cancer and working at night is back in the news. I was interested in this because I did start a thread about 2009 on this subject and accidentally deleted it. The moderators could not find it. Research suggests that working at night increases the chances of breast disease by 40%. Women who work more than two night shifts a week apparently have double the risk of those working day shift. In addition, women working at night who are also morning people have a bigger risk than those who are night owls. It is believed that the hormone melatonin that potentially suppresses tumours could be disrupted by constant exposure to light during night time hours. The latest research shows night workers have a much bigger risk.
Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain between the hours of 9 pm and 8 am. Low levels of melatonin in the body may cause tumour growth.
There may be other factors involved than night shift. Shift work may increase the likelihood of other lifestyle risk factors, such as not getting enough exercise.
In the same article it is recommended that all women should limit the amount of alcohol they drink, exercise regularly and have a healthy diet. These are things that we can control.
In another article on the same subject, it was mentioned that in Denmark, where the above research was carried out, that night workers who developed breast cancer have been given compensation since 2007.
Aspirin is again in the news. This time as a possible weapon in fighting against deadly skin cancer. We all know that this drug has been linked to reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis and, of course, breast cancer. This is another Danish study. If you want more details, look on line in the journal CANCER. Cancer Research UK said "There is mounting evidence that aspirin does reduce the risk of some cancers, but it is too soon to say if this includes skin cancer".
It also warns about the serious side effects of aspirin and advises you to talk to your doctor before taking it on a regular basis.
If you are interested in HRT and its link to breast cancer, you may be interested in reading an article on Good Health in the Daily Mail of Tuesday May 29th 2012, entitled I've studied HRT for years - and I'm still convinced it raises women's risk of cancer. The link is:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?sel=site&searchPhrase=I've+studied+HRT+for+years
Finally, another article that interested me was one in the Daily Express, May 29th 2012, Your Health, entitled "I'm taking no chances with breast cancer". (After losing her mother to the disease, popular Sky News presenter Kay Burley explains why she will not take the risk of missing a check-up). The link is:
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/323070/I-m-taking-no-chances-with-breast-cancer
A snippet I also found today made me smile. It said "SWITCH IT: Stop gossiping with the girls - chat to the boys instead. A study of more than 200 people has revealed that while gossiping between men forms and strengthens bonds, gossiping between women has no positive effects on their friendship".
I was wondering what you think of this.
That is all for now.
Sylvia0
