Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
Comments
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Hello to anyone viewing in the UK and especially in Exeter and surroundings.
I thought you might like to know that the Autumn FORCE Bulletin has just arrived through my postbox. FORCE is very important for local patients of cancer and they are just completing an extension to the lovely modern building that was built especially to give support to cancer patients and in particular breast cancer patients. It is a great place to pop into for a cup of tea, some relaxation and some complementary therapies. This is a lovely house and nothing like a hospital.
It would be nice to see some local people on the thread.
Best wishes to everyone.
Sylvia
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Hello Dulcie
I was just wondering how you are and what is going on with your treatment if you are having any standard treatment.
If you have opted for alternative treatment, I would be interested to know what you are having, as I do believe in it as an adjunct to orthodox treatment.
I hope that things are not too bad with your OH and that both of you are managing to cope.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello FernMF
I was just wondering how you are and whether you have been badly affected by the big storm in the US. I saw that Virginia was one of the states affected and know that you are in West Virginia.
I do hope you are keeping well and feeling back to normal.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone again
Following on from the interview that I heard on Radio 4 yesterday, conducted by John Humphries and with reference to screening and over-diagnosis I was interested to discover there was an article about it in today's Telegraph by Sarah Crompton, someone who has also been through breast cancer. I was interested to see that she had picked up on some of the points that I had picked up on. One of these was that there was reference to a tumour, although it seemed to be apparent from the interview that this was about DCIS, a pre-cancerous state, in which tumours have not yet appeared. If you want more detail the link is:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/women_shealth/9643160/Another-scare-story-about-cancer.html
Best wishes
Sylvia
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Two nuns, Sister Mary Agnes and Sister Mary Vincent, are traveling through Europe in their car, sightseeing in Transylvania. As they are stopped at a traffic light, out of nowhere, a small vampire jumps onto the hood of the car and hisses at them through the windshield.
"Quick, quick!" shouts Sister Mary Agnes, "What should we do?"
"Turn the windshield wipers on. That will get rid of the abomination," says Sister Mary Vincent.
Sister Mary Agnes switches on the wipers, which knock the mini-Dracula around. But, he hangs on and continues hissing at the nuns. "What shall I do now?" she shouts.
"Try the windshield washer. I filled it with holy water before we left the Vatican," replies Sister Mary Vincent.
Sister Mary Agnes turns on the windshield washer. The vampire screams as the water burns his skin, but he hangs on and continues hissing at the nuns.
"Now what?" shouts Sister Mary Agnes.
"Show him your cross," says Sister Mary Vincent.
"Now you're talking," says Sister Mary Agnes. She then opens the window and shouts, "Get the f**cking hell off our car!"
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Sylvia - did you take chemotherapy for your breast cancer? Just wondering - I have been reading about all these alternative treatments and the less than hopeful outcomes of chemotherapy - I am at the point of deciding whether to go through with the chemo of dose dense AC and Taxol scheduled to start in November.
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Sylvia. I am good -- four weeks past last chemotherapy. Yeah. West Virginia is a varied weather receiving state. Where I live, we got about 6-8" of very wet snow on Monday, and it hasn't stopped raining yet. The "snow" is really gone as it hasn't been cold enough to freeze the ground. So, besides the drastic weather change, our area has had it easy. There are many without power in our area because of the high winds. But, my house has power. No complaints from me! Thanks for asking.
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Adagio, I don't want to butt in, nor do I want to worry you, but I'd think VERY carefully before rejecting chemotherapy and going the alternative route alone...particularly as you have node involvement. I think most of us here who have finished treatment had chemotherapy because, like you, we have TN status. After 8 doses of chemo (FEC x 4 and Taxotere x 4) my large tumour had shrunk, and after my mx, the report stated that I had had a complete pathological response. I really don't believe that any alternative treatment would have had that result. Of course I don't know what might happen in the future, but at least I'm clear for the moment, and I don't regret doing chemo at all....
Well done Fern, hello and best wishes to all xxx
edited because as a teacher I seem to be incapable of just ignoring typos!
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Hi Sylvia,
Yes, I'm enjoying my mid-term hols, catching up on all the domestic things I never have time to do during the term...repairing, putting away summer bits and pieces like the fans, taking out the carpets, fixing broken pipes, etc etc, an endless list...why is it that when you think you're at the bottom of the list another 3 or 4 chores crop up??!! But actually I'm enjoying pottering about the house, and the weather is still very good here. Although we had some rain at the beginning of the week, today is sunny and still really warm...I'm wearing shorts and a T shirt..
Haven't had much time for reading unfortunately, but bought a few books from a bookshop which had a special offer..the one I've just started reading is by a New Zealand author called Janet Frame, and it's the first part of her autobiography called An Angel at my Table.. a film was made of it by the New Zealand director Jane Campion. It's a very personal account of Frame's childhood and her misdiagnosis of schizophrenia as a young woman. As a result she was institutionalised for many many years, and just missed having a lobotomy when she was awarded some very important literary prize. She is considered one of her country's most important novelists. We downloaded the film and found it excellent and incredibly moving, which is why I then bought the book.
Thanks for all the links, all very interesting...
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Hello adagio
Thank you for your post. I did have chemotherapy and had neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, that is I had chemotherapy before surgery for a mastectomy. The tumour was large, so chemotherapy was done first to shrink the tumour, which it did.
The chemotherapy I had was epirubicin (Ellence) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) for three months in 3-weekly cycles. I then had docetaxel (Taxotere) on its own for three months every three weeks. A few weeks later I had surgery, mastectomy and seven lymph nodes removed. Only one was affected, the sentinel node. After surgery I had three weeks of radiotherapy. I then had the pathology report, which was good and I was told there was no visible sign of cancer. Before and after treatment I had a CAT scan, a bone nucleide scan and before after chemotherapy an ECG.
You must not take any notice about less than hopeful outcomes. A lot of us on this forum and this thread, even perhaps most of us, have had chemotherapy and good outcomes.
We are not supposed to give advice on these threads. We can say only what our experiences have been and what we would do.
In my own case I delayed standard treatment and I think that was unwise of me, because in the meantime my tumour kept growing and came through the skin. My consultant told me at the time that this might happen and that the tumour could fungate and start to smell. I saw a reputable homoeopath and a reputable alternative/nutritionist doctor. They both told me they could help my treatment as an adjunct to standard treatment, but advised me to start chemotherapy straight away. This is what I did. I listened to my oncologist and did everything to help myself during the six months of treatment and I do not have horror stories to tell about it. I was fatigued and that is my only really lasting memory of chemotherapy. I took plenty of rest, drank plenty of water and ate small meals.
I did take homoeopathic medicine as an adjunct at each stage of my treatment. These were prescribed by my consultant at the Royal Bristol Homoeopathic Hospital here in the UK. I stayed on oral Iscador for a few years after my standard treatment. I also kept to the advice from the nutritionist doctor that I saw.
All I can say is if I were you I would have the chemotherapy. My oncologist told me that she had chosen docetaxel (Taxotere) rather than paclitaxel (Taxol) because it was less harsh on the heart. It is your choice, but I do not believe that breast cancer can be brought into 'remission' other than through the treatment we are presently offered. As you know, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are all that we have for triple negative breast cancer.
Back in 2005, when I was diagnosed, no one mentioned TNBC and I was not told it was aggressive cancer if you had negative receptors.
I am still here to tell the tale seven years and four months since diagnosis. I think that chemotherapy can be done and that it does give you years of life, even if in the long run the cancer may come back. In the meantime, you have had years of life.
Try to take things calmly and do not be influenced by what others on the threads may have experienced. You may not have the same bad experience as others. I think a lot depends on the state of health of the person when they begin treatment, and what they do during treatment. I saw people smoking during treatment, which I thought was unwise and since alcohol is a risk factor in the development of breast cancer and has no nutritional benefit, I cannot understand why breast cancer patients would drink.
I sincerely hope this helps and please let me know what you decide. I was interested to see that you are in British Columbia, as I lived in Canada for 17 years. It is also useful to know what treatment you are getting in Canada as you have the same state funded health system as we have in the UK.
Wishing you well and please do not be afraid of treatment.
Best wishes.
Sylvia
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Hello FernMF
Thank you for your post. I was glad to know that all is well with you and that you have not been badly affected by the storm. I am glad you have power as it sounds as though you need it.
I am glad you popped in because I think it would be useful for you to post and give encouragement to adagio, as you have so recently finished chemotherapy. She needs reassurance that she can get through it and that it is effective. Whatever happens in the long run, we are all here today and we cannot live worrying about what the future may bring.
Thinking of you.
Sylvia xx
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Hello Maria_Malta
Thank you for your interesting post and your words of encouragement to adagio.
I shall answer later on today. Like you, I have endless lists every day and wonder whether I shall ever have a day without a list on my desk!
I am going to have a break now and will post later.
Best wishes
Sylvia.
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Adagio: Sylvia suggested I tell you "my story" . . . I was diagnosed mid-April . . Stage I, so chemotherapy BEFORE bilateral mastectomy was NOT given as an option. (I would probably, in hindsight, have preferred to "observe" the cancer shrink, then have the surgery.) I had BMX on 5/7 - with 3 weeks recovery and off work - for me that was a piece of cake, very little pain, very little problems. I choose NOT to reconstruct (basically, I am a wimp, and couldn't think of signing on for additional hours of surgery, multiple trips to the doctor's office).
Chemotherapy was 4 treatments, 3 weeks apart, started 8/31, ended 10/2. I did not work on the chemo day (Tuesdays of each week) nor the rest of that week. I have worked the weeks in between, with little-to-no problem. I have lost my head hair, some eyebrows and lashes, have very minimal neuropathy in a few fingers. During chemotherapy the doctor adjusted the steroids after round 1 which made everything better the next three rounds. I had little-to-NO nausea, a bit of "acid-reflux", many sleepless nights, periods of agitation (from the steroids) where I couldn't sit still. Now that it's all done and I'm four weeks out from my LAST treatment, I still have discomfort/pain/fatigue in the long muscles of my legs. I am walking 2-3 miles 4-5 times per week, trying to eat properly (and lose the 10 pound I gained during chemotherapy).
My lifestyle before cancer and now is fairly sedate, eat properly, drink minimally, never smoked, work hard, rest properly, etc.
Generally, I am BLESSED that my body didn't react horribly to the chemotherapy, and I experienced VERY LITTLE of the nasty side effects others report.
I am nearly 6 months "CANCER FREE", I have set the begin date as my surgery date. I am praying/thinking positively and not dwelling on any chance of recurrence. I feel like I have "done all that I can do" and will continue to do that. Hoping to live many many more years.
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Hello Maria_Malta
Thank you for your post. I do hope you will manage to get through all your chores. I do envy you your nice weather and the fact that you are still wearing summer clothes.
I have heard of Janet Frame but I have not read anything by her. It sounds like a fascinating book. Can you imagine what it must be like to be in an institution when you should not be there, not to mention nearly having a lobotomy. Let us know all about it as you read it.
I was glad to know that you found the information on the links interesting.
It takes me a lot of time to keep the thread going and to make it interesting and informative. I find I am very busy doing the thread, as well as playing an enormous role in the running of our apartment complex as a volunteer director. It is a great responsibility. Along with keeping everything in order in the apartment, I find I am often short of time for leisure. My husband helps with everything as well, so we are a busy couple.
That is about all for now.
Best wishes
Sylvia xx
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Hello FernMF,
Thank you for posting to help adagio. We all know what it is like when we are facing chemotherapy.
Best wishes, Sylvia.xxx
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A group of third, fourth and fifth graders accompanied by two female
teachers went on a field trip to the local racetrack to learn about
thoroughbred horses and the supporting industry.
During the tour some of the children wanted to go to the toilet so it
was decided that the girls would go with one teacher and the boys
would go with the other.
As the teacher assigned to the boys waited outside the men's toilet,
one of the boys came out and told her that he couldn't reach the
urinal. Having no choice, the teacher went inside and began hoisting
the little boys up by their armpits, one by one.
As she lifted one up by the armpits, she couldn't help but notice that
he was unusually well-endowed for an elementary school child. "I guess
you must be in the fifth," she said.
"No ma'am," he replied, "I'm in the seventh, riding Silver Arrow.
Thanks for the lift anyhow."0 -
Good evening Sylvia.
I have felt quite gloomy about the prospect of a cure for cancer since reading the Guardian and Indy articles the other day. I read in one of them today that a US company that provides gene testing for breast cancer is withholding data that could aid other scientists; purely on commercial grounds.
Twelve years ago there was a big breakthrough in the treatment of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma with the introduction of Rituximab. It has transformed the therapeutic setting. I assumed that treatment development for other cancers would follow a similar course. It hasn't happened. When I was young I used to think that cancer of the immune system would mean, as they say here in Ireland, that you are well and truly bandjaxed. Turns out that it is one of the easier cancers to treat. So what is it with these cancers that devour their hosts? Viruses rarely kill as they rely on a living host to ensure their own survival and yet cancer seeks to destroy their host thus ensuring their own destruction. It seems to defy all the laws of biology. I don't know what to make of it all.
My work, interviewing people, can be interesting, it really depends on the survey and the area. It is amazing how people can be so different in areas next to each other.
Michael
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In the Amazon rain forest, three explorers were walking. One was
Irish, another English, and the last American. Soon, they came across
a tribe, and the leader of the tribe told them that if they wanted to
pass through this territory, they had to pass the three caves test.
The explorers agreed and asked what the three cave test was.
The leader of the tribe took them to the caves, where he said, "Inside
the first, there are three bottles of rum, each 100 years old and said
to be toxic. You have to drink one each. In the second is a lion with
a thorn in his foot. You must remove the thorn. In the third is a
woman who has never been satisfied, and she must be satisfied."
The three men were hesitant but could not back out, so the American
went into the first cave, drank the bottle, and died soon afterward.
The Englishman was second. He went into the first cave, drank the
bottle, then went into the second cave. There was a lot of commotion
and roaring. No one emerged from the cave.
Lastly, the Irish man went into the first cave and drank the bottle.
He went into the second cave. At first, there was a lot of commotion,
and then there was a soft purring sound. Then he entered the last
cave. Two minutes later, he came out puzzled and asked, "Where's the
thorn in the woman's foot?"0 -
By ANNA HODGEKISS Daily Mail
A groundbreaking device that can diagnose cancer in just 20 minutes is being developed by British scientists.
The world's first tumour profiler, as it is known, will allow doctors, nurses and pharmacists to quickly identify all known types of cancer while the patient waits.
It is hoped the device, which will also gauge the correct drug to prescribe cancer sufferers, will be used across the NHS within the next three years.
The device has been invented as part of a partnership between private firm QuantuMDx, Newcastle University and Sheffield University.
Scientists say the Q-Cancer device will have a dramatic impact on the rapid and accurate diagnosis of cancer.
Company officials said the device has the potential to prolong the lives of the 12 million newly diagnosed cancer sufferers around the world. It will enable surgeons to immediately remove most, if not all of the tumour, and allow cancer specialists to prescribe the correct treatment regime according to the type of cancer developed.
The device makes use of advanced nanotechnology, analysing submicroscopic amounts of tissue to work out the type of cancer, its genetic make-up and how far it has developed.
Professor John Burn (left), a renowned geneticist, and Jonathan O'Halloran, both of QuantuMDx, the company developing the device
Professor Sir John Burn, the Newcastle University academic who is also medical director of QuantuMDx, said: 'We have a world leading position to deliver complex DNA tumour testing to the routine pathology lab or even to the operating theatre.
'A low-cost device requiring no technical expertise will extract, amplify and analyse tumour DNA to make sure the patient gets the right treatment first time and without delay.'
Chief executive Elaine Warburton said: 'Currently tumour samples are sent away to a centralised sequencing laboratory, which can take several weeks to turnaround results, usually at a very high price which is not routinely affordable to many economies.
'As far as we are aware, QuantuMDx’s current underlying technologies, which can break up a sample and extract the DNA in under five minutes represents a world first for complex molecular diagnostics.
Cancer experts now believe that 42 per cent of Britons will get the disease in their lifetime.
Of the 585,000 people who died in the UK in 2008, 246,000 had been diagnosed with cancer at some point.
Dr Emma Smith, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information officer, said: 'Using lhe latest technology to analyse tumours quickly and cheaply could make a real difference to cancer patients and we will watch these developments with interest. It will need thorough testing to show it meets the standards required for routine use in the NHS.
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By ANNA HODGEKISS Daily Mail
The 40 per cent of breast cancer patients who suffer from extreme fatigue may benefit from acupuncture, new research suggests.
This was the first clinical trial using acupuncture to treat this particular symptom of the disease.
Hundreds of thousands of patients overcoming the disease battle with fatigue.
But the three-year British trial showed acupuncture had across-the-board benefits, alleviating both mental and physical fatigue and improving overall quality of life.
The three-year British trial showed acupuncture alleviated both mental and physical fatigue and improved overall quality of life
Previously, few treatments were recognised for the up-to-40 per cent of patients needing help for fatigue, devastating their quality of life.
Professor Alex Molassiotis, from the University of Manchester, which led the trial said: 'Fatigue is a blight on the lives of thousands of former cancer patients and this trial proves acupuncture can help them.
'We were delighted to see so many patients getting substantial benefit from this treatment, particularly as they currently have limited options available.
'We now need to carry out further work to understand the costs and benefits of delivering acupuncture before it can be made available on the NHS.'
Up to 40 per cent of breast cancer patients suffer from fatigue
Julie Wray, 55, a mother-of-two from Cheadle, Cheshire, benefited from the acupuncture treatment after suffering fatigue as a result of her breast cancer treatment in 2006.
Mrs Wray, a nursing lecturer at the University of Salford, said: 'The fatigue from my breast cancer treatment was so bad, simply driving to work left me exhausted.
'It got to the point that I thought I would have to give up my job. But receiving acupuncture treatment allowed me to get my old life back.
'Now I hope other women can benefit from acupuncture following this research.'
More than 300 patients took part in the trial which was funded by Breakthrough Breast Cancer and conducted at 10 hospitals across the country including Manchester’s Christie Hospital and the Royal Marsden in London.
The results are published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Acupuncture use in mainstream UK healthcare is in its infancy - it is only used on the NHS to treat lower back pain.
The trial authors called for tests to be set up looking at the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture with special focus on the benefits for other cancers.
Dr Julia Wilson, Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s research chief, said: 'More people are surviving breast cancer than ever before which means quality of life after treatment is becoming increasingly important.
'These are very promising results which suggest acupuncture could reduce fatigue symptoms and improve the quality of life of many former breast cancer patients.
'It raises the possibility that acupuncture could become a standard treatment for fatigue, although we are still some years from that becoming a reality.'
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Hello Michael and Bernie
Thank you for your posts, which I read with great interest. I shall reply later today.
Best wishes to all.
Sylvia
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Hello everyone
I just thought we should start the day with another chuckle.
Best wishes
Sylvia
A Scottish couple decided to go to Spain to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.
Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband flew to Barcelona on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife..
However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the email.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Blackpool , a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who died following a heart attack.
The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends after reading the first message, she screamed and fainted.
The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:
To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Arrived
Date: October 16, 2008
I know you're surprised to hear from me.
They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones.
I've just arrived and have been checked in.
I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.
P.S. It is so hot down here!
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I was thinking about what I wrote last night. I suppose the difference between a virus and cancer is that a virus is a different living entity whilst a tumour, well, most tumours, are the bodies own cells. It seems that the body has lost the ability to control itself.
In Janette's case it seems the warning signs were there for some time; swollen glands in 2004, an unidentified illness in 2005. At a visit to an acupuncturist in 2005 Janette was told that her body had completely broken down. I wonder if the cancer was a result of the body just giving up. Janette was a person who very much liked being in control so did that psychological aspect of her personality play a role? I wonder.
Michael
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Cancer-related fatigue (CRF)is an unusual and persistent lack of energy or sense of tiredness and exhaustion related to cancer or its treatment. It is different from fatigue of everyday life, which is often temporary and relieved by rest. CRF typically comes on unexpectedly, is not related to an excessive amount of activity, and usually does not improve with rest or sleep.
Coping with a serious illness like cancer requires a tremendous amount of energy and effort. CRF can impact your physical, psychological and emotional well-being. You may feel like you don’t have enough energy to keep up with your usual daily routine, including work and social activities, and even your cancer treatment plan. In addition, fatigue can affect your mood, emotions and concentration, how you feel about yourself, and your relationships with others.
Despite its prevalence, cancer-related fatigue is often over-looked, under-recognized and under-treated. Talking about cancer-related fatigue and understanding its causes can help you and your healthcare team identify ways to successfully cope with and manage it. In addition to the help your doctor provides, there are things you can do to take charge of your life and help alleviate your fatigue.
NOTE: YOU SHOULD ALWAYS REPORT ANY FATIGUE YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING TO YOUR PHYSICIAN.
As each person experiences cancer differently, the same goes for CRF, which can vary in its unpleasantness, severity and the amount of time it is present. For some, the fatigue is mild and brief. Others experience chronic fatigue that lasts for months, or even years, after active treatment is complete.
If you are suffering from cancer-related fatigue, even simple activities, such as talking on the telephone, shopping for groceries, or walking across a room can seem like too much. Cancer-related fatigue can make you feel:
- Overly tired, shaky, exhausted, and weary
- Worn out, wiped out, listless, drained, weak all over
- Unable to concentrate, think clearly, or remember things
- Heavy in your body, especially your arms and legs
- Short of breath after light activity
- A need to stop in the middle of activities to rest
- Muscle weakness, leg pain (including difficulty climbing stairs or walking short distances)
- Depressed, emotional, impatient, irritable, bored, and/or anxious
- Disinterested in normal day-to-day activities
- Not like your “old self”
CRF can be challenging to treat. It requires understanding the underlying cause(s) of the condition and learning ways to manage it. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to determine the exact cause of CRF. Most likely, it is a combination of factors which vary from person to person.
The following are some biological, psychological and behavioural factors that may contribute to fatigue:
- Chronic pain
- Psychological factors (e.g., depression, anxiety, emotional distress, frustration, fear)
- Anaemia
- Sleep problems (e.g., insomnia)
- Hypothyroidism (i.e., inactive thyroid gland)
- Medications
- Hormonal changes/changes in metabolism
- Infection
- Pulmonary or renal dysfunction
- Oxygen level in the body
- Nutritional deficiencies (e.g., weight loss, dehydration, loss of appetite)
- Inactivity, lack of exercise, muscle wasting, loss of muscle coordination
- Co-morbidities (i.e., having other medical conditions in addition to cancer)
- Mental ability factors (i.e., difficulty understanding and thinking)
- Cancer treatments and their side effects*
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The Link Between Psychological Stress and Carcinogenesis
Jennifer V. Stivers
Abstract
The following research paper examines the correlation between psychological stress and carcinogenesis. A number of studies have indicated that there is a positive correlation between stress and cancer development as well as progression. Results indicated that an extensive longitudinal study is needed in order to definitively conclude that stress has a direct effect on cancer development in humans.
Researchers have determined that when an individual is experiencing stress, physical changes occur within the body. During a stressful situation, “the hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland, which in turn activates the adrenal glands to produce hormones that cause chemical changes in various cells and tissues”. This process is called the fight-flight response. During this fight-flight response, the immune system can become suppressed. The suppression of the immune system leads to susceptibility to diseases, including cancer. Conversely, it has been demonstrated that positive messages from the brain can enhance the ability of the immune system to stave off disease. This mind body connection is referred to as psychoneuroimmunology (PNI).
PNI research began in the 1960s. Today’s researchers have become progressively more sophisticated. PNI Researchers examine how psychosocial factors such as optimism and social support moderate stress responses. “They are mapping the biological and cellular mechanisms by which stress affects the immune system, and they are testing new theories, such as the idea that the immune system acts as a "sixth sense" that gives the brain valuable information about a person's health status” One of the newest theories of PNI is called the bidirectional model. It states that there is a link from the immune system to the brain and not the other way around. According to this theory the immune system is a messenger that signals the brain to infection or injury by releasing proteins called proinflammatory cytokines. These cytokines travel to the central nervous system and brain to communicate information about the body's distress. Next, “the brain releases its own cytokines that signal the central nervous system to initiate a surge of responses such as fever and listlessness that theorists believe, help the body adapt by reducing energy output”. PNI researchers are interested in cytokines because they epitomize an immune response gone wrong.
Stress increases hormones, which slow the delivery of cytokines to the site of injury or infection.
In the past decade, psychobiologist Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu has been working on the link between stress and tumour development. Ben-Eliyahu and his colleagues discovered that stress such as “forced swim, surgery, and social confrontation decreases lymphocyte activity in rats for as little as one hour and as long as a day or two” These types of stresses also cause a two-to-five-fold increase in certain types of tumours. These stresses also advance tumour growth.
Experiments on immune system suppression and psychological stress are not limited to lab rats. Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser and her colleagues conducted a series of experiments on medical students in 1985. “Glaser and her colleagues documented that commonplace stressful events resulted in immune suppression as detected in students’ blood samples taken during examinations as compared to similar samples taken one month previously” These findings demonstrate that anxiety (like the anxiety involved with test taking) could affect the immune system.
Bereaved spouses are another example of stress and immune system suppression. “Bereaved spouses, and most particularly widowers, are significantly more vulnerable to disease than the
unbereaved” (Pearsall, 1987,). Lymphocyte responsiveness (the effectiveness of the part of the immune system that fights disease by maintaining homeostasis and preventing over production of cells) decelerates in a person who has lost a partner. When these lymphocytes were stimulated with mitogens (a substance that induces mitosis, or cell reproduction) “they reproduced at a significantly lower rate than those of individuals who had not lost a significant person in their lives”
It is a known fact that lymphocytes have minute receptors on their surface intended for the reception of a range of secretions from the brain so that they can operate in response to the brain’s signals. It is possible that the loss of daily interactions and closeness can cause the brain to signal the body cells to develop more rapidly than normal in order to fill that void of activity. This would make the lymphocytes less effective due to the chemical changes, which hinder the response at receptor sites. This causes cell disease to begin. This theory of cell disease is called surveillance theory of cancer
(Pearsall, 1987). This theory holds that cancer cells are constantly developing in the body, but that the immune system’s ability to recognize them as abnormal and destroy them are what prevents them from becoming malignant tumours. When the number of cancer cells becomes too large to be destroyed or when the lymphocytes become suppressed is when carcinogenesis occurs.
Another theory of cancer development and stress involves something called the Type C personality. Just as the Type A personality tends to develop heart problems, the Type C personality tends to develop cancer.
Lydia Temoshok, a psychologist, and her graduate student, Andrew Kneier, conducted a study at the University of California. Patients with malignant melanoma and patients with cardiovascular disease to receiving mild electrical shocks. “The patients with malignant melanoma had a stronger physical reaction to the test, but tended to downplay how emotionally upset they were about it when they talked to the researchers afterward” Temoshok coined the term Type C personality.
The Type C personality characteristics consist of:
1. The suppression of strong emotions
2. Compliance with the wishes of others and a lack of assertiveness
3. Avoidance of conflict or behavior that might offend others
4. A calm, outwardly rational and unemotional approach to life
5. Obeying conventional norms or behavior and maintaining the appearance of niceness
6. Stoicism and self-sacrifice
7. A tendency towards feelings of helplessness or hopelessness (Martin, 1997).
According to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, cortisol secretion has an effect on survival time with breast cancer. Cortisol is a stimulatory stress hormone.
During times of stress, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). The SNS activates the adrenal glands, which release epinephrine and norepinephrine. Epinephrine and norepinephrine mobilize the body for the fight-flight response. The CRH activates the pituitary gland to release adrenocortico-tropic hormone (ACTH).
ACTH activates the adrenal gland to release cortisol. After the stressful event, cortisol halts the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine. This brings the body back to its homeostatic state.
Women with breast cancer had their saliva tested for cortisol levels four times in a 24-hour period. This allowed researchers to examine the circadian rhythm of cortisol release in the women. Circadian rhythm is the body’s internal set of clocks, which control sleep patterns. Cortisol levels normally are at their highest in the morning in order to produce wakefulness. At night, cortisol levels decrease dramatically, allowing for relaxation to induce sleep.
The study found that women who had an abnormal pattern of cortisol secretion had a significantly decreased survival time.
This abnormal pattern involves a low level of cortisol secretion in the morning, and a higher level of cortisol secretion at night. The total amount of cortisol secreted did not affect their long-term prognosis. Researchers concluded, “dysregulation of cortisol is associated with more rapid breast cancer progression”
An abnormal cortisol secretion rhythm implies an out of kilter stress response associated with “poorer sleep patterns, loss of marital and social support, and increased sensitivity to stressors, all of which may affect survival rates”. Cortisol also suppresses immune response, reducing lymphocyte activity.
A study conducted using 28 psychiatric patients (non psychotic and non-medicated) compared with Red Cross blood donors demonstrated that “lymphocytes from the psychiatric patients had impaired repair of damaged DNA after x-ray irradiation”. The psychiatric patients were divided into two groups: one presenting higher distress symptoms and one presenting lower distress symptoms. The group displaying higher distress symptoms demonstrated poorer DNA repair.
Although there are many theories regarding stress and the development of cancer, they have not been proven. The Type C personality, for example, may not be the cause of cancer but the result of having an upsetting disease.
People diagnosed with cancer experience dramatic emotional changes. It is extremely difficult to link behaviour and psychological stress to physical changes that influence tumour progression due to the fact that patients receive treatments that can alter any or all of these factors. For example, the side effects of chemotherapy can be immunosuppression. The stress an individual feels may not necessarily be directly manifested in the development of cancer. It is possible that stress leads to poor lifestyle choices that result in the occurrence of cancer
Stress, attitudes, and beliefs can affect lifestyle choices and health-related behaviour. For example, an individual under stress may smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. These behaviours have been proven to increase the risk of cancer. Other health-related behaviours have been correlated with cancer. For example, one-third of all cases of cancer can be attributed to poor diet.
Another current theory about psychological and cognitive states and cancer development suggests that certain negative emotional states (such as depression) may have evolved as part of the sickness response to conserve energy during times of infection.
There is a new theory that is challenging Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome theory (GAS). Selye believed that everyone goes through the same set of hormonal and immune system changes. This new theory suggests that there are two stress reactions. One reaction is the typical fight-flight response, but the other reaction is of withdrawal. This withdrawal reaction conserves energy. These reactions have been demonstrated using animals.
Another problem with researching stress and tumour growth in humans is that researchers cannot expose humans to tumour cells as they can with animals (Azar, 1999). Researchers often have to
interview people with cancer in regards to their stress levels before their diagnosis. The interview style of data collection could lead to inaccurate self-report. A person who is now livingwith cancer and its treatments may look back at their life before the diagnosis and think, in comparison, that it was much more stress free.
A large longitudinal study is necessary to ultimately establish the correlation between psychological stress and carcinogenesis. A reliable study should include a sufficient number of healthy participants. The study should monitor them for about twenty years. A psychological assessment should be done periodically throughout the twenty-year span. The psychological assessment would determine the stress levels of the individuals throughout the study. This type of longitudinal study will allow researchers to see who develops cancer, who will survive it, and who will not develop cancer over time.
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Hello Michael
Thank you for your posts. I have at last found some time to sit down and respond.
I do understand how you can feel quite gloomy about the prospect of a cure for cancer since reading the articles in the Guardian and Independent. I think anyone reading them would feel the same.
I have also read about all the fighting and profiteering that goes on with the drug companies. I feel this is the tragedy about cancer treatment and indeed treatment for other illnesses and chronic conditions. The whole emphasis seems to be on making money and producing more and more drugs to make money. I am not at all surprised to learn that a US company providing gene testing for breast cancer is withholding data that could help other scientists and doing it just for commercial reasons. The same thing goes on with drugs that are patented and these drugs are withheld to keep the prices up. Compassion and thoughts for the patients does not seem to come into the equation.
I do think there is a connection between cancer and the immune system in that for some reason the immune system that is always fighting for us in our bodies, and that usually keeps at bay the cancer cells that we all have in our body, suddenly does not keep them at bay and cancer develops. Why that happens with the immune system I am not sure. I do vividly remember when my breast consultant surgeon told me that I should not have breast cancer, that she also said that the immune system could get lazy in very healthy people and somehow does not fight to keep cancer cells under control. I have also read about serious cases of people with cancer developing a very bad fever and then the cancer disappears. There are also cases of spontaneous remission. This happened to a friend of ours who had non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He was in hospital and his wife was told there was no hope and to prepare for his funeral. His wife took him out of the hospital and he did not die. When he eventually died quite some years later, he died of a heart attack and his autopsy showed no sign of cancer!
I think you have hit the nail on the head when you say that it seems that the body has lost the ability to control itself. It looks as though this is connected to a weakened immune system or a lazy one.
I was most interested in what you said about Janette and possible warning signs. Swollen glands are a sign that something is wrong. I was very intrigued about an unidentified illness in 2005. What were the symptoms, how did they affect her and what did the doctor say? It looks as though GPs have very basic treatment and that they look for symptoms and match them to a pill. I know that there are cases of people diagnosed with cancer after being dismissed as having insignificant symptoms by their doctors. I think today with excellent medical books and information on the internet, that you can probably diagnose your own illness before you even see the GP.
I was interested to know that Janette had been to see an acupuncturist in 2005 and that he had told her her body had completely broken down. I wonder how he could tell that? Did Janette take any action after she had been told that?
Do you think that Janette drove herself too hard and that it had negative effects on her immune system, leading to the development of breast cancer? She obviously did a lot of hard work to get her university qualifications, brought up three children and had a marriage breakdown. That is quite a lot happening to her and possibly causing stress to her body. Then, of course, it depends on whether for her personally the stress was good or bad.
I do find the work you do something that must be interesting. I think I would find it so. I can understand that people can be very different even if they are in areas that are next to one another. Have you surveyed anyone about Europe?
I hope you have a good weekend and that the coming week will be a fulfilling one.
Best wishes
Sylvia
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Hello BernieEllen
Thank you for all your posts. I can see you have been working overtime.
I was very interested to read about a possible tumour profiler, a device that will be able to diagnose cancer in just twenty minutes and identify all types while the patient waits, as well as the correct drug to be prescribed. If it is in use across the NHS within three years, I shall be truly amazed.
I am trying to imagine what the Q-Cancer device will look like and how big it will be.
I am just wondering whether this device will detect tumours at such an early stage, that we may get into the same problems that are being posed by mammograms, that is treating cancers that may never have caused a problem during a person's lifetime.
Again, it is a device that will lead to treatment and drugs. Will those treatments and drugs still be the same ones that we already have, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with all their side effects?
With the explosion predicted in cancer cases, and with more and more people surviving long term, will national health services be able to cope with all this? I think probably not.
The bad news in all of this, from my point of view, is that cancer experts believe that 42% of people in the UK will get the disease in their lifetime. That is an awful statistic. I still firmly believe that the way to go with cancer is to find out why so many people are getting it and to have a list of all the possible causes and for people to take control of their lives and try to do something about that list of possible causes. Taking lethal drugs, which are more and more expensive, is not the long term answer. All it does is enrich the drug companies.
I picked up on the statistics about deaths in the UK, namely 585,000 people died in the UK in 2008. Of those, 246,000 had been diagnosed with cancer at some point. This does not mean that the 246,000 necessarily died of cancer.
Let us watch this space to see if this device measures up and is in use within three years.
Best wishes
Sylvia
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Hello everyone
If you want more information about this profiler device the link is:
http://www.quantumdx.com/technology.html
If you want more information about the person who wrote the article and the comments on the device, the link is:
After reading this information I was wondering if we have anyone viewing our thread who may be able to answer the following:
What is the difference between a DNA sample taken from blood and a DNA profile in a tumour? This would have been answered easily by our much missed friend, Josephine. She was very unwell with metastatic breast cancer and suddenly stopped posting many months ago.
Best wishes
Sylvia
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Hello BernieEllen
Thank you for posting the article from the Daily Mail about cancer fatigue and acupuncture.
I cannot really have a view about acupuncture helping with the fatigue that a lot of people suffer during and after chemotherapy. Acupuncture is not something to which I would submit myself.
If any of you viewing the thread have had acupuncture for whatever reason, you might like to post and relate your experiences.
I would like to know what the other treatments were that were used but not recognised as helping with fatigue and I find it hard to believe that fatigue can be devastating to quality of life.
I feel that there may be people out there who let a diagnosis of cancer, be it breast cancer or others, take possession of their lives. It is only my opinion but I feel that the best remedy for fatigue is good sleep and rest, excellent nutrition and a good walk in the fresh air. Fatigue is such a common symptom, especially with busy lives, that you just have to find ways of dealing with it.
In this article we have once again dramatic words used to describe cancer, for example, battling, devastating, blight.
As I said, I cannot say whether acupuncture works or not, but a commute to work in busy traffic can be exhausting to any one. I also feel that you can psyche yourself into believing that something works.
I think that the best way to have quality of life both going through treatment and after treatment is to carry on with your life as normally as possible and not let your cancer possess you. You need to lead as simple a life as possible and to stop chasing materialism.
Best wishes
Sylvia
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Hello everyone
The link to the Daily Mail article about acupuncture, and comments, is:
Best wishes
Sylvia
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