Thefastpharma. Health news blog » Cancer http://thefastpharma.com Health News, Medical Articles, Medicine Information Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:46:17 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 OVERCOMING CANCER: PARTICIPATING IN YOUR HEALTH: IDENTIFYING YOUR PARTICIPATION IN ILLNESS http://thefastpharma.com/2010/12/overcoming-cancer-participating-in-your-health-identifying-your-participation-in-illness/ http://thefastpharma.com/2010/12/overcoming-cancer-participating-in-your-health-identifying-your-participation-in-illness/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:25:40 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/?p=171 How do you start breaking up the logjam of beliefs and habitual ways of responding to stress? The best way we have found with our cancer patients is to ask them to identify the stresses going on in their lives in the six to eighteen months prior to the onset of the disease.
Because the link between emotional states and disease applies to susceptibility to all illness, not just cancer, the process of identifying the links between stress and illness is valuable for everyone, and so we ask all readers, cancer patients or not, to complete the activity below. (You may wish to refer back to the Holmes-Rahe stress chart in Chapter 4 for an idea of the variety of stresses that can lead to illness.) This exercise can help you translate the general concepts we have been describing into your personal experience.
1. Think of an illness you have now or have had in the past. If you have or have had cancer, use that for this exercise.
2. If you have cancer, take a piece of paper and list five major life changes or stresses that were going on six to eighteen months prior to the onset of your illness.
3. If your disease was something other than cancer, list the five major stresses that were going on in your life in the six months preceding the onset of the disease. (With diseases less severe than cancer, a shorter time span seems appropriate.)
4. If you experienced a recurrence of your disease at any time, make a list of five major stresses going on in your life in the six months prior to the recurrence.
If you do not take the time actually to do this exercise, if you just read through these questions without thinking deeply about the answers and then writing them down, you will not begin to get the benefit that is available to you from this book. This statement applies to all the exercises that will be presented in Part Two of this book.
Most people find when completing this exercise that the period before the onset of the disease held a number of major stresses. If you did not find any major external stresses—such as the death of a spouse, the loss of a job, or the like—be sure also to consider internal stresses. Were you wrestling internally with a psychological problem such as disappointment that youthful dreams were not being realized, major adjustments in a personal relationship, or an identity crisis? These may be every bit as significant in creating feelings of hopelessness or helplessness as very visible external stresses are.
If you did discover significant stresses in your life (whether external or internal) prior to the onset of the disease, examine how you participated in that stress, either by creating the stressful situation or by the manner in which you responded to it. Did you, for example, place yourself in a stressful situation by putting everybody else’s needs first, by failing to say no, by ignoring your own mental, physical, and emotional limits? Or, if the event was something outside of our control, such as the death of a loved one, were there alternative ways of reacting? Did you permit yourself to grieve or did you determine not to show your emotions? Did you permit yourself to seek out and accept support from loving, nurturing friends during the stress?
The object of this kind of self-examination is to identify beliefs or behaviors that you want to change now. Because these beliefs have been threatening your health, they need to be consciously examined with an eye toward altering them.
The purpose of the next exercise—identifying the five major stresses in your life right now and determining alternative ways of responding—is prevention, which means acknowledging and then eliminating tensions that could predispose you to illness.
1. List the five greatest stresses in your life right now.
2. Examine ways you may be participating in maintaining the stresses.
3. Consider ways for removing the stresses from your life.
4. If there is no reasonable way to remove a stress, consider whether you are creating other supportive or nurturing elements in your life. Are you accepting the support of close friends? Are you making a point of giving yourself pleasurable experiences during stressful times? Are you permitting yourself to express your feelings about stressful situations?
5. Consider whether you could remove these stresses or balance them in your life if you put your own needs first more often. Do you permit yourself to consider what your own needs are? Have you attempted to find ways to meet them despite what you feel are the needs of others?
After you have completed this exercise, be sure to note any similarities between the ways you responded to stress prior to your illness and the ways you are responding now. If you find similarities, reexamine your behavior, since you may have habitual ways of responding that do not contribute to health.
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]]> http://thefastpharma.com/2010/12/overcoming-cancer-participating-in-your-health-identifying-your-participation-in-illness/feed/ 0 DEFINITIONS OF SOME EXPRESSIONS YOUR DOCTOR MAY USE – POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF PAINKILLERS (PAINKILLERS AND CONSTIPATION) http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/definitions-of-some-expressions-your-doctor-may-use-possible-side-effects-of-painkillers-painkillers-and-constipation/ http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/definitions-of-some-expressions-your-doctor-may-use-possible-side-effects-of-painkillers-painkillers-and-constipation/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 06:40:11 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/definitions-of-some-expressions-your-doctor-may-use-possible-side-effects-of-painkillers-painkillers-and-constipation/ By the way, almost all painkillers cause constipation, so changing painkillers is not a good way of dealing with this problem. You will probably need to take laxatives regularly. Read pages 130-31 for other suggestions.

Aim for the balance between pain relief and side effects that’s best for you. You may prefer to be completely free of pain, even if this means that you are drowsy and can’t concentrate on anything. Or you may prefer to have mild pain when you move about in exchange for feeling more alert.

It is almost always possible to relieve cancer pain with painkillers taken by mouth either in tablet or liquid form. Injections should be necessary only if you are vomiting, can’t swallow, or are too sleepy to take pills or syrup. An alternative to injections is suppositories. Some painkillers, for example, oxycodone, are available in this form. The painkiller is absorbed into the system through the lining of the rectum. Their big advantage over injections is that you can use them yourself at home. Another use for suppositories is as a supplement to painkillers taken by mouth. If you use a painkilling suppository last thing at night instead of your tablets or syrup, you are likely to get a longer stretch of pain-free sleep, because suppositories are longer acting.

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]]> http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/definitions-of-some-expressions-your-doctor-may-use-possible-side-effects-of-painkillers-painkillers-and-constipation/feed/ 0 HOW MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY HAVE COME ABOUT – DRAMATIC AND OBVIOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATMENT http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/how-major-improvements-in-chemotherapy-have-come-about-dramatic-and-obvious-improvements-in-treatment/ http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/how-major-improvements-in-chemotherapy-have-come-about-dramatic-and-obvious-improvements-in-treatment/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 06:34:20 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/how-major-improvements-in-chemotherapy-have-come-about-dramatic-and-obvious-improvements-in-treatment/ Unfortunately, dramatic and obvious improvements in treatment like these are rare. After the results in Hodgkin’s disease were published, the principle of using high dose combinations was applied to other types of cancer. A few types showed a similarly dramatic improvement in results but for many it was much less spectacular or nonexistent. For example, about one in three people with extensive breast cancer gain a remission with single chemotherapy drug treatment and their average length of life is about nine months. About two in three people get remissions with combination chemotherapy and their average length of life is about twenty-one months, none are completely cured. In cancer of the large bowel and most types of lung cancer, no combinations of drugs results in people living any longer, on average, than those who have no anti-cancer treatment at all. Combinations using the drug cis-platinum are far less effective against other types of cancer than they are against testicular cancer.

How have cancer specialists reacted to the fact that dramatic breakthroughs in treatment are rare and usually only apply to a few particular types of cancer? They have reacted by spending a lot of their own time and energy and a lot more of their patients much more precious time, energy, and comfort trying to prove very small differences between treatments. They look for differences that are ‘statistically significant’, that is, unlikely to be due to chance. ‘Statistically significant’ does not mean significant for people, as you will soon see.

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]]> http://thefastpharma.com/2009/05/how-major-improvements-in-chemotherapy-have-come-about-dramatic-and-obvious-improvements-in-treatment/feed/ 0 AFTER CANCER: HOW DOES THE DISCOVERY OF A CANCER GENE, SUCH AS THE GENE FOR COLON CANCER, HELP ME? http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-how-does-the-discovery-of-a-cancer-gene-such-as-the-gene-for-colon-cancer-help-me/ http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-how-does-the-discovery-of-a-cancer-gene-such-as-the-gene-for-colon-cancer-help-me/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:16:47 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-how-does-the-discovery-of-a-cancer-gene-such-as-the-gene-for-colon-cancer-help-me/ Much fanfare surrounds the announcement of each newly discovered cancer gene, such as the recently isolated gene responsible for hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer. As has happened after the discovery of other genes, a blood test for detecting this gene is being developed and should be available soon. Such discoveries help you because they

•can identify which of your relatives carries the gene that puts them at higher risk (relatives with the cancer gene could consider participation in a trial of preventive medicines and measures and could pursue the aggressive screening recommended for those at high risk)

•can identify which of your relatives do not carry the gene, and who are at normal risk for the development of that type of cancer (this will spare many people aggressive screening for and anxiety about a high risk that they do not have)

•offer the hope that a way to correct the defective gene in patients will become available to treat people with cancer, and to prevent this type of cancer from ever developing in those at risk

•contribute to our general understanding of cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment

•define populations with high risk that could, by participating in trials, accelerate the discovery of effective preventive medicines and measures for this type of cancer.

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]]> http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-how-does-the-discovery-of-a-cancer-gene-such-as-the-gene-for-colon-cancer-help-me/feed/ 0 AFTER CANCER: IS THERE ANY RISK TO MY TAKING SUPPLEMENTAL ANTIOXIDANTS IN THE FORM OF PILLS, POTIONS, OR POWDERS, UNTIL THE FINAL WORD IS OUT ON THE RISKS AND BENEFITS? http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-is-there-any-risk-to-my-taking-supplemental-antioxidants-in-the-form-of-pills-potions-or-powders-until-the-final-word-is-out-on-the-risks-and-benefits/ http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-is-there-any-risk-to-my-taking-supplemental-antioxidants-in-the-form-of-pills-potions-or-powders-until-the-final-word-is-out-on-the-risks-and-benefits/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:15:01 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-is-there-any-risk-to-my-taking-supplemental-antioxidants-in-the-form-of-pills-potions-or-powders-until-the-final-word-is-out-on-the-risks-and-benefits/ Yes. Medications, even nonprescription medications, can have serious side effects. Vitamins, especially when taken in high dose (megadoses, many times larger than the NHMRC recommended daily allowances), are potentially dangerous.

Since vitamin С is water-soluble, you will excrete any excess in your urine. The risks of taking vitamin С pills include

• stomach irritation

• irritation of the esophagus, especially if the vitamin С is taker just prior to lying down

• oxalate kidney stones in people who are at risk

• interference with certain medications, such as Coumadin

•interference with tests for sugar in urine and blood in stool

• miscarriage/fetal deformity

Discuss the use of vitamin С with your oncologist. Specifically, find out whether you have any medical conditions that would affect how much vitamin С you can take safely. There is no general answer to the question “How much vitamin С should I take to prevent any future cancer?” Many people take 1-2 grams (1,000-2,000 milligrams) of vitamin С daily, because they deem this dose safe and effective, but solid recommendations are not yet available.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. Taking more than the NHMRC-recommended daily allowance of vitamin E can be toxic. (Consult your doctor as this varies according to your age, sex and physical condition).

Beta-carotene and carotenoids can impart a yellowish tint to the skin.

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]]> http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-is-there-any-risk-to-my-taking-supplemental-antioxidants-in-the-form-of-pills-potions-or-powders-until-the-final-word-is-out-on-the-risks-and-benefits/feed/ 0 AFTER CANCER: SUPPLEMENTAL THERAPY. VISUALIZATION http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-supplemental-therapy-visualization/ http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-supplemental-therapy-visualization/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:13:09 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-supplemental-therapy-visualization/ What Is Supplemental Therapy?

Supplemental therapy is treatment intended to be used in addition to conventional therapy. Examples of supplemental therapies include visual imagery, special diets, vitamins, exercise, counseling, prayer, humor, biofeedback, relaxation, and meditation.

Proponents believe that adding supplemental therapy to your conventional cancer treatments may promote your physical and emotional comfort, enhance your response to conventional therapy, speed your recovery from cancer treatment, and possibly improve your chances against your cancer. The role of supplemental therapy in strengthening the immune system is being evaluated.

Supplemental therapies are never intended to be used as the only therapy when conventional therapy is available. Many people turn to supplemental therapy alone when they have completed conventional therapy and there is no available additional conventional therapy for keeping them in remission. Other people use supplemental therapy alone, with the hope of controlling their cancer, after all conventional therapies have failed.

What Is Visualization?

Visualization is the process of imagining a desired effect or outcome in your mind. Before winding up to throw, baseball pitchers visualize the ball flying through the strike zone. They even visualize throwing strikes while they warm up in the bullpen or relax at home in the evening. Somehow this visualization helps their muscles perform when they are on the mound.

You visualize for healing by imagining your body fixing the body’s problem. If you had surgery, you can visualize the incision healing. If you had chemotherapy or radiation, you can visualize he treatment damaging and killing cancer cells, and your white cells killing and clearing away cancer cells.

Your visualization may be fairly realistic if you know what your cancer cells and white cells look like. Visualization is felt to be just as effective if you use simplistic images or even symbols. You may] visualize white dots (your white blood cells) gobbling up black dots (your leftover cancer cells or any new cancer cells) the way Рас-Man eats the computer dots.

Visualization can be even more abstract. You may imagine J wave (the cancer treatment and your body’s immune system) washing over a beach and then retreating to the ocean, carrying away any debris (cancer cells).

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]]> http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-supplemental-therapy-visualization/feed/ 0 AFTER CANCER: FOLLOW-UP: EXPECTATION. PURPOSES http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-follow-up-expectation-purposes/ http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-follow-up-expectation-purposes/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:11:18 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-follow-up-expectation-purposes/ What Can I Expect at My Routine Follow-ups?

Generally speaking, all routine follow-up visits will include your doctor’s talking to you about any changes since your last visit (taking a history) and examining you (performing a physical exam). The physical exam may be very brief or very thorough, depending on the type of cancer you had and how you are doing. Routine exams often include blood tests and sometimes an X ray.

Some of your follow-up visits, such as your “one year after completion of treatment” checkup, will entail a complete reevaluation. These comprehensive checkups usually include a thorough history and exam, as well as more extensive testing (blood tests, X rays, scans).

At the end of each visit, your doctor will review his or her conclusions about how you are doing, and any plans regarding future follow-up and treatment.

What Do I Need to Know about My Follow-up?

In order to optimize the benefit and efficiency of your follow-up visits, know

• the proposed schedule of visits

• the proposed schedule of tests

• the purpose of each visit (some visits will be quick rechecks and others will be comprehensive reevaluations)

• whether you should fast (not eat or drink anything) before the visit (many times you are allowed water or black coffee when fasting)

•whether you need to do anything special about your medicines just prior to your visit (some medicines, such as diabetes pills, should not be taken when you are fasting; some may interfere with your tests)

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]]> http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-follow-up-expectation-purposes/feed/ 0 AFTER CANCER: ABOUT PROGNOSIS http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-about-prognosis/ http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-about-prognosis/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:09:20 +0000 admin http://thefastpharma.com/2009/03/after-cancer-about-prognosis/ How Reliable Is My Prognosis?

Your prognosis does not tell you how you as an individual will do. It is a statistical probability that helps predict patterns of outcome in populations of people with your illness. Many people with a 2 percent chance of cure at the time they were diagnosed are now cured of their cancer; conversely, many people who had a 95 percent chance of cure at the time they were diagnosed succumbed to their disease. There is no way to predict which individuals will be on the unfortunate side of great statistics and which on the exceptionally good side of terrible statistics. Favorable statistics do not guarantee that you will do well; unfavorable statistics do not guarantee that you will do poorly. Some individuals have recovered from every type of cancer; every type of cancer can be treated in some way.

If My Prognosis Cannot Predict How I Will Do, Why Am I Ever Told My Prognosis?

Your prognosis is useful when it is considered to be one of many factors that help you and your doctors decide when and how to treat your cancer. It is also important in helping you make major decisions, such as those involved in family, career, and financial planning.

It must be emphasized that your prognosis does not guarantee anything one way or the other. One man was given a poor prognosis. After he started chemotherapy, he broke off his marriage engagement, dropped out of the amateur baseball league that he loved, and settled into a routine of going to work and then coming home to “wait for the end.” His cancer responded, and he remained in remission ten years later. During those ten years, his fiancée moved away and married, and his baseball team won three pennants. His prognosis may have been bad, but he did well.

The unreliability of your prognosis can misguide you the opposite way, too. One woman was told that her prognosis was excellent, with a 96 percent chance of cure. Encouraged, she proceeded with her lifelong plans to start her own business. Unfortunately, she was one of the 4 percent who were not cured. She became too ill to work and lost all her savings in her business before it had a chance to succeed. Statistically speaking, she may have had a greater chance of being killed in a car accident than of having a recurrence, so her decision to proceed with the business was very reasonable. The point is that your prognosis provides no guarantee as to what happens with your cancer.

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