Posts tagged with 'cancer surgery'

Opting for breast reconstruction

  • Posted on May 15, 2010 at 4:33 pm

Exciting breast cancer news is blossoming as fast as May flowers.  It’s hard to choose a topic upon which to post. I decided to pick the recent study on the popularity of breast reconstruction.

One in three.  I was surprised by this number of women eligible for breast implant reconstruction surgery who opted for the procedure, at least in four California counties. This number is not representative of the U.S. according to doctors who responded to this study.  But it got attention from the medical community. The results showed that  older women, non-white women, women without insurance, and women not treated at a teaching facility where a plastic surgeon is more likely to be on hand are less likely to opt for reconstruction.

Limited to implants, the study did not address how many women decided to undergo flap reconstruction (using tissue from their own body) after mastectomy.  Flap reconstruction has some real advantages, but also some additional risks as compared to implant surgery. I was not eligible for an implant on my radiated side, so my reconstruction would have consisted of an implant on one side and flap reconstruction on the other. Not a pretty prospect. Especially when the implant doesn’t last as long as the flap breast mound.

Hence, I’m among those who rejected reconstruction after a bilateral mastectomy: a white women of 51 (at the time I was treated) in a rural area who had good insurance.

What to conclude?  I wish no one had to make this choice. Reconstruction is a highly personal–and wrenching–decision involving factors such as medical history, tolerance of risks, and marital and cultural as well as financial considerations. Prayer is key to getting through it. I know. I’ve been there.

Read more at http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20100430/why-some-breast-cancer-patients-forgo-implants.

Blessings,

Jan

Freezing breast cancer away

  • Posted on March 27, 2010 at 5:11 pm

Can freezing breast cancer cells replace surgery?  New research suggests this possibility.  Specifically, in a minimally invasive procedure, several needle-like “cryoprobes” are inserted into the tumor and super-cold gas is passed through them. The ice ball created by the gas kills off only the cancerous cells.  Thirteen women with breast cancer who received this “image-guided multi-probe cryotherapy” are still cancer-free up to five years later.

Lead researcher Dr Peter Littrup, of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, said: “This is the first reported study of successfully freezing breast cancer without having to undergo surgery afterward to prove that it was completely treated.”

Here’s the link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iyQLWE3x1X6IsKqepr5lMXtCls_w

I’m looking forward to the day when surgery is considered a primitive way to treat cancer. Here’s a toast to an ice-cold alternative that, upon further testing, might be in our medical future.

Happy Spring!

Jan

Coordinating people who want to help

  • Posted on March 14, 2010 at 8:49 pm

While you’re being treated for breast cancer many good-hearted people ask how they can help. If the care you need goes beyond, say, two weeks (for example, you have a continued need for meals, childcare, cleaning and rides), two online services may be just the ticket: Lotsa Helping Hands (http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/volunteering/home) and CareCalendar (http://www.carecalendar.org). You can use either of these volunteer coordination services to allow family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to organize and arrange for specific tasks. So take a peek or have an Internet-savvy friend look over these sites to see if they are apropos to your situation.

For more details about these two services, please visit:  http://www.healthcentral.com/breast-cancer/c/9692/104424/coordinating?ic=6040

Since I appreciated the help I received while struggling to recover from surgery and chemo, I want to share these helpful resources with those who can use them.

Cheers,

Jan

Clarification to Study of Weightlifting for Lymphedema Patients

  • Posted on January 16, 2010 at 3:20 pm

Here’s the latest from the National Lymphedema Network (NLN) regarding the PAL study by Dr. Kathryn Schmitz and colleagues, Weight Lifting in Women with Breast-Cancer-Related Lymphedema, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on August 13, 2009. When the article first appeared the media overreacted, making several inaccurate and misleading statements about the research. The NLN and many of its affiliated clinics received phone calls from patients and professsionals expressing frustrating about the inaccurate reporting and requesting clarification of the study results and what these mean for individuals living with or at risk for lymphedema.

The NLN Medical Advisory Committee contacted Dr. Schmitz, who agreed to clear up misconceptions about what the PAL trial did and did not show, and to emphasize the continued need to follow risk reduction guidelines. (See the NLN Position Papers on Risk Reduction and Exercise.)

We hope that Dr. Schmitz’s response (Weight Lifting and Lymphedema: Clearing Up Misconceptions) will help clarify the study results for lymphedema survivors and people at risk for lymphedema. The Executive Director of the NLN recommends that lymphedema therapists apply the protocols for the PAL intervention to their practices.

Jan

Simple blood test to detect breast cancer?

  • Posted on December 31, 2009 at 4:50 pm

What a fabulous early New Year’s gift!

Yesterday Scottish scientists reported their initial finding that a sugar change in blood may signal the presence of breast cancer.  This research could lead to a simple blood test to screen patients for the onset of breast cancer. Providing a blood sample would be much less intrusive and less costly than a biopsy.

A U.S. charity has supplied the scientists with funding to conduct additional research on this exciting preliminary discovery. The original article can be found at http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/editor-s-picks-ignore/blood-test-could-hold-key-to-breast-cancer-1.995228. Let’s pray that the initial results will be confirmed in 2010. I, for one, would opt for a simple blood test any day over a biopsy, even a fine-aspiration biopsy.

On that note of optimism, have a blessed, safe and healthful New Year!

Jan

Breast cancer recurrence from moderate alcohol intake

  • Posted on December 20, 2009 at 5:56 pm

Red wine has an aspirin-like effect, reducing the blood’s ability to clot, and also contains antioxidants. It’s great for the heart, but what about breast cancer? Perhaps the jury is finally in on this issue.

The latest study of breast cancer survivors who consume alcohol was reported in San Antonio, TX this month (http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SABCS/17444). Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the eight-year research project showed that early-stage breast cancer survivors who drank an average of at least three to four alcoholic beverages per week had a 34 percent higher risk of recurrence than those who drank less than one drink per week or no alcohol.  (One drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce glass of beer, or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor.)  This risk was even higher for those who were post-menopausal, overweight or obese.

Per WEEK, not per day? So much for enjoying the entire Mediterranean diet guilt-free.

Precisely how alcohol consumption influences breast cancer risk is not fully understood, says the lead researcher on the study, Marilyn L. Kwan, Ph.D., a staff scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA.  But estrogen, which fuels the growth of most types of breast cancer, is likely a culprit. “It has been suggested that alcohol could increase the risk of breast cancer by increasing estrogen metabolism and circulating levels of estrogen, thus promoting growth of the tumor,” says Dr. Kwan. “A similar mechanism might be responsible for increasing the risk of breast cancer recurrence.”

As a lymphedema patient-advocate I know Dr. Kwan and have great respect for her work. I plan to take her research seriously.

During the seven years between my first diagnosis and my recurrence, I might have averaged at least three drinks of wine a week.  I’m post-menopausal, although not overweight. And I will be going off Arimidex (which reduces estrogen levels in the body) in early March. Therefore, I will call my oncologist to determine what these results mean for me. It appears from the study that two drinks a week did not increase the risk of recurrence, but is that okay for me personally?

Like Dr. Kwan, I encourage early-stage breast cancer survivors or their caregivers to consult their medical professionals to assess personal risk. Breast cancer is such a diverse disease, and red wine in small-to-moderate amounts might benefit those with a personal or family history of heart disease.

My poor oncologist. Is he prepared for my next question-of-the-week about lifestyle choices? But I am compelled to ask. A second recurrence is not one of my New Year’s resolutions! And non-alcoholic drinks can be pretty tasty. Just ask my non-imbibing Christian friends, who engage wine-drinking Christians in constant debates about the biblical propriety of consuming alcohol.

Here’s a Martinelli’s toast to your health for the New Year, and a very Merry Christmas.

Jan

Cancer Patients Seek Honesty, Informality in Doctors

  • Posted on November 13, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Cancer patients want straight talk from their doctors, according to a written survey recently reported  in WebMD Health News (http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20091104/cancer-patients-want-honesty-from-doctors?ecd=wnl_brc_111009).  The survey reflected responses from over 500 survivors of breast, lung or prostate cancer.

A large majority of patients (95%) appreciated honesty in their doctor regarding their odds of survival and how long they might live.  Prostate cancer survivors were more likely than lung cancer patients to want their doctors to be upfront about survival chances: 97% vs. 91%.

In addition, the survey revealed that patients welcome informality in their doctors. Almost 75% preferred to be addressed only by their first name, and even more were fine with their doctor not wearing a white coat.  Most wouldn’t mind a hug after two months of radiotherapy, and a third of women cancer survivors indicated a desire to have their hands held by their oncologists during critical office visits.

Further survey findings reveal that most patients (84%) welcome a detailed explanation of their treatment plan, and an even higher percentage (95%)  said they want their physician to use laypersons’ terms when discussing the details.

As to spiritual matters, 40% of survey respondents indicated they would like to share their own beliefs with their doctor. The results indicated that patients don’t appreciate doctors imposing their own spiritual views, but would like doctors to affirm the individual patient’s own belief system.

I consider these findings refreshing. Patients long for an informal, straight-forward and detailed conversation with their oncologists, similar to what we had before doctors stopped making house calls. Anything the doctors can do to incorporate these findings into their practice would be very beneficial for cancer survivors struggling to understand their prognosis and treatment options. The personal touch is in.

Thanking our caregivers

  • Posted on October 29, 2009 at 1:33 pm

As Breast Cancer Awareness month winds down, if you are a survivor, remember to thank the people in your life who have  supported you throughout your cancer journey. It may be your husband who measures the liquid in your surgical drains. It may be your prayer partner a continent away who listens without judgment to your fears and doubts. It may be your church friend who provides meals or cleans your house after surgery.  Or it may be your coworker who covers for you seamlessly when you miss work to visit the doctor. These angels on earth enable us to bear our burdens more gracefully. Kudos and blessings to all these selfless caregivers.

Newly diagnosed with breast cancer?

  • Posted on October 17, 2009 at 1:50 pm

Wonder where I have been during October, Breast-Cancer Awareness Month?  Busy with book signings, Reach to Recovery training for the American Cancer Society, and my new job as church secretary.  But I am still very much engaged in the cause.

Here’s some interesting information for those who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer or know someone who is:

1. For aid in decision-making about breast-cancer treatment, visit  www.mytreatmentdecision.com.

2. An interesting study about surgical decisions was published recently in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (www.cancerconsultants.com/surgical-decision-making-early-stage-breast-cancer).  Regardless of race or ethnicity, more women with early-stage breast cancer who were active in their own decision-making chose mastectomy than those who made a “shared or surgeon-based decision,” even though mastectomies and lumpectomies have been shown to be equivalent.  Women concerned about recurrence or the effects of radiation were more likely to opt for mastectomy than those who did not share those concerns. In contrast, women concerned about body image or their spouse’s opinion were more likely to undergo a lumpectomy than those who did not voice those concerns.

This finding rang true for me:  when I first had breast cancer at 43, I was concerned about body image and chose lumpectomy.  But when at 53 I was diagnosed with a recurrence in the same breast, body image went out the window, and I chose a bilateral mastectomy.  After my second bout with cancer I wished I had chosen a mastectomy the first time to avoid the recurrence and radiation effects.  God had His reasons, however (one of them being to tell my story), and I’m good with that.

Happy October!

Jan

Late-Stage Breast Cancer Patients Benefit from Breast Surgery

  • Posted on September 29, 2009 at 6:58 pm

The main treatment for most breast cancers is surgery to remove either the affected part of the breast (lumpectomy) or the entire breast (mastectomy).  If the cancer has spread, however, surgery is generally only offered if the breast tumor causes pain or other symptoms.

A new study reported in WebMD Health News challenges this thinking about women diagnosed late with breast cancer.  A recent review of pertinent medical records reveals that patients whose cancer had already metastasized to other parts of the body lived about a year and a half longer if their breast tumor was surgically removed.  Women should ask their doctors about these new research findings, which, if confirmed, may lead to major changes in treatment of this population of patients.  For further information see:  http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20090922/surgery-improves-late-stage-breast-cancer?ecd=wnl_brc_092909

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