Posts tagged with 'chemotherapy'

Intimate Details

  • Posted on August 4, 2010 at 9:01 pm

We’re now in the dog days of summer. Having lymphedema and enduring the heat so long, I am ready for the fall.

My topic this month is sex and intimacy. Not a subject I address much in my Mourning Has Broken book.  Nor do many other cancer survivor authors judging from the books I’ve read. The American Cancer Society put out a book addressing this issue that I found in my local cancer center library–a useful resource for those going through the trauma of surgery and reconstruction. It takes courage and moxie to write about painful intercourse. Nonetheless, it’s the elephant in the room for those of us with breast cancer.  My having a double mastectomy with no reconstruction challenged my self-image dramatically. On top of that, I went into early menopause due to chemo and took Arimidex for years, an anti-estrogen drug that thins out the vaginal lining. These factors led me to find ways to increase the pleasure of intimacy.

It’s no surprise then that I identified with and related to the advice in an article from WebMD on this topic:  http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/features/breast-cancer-sex-and-intimacy?ecd=wnl_brc_080310. To the boa idea I would add wearing a lacy camisole to add to the atmosphere.  And I’ve read in a recent blog post on vaginal dryness (http://www.breastcancersisterhood.com/_blog/Brenda%27s_Blog/post/Sex_and_Breast_Cancer/) that we who have estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer should look for vaginal moisturizers and personal lubricants with no parabens, which may possibly have some estrogen-promoting effect. Replens is an excellent estrogen-free brand that I recommend in my book.

May all you survivors out there be encouraged that you are not alone in this difficult and very private challenge.

Blessings,

Jan

Breast cancer drug not considered cost-effective in U.K.

  • Posted on June 12, 2010 at 6:44 pm

A U.K. national health institute concluded last week that Tykerb, a new breast cancer drug that helps women with advanced breast cancer survive longer, is not cost-effective.  This decision means that about 2,000 patients in the U.K. will no longer receive the drug. My oncologist told me someone moved to my area from London to get Herceptin, another drug that is effective against breast cancer. She was not able to get it in England.

Tykerb is being tested along with Herceptin as a possible treatment for early-stage breast cancer. If it is found effective, I’m praying that the U.K watchdog institute will cover it, since early-stage intervention should be considered more cost-effective.

I’m saddened by this news, but not surprised, given the British cost-strapped government’s need to cut somewhere. Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/10/uk-recommends-against-buy_n_607392.html.

Meanwhile, I’m encouraged by the fact that over 10 million cancer survivors live in the U.S.  I discovered this fact at my local Relay for Life last week. We are surviving longer and longer.

June blessings to you.

Jan

Multivitamins and Breast Cancer

  • Posted on April 11, 2010 at 4:24 pm

What do we make of the latest study suggesting that taking a daily multivitamin might increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer?

If you haven’t heard about this study, a Swedish government agency found recently that women who took multivitamins were 19 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.  When they started the study, none of these women had had breast cancer. See the news at:  http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=1260274. The researchers have not yet identified what ingredient(s) in the multivitamin capsule might be responsible for this observed effect.

Before you dispose of all your multivitamins, do a reality check.  If you have been following health news for any period of time, you realize the landmines of taking seriously all these studies. Some health research findings have proven true as a trend over the years, but others have been contradicted or disproved. I believe it’s important to know which brand and type of multivitamin was tested. At my local drugstore I recently found myself overwhelmed by the number of choices of multivitamin available to the consumer. And a stop at any health food store would only amplify those choices.

What’s a health-conscious person to do?

I plan to ask my new oncologist next month if taking my particular brand of multivitamin is a plus or a minus in my risk for a second recurrence of breast cancer.  Only if he confirms the findings will I throw out my pills the way I threw out my tampons two months into my first chemo.  If you are at all concerned about these findings, I suggest you do the same: check with your primary physician or oncologist to determine whether your multivitamin supplement is still right for you.

Happy April!

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

A blessed Thanksgiving

  • Posted on November 25, 2009 at 3:49 pm

Thanksgiving is a time of year to reflect on our lives and count our blessings, one by one, as the hymn goes. I have just been advised to stop taking Arimidex, an anti-estrogen daily pill I have taken for over six years. My former oncologist counseled me to stay on this pill for life, but my new doctor believes there is no further benefit, and there are even risks, in taking it longer than needed. So I will be stopping it starting in the New Year.

Since I had a recurrence two years after I got off tamoxifen in 2001, I am a bit apprehensive about discontinuing my daily Arimidex. It’s like a security blanket, but with prickly side effects. My doctor said I could take Evista (raloxifene) for a further five years to ward off my anxiety. But the possibility of experiencing deep vein thrombosis, stroke or other nasties from this tamoxifen-like drug do not seem worth it. And like Arimidex, this drug has no generic equivalent. So it would further drain my bank account as well as my estrogen.

This Thanksgiving I’m resolved to throw my fears out the window, to be grateful to God that I no longer need any adjuvant drug. I believe I’ve done all I can do to reduce my risk of another recurrence by enduring a bilateral mastectomy, two aggressive courses of chemo and a year of Herceptin.

Perhaps being off Arimidex will be like pressing the “Pause” button on my post-menopausal symptoms. Maybe my hair will have a chance to thicken and my night sweats, hot flashes and joint pain will subside. Maybe I’ll even lose weight! What a wonderful blessing all that would be. But if I don’t recover any youthful traits, that’s okay, too. My heavenly Father knows best. And for that I am the most grateful as we wrap up 2009.

A joyous and blessed Thanksgiving to one and all!

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.

Cancer patients needed for clinical trials

  • Posted on August 4, 2009 at 5:16 pm

A recent article in the New York Times ( http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/health/research/03trials.html?_r=1&em) reports a lack of participants in clinical studies designed to test cancer drugs.  Patients cite many reasons for not volunteering, including  a dislike of additional office visits and tests, fear of being given a placebo, and additional stress on top of their basic struggles to survive treatment.

To encourage trial participation, study experts are exploring additional options.  Among their considerations  are giving doctors more incentives, improving efficiency, convincing patients that placebos are rarely used in cancer trials in the U.S., and paying patients.

As a recipient myself of treatments developed through clinical trials (including Herceptin), I strongly believe such studies are worth exploring if they are available.  In fact, in my book “Mourning Has Broken:  Reflections on Surviving Cancer,” I encourage participation in clinical trials as a way to give back to the cancer community and help future generations.  Bravo to the Italians for their early participation in chemo drug trials that paved the way for modern chemotherapy options.

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