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Showing posts matching the search for breast cancer

Cancer Diary: Beating Breast Cancer

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  One of the most famous people I have ever met -- and a very lovely person at that -- is Shirley Temple Black, who passed in 2014 after making the world better in several areas of using her talents at acting, diplomacy, and just good people skills. She genuinely liked people. I remember her taking time from a busy schedule to spend a break period from language studies to talk to my 10-year-old, a conversation he obviously will never forget, about our planned move to Monterey and about how she loved Monterey so much that she got married there. I bring her up in the Cancer Diary post because her birthday would be this coming Saturday (April 23, 1928), and, more important, because she was a breast cancer survivor. Her openness about cancer may have saved millions of lives. The more survivors, the more doctors learn. The more survivors, the more hope for others with breast cancer. And the more survivors, the more we realize that breast cancer does not take sides or pick victims -- every w

Cancer Diary: Cancer Is Not Cancer Is Not Cancer Is Not Cancer

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  Recently on Twitter, a cancer victim complained that friends kept elatedly sending her information about a potential cure for rectal cancer. She suffers from breast cancer! Sort of like rubbing salt in a wound, but the confusion is understandable for those who know little about cancer. Our vet (oncology expert) suggested that we ask Carl's oncologists to consider immunotherapy for Carl. We clung to that possibility initially since immunotherapy had thrown our little Snyezhka into full remission after having been given a maximum of four months to live. Nearly two years later, she is still with us and is healthy.  Carl was given just days to live when he was diagnosed with advanced metastatic cancer involving five organs. We clung to the hope that Stanford University Cancer Center might recommend immunotherapy; that was one of the possibilities the oncologist mentioned. Yes! However, immunotherapy is highly targeted -- against the source cancer. Test after test ruled out each of th

Cancer Diary: Breast Cancer Resources

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  Thanks to Ritta Blens, Carl's Cancer Consortium just received a lode of links to resources, gathered by Elly Hancock, for breast cancer that can be of great value to breast cancer patients. Here is a link to the list: Global Breast Cancer Resources for  Patients, Survivors, and Their Loved Ones Happy time parsing through it! It has also been added to the CCC. Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The web page is in its infancy but expected to expand into robustness. To that end, it is expanded and updated weekly. As part of this effort, each week, on Monday, this blog will carry an informative, cancer-related story -- and be open to guest posts:  Cancer Diary .

Cancer Diary: God Bless Olivia Newton-John

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  This past week, Olivia Newton-John, who has staved off breast cancer for 30 years, succumbed to the struggle at the age of 73. She has been a champion for women with breast cancer. May she rest in well earned peace. Information HERE . For more posts on breast cancer, click HERE. Read more posts from Cancer Diary Blog editor's note: As a memorial to  Carl Don Leaver , co-founder of MSI Press LLC, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The web page is in its infancy but expected to expand into robustness. To that end, it is expanded and updated weekly. As part of this effort, each week, on Monday, this blog will carry an informative, cancer-related story -- and be open to guest posts:  Cancer Diary .          

Cancer Diary: The (Sometimes Unrealized) Benefits of Walking for Cancer Patients

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  Carl did not like to walk. That was not the only thing that did him in, but it was one of the things that might have helped him. The benefits of walking can be immense: Walking increases muscular strength , especially lean muscle mass and functional strength. Walking a mile a day has been found to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer and prostate cancer . In addition, walking and  aerobic exercise diminishes the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment , such as fatigue, anxiety and depression. See also  Walking for Exercise | Cancer Today (cancertodaymag.org) . Walking can improve mental health , thanks to releasing endorphins. Walking can decrease the likelihood of diabetes . Walking can decrease bad cholesterol . Walking can decrease high blood pressure . Walking can reduce cardiovascular risk by 14%. Finally, walking a mile a day can cut risk of dying from prostate or breast cancer by 40% says one study .  For another MSI Press blog post on walking, take a look at: 

Cancer Diary: Pink Pumpkins for Breast Cancer Awareness

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(Bethany @ A Fish Who Likes Flowers)   As National Breast Cancer Month comes to an end, I wonder how many readers know about the following? Actual pink-colored pumpkins grown for breast cancer awareness. Check out this Huff Post article about farmers who grow these pink pumpkins. A company that sells pink pumpkin shirts. There are several styles. Check them out HERE . Finally, read an inspiring article about "The Power of Pink" at the blog, A Fish Who Likes Flowers, written by Bethany, who also designed the pumpkin in the image above. Seriously, worth a read -- and a good blog to follow. Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The web page is in its infancy

Caturday: Cats and Cancer

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  This is not the first time we have written about cat cancer in a Caturday post. We learn more about it over time, and it seems that more in general is learned about it over time.  Blind Cat rescued share the following interesting and information post about cat cancer:  Feline Carcinoma (blindcatrescue.blogspot.com) . Cat cancer not only occurs, but at least in our household has become common as our cats have aged. Among our cats, three have died of it, and two are living with it. The breed does not seem to matter; it appears that cancer is blind to breed. Intrepid was the first to be diagnosed with cancer and the first to die with it. In his cancer, it was small cell lymphoma. He lived only a few months after diagnosis. His vet missed the cancer -- that happens with people, too. After describing Intrepid's late night howling to a friend who works at the SPCA, he gave us the name of a vet with excellent diagnostic skills. She immediately intuited the problem, scoped Intrepid, fou

Cancer Diary: Immunotherapy Update

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  image from www.cancercenter.com When Carl was diagnosed with cancer, our vet-oncologist, who was successfully treating several of our cats who have various forms of cancer -- skin cancer, lymphoma, breast cancer, lung cancer -- with immunotherapy and encouraged us to ask for immunotherapy for Carl. If only... As it turned out, immunotherapy has to be targeted as the primary cancer organ, and that organ could not be found for Carl, who was eventually (but quickly) diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary (a very rare and deadly form of cancer, but we have heard of a couple of other folks in our social circles who experienced it -- and died as quickly as he did). Fortunately, for most of the organs, there are now immunotherapies (and research is finding/creating more). So, most people now have a choice between chemotherapy and immunotherapy -- and maybe some other treatments. For an updated list from the Cancer Research Institute on the latest immunotherapies, check here . This page a

Cancer Diary: Oh, Fig!

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  Carl and I lived in Jordan for a few years. One thing we especially liked about Jordan were the figs. Figs were round, unlike the more pear-shaped ones in the US, and they were, in our opinion, considerably sweeter. Regardless, they were an important of everyone's daily diet, including ours, and they were oh, so sweet! So, why are figs good for preventing cancer? Figs provide polyphenols and carotenoids, which are two phytonutrients, found to help detoxify  carcinogens  that can lead to cancer. These two phytonutrients help repair DNA and other tissue damage. And how do figs treat cancer ? First, if you have cancer, ask your doctor about eating figs. If s/he says yes (there seems to be no negatives to figs), then here are the benefits: Colon cancer: a source of needed fiber Breast cancer (post-menopausal): provide a layer of protection for hormonal imbalance, fight free radicals Brain cancer: restrain cancer cell growth Liver cancer: restrain cell growth; speed up the cure Any ca

Cancer Diary: Cats with Cancer

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  Personal experience from the editor: When three of our six cats were diagnosed with cancer, it was at a late stage. (The number is normal; 50% of cats over the age of 10 end up with cancer.) Even talented feline oncologists cannot turn the clock back. They can try to stop the clock, but sometimes the damage is too great.  We lost Intrepid to cancer three years ago (and wrote a book about him). He survived only a month of chemotherapy; he was diagnosed too late, and several important organs were in the process of failure: kidneys, pancreas, stomach. His older "brother" (not biological) who came from Jordan as well was diagnosed at the same time.  Murjan  managed to survive three years on chemotherapy, but by the time he died last Sunday, he was on seven medicines, periodic hydration, and down to 5 pounds (from 16). He fought valiantly, but ultimately the cancer won. Likewise, our young Lynx Siamese cat, Snyezhka, has breast cancer, diagnosed at stage 4, treated with surgery,

Cancer Diary: Blogs with Real Answers to Caregivers and Family Members of Dying Patients

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  Although it is often difficult to find time to read while coping with cancer or providing care to loved ones with cancer, following one or more blogs on cancer and interacting with them can bring helpful information and peace of mind.  Here is a list of cancer blogs from the CCC. AONN+ Blog Meant for nurses, the topics in  this blog  are nonetheless helpful for any caregiver, such as this one on  compassion fatigue . There does not seem to be a search function, so you may need to sift through the topics to get to the ones you might find helpful, but the topics can be seen at a glance so it is not unduly time-consuming. Cancer Compass This is not a blog per se but rather an  informational message board  seeking to individualize and personalize information and care. Cancer Support Community Blog This blog  addresses specific cancers on a personal level, includes posts on multiple facets of cancer, and is very easily searched. (One cancer that it does not address is cancer of unknown pr

Cancer Diary: The Stages of Cancer

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  If you, a loved one, or a friend has been diagnosed with cancer, you probably already know the four (or actually, five) stages of cancer. For the uninitiated, however, and even for those struggling at one stage or another, it can be beneficial to review the formal definitions of these stages. The different stages of cancer describe how far the cancer has grown and spread at the time of diagnosis. Stages are used to describe the spread of solid tumors, like breast, bowel or lung cancers. Blood cancers, such as leukemia or myelodysplasia, behave differently and are staged in different ways. See Carl's Cancer Compendium for more detail and more links. Stages of Cancer The different stages of cancer describe how far the cancer has grown and spread at the time of diagnosis. Stages are used to describe the spread of solid tumors, like breast, bowel or lung cancers. The stage depends on how big the tumors are and how/if they have spread. Blood cancers, such as leukemia or myelodysplasi

Cancer Diary: Early Indicators of Propensity for Skin Cancer

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  Who would have thunk? There appears to be a link between skin cancer and acne. Well, every bit of forewarning helps -- especially in reminding all of us, not just those who suffer from acne, to wear sunscreen and not to lie around for hours tanning in the sun. If we weren't born with brown skin, well, that's life. Browning it in youth and risking skin cancer later is so not worth it! Take a look at the research HERE . It's not just the obvious skin cancer that acne might predict, it is also other kinds of cancers, like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and some lymphomas.  And to muddy the waters, it could be that the propensity for skin cancer could be the reason for the acne. Shades of Schroedinger's cat -- or the old dilemma:: chicken or egg? For other Cancer Diary posts, click  HERE . Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop