MSI Press Blog

  check the American Cancer Society website for a ton of information about bone cancer Carl had bone cancer, one of the five cancers that took him out of this life. It was the bone cancer that caused him some of his greatest daily living problems because it caused frequent eruptions of hypercalcemia . One does not hear about bone cancer as often as some other cancers, but while probably the liver cancer was the most lethal (of Carl's cancers), bone cancer caused him the most anguish. Now, there appears to be some new treatment that is highly successful.  Read about it here:  Groundbreaking bone cancer treatment achieves 99% success rate (msn.com) . 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 starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that c...

  Colon cancer continues to be better understood -- and findings show that we can do some things to prevent it. Not always, not with certitude, but definitely in some cases, colon cancer may be avoided or delayed.  I worry about our son CB. As Carl's son who is the spitting image of his father, likes the same things, including foods, and as a mentally challenged individual fights any changes to what he likes, he is, I worry, a candidate for colon cancer -- or some other kind of cancer. Carl ultimately had five kinds before he died though death came swiftly after diagnosis. As a Charge Syndrome adult, CB cannot be safely scoped. No colonoscopies mean no early detection. So, his gastroenterologist, dietician, and I are left to try to manage his diet wisely, which, of course, he fights -- but we keep at it.\ What are some of the things we have learned? Check the out here: I’m a cancer dietitian — here are 13 easy ways to lower your risk for colon cancer Nearly Half of Cancer Deat...

  Carl, whose experience launched this blog and the MSI Press's Carl's Cancer Compendium (CCC) died after a very short 5 months post-diagnosis of occult cancer, or, as the official term goes, Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP).  Carl fell February 23 and went to the local hospital where staff found advanced stage 4 metastatic cancer in five organs and subsequently transferred him to Stanford University Hospital, stating he would not likely return him. He did return home, for a brief four months--and he died at home on hospice almost a month later, having spent only 10 days in that capacity.  Stanford spent almost a month trying to determine the original cancer that had spread to these five organs (none of these organs was the original.) That is the problem with CUP. Finding the original seems out of reach and a guessing game. The doctor made his best guess, based on the spread pattern, but the cocktail he came up with for chemotherapy while doing no harm also did no good. T...

  What is a  book jewel ? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Each month, we share near-daily, or as often as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is  Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Car's Story , an award-winning book beloved by many.  Description: A cat with a divine mission, Sula has an uncanny ability to sense which parishioners at Old Mission San Juan Bautista (California) need her attention at any given Mass. But...is it really uncanny, or does St. Francis give Sula tasks during her daily conversations with him? Or is she led by God?Sula has developed a special bond with cancer surv...

  Vitamin supplements are the easy-to-obtain, off-the-shelf, magic pills that keep us healthy, right? Well, actually, some vitamins and supplements have been associated with an increased risk of certain types of cancer when taken in high doses. Here are a few examples: Vitamin A (Retinoids) : High doses of vitamin A supplements have been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. Beta-Carotene : High doses of beta-carotene supplements have been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, especially in smokers. Vitamin E : Some studies suggest that high doses of vitamin E supplements may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Folic Acid : Excessive intake of folic acid supplements may increase the risk of colon cancer. Selenium : High doses of selenium supplements have been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer. It's important to note that these associations are based on studies involving high doses of supplements, not the vitamins obtained from a balanced diet. Always co...