Back in February I began treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer and although I had anticipated contunuing posting during that treatment, I felt unable to do so.  As a result, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted here at all.    Thankfully Paul and Catherine have been doing a terrific job.  In my recent downtime I’ve had the chance to enjoy reading what they’ve been posting.  But now I’m through my treatment cycle and gratefully am once again cancer free, and will be posting far more frequently.  I feel very fortunate to be through chemo again and am really hopeful that this will be the last time. 

There have been good days and bad days for me over the past couple of months.  I wanted to tell you all that I hope anyone who out there who is currently undergoing treatment and living with cancer can keep with them the importance of positive thinking and attitude.  I can’t tell you how many times during treatment that I’ve had a bad day primarily because at its onset I thought it was just going to be one.  It isn’t to say that while in treatment there aren’t days where you feel poorly, or maybe even worse than that.  But even on those days it’s possible to take a moment and muster even a little smile.  Maintain a positive outlook in reminding yourself that things can and will get better.  Every day that you’re alive is something to be grateful for.  Every day that you’re living with cancer is one more day that you’re a cancer survivor.  It isn’t always so easily said and done, but even taking just a little time to remember that you’re a survivor can help turn your day around.      

An apple a day may help keep breast cancer away, say Cornell University food scientists. “We found that tumor incidence was reduced by 17 percent, 39 percent and 44 percent in rats fed the human equivalent of one, three or six apples a day, respectively, over 24 weeks,” says lead study author Rui Hai Liu.

These same rats also had the number of tumors reduced by 25 percent, 25 percent and 61 percent, respectively, the researchers report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, which will publish the findings later this month.

The report is currently published online here.

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptists Medical Center have uncovered that inserting heated chemotherapy drugs into the abdomen is a good way to treat cancer that has spread. Combining this method of treatment with surgery can improve survival and quality of life patients with cancer that have historically had a poor outlook.

The high temperature of the fluid is thought to increase the drug’s effect and both heat and direct contact with chemotherapy drugs kills the cancer cells. One of the studies, conducted by Dr Perry Shen from Wale Forest, looked at patients with cancer that had spread to the abdominal lining, called the peritoneum, from the small bowel.

The study found that those who received IPHC in addition to usual care, which included surgery, survived much longer than those who had only traditional treatment - an average of 45.1 months compared to 3.1 months, respectively. Attempts to treat this type of cancer using conventional chemotherapy and surgery have not been successful, said Dr Shen.

See the press release here.

This March represents the sixth year of national colorectal cancer awareness month. The campaign has been highly successful in raising awareness about this highly preventable disease. Colorectal cancer claims over 50,000 lives a year and is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Over 90% of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer are age 50 and older. Researchers estimate that one-third of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if everyone age 50 or older received regular colorectal cancer screenings. Currently, less than 40% of individuals in this age group do so.

If you’d like to raise awareness in your own community, you may want to use an Awareness Kit from the Colon Cancer Alliance. Included are: Brochures, state screening statistics, and samples of press releases, and speeches.

We’ve talked a little bit previously about patients doing their own research using the internet and other sources. But what about using the internet as a means of support?

With more people than ever having access to the internet online support groups are an increasing option for many cancer patients and their support netwroks who may live in more rural areas where there aren’t many support group options, can’t easily get out to an in-person group, or who simply prefer it that way. There are some groups with members comprised of places all over the world which are exclusively online, and some which meet periodically in-person in addition to offering online support. I was wondering if people prefer online groups to in-person ones, or vice versa. I suppose the question initially should be: Do you use support groups at all? Or do you prefer to get your support from your own circle? And if you do utlilize support groups, do you prefer online groups, or in-person ones?

I’ve used a mixture of both at different times throughout living with cancer, and have taken positive things away from each kind of interaction. I’m curious to know what people prefer and why?

Some resources for online cancer support include:

CancerCare’s online support groups and forums

OncoChat’s support/discussion groups sponsired by ACOR

American cyclist Lance Armstrong has done much as a Tour de France champion and cancer survivor in promoting cancer awareness and research money. Today he announced that he will ride this summer in pursuit of his seventh consecutive Tour de France title. Regardless of whether or not you’re a cycling fan, Armstrong’s decision to ride is great news for those in the cancer community. The exposure and face to cancer that he is able to bring amidst all of the publicity which surrounds the Tour de France is invaluable in the fight to bring cancer awareness and prevention onto the world’s stage.

Since their initial sales just prior to last year’s Tour over 33 Million LIVESTRONG bracelets have been sold with all of the proceeds going directly to cancer research. Armstrong’s announcement to ride again this year made me think that it would be a good time to mention some resources that are available to the cancer community through his foundation.

Live Strong is the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s educational progran which provides many recources for those living through and beyond cancer, and their friends and families. It is completely free, easy to use, and worth checking out if you have questions about living with cancer.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation’s main site also has resources and information on advocacy, research, education, and support. Also see this site for information on how to become involved and raise money on your own to partner with LAF in fighting cancer.

A team at the University of Cambridge has recently been awarded a six-figure grant from the World Cancer Research Fund to conduct a study in hopes of determining if there is a link between early childhod growth and eventual cancer risk. The project will be the next step in building on earlier studies which have indicated a possible connection between height and long-term cancer risks. The earlier research has drawn connections between early post-natal diet and weight gain, leg length, body weight, body mass index (BMI), and risk of cancer in adults. 500 babies will be studied at regular intervals throughout early childhood with regular check ins, diet assesments, and measurments. The study furthers the claim that cancer prevention and awareness might need to begin much earlier in life than we have historically believed.

There could be good news for coffee drinkers in the fight against liver cancer. A Japanese study of more than 90,000 people has shown that those who drank coffee daily or nearly every day had half the liver-cancer risk of those who didn’t drink coffee.

Monami Inoue of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo analyzed a 10-year public-health study to determine coffee use by people diagnosed with liver cancer and people who did not have cancer. The study found the likely occurrence of liver cancer in people who never or almost never drank coffee was 547.2 cases per 100,000 people over 10 years. But for people who drank coffee daily the risk was 214.6 cases per 100,000. The protective effect indictaed within the research occurred in people who drank one to two cups of coffee a day and increased at three to four cups. However, they weren’t able to compare and contrast the effect of regular and decaffeinated coffee because decaf is seldom consumed in Japan.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 18,920 new cases of liver cancer were diagnosed in the United States last year and that 14,270 people died of the illness. Causes include hepatitis, cirrhosis, excess alcohol consumption and diseases causing chronic inflammation of the liver.

You can read the original article published in today’s Journal of the National Cancer Institue here.

Is it a good idea to exercise while undergoing cancer treatments? Many people think you should be resting all the time, taking it easy, etc. This is true, and in most cases it probably isn’t the best time to train for that triathalon you always wanted to do, but there are some definite benefits to getting at least light to moderate exercise during treatments. Exercising can give the cancer patient a sense of control and positive energy, when so many other things in life with cancer can seem to be out of control.

During my first experiences with cancer treatments my doctors told me that my immune system was compromised to the point that a gym environment would be too dangerously filled with germs, so I got outside and turned to cycling.  The days I was able to get on my bike, be outside, and feel the air against my face, were the days that I felt in contol. I was often too tired for a jog or to walk far distances, but I found that on the bike I could pedal longer at a slower cadence and feel almost invigorated as opposed to tired.

It seems that for many people I’ve spoken with exercising during treatments while you can promotes setting and reaching attainable goals. It isn’t an option for everyone at every stage in their treatment, but moderate exercise may be more of an option than previously thought my some. Anything from a simple daily walk, to a bike ride or swim can help change your whole perspective on any given day.

This Q&A from the American Cancer Society with Anna Schwartz, FNP, PhD, FAAN goes a long way to answering many questions about exercising during treatment cycles. It’s especially interesting and encouraging in that she indiactes exercising has been shown to radically reduce fatigue side effects during and after cancer treatment. What kinds of experiences have you all had with exercise during treatment, and what are your opinions?

An Associated Press article today indictaes that a new study of New York City newborns suggests that prenatal exposure to air pollution may be linked to genetic changes associated with an increased risk of cancer. The study by Columbia University tracked 60 newborns and their non-smoking mothers in low-income neighborhoods, primarily in Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Bronx. The exposure to combustion-related pollutants was tracked and measured by backpack air monitors worn by the women during the third trimester of their pregnancies. According to the researchers at Columbia, when the babies were born, genetic alterations were measured. Researchers found about a 50 percent increase in the level of persistent genetic abnormalities in the infants who had the higher levels of exposure. The kinds of genetic changes that occured have been linked in previous studies to an increased risk of cancer.

While living with cancer in New York City the past couple of years and being increasingly sensetive to the air quality, I often wondered about the effects that it may have on children, the elderly, etc. I’ll be interested to keep track of this study and see what long term effects and outcomes are measured.

Read the Newswise press release here

I haven’t been posting the past week, and I’m sorry about that.  I know that it’s much nicer to check in with a blog that’s pretty consistant with posting.   As I mentioned a little while ago, I’ve had a recurrence of my ovarian cancer.  Last week was my first treatment.  Don’t you love how “treatment” sounds like something nice — as in spa treatment, etc.?  But to be fair, my treatment this time isn’t nearly as difficult as others I’ve undergone, or seen other people have. 

After the first chemo I spent most of the week wondering how I would react, what would the side effects be like this time, would they get worse, will this treatment work, what if it doesn’t, etc.  So far I’m doing okay, but trying to take my focus off of all these questions can be a challenge at times.  I honestly feel like this should be old hat for me, and that I should be far more at ease and comfortable with the balance of undergoing treatment and my daily life.  But in recently talking to other people who are living with cancer I’m reminded that it’s okay to be confused, angry, and even frightened.  It’s just not okay to let it control the rest of your life. 

Does anyone have any suggestions on how they may have delt with the mental and emotional strain of a recurrence while trying to maintain a “normal” daily life? 

As of today I plan to begin posting regularly again, so thanks for your patience this week and check in with us often.

Gilette has teamed up with Cancer UK to launch a new Testicular Cancer awareness program. Their website is decidedly British, but has very useful information regarding symptoms of TC, risk factors, and information on how to perform a self exam.

Males ages 15-35 are the highest risk demographic for Testicular cancer and should perform a self exam monthly. Please share this information with the people in your life that fall in this group. Like many other cancers, Testicular Cancer has the best prognosis when detected early.

You can read the press release here.

More information on Cancer UK

According to National Polytechnic Unoversity researchers, it’s estimated that 50,000 people are dying in Mexico from cancer each year. Cancer is the number one killer of Mexican women as they account for nearly 66% of all cases registered nationally. The two most common types of cancer among women are cervix and breast cancers. Researchers also noted that in Mexico tobacco smoking causes 80 percent of lung cancer case and most likely has a strong relationship with many other forms of cancer including oral and throat among both men and women.

When I see these high numbers, I can’t help but think that these are still only the registered and reported cases. In a country like Mexico where those in the lower economic brackets often face unsanitary living conditions, poor working condition, inadequate diets, and minimal access to health care, many others may be dying of cancer or cancer-related diseases that are not even counted in the already high annual mortality numbers.

Sources: Big News Network  and Yahoo News

Ovarian cancer is called by many the “cancer that whispers,” as it’s often a silent killer that sneaks up on its victims leaving them very little time to engage in a fight for their lives.  It gets its reputation because most ovarian cancer isn’t diagnosed until it’s already spread outside of the abdomen and into other parts of the body.  Its symptoms are usually non-specific and can very easily be attributed to other things including stress and the overall rigors of daily life.

Ovarian cancer is not rare.  Worldwide it has been estimated that the lifetime risk of women for ovarian cancer is about 1 in 70.  In the U.S. it’s about 1 in 55.  It can touch women of all ages, backgrounds, shapes, and sizes.

But there is good news.  There are signs to look for and ways to get proactive when it comes to early detection.  Some common symptoms to look for and basic tests you can ask your doctor to do in keeping one step ahead of ovarian cancer are available below.  Listen for the possible whisper of ovarian cancer in your life, or spread the word to women you care about.  It’s a tough battle, but with the right information and resources many more people can win!

Please see Warning signs and symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

More Information is available from the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

Last week I wrote about the fear of recurrence. And sometimes that fear is well founded. Today I have received confirmation that my ovarian cancer has recurred. I first wondered why I can’t just trade bodies with someone else, but then upon further thought decided that I wouldn’t want to. The body I have now is the one that’s gotten me to where I am today, and it’s the one that will help me make it through these next treatment and eventually back into remission again.

Upon hearing that I have had a recurrence and will need to have treatment this next week some of my initial thoughts were of my family and friends. These are the people that love me and have stood by me all over the past two years as I have fought cancer. I thought of how disappointed they would be to hear the news, and how I just didn’t want to tell anyone. But eventually I regrouped and knew that the people who care about us need to know so they can support us. They want that opportunity. I have not let them down and my body has not let me down. Cancer is most often something that does all of the letting down for us, and so we must continue to fight it, to work for new treatments and cures, and to remain calm and positive in its presence.

And so I have not made it to my upcoming one year date in April. But as I’m fond of saying: There is good news. And that is that I’m healthier and this time, the recurrence was detected early and has an excellent prognosis, and I won’t be taking a town car or even the subway to my treatments as I did in New York City. Sometimes we cannot know what causes things to happen inside our bodies. We can do everything right - from eating healthy foods to exercising regularly, and there still may be setbacks.   But humans are resilient by nature.  And often times we prevail.