Welcome to the WebMD Cancer blog
Welcome to the WebMD Cancer Treatment and Care Blog. I am a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I have been part of the WebMD community for many years, staffing the Cancer Treatment Message Board. That has been a very gratifying experience for me, and hopefully readers.
Cancer is a common disease in our society, affecting many families throughout the US and across the world. Cancer treatment and care are subjects that stir strong emotions because of the serious nature of a cancer diagnosis, the often-unsatisfactory treatment options, and the deep hopes and fears of cancer patients, their friends, and loved ones.
This blog will try to give people interested in cancer a forum for discussing advances in cancer treatment, and to comment on the social and cultural aspects of cancer. I hope it will be an interesting venue for readers and patients, and a compliment to our message board.
Thanks for joining us.
Related Topics:
Cancer is a common disease in our society, affecting many families throughout the US and across the world. Cancer treatment and care are subjects that stir strong emotions because of the serious nature of a cancer diagnosis, the often-unsatisfactory treatment options, and the deep hopes and fears of cancer patients, their friends, and loved ones.
This blog will try to give people interested in cancer a forum for discussing advances in cancer treatment, and to comment on the social and cultural aspects of cancer. I hope it will be an interesting venue for readers and patients, and a compliment to our message board.
Thanks for joining us.
Related Topics:
22 Comments:
I would like information on myofibrosarcoma, grade 2 of 3 in the hand, have removed three tumors, margins still have cancer cells. Another terminology used is is epitheloid variant of myxofibrosarcoma.
Hello, I just located this blog and I would like to know if you can help me with a situation. My mom, who is 80 years old was diagnosed with bladder cancer in Januray of this year. They removed a tumor the size of a tennis ball that was attached to the outer area of the bladder. Since then she has had chemo and radiation treatments. Here is the problem. After her radiation treatments she started bleeding from her colon. This has been going on for 3 months now. She was admitted to the hospital twice since. The first time they just checked her and sent her home. The second time they gave her blood transfusions because she lost so much blood. She also had a colonostophy, nothing was found. It mostly happens at night and usually follows with diarrhea and constipation. She looks pale and is losing weight. I am very concerned cause she does bleed a lot. To the point where she goes through her clothes and bedding. Her doctors can't seem the find out what the problem is. What could this be and is there treatment? Thank you for your time.
A year ago (last treatment 9/11/06), I was treated for prostate cancer at Loma Linda's Proton Center. I had proton beam therapy. My PSA has been going down and is now 1.7. Here is my graduation speech just before my last 3 treatments:
“Welcome everyone and I am glad I did not scare you away last week. I am Allan Kaufman, from Baltimore, MD 3,000 miles away. 3 more treatments to go. Did you know I was 6 foot 4 before I came to Loma Linda? They told me I needed to lose some height to fit into my pod.
My father had prostate cancer. My mother died of breast cancer. And I am a prostate cancer survivor. My brother’s odds of getting prostate cancer are over 90%. My brother is shopping around for an AFLAC cancer policy.
I am here due to early detection. I’ve been having annual physicals since age 50. My PSA went from 2.7 to 3.5 in a year and then to 4.0 in 5 more months. A biopsy indicated a Gleason score of 3+3=6. I had no symptoms. I felt fine.
Doctor: Well, we better discuss treatment now for your prostate cancer. I recommend hormone therapy.
Man: Are there any side-effects?
Doctor: A few. You will have a loss of potency. You might get some hot flashes. When lost, you will have an inexplicable urge to ask for directions and ....You will enjoy shopping with your wife at the mall.
My urologist told me surgery was the way to go. He told me that 75% of his patients were not impotent after 3 years. 3 years? And some of us think 10 weeks here at Loma Linda is a long time. AND what about the other 25%?
My regular doctor told me that of all 30 patients of his that had prostate surgery, all were incontinent and impotent. That did it for me!
I had a dream. And in my dream doctors were all knowing and shared information freely with their patients. And then I woke up. I woke up to the realization that doctors are practicing. They are practicing on us, on you and on me.
My friends and fellow cancer survivors. We stepped out of the box. We did not listen to our doctors. We took charge of our own lives. And here we are individually and together at Loma Linda University’s Proton Center.
How did we get here? We drove our cars. We flew on jets. We did whatever we needed to do in our desire for a better outcome than our at-home doctors would have given us.
I ask you: back home did you ever talk to strangers in your doctor’s waiting room? I think not. “What is your PSA level? Any side effects of your treatment?” I doubt it.
Here we are one big family. In the waiting room and in the dressing room, we share lots of personal stuff. Back home did you ever kid around with your doctor or his staff while being treated? Here I tell my gantry techies: Beam me up Scottie!
I was depressed only once right after a treatment. It was when I rushed back to the dressing room, opened the bathroom door and found out there was no toilet paper. Sometimes life's not fair.
I thank my daughter, Amy, for finding out about Loma Linda and Proton Therapy from a colleague at work. His father got proton treatments 2 years ago. Amy overnighted me over 50 pages of information including over a hundred testimonials. I spoke to his father for over an hour and a half. Was this for real? I was told to call Bob Marckini. I did and here I am.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the creative thinkers here at Loma Linda. We thank the wonderful staff here at Loma Linda. We thank our doctors and we especially thank our wonderful technicians who carefully insert that BALLOON into us each treatment. We are thankful for all the support groups that are around, the Wed nights, the potlucks, etc. Take advantage of them.
Let’s give a special thanks to Dr. Martell for his weekly words of wisdom and to Carol and Patti for all their hard work putting together these wonderful Wednesday night support sessions.
We thank Bob Marckini for setting up BOB – the Brotherhood of the Balloon. Go to his website and read testimonial after testimonial after testimonial: www.protonbob.com.
We also thank the Loma Linda community for helping to lay down a system for us to become members of their communities however long or short our stay.
And finally we thank G-d for pointing us in the right direction. And for allowing us to enjoy ourselves while we go through the process of getting cured.
How did I enjoy myself? Three days/week at the world’s greatest fitness center and pool: the Drayson Center. My wife and I toured L.A. and visited the San Diego Zoo and La Hoya. We walked through the Nixon Library and we climbed aboard Air Force One at the Reagan Library.
The worst part of the whole treatment for me was during the drive up and down the mountain to Lake Arrowhead, 5,000 feet up. Folks, I am a flatlander and proud of it.
It is time for us to spread the word. Like evangelicals, we should jump right in upon hearing the words prostate cancer. There are a lot of men out there who have no clue what the prostate is, what it does or where it is located. I was one of them. Many call it their prostrate.
The doctor speaks: “You have prostate cancer.” Suddenly, you get this sinking feeling and initially lose all brain function. You are at the mercy of your doctor.
When I heard I had cancer, I looked so depressed that a homeless person gave me a dollar.
Over 200,000 men are diagnosed each year with this thing called prostate cancer. 30,000 + die each year. Many suffer from everlasting side effects – most of them do it silently, ashamed to tell anyone. This is because they knew not of a better way.
Fortunately for us, we found the better way: Proton Beam Therapy. Most of us found out all this from someone else who had been here. What if he had not spread the word to you? Would you have found out? Or would you now possibly be wearing diapers and/or taking Viagra? Or even worse, would you have been the one in two hundred that died on the operating table?
A man with cancer returns to religion with fervor. He knows that G-d will help him get better. Early in his sickness, a surgeon proposes radical surgery.
"No", he says, "I don't want to get mutilated and suffer pain. It's not necessary, G-d will help me".
A while later, he sees a radiologist who proposes radiation to treat the tumor, which by now is uncomfortably large. "No", he says, "I don't want radiation burns inside and out. It's not necessary. G-d will help me."
A year later, the cancer has metastasized. It's painful and he is referred to an oncologist. Chemotherapy is advised. "No", he says, "I don't want to be sick all the time and lose my hair as well. It's not necessary. G-d will help me".
Soon after, he dies. He goes to Heaven and demands an audience with G-d. "Why didn't you help me?" he whines.
"What do you mean? I sent you help three times: a surgeon, a radiologist and an oncologist. What more did you want?"
G-d sent us to Loma Linda and thank G-d we were listening. Choose to make a difference. Turn this challenge into a positive life transforming experience. Become a ray of hope for those about to hear “You’ve got prostate cancer.”
Go out there and touch someone. Spread the word. Spread the word about early detection. Spread the word about protons and especially about Loma Linda and its Proton Center. Send them to www.protonbob.com and tell them to call 1-800-PROTONS. G-d bless us all.”
Hello,
I am 53 years old and have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer at approximately 30%. My family and I are just now in the process of making a decision on the type of treatment. There are so many different options. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best type of treatment? Does anyone have any experience with seed radiation treatment? Thank you for the advice.
Hello
My husband was diagnosised in July with Bile Duct Cancer, He had surgery and now we are doing chemo and radiation. If anyone has info on this to help me understand I would love to hear .
Hi Vicki..my husband also had bile duct cancer is now doing IV chemo once a week and chemo pills every day for 2 weeks on, one week off. He had his surgery at Sloan Kettering. He is doing well although we are watching his tumor marker number which keep on going up and down.
katie asks, husband has rectal
cancer and has chemo and radiation
therapy. since this part of his
treatment has ended, he has burns
on his lips, what can you do.
anyone with info on a treatment
for his lips, please help.
my grandmother is in her 70's and was just diagnosed with colon cancer, and my dad just told me that it has spread to her liver. he also said that if the tumer was small they would have removed it on the spot when they removed part of her colon. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY GRANDMOTHER?
Anonymous,
I'm so sorry about your grandmother's diagnosis. Please visit our cancer center to learn more, and you can also ask Dr. Burstein questions on our Cancer Treatments and Options message board.
My father is 78 years old and has been diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma, Transitional Cell (in the bladder) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (leukemia). The doctor tells me that it is rare to have more then one cell at a time. He is staged at 4 and is currently taking Oral Nexavar. The side effects are starting to be overwhelming and the tumor in the kidney is nearly 3" in size. Surgery is an option but will it really make a difference at this point? Should we just prepare him to live out his life with quality and let this just take its course? What are some other options at this point? Thank you
Chaddygirl
My husband was recently diagnosed with recurring renal cell cancer and is on Nexavar twice a day. The side effects seem to be more harsh that we realized, and I am watching him lose weight, lose sleep, and frankly I am scared to death.
Hello my mother 55 was diagnosed with kidney cancer in Nov of 2005. A quick note my mother had the tumor removed that was in her kidney, the doctors told us that it was all incapsulated and they got it all.. What a sigh of relief or so we thought. In Nov of 2006 the cancer had spread to her lungs, tailbone, pelvic and brain and she was given less than a year to live. So much for the tumor being incapsulated..... We began out fight since she was not ready to leave her children yet.. So we went to Rowell Park Cancer institute in Buffalo ny and they started my mother on Sutant. That was worked great. Its now March of 2008 and all of the cancer is gone except for her lungs, and we were just told that her lung nodules are growing and it doesn't seem like the sutant is working anymore and we shoudl look for other treatments.... They had suggested Nexavar....Anybody have an info on it I have read 2 blogs one from chaddygirl and another one. You guys have any suggestions... I am not ready to say goodbye to my mother NEED HELP..... Thanks for any little help that anyone can give me. Thanks
I would like to see more research into the genetic link of pancreatic cancer. Following my mother's death from it in 1985, I found that it ran on her mother's side of the family. There is definately a genetic link. My mother was in excellent health until this cancer cut her down.
What made her cancer so difficult to treat was the fact that the tumor was like a jellyfish with tentacles wrapped around the spine.
Chemotherapy and Inteferon drugs did little to shrink the tumor, which was about the size of a lemon. It did however, keep her alive for 23 months after the surgeon said she had 6 weeks!
I'm kind of new to WebMd, so not sure if you answer questions or not.
I have seen conflicting information about testosterone supplements and increase in prostate cancer.
One article I read on WebMd from 2006 said that one study shows no increased risk of cancer among older men from taking testosterone. Yet another area on WebMd a doctor tells WebMd that testosterone acts like a fertilizer for cancer cells.
There is a VERY high incidence of prostate cancer in my family (my father, his brother, their father, my brother, etc.).
I am taking an anti-depressant which is having sexual side effects. A blog entry on WebMd says that these drugs lower testosterone levels and that supplements may help this problem.
So now I don't know whether it's safe to take the testosterone or not (I'm 53).
I would like to know something about Hodgkins Lympona cancer. My ten year old greatgrand daughter has been diagnois with this.
Jonesjj5
I think there needs to be more money spent researching the relationship between cancer and diet vs. what to do after the fact.
Diagnosed 3/2006 with metastic melanoma. Treated with zometa once a month, Temodar 7 days cicle and NEXAVAR. Unfortunately moved to Italy, and nexavar is somewhat difficult to get. The cancer is not moving, everything is stand still. I think that I am lucky. Any chance to get NEXAVAR from the States? I am a citizen on SS disable benefits.
hi! i just wanna ask about what do you call the cyst who has a hair or teeth formed into it? is dermoid cyst? can it be cancerous? is it okei if it wouldnt be remove in your ovary?
Melanoma is not the deadliest form of skin cancer as was stated in a recent issue of WebMD Magazine in discussing John McCain's health issues. The rarest and deadliest form of skin cancer is Merkel cell carcinoma which has a mortality rate twice that of melanoma.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer June 2006. Had surgery and chemo. I now take a drug to block estrogen. My question is: Am I a candidate for the new vaccine when it becomes available or is it just for Her2 cancers?
TO KATIE HER HUSBAND LIPS ARE
BURNING FROM THE RADIATION.
TRY OPENING A VITAMIN E CAPSULE
WITH D-BETA TOCOPHEROL,D-DELTA &
D-GAMMA TOCOPHEROL'S(use a safety
pin put into the seam put in refrid)use 400IU OR 800IU.
PUT ON LIPS
get some ZINC LOZENGE'S THIS ALL
CAN BE BOUGHT IN A HEALTH FOOD STORE.
I am glad to read this Blog- The very name cancer is scary to us. Since no cure for this, any one will fear. Even me too. This is a nice blog- But I am looking for more updates with more information. Cancer can make people invalid. I know that it can kill your health but never the will. Your heart will beat for the untold melody of life. I have found an info guide that deals with the Cure of Cancer through holistic treatment. It may be good if you really need a cure to save life. Yu can have that free guide from following URL http://www.helpcure.com/cancer
I request all to gather/ find more and better information about cancers and create blogs as well as blog posts to make us know further. You know many of us need better information. Even me too.
Have a nice day
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