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Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
Chemobrain is a known side effect of cancer therapy -- it doesn't affect every cancer patient, but in those who it does tough, it causes a sort of fog to settle over the brain, causing problem in understanding, comprehnsion and memory. But there's good new: A so-called genius drug called Provigil has been shown to improve memory, attention and cognition in chemobrain sufferers. The drug was designed to promote wakefulness in people with sleep disorders.
In a recent post, I wrote about a study that showed that if we can put a name to our feelings, our brains undergo real changes; our fear is reduced along with the intensity of negative emotions.
Sounds like great advice. Except sometimes it's hard to know exactly what we are feeling.
Marshall Rosenberg, the author of Nonviolent Communication, has created a model for compassionate communication. Rosenberg's model "guides us to reframe how we express ourselves and hear others by focusing our consciousness on what we are observing, feeling, needing, and requesting."
One part of the Nonviolent Communication model is trying to figure out exactly what we are feeling. Rosenberg encourages the use of true "feeling words" when we are communicating our needs to others.
If we can pinpoint how we are feeling during times of stress, whether it be daily stress or the stress related to a cancer diagnosis, recovery, or even a grieving process, we can ask for what we need in a more effective way. And hopefully catch some of that brain-calming effect.
Are you a night person or a morning person? I used to be a night owl but years of getting up early have destroyed that--which is what my parents said would happen--and nowadays I have trouble staying up past 10. This is a good thing, apparently, because being a night owl can up your chances of cancer.
Why? Perhaps it's the lifestyle choices of night owls, who tend to be heavier, less active and without children. Or perhaps it an increased exposure to artificial light -- these days, we can avoid sunlight altogether, something that wasn't possible 100 years ago.
There are small steps that each of us can--and should--take to avoid cancer, such as this one, recommended by That's Fit: Buy lip gloss with SPF 15 or higher. Lip gloss with sun-protecting qualities can help prevent lip cancer. I carry chap stick with SPF 15 everywhere and I find it really hand for days when I find myself unexpectedly outside -- I dab some on my nose for added protection. Sure, I can't apply lip gloss to my should, arms and legs, but it's better than nothing, right?
Another tip: use make up or moisturizer with SPF 15 too. You won't even notice you're putting on sunscreen!
When I slather sunscreen on the shoulders of my fair haired toddler, I trust that the claims on the bottle are accurate. I believe that by frequently covering is pale skin in cream, his epidermis will be safe, healthy and cancer free. It turns out this might not be the case.
A recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington-based nonprofit, found that many of the most popular sunscreens do not provide any protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and break down too fast in the sun. Most consumers rely on the SPF number when buying a sunscreen, the higher the number the better the protection. But what continues to slip through the cracks is the sun block's ability to protect from UVA rays. The UVA rays damage skin without leaving a burn and are the main cause of skin cancer.
There is hope on the horizon. The FDA is addressing the UVA issues and is hoping to have some standards in place by the end of the summer. This is good news to those of us who heavily rely on sunblock as a protective effort to sun damage.
Andy Thomas, of Watford, Hertfordshire, UK, who is a kidney cancer survivor, has created a new website called KidneyCancerResource.com. The site contains information on kidney cancer and other urological cancers . Thomas has created this site along with a fellow kidney/bladder cancer survivor, Greg.
KidneyCancerResource.com is a wiki site where multiple authors can collaborate on creating and maintaining content. Thomas intends on building a 'living, organic site' where patients, caregivers and medical professionals can contribute and share information.
Thomas was diagnosed with kidney cancer last year and underwent a successful radical nephrectomy. You can read his story, from a patient's perspective,here. Since then, Thomas' s prognosis is considered good. Thomas has returned to work and has also made a commitment to remaining as fit as possible.
Symptoms of kidney cancer include blood in the urine, pain in the side that does not go away, a lump or mass in the side or the abdomen and weight loss, tiredness or fever. These symptoms do not mean that cancer is definitely present, but anyone with such symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with kidney cancer and you are looking for more information, here is a compilation of sites from KidneyCancerResource, for both the UK and the US and around the world.
June's issue of Community Oncology explores the debate over the use of ESAs (erythropoiesis-stimulating agents).
ESAs are anemia drugs that increase the level of oxygen-carrying red blood cells and the protein hemoglobin. They are used by many cancer patients to fight fatigue and anemia, which occur either as a direct result of their disease or their treatments. The ESAs include EPO (epoetin alfa, or Procrit) and DARB (darbepoetin alfa, or Aranesp).
New data has come out on potentially dangerous side effects of these drugs including blood clots. These drugs are also very costly and some critics have accused oncologists of overprescribing them, swayed by rebates from pharmaceutical companies.
Medicare is currently reviewing their reimbursement policy for the use of these drugs to possibly limit coverage. According to David H. Henry, MD, FACP, and editor of Commmunity Oncology, if this new reimbursement policy is enacted, it would eliminate the use of almost 90% of ESAs in oncology.
Edward Yang, best director winner at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, died Friday at his Beverly Hills home from complications of colon cancer. He had been battling the disease for seven years but kept his condition private. He was 59.
Yang, an American citizen born in Shanghai, first made a career for himself as a computer engineer. On his 30th birthday, he decided to change directions. He became a filmmaker.
Known for his realistic movie portrayals of modern Taiwan, Yang favored stories set in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. He is responsible for the 1991 film A Brighter Summer Day. First-time actor Chang Chen worked on this film and then went on to star in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Ang Lee kung fu hit.
Getting screened for cancer is smart. Yearly mammograms for women older than 40, prostate exams for men older than 50, and skin cancer screenings for just about everyone are just a few of the recommended measures individuals can take to ensure cancer stays away -- or at least is caught in its earliest forms.
But aside from merely submitting to these screenings, there's something we can do to increase our screening smarts. We can stick with the same screening centers and not flip-flop from one location to another.
It's a bad idea to report to a different screening center every year. Being able to compare a current mammogram, for example, with prior images can decrease false alarms by as much as 44 percent. As with much of life, consistency is key. Think about it. When we find that perfect hairstylist, we're sold -- and heartbroken when he or she moves on and we have to start from scratch. A trustworthy car mechanic who knows our car inside and out? Don't dare let him leave town. The most loving child care facility? The search is over, and we pray our kids don't get kicked out. Screening is no different really. So make this your mission: find a good thing and don't stray. Of course, don't linger at locations that make you uncomfortable for any reason. Search until you find happiness. Then stay put.
"This is the first study to apply PET results from early metabolic response assessment to clinical decision making in the treatment of common solid tumors, said Ken Herrmann of the Technical University in Munich, Germany. "The outcome for metabolic responders turned out to be remarkably favorable compared to metabolic non-responders."
According to Herrmann, the results can help select patients who are benefiting from chemotherapy and "circumvent the adminstration of inefficient chemotherapy to patients with no metabolic response."
In a study where actors posed as new patients in secretly recorded visits, doctors talked about themselves in 34% of the encounters.
The researchers wrote in a report in Archives of Internal Medicine, "We found that physician self-disclosures were often non sequiturs, unattached to any discussion in the visit, and focused more on the physician's than the patient's needs."
In 79 percent of the encounters where the doctor went off 'gabbing' about himself or herself, the conversation never returned to the original topic and 11 percent of the time in these encounters, the doctor said things that competed with or offended the patient in some way.
I've met some chatty physicians and nurses. I appreciate the chatter if it is light, small talk designed to put me at ease. And like any other life situation, too much chatter, can be, well, too much.
A cancer diagnosis for ourselves or our loved ones can throw us into a whirlwind of emotion, including anxiety, anger or depression. According to a recent study published by Matthew Lieberman at the University of California, Los Angeles in the journal Psychological Science, putting names to our feelings can decrease the intensity of negative feelings.
His team used brain scans to monitor the response in the amygdala, the portion of the brain that handles fear, as the participants viewed pictures of faces showing different expressions including anger. When the study participants named the emotion, the response in the amygdala decreased.
While we have all known that talking about what we are feeling can help us feel better, Matthews points to this study as evidence that something real and positive is happening in our brains when we do this.
Brussel sprouts contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber. Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin. They contain three types of phyto's, all shown to have either protective qualities against cancer, or enzyme producing qualities that have been shown during research to fight cancer cells in different ways.
When boiling foods they tend to lose some of the vitamins and nutrients into the water. So here is a roasted brussel sprout recipe that is very easy to prepare and the brussel sprouts keep their natural nutty flavor.
Vicki's Roasted Brussel Sprouts 1 lb Brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic minced 1/2 onion cut into thin slices 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss all the ingredients except for the onions in a large bowl to evenly coat the brussel sprouts. Pour brussel sprouts onto a baking tray and spread apart. Bake for 20 minutes then stir or flip and add the onions and bake for 20 minutes more.
The seven cancer thoughts I present to you today are purely random. They are not linked by theme or category. There is no rhyme or reason for my choosing them. And they do not belong with one another for any other reason than this: they all come directly from my very own head and are somehow related to the disease that lingers in my thoughts for most minutes of most days. Here they are:
1. Vanity is merely a six-letter word. It's certainly not as important after cancer as it is before. I admit vanity played a role in my life prior to my breast cancer diagnosis and still, it's with me to some degree. But more important than vanity now is waking each morning and realizing I'm alive. I don't want to lose weight to look ultra thin. I choose to reach an ideal weight because I want to be healthy. I don't want a tan. I want skin that is free from damage. My clothes? I want them to fit and feel comfortable. That's it.
2. Normal is a thing of the past. It's funny how I worked so hard to look normal after cancer struck (note: here's vanity rearing its head). Prior to losing my hair to chemotherapy, I worked hard at matching my long, straight, blond hair to a wig that would become my disguise for five months. I found the perfect replica of what would eventually tumble from my scalp, and I wore it proudly. A neighbor who knew I was receiving chemotherapy once told my sister, "That's so great Jacki didn't lose her hair." I looked that much like normal, people didn't know anything had changed. Little did I know change was right around the corner. When my hair grew in, it was dark and curly. Not even close to normal.
Many of us do not like to think about the possibility of getting cancer. We are supportive of others who have cancer and fight along with them for improved research and better treatment, but rarely think about getting cancer ourselves. Or, if we think about the possibility, we are paralyzed with fear. Thinking about it and gathering information could be a liberating experience, though.
My risk for breast cancer is fairly high: I am female, started menstruating before the age of twelve, have family members who have had the disease, I have a high BMI (body mass index) and I am over 30 with no children. (For more on the risk factors for breast cancer, go to the American Cancer Society website.) Knowing these risk factors, I can do something. I can lose weight, exercise and be vigilant about breast exams, both self exams and at my annual doctor's visit.
I can also research the different treatment options available. Knowing which way you would like to go can save a lot of time and can also alleviate a lot of stress at a time when it would be difficult to make decisions. Knowing that I would probably want to mix conventional methods with some alternative healing methods can help me if i ever have to deal with a cancer diagnosis. Knowing other risk factors for cancer, such as stress and high fat diets, also gives me incentive to change my lifestyle. Reading the blogs on this site has also given me a lot of ideas and helpful tips. Knowing that I am somewhat prepared and definitely informed helps put my mind at ease. Do you think that going over your risk factors and preparing a plan of action is worth it?
Chemobrain is a known side effect of cancer therapy -- it doesn't affect every cancer patient, but in those who it does tough, it causes a sort of fog to settle over the brain, causing problem in understanding, comprehnsion and memory. But there's good new: A so-called genius drug called Provigil has been shown to improve memory, attention and cognition in chemobrain sufferers. The drug was designed to promote wakefulness in people with sleep disorders.
In a recent post, I wrote about a study that showed that if we can put a name to our feelings, our brains undergo real changes; our fear is reduced along with the intensity of negative emotions.
Are you a night person or a morning person? I used to be a night owl but years of getting up early have destroyed that--which is what my parents said would happen--and nowadays I have trouble staying up past 10. This is a good thing, apparently, because being a night owl can up your chances of cancer. 
There are small steps that each of us can--and should--take to avoid cancer, such as this one, recommended by That's Fit: Buy lip gloss with SPF 15 or higher. Lip gloss with sun-protecting qualities can help prevent lip cancer. I carry chap stick with SPF 15 everywhere and I find it really hand for days when I find myself unexpectedly outside -- I dab some on my nose for added protection. Sure, I can't apply lip gloss to my should, arms and legs, but it's better than nothing, right? 
When I slather sunscreen on the shoulders of my fair haired toddler, I trust that the claims on the bottle are accurate. I believe that by frequently covering is pale skin in cream, his epidermis will be safe, healthy and cancer free. It turns out this might not be the case. 
Andy Thomas, of Watford, Hertfordshire, UK, who is a kidney cancer survivor, has created a new website called KidneyCancerResource.com. The site contains information on kidney cancer and other urological cancers . Thomas has created this site along with a fellow kidney/bladder cancer survivor, Greg. 
June's issue of Community Oncology explores the debate over the use of ESAs (erythropoiesis-stimulating agents).
Edward Yang, best director winner at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, died Friday at his Beverly Hills home from complications of colon cancer. He had been battling the disease for seven years but kept his condition private. He was 59.
Getting screened for cancer is smart. Yearly mammograms for women older than 40, prostate exams for men older than 50, and skin cancer screenings for just about everyone are just a few of the recommended measures individuals can take to ensure cancer stays away -- or at least is caught in its earliest forms.
At a meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine in Washington in early June, German scientists reported that imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) can show esophageal cancer patients' responses to chemotherapy.
Following up on my post about what patients want upon their first meeting with a doctor (to be called by name, sometimes to shake hands), another study came out this week about another people issue among physicians: physicians who gab too much about themselves.
A cancer diagnosis for ourselves or our loved ones can throw us into a whirlwind of emotion, including anxiety, anger or depression. According to a recent study published by Matthew Lieberman at the University of California, Los Angeles in the journal Psychological Science, putting names to our feelings can decrease the intensity of negative feelings.
Brussel sprouts contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber. Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer, due to their containing sinigrin. They contain three types of phyto's, all shown to have either protective qualities against cancer, or enzyme producing qualities that have been shown during research to fight cancer cells in different ways.
The seven cancer thoughts I present to you today are purely random. They are not linked by theme or category. There is no rhyme or reason for my choosing them. And they do not belong with one another for any other reason than this: they all come directly from my very own head and are somehow related to the disease that lingers in my thoughts for most minutes of most days. Here they are: 
Many of us do not like to think about the possibility of getting cancer. We are supportive of others who have cancer and fight along with them for improved research and better treatment, but rarely think about getting cancer ourselves. Or, if we think about the possibility, we are paralyzed with fear. Thinking about it and gathering information could be a liberating experience, though.
