Breastcancersurvivor's Weblog

Another Myth on Chemothereapy

breastcancersurvivor — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:09:42 +0000

Myth: The only proven treatments for breast cancer are chemotherapy and radiation

The Truth: Chemotherapy doesn’t work and radiation causes cancer

Chemotherapy is a fraud, plain and simple. It’s as ludicrous as poisoning patients with mercury and calling it medicine (which, by the way is something doctors did a hundred years ago.) There is no reliable scientific evidence showing that chemotherapy has any positive effect what-so-ever on any breast cancer. Try to find the science yourself: It jjust doesn’t exist!

Sure, there’s evidence that chemotherapy shrinks tumors. Too bad, however, that tumor size is irrelevant. Tumors also reduce and even completely dissappear in some people without ANY intervention at all! Artificially reducing the size of a tumor does nothing to reverse the physiology of cancer in a patient’s body. It doesn’t initiate the healing that needs to take place to reverse cancer and stay cancer free. And this doesn’t even take into account the quality of life issues here: Chemotherapy doesn’t help people LIVE any longer, but it sure does make them DIE longer!

Chemotherapy and stem cell transplant will not extend lives!

breastcancersurvivor — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:47:26 +0000

A controversial breast cancer treatment consisting of a combination of high-dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant does not extend the lives of patients, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

“This report should absolutely, definitively and for all time close the door on this treatment,” said Dr. Larry Norton of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

During the 1980s and 1990s, it became popular to treat women with a high dose of chemotherapy after surgery, in order to kill off any cancer cells that had not been removed by the initial procedure. Before surgery, surgeons would extract stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow. After the chemotherapy, these cells would be transplanted back into the body in order to restore the immune cells that had been killed by chemotherapy.

The procedure was controversial from the start, in part due to the toxicity of Chemotherapy drugs. Such drugs are particularly dangerous at high doses, and some women subjected to the treatment in the United States have died from toxicity. Even in those who survive, such a high dose of chemotherapy drugs is incredibly hard on the body and leads to a high degree of suffering. Finally, many health insurers were initially unwilling to pay for what they considered an experimental and non-proven treatment.

Researchers analyzed the results of 15 separate trials involving a total of 6,200 early stage breast cancer patients. The lymph nodes of all the patients tested positive for cancer following surgery, but in no cases had the cancer spread to other organs. The researchers found that women who underwent the high-dose chemotherapy did not relapse as quickly as women who underwent more conventional treatments, but they did not live any longer!

breastcancersurvivor — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:47:16 +0000

Colorectal cancer kills approximately 50,000 people in the United States per year. That’s a lot of lost lives!
People with higher levels of vitamin D in their bodies are 72 percent less likely to die from colorectal cancer, according to a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
than those who began the study with the lowest levels of the nutrient.
In addition to acting as an essential nutrient, vitamin D may inhibit the growth of tumors or even kill cancerous cells as prior research has indicated.
National Institutes of Health experts Cindy Davis and Johanna Dwyer warned that vitamin D supplementation is not the end-all of cancer prevention.

Vitamin D can be toxic in high concentrations, but toxicity cannot result from sunlight exposure, because the body ceases production when the needed bodily levels have been reached.
How much do you need ?

Patron Saint of Breast cancer

breastcancersurvivor — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:52:12 +0000

The patron saint of breast cancer is Saint Agatha of Sicily or Saint Agatha
a Christian Saint. Her memorial is on February 5th.
Agatha was born at Catania and she was martyred in approximately AD 205.She is the Patron Saint of Catania. She is one of seven women, excluding the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass
According to variations of her legend, having rejected the amorous advances of a Roman Prefect, she was persecuted by him for her Christian faith.
Among the tortures she underwent was the cutting off of her breasts.She is therefore often depicted carrying her excised breasts on a platter.
The shape of her amputated breasts, especially as depicted in artistic renderings, more recently gave rise to her being venerated as patron saint of breast cancer patients.
Her scorned admirer eventually sentenced her to death by being burnt at the steke. However, she was saved from this fate by a mysterious earthquake. She later died in prison.

What sort of bastard would treat a woman this way anyway? I can see why she rejected the jerk!

History of Mastectomies

breastcancersurvivor — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:48:46 +0000

Breast cancer is the great terror known to every culture in every age, it has been responsible for the deaths of over 25 million women throughout history.
William Stewart Halsted September 23 1852 – September 7 1922
William Stewart Halsted pioneered the mastectomy in 1882. His procedure, which became known as the Halsted Radical Mastectomy, was performed regularly into the 1970s
Radical mastectomy is a surgical procedure in which the breast, underlying chest muscle (including pectoralis major and pectoralis minor and lymph nodes of the axilla are removed as a treatment for breast cancer
It was developed and first performed by William Stewart Halsted in 1882. From about 1895 to the mid-1970s about 90% of the women being treated for breast cancer in the US underwent the radical mastectomy This is a very morbid surgery and is not performed except in extreme cases.
So it appears that Billy Halsted got the glory?
AND YET…
An Egyptian physician writing 3,500 years ago concluded that there was no treatment for the disease. Later surgeons recommended excising the tumour or, in extreme cases, the entire breast. This was the treatment advocated by the court physician to sixth-century Byzantine empress Theodora, the wife of Justinian, though she chose to die in pain rather than lose her breast..
So it apears that it wasn’t the “Americans” who were the first to perform this operation nor would he have been the first to develop it. However he was a pioneer in medicine and did bring about safer operations.

What is Meditation?

breastcancersurvivor — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:27:11 +0000

Meditation: Key to health, happiness and Longevity

Meditation is probably one of the most effective natural techniques that anyone can do increase their health and immunity and help themselves feel much better. Unfortunately, iit can also be one of those confusing things and one that most find is very difficult to begin to do.
When most people think of the idea that they have to learn to calm down their minds or gain control over it, there is a bit of fear and a big collective sigh at that thought or trying to do this. Why is the mind so hard to control and calm down? Mostly because thoughts occur on many levels and in fact the more you try to stop thought, the more the mind tends to fight and throws even more thoughts in your path.
Many people find this and give up and simply and wrongly conclude that “meditation is just not for me”. Well that’s not true at all. Anyone can learn to meditate and gain the great health and emotional benefits of this incredibly effective and time honored technique.

Meditation helps us to sustain energy by calming thoughts so that we’re not wasting energy. It’s constant thought that leads to unnecessary and detrimental stress. The more our mind is racing, it invents and creates things to worry about. Too much thought leads to excessive fear, excessive and unrealistic fears weaken the kidneys which are a vital organ for health and longevity, not to mention immunity too. When the kidneys are weak, their subjective control over the heart is weakened which then causes heart palpitations and eventually leads to heart disease and more. This is but one example of how the mind and unnecessary emotions throw our organs out of balance and if not corrected, over time can and does lead to organ degradation and more serious health issues down the road.
Read my easy to understand e-book and you will soon master this amazing thing called “Meditation”
Please leave a comment

Lybrel

breastcancersurvivor — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:48:17 +0000

During this past week, I read, via an email, that I thought was important enough to share with you …

“Nicole Dishuk (age 31…newly graduated student with a doctoral degree about to start her new career as a Doctor…) was flown into a nearby hospital, because she passed out.

They found a blood clot in her neck, and immediately took her by helicopter to the ER to operate. By the time they removed
the right half of her skull to relieve the pressure on her brain; the clot had spread to her brain causing severe damage.

Since last Wednesday night, she was battling… they induced her into a coma to stop the blood flow, they operated 3 times… Finally, they said there was nothing left that they could do…they found multiple clots in the left side of her brain… the swelling wouldn’t stop, and she was on life support…

She died at 4:30 yesterday. She leaves behind a husband, a 2 year old Brandon and a 4 year old Justin. The cause of death – they found was a birth control pill she was taking that allows you to only have your period 3 times a year. They said it interrupts life’s menstrual cycle, and although it is FDA approved – shouldn’t be – So to the women in my address book – I ask you to boycott this product and deal with your period once a month – so you can live the rest of the months that your life has in store for you.

Please send this to every woman you know – you may save someone’s life…

Remember, you have a CYCLE for a reason!

The name of this new birth control pill is LYBREL. If you go to Lybrel.com http://lybrel.com/, you will find at least 26 pages of
information regarding this drug.

The second birth control pill is SEASONIQUE. If you go to the website of, Seasonique.com http://seasonique.com/, you will
find 43 pages of information regarding this drug.

The warnings and side effects regarding both pills are horrible.

Please, please forward this information to as many daughters AND sons, co-workers, friends and relatives. Several lives have already been changed.”

NICOTINE PATCH SURVEY

breastcancersurvivor — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:04:42 +0000

Have you ever been diagnosed with Breast Cancer? AND have you EVER used nicotine Patches?
A new study is being conducted right here and right now, sparked after a recent debate, which had experts and scientists alike, argue ferociously and controversially over a womans’ claim that the nicotine patches she used some ten years previously had caused her breast cancer.
The woman claimed that the cancerous lumps located in both her breasts were in the same positions in which she put her nicotine patches all those years before.
Challenged about the location, the woman demonstrated her claim by showing where her hand went comfortably and said that she put them there because she wanted them to be just below her bra line and out of sight.
The women had three types of breast cancers with two of these in her left breast. She claimed that as she is right handed more patches were put on her left side.
Her results from biopsies, ultrasound scans and mammograms demonstrated the precise locations of her cancerous lumps, which backed up her claims.

If you have had breast cancer and have used nicotine patches and would like to participate in this simple survey please take a few moments and contact the researcher with basic details of when you used them and approximately how long you used them for. In particular did your lumps correspond at all to the places where you used these patches?

If a YES answer applies to the next two questions tell us how long ago you used the patches.

Have you had or have you been diagnosed with breast cancer?
Have you ever used nicotine patches?
How long ago?
Less than one year before diagnosis
Two years ago
Three year ago
Four years ago
Five years ago
Six years ago
More than 6 years ago, please specify

With your input if any possible links are found, a new research could be conducted and may even help save lives.
This simple survey can be submitted online right here – right now.

[contact-form]

all you have to say is if you have been diagnosed with beast cancer and if you have used patches and approximately how long ago. That’s all! No personal information is being asked at all. If your answer is no to either of these questions then please do not reply.

Feel free to make any comments and include any additional and relevant information if you want to , but it is NOT a requirement for this survey
Send this page to your family and friends especially anybody you know who has been diagnosed with breast cancer even if you’re unsure if they may have used nicotine patches.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

breastcancersurvivor — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:20:44 +0000

Psychological Benefits of Meditation

Decreased anxiety and depression

Decreased irritability and moodiness

Improved learning ability and memory retention

Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation and zest for living

Increased happiness and better outlook on life

Physiological Benefits of Meditation

Drop in cholesterol levels

A decreased metabolic rate and lower heart rate

Lowered levels of cortisol and lactate (stress related chemicals)

Lowering of high blood pressure

Decreases the aging process

Spiritual Benefits of Meditation

Experience an inner sense of knowing and peace

Ability to connect with Universal Love and love of self

Ability to release negative feelings from the past and fear of the future

Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation

Increased happiness and better outlook on life

Reconstruction… to be or not to be

breastcancersurvivor — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:35:43 +0000

Women with breast cancer who are faced with a single or a double mastectomy also have a decision to make on reconstructive surgery, prosthesis or none of the above.
For me at aged 53 and being faced with this choice I chose reconstruction. I couldn’t bear (Bare?)being boobless and I didn’t fancy the prosthesis. I had read many funny and sometimes heartbreaking and embarrassing stories about them that persuaded me to choose the reconstruction.
I had mine done at the same time as the initial double mastectomy where expanders were intoduced and I travellled some 400 ks to get them inflated with saline every so often. (totally painless!)
I found the expanders quite uncomfortable and when I lay on my tummy in bed it felt like I was laying on a pair of tennis balls. They were an odd shape really and I felt I had to be careful what I wore if I opted to go braless at any time.
It was almost a year later when the expanders were removed and the new implants inserted. After the initial discomfort subsided I was relatively pleased with the outcome. They were a little bigger than my original boobs and this was some compensation for me.
I didn’t opt for new nipples as I felt I didn’t really need them. Plus I didn’t like the idea of a further operation and losing some cherished skin off my thigh . But it is an option for all women who face this choice. Besides every oiperation is a risk and I felt I had taken enough risks by now.
Still, it’s a choice and one I do not regret as such. I say no regrets, but of course there is always the regret of losing my breasts. That regret will stay with me for always, but I feel I have minimised them by making this particular decision.
Of course every woman needs to make her very own decisions based on only her self and her wanted outcomes in such a position.It’s not an easy choice for everyone as it was for me.
Should you like to read more about my journey through breast cancer you can by clicking here. All the very best in your personal journey and feel free to add a comment.