| Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | OP Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Many of the posts in the other forum are from people who worry that every little bump, lump, twinge, etc is their cancer coming back. For those of us whose cancer really did come back, such fears are not only understandable but unfortunately not just a memory. Add to that the implicit question: WHY? Why did mine come back when many others did not? What did I do? What didn't I do? I found this excerpt on the American Cancer Society web page very comforting [quote] Could I have done something to prevent the recurrence? Although eating right, exercising, and seeing your doctor for follow-up visits are important, please understand that there probably was nothing you could do to keep your cancer from coming back. Many patients blame themselves for missing a doctor visit, not eating right, or postponing a CT scan for a family vacation. Yes, there are times when it is crucial to keep follow-up appointments, especially if you are having symptoms that you have not had before, because these may be signs that your cancer is back. But even if you do everything just right, you can't change the possibility that cancer will come back. Sometimes people think taking certain vitamins, herbs, or other dietary supplements will give them an extra edge in preventing recurrence. But the available research does not support this belief. In fact, some research has shown that supplements containing high levels of single nutrients (more than the Dietary Reference Intakes and the tolerable upper intake limits) may have unexpected harmful effects on cancer survivors. It would be very satisfying to have something we could use to keep cancer from coming back after treatment. We want a real weapon to fight back with -- something that will give us insurance against the cancer coming back. Both doctors and patients wish that there were such a magic potion or formula. But at this time there is nothing you could have done to make sure the cancer would not come back. Even with our current understanding of the process of cancer development and growth, this disease is mostly a mystery and not within human control.[/quote] The full article is at this link When your Cancer comes back
Last edited by Charm2017; 06-19-2010 07:33 AM. Reason: typo
65 yr Old Frack Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+ 2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG 2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery 25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Apaghia /G button 2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa 40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Nice article. Thanks Charm for posting it. ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 701 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 701 Likes: 1 | This is a very good article. I especially think it is a "must read" for those people out there who have never experienced cancer and preach the ways to avoid its return (positive thinking, various concoctions, eye of newt, etc,). We are getting geared up for Clark's PET on Wed. so I am a little on edge. Thanks for posting this, Charm!
Anita (68) CG to husband, Clark, 79, DX SCC 11/07, T4N0Mx, PEG 1/08, RAD, post rad infection 3/08, HBOT 40 dives, ORN, Surg 11/09 mandibulectomy w/fibular graft. Plastic Surg 4/10, 12/10, 3/11, 10/11, 4/12, 10/12. All PETS clear, PEG out 1/11. 6/11 non union jaw fracture Fractured jaw w/surgery 7/14 Aspiration pneumonia 7/21, 10/22 PEG 7/21 Botox injections
| | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,412 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,412 | Thanks for posting this. I often wondered if I could have done something different.
Angelia 31 at Dx. DX: 4/30/09, 10/21/09 SCC on floor of mouth, T1NOMO, T2N1M0 TX: 39 IMRT, 8 cisplatin 11/30/09 PET/CT: 11/03/09: Lymph node involvement PEG/PORT: 11/09 TX end: 02/01/10 PET Scan: 04/05/10 clear PEG Out: 06/21/10 Biopsy: 12/23/10: fibrosis HBO: 01/04/11 - ORN Baby girl born 11-30-12
| | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 | As someone once said to me, there is a whole lot you can do to make things worse as far as cancer goes. Not a whole lot to make it better.
38 yo@dx, female, non-smoker, non-drinker, SCC right lateral tongue. T2N2aMx stage IVa; 1/20/09 bilateral neck dissection, hemiglossectomy, micromets in 2 right nodes, left all clear. 33xIMRT + 3 cisplatins. Tx completed 5/08/09. PET scan 7/29/09 clear, 5/26/10 clear, chest x-ray 5/23/11 clear
| | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 148 Likes: 1 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 148 Likes: 1 | Oh, if only we could just "will" it away.
BOT T3N2M0 No surgery, 38radiation treatments,4 chemo rounds, peg removed 11/08, still have a port. Treatments ended 6/20/08. So far, so Good ! "I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much !"
*** Admin update --- Dianne has passed away on August 25, 2015 ***
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