Probably nothing you could have done - ACS says - 06-19-2010 02:12 PM
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
[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