Maybe you're the one needs the therapy;-) It wasn't him that created the initial post. Nothing to be embarrassed about. My wife had a nervous breakdown in my post Tx phase. I never postulated that he was a smoker or drinker (or old even), just an attempt to reach out to those who do indulge, that it is indeed very risky behavior.

I have just passed 2 year mark and I spend very little time thinking about the grim reaper any more (and I was one of those people with the 38% 5 year survival odds). My wife is fully recovered and we are moving on with our live's. Indeed there is life after cancer!

There was a study recently published that showed that optimistic HNC patients survived significantly longer than those who were pessimistic. (Allison et al, 2003, J. Clin. Oncol. 21: 543-548). Also, those living with others were more likely than those who lived alone to be alive after 1 year (post-treatment).

Thus the huge importance of support and encouragement -- the published statistics for HNC are NOT good (looking only at the patients who have treatment) and the treatments can be debilitating so it IS hard to be optimistic but...the many voices on this forum shows that there is a lot of reason for hope.

Also, after a long time with little significant progress re new treatments there appear to be good things on the horizon, another reason for some optimisim...

Gail Mackiernan
(using husband Barry Cooper's log-in)

This was a very interesting bit of reading. Lots of good vibes above. Thanks, Amy

A couple of nights ago we went to a very interesting talk by one of the leading cancer researchers in the nation. He is an epidemiologist, so he is studying the epidemic of cancer and the current and projected future trends. I'm adding this post to this thread because he is surely in the numbers game. Was actually a fairly optimistic talk.

Anyway, for what it's worth. If anyone is interested in more of what the high points of his talk were (I took notes), I could share them.

Anita

Having a recurrance during the last couple of months gives me a different spin on it. I think about this rotten diaease every day. Between the quality of life issues and what the future holds for me it's hard not to.
I still believe the stat's mean nothing to an individual. You will either survive or you won't.
How we choose to live our lives after cancer is different for everyone. Gary, I love the idea of
moving on and not even thinking about cancer. I'm glad you have come that far.

Danny Boy

Yes Danny Boy but to hedge my bets, just in case I DO die within the statistical probabilities, I bought a BMW so at least I can enjoy my last few years here on earth (I have been driving a pickup truck since 1982). I hope that you are enjoying MiniCooper (I followed your lead there).

I can certainly empathize with your frustration. I wish I could tell you that I have completely moved on and there are some days when other things take precedence, but it always comes back.

It certainly is an epidemic and the boomers are just now starting to add to the numbers. Kaiser is pondering building dedicated cancer centers. With all of the crap that industry puts out, plastics, fire retardents, MTBE, etc., It's more amazing that EVERYONE doesn't have cancer.

And to go along with what you said about surviving or not my H&N surgeon said it all boiled down to just plain luck...

Now is that GOOD luck or BAD luck that determines the outcome??

I believe in this world there are no guarentees and because of that, we should live each day as if it is our last and create the best relationships we can in life. The only downside to that is that if you are lucky enough (again, not sure if tat is GOOD luck or BAD luck ) to live to be 100+ is that you will need a large place to live so you can handle the vast number of friends you will end up with!

Missed you guys!

Ed (with the 2004 Audi A4)

From reading this forum thoroughly over the past couple of months, Ive discovered that the truth is Statistics are pretty well pointless. I am floored when I see situations of Stage I or II patients passing, and extatic when I see situations of Stage IV patients doing terrifically well. It just goes to show numbers are not of the same world as human beings.

Gary, man you found my weakspot. CARS. It seems in my short life the one thing that has been close to me and never hurt me is my cars. Since Im facing this nasty possibility of what might be going on, I decided to go ahead and get one more to stick with for a while, and its a BMW too! A 2001 740i or a 525i. Nothing eases my daily stress like a drive in my car... let me tell ya.

this was sobering to read.

Is it true from the original post in this thread that since I'm Stage IV I have a 20 to 40% chance of survival???

I was upset that everyone was telling me it was only 50%!

Jeeze, now I'm really in a tailspin.

And, YES, I read all the replies, about we are each our own statistic, live for today, etc etc. Why am I going through all this treatment for such slim margins?

Sometimes, I wonder if I might have enjoyed life more not ever knowing I had cancer and not going through these "therapies"...

If the odds are so bad, why ruin what few months I may have with the treatments that leave me devastated, fatigued, burned and poisoned.

Sorry, guess I'm just down after reading this stuff.

Hey Michael,

Don't even think about stats...after my surgery I asked my Onc/ENT surgeon what was my prognosis (I'm stage III/IV)...the eyelid shutters came down and he said maybe 1 to 5. Well, I'm still here, still enduring the occasional thrush outbreaks, ulcers, unable to eat what I used to, still scared, but life is good. It's just some shit that we have to endure, another experience in interesting pattern called life. I feel a bit guilty about how I'm doing OK, when my friend has just been told that her last dose of chemo didn't work (she's had about the most of radio and chemo possible)... her lymphs are big (arm and leg)...she has cervical, inoperable now.

You never know how slim your margins are, just luck of the draw, like getting it in the first place...I can understand how you're feeling, been there, and sometimes go back :-), but it will all become a blur when you pass this hurdle, you'll forget what you went through, only when people ask what is was like. Just keep on working, playing, ignore this thing, it'll go away someday. I always say I'm too busy to have cancer (even though that little dark cloud is still up there, becoming smaller day by day).

Cheers!

Tizz
P.S. The calcium mousse doesn't come in chocolate, the vanilla one is recommended for xerostomia patients