tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post3729715125905800208..comments2024-02-26T21:18:23.165-08:00Comments on CHIMERAS: Angelina no longer has them. Does that mean I should get rid of them too?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09922888671399516573noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-11650962012300083732013-05-22T09:47:03.445-07:002013-05-22T09:47:03.445-07:00Elena, I read a few months ago a comment to the ef...Elena, I read a few months ago a comment to the effect that we'll need to stop thinking of cancer as a disease and rather think of it as a condition. But, yes, the Wired article reinforces your point about longer life meaning more time for cells to go wrong.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15308567394308330867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-68068702408212010912013-05-22T08:27:03.921-07:002013-05-22T08:27:03.921-07:00that's a very interesting take on the issue, t...that's a very interesting take on the issue, thanks, Mike! I like this sentence in particular:<br />"Think of cancer and aging as merely two sides of the same coin: The better we treat cancer, the longer we live, leading to more cancer in the population over time." It's something we tend to forget but we should instead keep in mind. There was a time when people died of infections, the flu, all sorts of infectious diseases. Now we have antibiotics and vaccine which have significantly increased one's lifespan, which in turn makes cancer more likely, as it is the aftermath of our cells aging process. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09922888671399516573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-47685118016132982072013-05-22T08:05:41.058-07:002013-05-22T08:05:41.058-07:00The current issue of Wired has an interesting arti...The current issue of Wired has an interesting article on cancer research that adds a bit to your post. <br /><a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/05/al_argcancer/" rel="nofollow">"Indeed, some researchers have begun to arrive at a dark conclusion: We are unlikely to ever find a cure for cancer."</a>Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15308567394308330867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-51329049727824531552013-05-17T11:36:14.058-07:002013-05-17T11:36:14.058-07:00Elena, Patti's oncologist used a blood test ca...Elena, Patti's oncologist used a blood test called the <a href="http://ovariancancer.jhmi.edu/ca125qa.cfm" rel="nofollow">CA-125</a> to monitor her. Emilia's asked several of her doctor's about it and has always been stiff armed with comments like, "It's not diagnostic." The University of Kentucky (my alma mater) medical center did some past research on the use of <a href="http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/Ovarian-cancer-screening-tests-valuable-or-misleading/" rel="nofollow">transvaginal sonography</a> for early ovarian detection but apparently that's been demonstrated to result in too many false positives that have led to needless surgery. <br /><br />As you say, the really pernicious thing about ovarian is that it's asymptomatic until Stage IV and even then the symptoms are more like a case of indigestion.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15308567394308330867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-84718716333635304642013-05-17T10:57:06.794-07:002013-05-17T10:57:06.794-07:00Mike, as you say, every story is different and in ...Mike, as you say, every story is different and in the end it is a very personal choice. Somehow, ovarian cancer scares me more than breast cancer because usually by the time you discover it it's already too late. I've heard of a blood test that you can actually do to monitor ovarian cancer and I'm going to try and learn more about that. Personally, I think that if there are ways to strictly monitor these things I'd go that route, i.e. frequent sonograms, blood tests, etc., but in the end we have to make our own choices. What I criticize here is that an influential person like Angelina is being hailed as the new spoke person for women's health, but she's not a doctor, she's not an expert, just a celebrity whose life gets on the tabloids even if all she does is sneeze. So what I'm worried about is many women taking this as the new gospel without getting the scientific information straight. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09922888671399516573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-90983136369888405102013-05-17T10:20:20.078-07:002013-05-17T10:20:20.078-07:00A couple of comments, if I may, Elena:
- There ...A couple of comments, if I may, Elena:<br /><br /> - There was sloppy reporting, IIRC, re Angelina Jolie in that reports seem to indicate simply have BRCA 1 or 2 was a death sentence and I'm glad you're pointing it's the mutations that are the problem.<br /><br /> - I think I told you that my sister died of ovarian cancer almost 13 years ago, so I try to follow information about BRCA 1 and 2 for that reason and also because I have a wife and daughter and now a granddaughter. <br /><br /> - Your point about prophylactic breast removal is well taken. How do you feel about pre-emptive ovary removal? If my wife or daughter wanted to have it done, I'd be supportive because of what my sister endured. And, yeah, to be clear, it's their decision at the end of the day.<br />Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15308567394308330867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-47569219831869628242013-05-16T20:00:06.752-07:002013-05-16T20:00:06.752-07:00I totally agree. I think I'd get screened freq...I totally agree. I think I'd get screened frequently, eat healthy and get plenty of exercise. It seems that there is unnecessary pressure on people after this news. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09922888671399516573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7447544468792389936.post-1181446133055541732013-05-16T19:33:37.885-07:002013-05-16T19:33:37.885-07:00I think we had a conversation around this topic aw...I think we had a conversation around this topic awhile back in regards to ethics. Our local ethics course used this as a case study about violating doctor-patient confidentiality. In the case study they stated that if a patient tested positive for one of the bad BRCA mutation it was ethically OK to contact the family particularly if they have female relatives who might want a preventative mastectomy. <br /><br />My personal feeling on this is against it. We don't have preventative appendectomies or prostatectomies. Why is it okay to lop off a breast but not a prostate? I can see how a positive BRCA mutation might prompt increased vigilance but amputation seems extreme. I would support someone if they were making an informed decision to do so. It is their body. But if it were my choice I wouldn't do it. antisocialbutterflienoreply@blogger.com