SEPTEMBER is OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS month in Canada!!

Educate yourself.

Know the symptoms. 

Listen to what your body is telling you. 

I will be adding several posts throughout the month in an effort to provide information 

about Ovarian Cancer and help promote awareness.

Listen to what your body is telling you!

NOTE: This poster was created by Mellissa F who, like me, also has experience with GCT - 

aka Granulosa Cell Tumour - a rare form of Ovarian Cancer.

Connecting with Others Affected by Cancer

Here is a great resoource for anyone affected by cancer - either directly or indirectly. It was extremely helpful to me when I was diagnosed 10 years ago. Connecting directly with other individuals who are going through the same type of cancer is very therapeutic and educational. Check it out. And most importantly of all, share the link!  http://www.cancercompass.com/

Cancer Research: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Dr. Anil Potti, a researcher from Duke University, has voluntarily resigned nearly a year after the university began looking into the possibility that he may have 'padded' his resume, an accusation that appears to have some merit.

However, this is not the most devastating factor in this story. It also appears that the research completed in 2006 by the doctor and his collaborator, Dr. Joe Nevins - who is also the Director of the Center for Applied Genomics at Duke - was faulty. The findings have left cancer patients who participated in clinical trials based on this research wondering what happens now.


The Chronicle provides an insight into the magnitude and potential ripple effect of the flawed research completed by the two researchers: "The paper, titled “Genomic signatures to guide the use of chemotherapeutics,” was published in the journal Nature Medicine in October 2006. The paper seemed to help answer long-standing questions in oncology concerning how doctors should choose cancer treatments for their patients. It has since been cited by 334 other articles, according to Google Scholar."


The first inkling that something was not right with the research came to light in 2007 when three University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center biostatisticians found that the findings could not be replicated. Keith Baggerly and Kevin Coombes, biostatisticians at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, spent 1500 hours reviewing the findings of Dr. Anil Potti's and Dr. Joe Nevins' research and published their report in the November 2009 issue of the Annals of Applied Statistics recommending that all trials based on this research should be halted. Three clinical trials were officially - and finally - halted earlier this month (Feb 2012).

The paper has already been formally retracted by a leading cancer publication, The Journal of Clinical Oncology, and all research in which this paper has been cited is being reviewed.

It seems that all of the news on cancer research lately has been negative. But, as cancer survivors, all we can hope is that this example is an exception to the rule ... that the majority of the research is being checked and rechecked for flaws before the clinical trials commence. After all, it is not only us, but future generations, that are counting on these researchers to ensure that what they have 'discovered' is sound information based on their ability to cross all of their "t's" and dot all of their "i's". Someday their lives could be dependent on that reassurance too.

Based on information from:
The Herald-Sun
Science Blogs' Cancer Letter
Duke Chronicle

Until next time ......
~B-Optimistic~

Focus Switched for Ovarian Cancer Research

“Put bluntly, we had the name wrong, the staging wrong, and the diagnostic testing wrong. It is no wonder we have lost so many lives to this disease.” (Dr. Lucy Gilbert, director of gynecologic oncology at the McGill University Health Centre)


Read the entire article here ......
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/02/09/ovarian-cancer-fallopian-tubes.html?cmp=rss


Another quote from this article brings better news ...... "Based on the four-year research project called the Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer Early (DOvE) study, the McGill centre is opening 12 satellite clinics in Montreal to make it easier for women who are experiencing symptoms to get tested."

On a personal note, I realize that there is nothing that can be done for mistakes of the past, but going forward, let's hope that this present theory is correct and that more lives will be saved. (Note: nothing in the article indicates that anyone can be referred to the clinic or just women in Quebec. I would assume, however, that the facility will be open to anyone with a doctor's referral).


Until next time .......
~B-Optimistic~

OVARIAN CANCER SYMPTOMS

Pay attention to these symptoms because they could be the heralding signs of ovarian cancer!


I personally had ALL of these symptoms ..... and neither a pap test, pelvic exam, or ultrasound found the tumour. It took a CT Scan to discover my cancer.


It will be 10 years this spring since I was first diagnosed and I thank Dr. Robert Thompson, my family doctor, for recognizing the need to delve further into the symptoms. A gynecologist, an intern, and 2 surgeons examined me and did not recognize them. 


It's up to you to be aware .... keep a journal of changes that your body is going through and list any symptoms that are not usual. Above all, be informed!!! And if you have a combination any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, see your doctor. Don't hesitate to demand that he/she sends you for a Scan. Hopefully it will be nothing.

Update - Three cancer treatment drugs may have potentially fatal side effects

Read this for more information. This warning was posted on the GCT Facebook page and it appears that these drugs might be considered by some doctors for the treatment GCT. Be aware and be informed!

Self-cannibalizing cancer cells targeted

Self-cannibalizing cancer cells targeted

VITAMIN D ….. FRIEND OR FOE???

Can a society with a fear of melanoma be depriving itself of the health benefits of the sun by lathering on sunscreen and not getting even the recommended 10-15 minutes of sunshine each day?

Getting a sunburn is certainly not the way to go, so sunscreen is definitely a must. There are an increasing number of reports on the Internet, in magazines, and on TV hyping the benefits of Vitamin D and claiming that is “the” vitamin to add to your daily routine. This, they say, is especially important for those of us do not get enough exposure to the sun. But how do you know whether taking Vitamin D is right for you and, if it is, how much to ingest? Consult your physician!!

I added Vitamin D to my supplement list last fall because of the studies showing that it will prevent SAD during the dark winter months and also because of several claims that it might also be beneficial for those wishing to boost the immune system in a fight against cancer. A new study is presently in the planning stages with the goal of determining just what the actual benefits of Vitamin D are for a variety of cancers, the results of which many of us will find very interesting.

More recently I’ve been hearing that Vitamin D3 is even more beneficial than plain old Vitamin D, so I decided to look into that. What I found is a lack of legitimate sites that discuss Vitamin D vs Vitamin D3, so I'll keep looking.

What I do know is that 10-15 minutes of “good old sunshine” is still number one on the list! Just don’t overdo it …….

You’ll have to excuse me, but the sun is out and I need my fix!

Until next time ……
~ B-Optimistic ~

NOTE: (I found the information on sun exposure on Ed's blog very interesting and sums up most of what you will find on the web for the ordinary Joe like us!)

OF SPECIAL NOTE: Be cautious when searching for information on vitmain use online because many of the sites promoting supplementation may in the "money-making" business rather than the "help you get healthy" business! For facts on the pros and cons of vitamin supplementation, stick with legitimate sites such as major health and research centres. Discuss any information you find on these sites with your doctor and pharmacist before adding them to your diet as many supplements may counteract other medications you are taking.

BREAKTHROUGH IN GRANULOSA CELL TUMOUR RESEARCH!!!

Check out these links … it says it all!! What fabulous news for those of us with Granulosa Cell Tumours!!

Ovarian Cancer Breakthrough Heralds New Era of Treatment

Editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine

What a rush I feel right now!! I have to run and tell everyone I know!!

Until next time .....
BOptimistic

Ovarian Cancer Research: Two Steps Forward and One Step Back?

It has not been a good week for ovarian cancer news. Here’s what I’ve read in the last 48 hours ………

Article one: Following a two-year study, researchers at John Hopkins’ have determined that ascites, a fluid that may be present in ovarian cancer cases, is capable of suppressing the T cells of the immune system, leaving the cancer free to roam and spread freely.

Article two: Researchers have admitted to erring in the study of ovarian cancer. It appears that they have lumped all ovarian cancers together when, in actuality, each form of ovarian cancer should have been studied individually. Given that there is such a broad range of ovarian cancer types, shouldn’t that have been the first variable considered?

These news releases are not exactly what I have been waiting to hear. Breakthroughs, miracle cures, magic pills; these are things that I want to read about. You know, like those miracle diet pills that were promoted years ago, where you take one pill and wake up slimmer! Well, I want one where I take a pill and wake up cancer free!

Okay, I’m not really that unrealistic. And I’m sure that somewhere there are amazing advancements being made in the fight against ovarian cancer.

But in my world, this is what I saw this week.

On the flip side, I purchased the second “Crazy Sexy Cancer” book and although I haven’t had time to just sit and read, I’ve taken a quick tour of the book and it looks like it’s as cool as the first one. I’ll blog more about it when I have a chance.

On a more humbling note, I found a reference on another blog (which unfortunately I forgot to bookmark) that included a statement that really hit home and utilizes the five stages of grief – Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. It went something like this:

“If I were given only five weeks to live, I could spend one week on each stage of grief with the final week being one of acceptance. Or, I could just skip the first four stages, accept my fate, and enjoy all five weeks!” (I will identify the author and post a connection to this blog when I find it again.)

Words to live by!!

Until next time …..

~ B-Optimistic ~