Beating Breast Cancer

Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Patients

Here's an article that Gordon recently wrote for another website. We've reproduced it here because it's a common question that breast cancer sufferers ask about. Do you have hot flushes or hot flashes? Well, if you do, there may be some hope of relief. Read on .....

Hot Flushes in Breast Cancer Patients
By Gordon Cameron

Hot flushes or hot flashes in breast cancer patients are a common problem.

Many breast cancers are sensitive to circulating estrogen levels and for many women, suppressing the production or the effects of estrogen on the body is a major strategy in their treatment. A lack of estrogen will produce symptoms identical to the menopause and the most unpleasant of these are hot flushes, sweats or hot flashes.

A new research project has looked at the effect of a drug called Megace or megesterol acetate in treating hot flushes in women with breast cancer.

They studied nearly three hundred patients with breast cancer who had completed surgery and chemotherapy and at least four months of tamoxifen treatment for their condition.

Before they took part in the study the women had to have experienced at least ten hot flashes of any severity or at least five severe episodes each week.When the research data was looked at, eighty five percent of the women who took part were on tamoxifen, and forty percent had more than sixty hot flushes per week. Three quarters of them had experienced sweats and flashes for more than six months before they started in the study.

The women were divided into three groups. One group were given a placebo tablet, one group got 20mg of Megace and the other received 40mg of Megace each day. They all took their medicine for three months. A good outcome was defined as completion of treatment with a seventy five percent or greater reduction in hot flushes from that womens starting point.

If the treatment they were on worked well the women were given another three months of the same medication and dose. If they did not get benefit after three months then they were given 20mg a day of Megace on top of what they were already taking.

Reduction of flushings of seventy fiver percent or more was reported in

• only 14% of those women who were on placebo medication
• 65% of those women who were on the 20 mg dose
• 48% of the women who were on the 40 mg dose of drug

In addition, most successes at three months were maintained at six months in seventy seven percent of the women on 20 mg and in eighty one percent of the women on 40 mg per day - but there was no significant impact on other menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness or joint pains.

For the women taking Megace the main side effects were fluid retention and weight gain, fatigue and sometimes mild depression.

The researchers concluded that Megace was very successful in alleviating sweats and flushes in breast cancer survivors with lasting results at 6 months. They recommended the twenty milligram dose for most women and said that this treatment should be considered for all women with menopause flushing symptoms after breast cancer treatment.

Gordon Cameron is a physician in Edinburgh Scotland. He has a special interest in the symptoms of breast cancer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gordon_Cameron
http://EzineArticles.com/?Hot-Flushes-in-Breast-Cancer-Patients&id=1294228

Labels: breast-cancer, breast-cancer-symptoms, cancer-support, hot-flushes

posted by Marjory @ 8:25 PM 0 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

Breast Cancer T-Shirts

Labels: breast-cancer, breast-cancer-t-shirt, cancer-sites, cancer-support

posted by Marjory @ 8:42 PM 0 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

Fabulous Day

Well I've just had the most amazing day. It started with Gordon and I meeting the lovely Mr Butterworth who is the plastic surgeon I was referred to for breast reconstruction. The surgery of choice is the Tram Flap-fantastic. As I mentioned before you achieve reconstruction from removal of fat and skin from your tummy. A tummy tuck!!



Now, like most woman my age I have a bit of a spare tyre but I was delighted to hear from the man himself that I barely have enough fat on my tummy for the planned reconstruction ( find that SO hard to believe!) so on no account have I to lose any weight between now and the op. As I was about to embark on a diet to lose about ten pounds this was music to my ears. Imagine, no guilt at over eating, then a nice surgeon removes all the said fat and gives me two lovely breasts!!



As he shook our hands and said he would be in touch nearer the time, I said I couldn't wait and was looking forward to it. I think he must think I'm a bit odd.

Then I set off to Maggies centre at the Western General in Edinburgh. The young woman's group I go to had been invited to take part in a 'Look Good....Feel Better' class. This is a company that work with woman who have had cancer and what they do is give you a make up lesson and a goodie bag which contains AMAZING products.....dior, chanel, estee lauder.....the list is endless. What a treat!

Needless to say I came home feeling amazing. What a day.

Labels: about-marjory, cancer-support, living-with-cancer

posted by Marjory @ 4:40 PM 0 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

Herceptin side effects

The last time I spoke about Herceptin and it's side effects I proudly said I didn't seem to be experiencing anything other than a running nose. Spoke too soon!!

I had my tenth Herceptin last week and just after the nurse left I wondered why I felt so tired? That fatigued feeling got a whole lot worse and by evening it felt like chemo all over again. Thankfully it had mostly worn off the next day but it did give me a bit of a surprise. I had been told this could happen but was pretty sure I'd managed to avoid it after ten treatments. I have seven more treatments to go so it will be little me off to bed after the nurse leaves 'til well into the next day. Actually when put like that it sounds quite nice!

The other alarming thing that has happened is that my eyelashes have started to fall out again. The air was blue when i noticed. Now, what I want to know and nobody seems to have the answer, is this a side effect of herceptin or a side effect of chemo? My eyelashes did grow back in much longer and thicker than before and I thought aaah a nice reward for months of feeling crap. Again, spoke too soon!! Joking aside I am more than a little concerned that I'll wake up to find them all gone. I found it distressing the first time ( shallow I know when you're receiving life saving treatment) and if it happens again I don't suppose I'll be over the moon. I just love putting on mascara and seeing LASHES. If anyone out there has experienced this let me know. I also want exact timescale of regrowth. Only joking....

As a note at the bottom( Ha Ha) I also seem to have diarrhoea rather a lot and I know this can be a side effect with Herceptin. God, serves me right for being so confident!! Ah well it could be worse, I might have the aching joints or a frozen shoulder as well. Now that I think of it......


Marjory

Labels: a-lump-in-the-breast, breast-cancer-symptoms, cancer-support, chemotherapy, herceptin, living-with-cancer, mammogram, symptoms-of-breast-cancer, what-is-a-mammogram

posted by Marjory @ 3:23 PM 8 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

folks are strange

Well I'm well on the way to the finishing line now. First dose of taxotere was last week and, touch wood, all seems to be well. It does give you strange aching muscles and joints, not the usual 'i've overdone the exercise kind' but bizarre pains in joints and muscles that don't actually exist. Three or four days of tiredness and now I'm back to fighting fit......Well, you know what I mean.

The fab news is I have a head of hair to rival Kylie! All be it mine is a revolting mousy brown with rather a lot of grey in it, but who cares, it's hair.I refuse to acknowledge it may fall out again but if it does it will be the bald look for me. No more wigs or scarves, ever. I try to convince myself I look elfin but I must be the only 40 something grey haired elf ever to have lived. It is lovely to have eyelashes and eyebrows again, it's amazing how excited I get about these things!

I was just thinking the other day how peoples reaction to the dreaded C diagnosis is far from predictable. People I thought would run a mile, only to say 'see you when you're better' have been absolutely amazing-helping with kids and work and generally being amazing human beings and friends. On the other hand there are the people who I would have bet money on about being supportive who have disappeared from the horizon only to phone once in a while and say their terribly sorry but they have a lot on their plates! I'm guessing it's fear of something so horrible touching their lives but if this has taught me anything it's to never to ignore someone who is going through something difficult or awkward . This may all sound very dramatic but a few kind words always make a difference.

A friend of mine lost a child some time ago and yes you,ve guessed it, she has been one of my main sources of support and above all laughter. She has a way of cutting through all the crap and just asking the right questions at the right time. It's so refreshing to be asked all the questions nobody else dares! She really is a star and she cheers my days with her straight forward approach to the dreaded cancer.


Now on the subject of the Christmas party dress. My idea this year was something that would cover me from neck to toe-not very sexy but there is nothing more off putting than a slipped or indeed missing prosthesis. And lets face it after a few festive tipples tht could the scenario! Help is at hand. On a shopping trip to Edinburgh I found myself in a shop called Hobbs where a very charming shop assistant persuaded me to try on a rather daring wrap dress. Now bear in mind I am the wrong side of forty, vertically challenged and have had too many children ever to call myself svelte but WOW! AMAZING! This dress (with cami underneath obviously!) made me feel something approaching sexy. So of course being a woman I bought two! Roll on Christmas- one problem solved! Marjory

Labels: cancer-support, chemotherapy, hair-loss

posted by Marjory @ 6:30 PM 1 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

Breast Cancer - You're Having a Laugh

Finding the funny side of breast cancer treatments

As I suspect many of you reading this will know only too well - it can be hard to see the funny side of things when you and your family are coping with breast cancer and its treatment. The disease has a habit of taking over your life when in fact you should be striving to ensure that the very opposite is happening.

Writing a regular blog- by the way - is a mixed blessing in this regard. Writing regularly about not getting obsessed with cancer has a habit of making you ... well .... obsessed with cancer .. damn it!

But it's also true that keeping things in perspective and having fun in your life is crucial.

Laughter really is the best medicine - proven time and time again in countless medical studies. Laughter also works to boost your immune system when it's at a low ebb.

So ... how do you find the funny side?

You could start by taking a look at Miriam Engelberg's site - Cancer Made Me A Shallower Person

Miriam has taken her breast cancer experience as a stimulus and in many ways an inspiration to create an off beat and irreverent look at life from the perspective of a breast cancer survivor. It's all done in the form of comic strips - some of them directly about breast cancer and others about her wryly observed looks at daily life and its absurdity.

She also writes a blog as a day to day diary of life and how breast cancer can affect it.

Well done Miriam - we love what you're doing.

Labels: about-marjory, cancer-sites, cancer-support

posted by Marjory @ 2:09 PM 3 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

Breast Cancer News Updates

Keep up to date with breast cancer news

You might have noticed that we've added a link at the top of the page and a link on the right to our newsletter - and you might be asking what it's all about?

Marjory and I have decided to offer a simple newsletter service to those of you who might want to keep in touch - either with Marjory's progress or with Gordon's regular postings about new developments in breast cancer treatment and about breast cancer issues in general.

Here's how it works. If you add your name and email address in the boxes provided then your details will be kept in a secure database. Only Marjory and I have access to it so your details are safe.

You'll be sent an email asking you to confirm that you want to receive information from us - this is to ensure that someone else hasn't entered your information without your knowledge. Follow the simple instructions and it's as easy as that.

Our system is automated to send you a regular update email once every few weeks - this will let you know about the newest items that we've posted on this website. From time to time we might drop you a note by email to alert you to new breast cancer news or important new information.

You can choose to remove your name from the newsletter list at any time.

Please sign up and give it a try. You can always change your mind if you don't like it

Click here for more details

Gordon

Labels: about-marjory, cancer-support

posted by Marjory @ 1:09 PM 0 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

A Painful Lump in The Breast

A Painful Breast Lump - Could It Be Breast Cancer

I'm one of those guys who checks now and again to see who has visited the site - and what they searched for to find us.

Painful lump in the breast comes up time and time again and it's obviously a topic that worries people. I thought I'd put together this little information package about breast pain and painful breast lumps.

Please remember - the details below are not intended to let you diagnose the cause of your breast pain - see a doctor if you have any kind of lump in your breast.

You need to remember that - while most breast lumps are not breast cancer, some of them will be! Please see a doctor if you have a lump in the breast - don't try to make your own diagnosis.


What Causes a Painful Breast Lump?

• Breast Infection
  Infection can cause a painful breast lump. This is most common in women who are breast feeding but can also occur at other times. A breast lump caused by an infection is likely to be painful. Some women will also have redness in the breast and feel shivery or unwell. You should be aware however, that some kinds of breast cancer - called inflammatory breast cancer can also show itself a bit like this.
• Breast Injury
  Injury to the breast or to the chest wall can cause a painful lump. Falling against a bit of furniture or a direct blow to the breast can cause bruising inside the breast tissue. This sometimes results in a painful breast lump.
• Benign Breast Lumps or Fibroadenomas
  Adenoma lumps are common. An adenoma in the breast is a benign lump that does not turn into cancer. They are usually painless but some women are aware of discomfort.
• Breast Cyst
  Breast cysts are often tender, and sometimes are really quite painful. A breast cyst is a benign lump that is filled with fluid. They often change size and can seem to appear or disappear as the hormone levels change in a womans menstrual cycle. They often are most uncomfortable or painful just before your period is due - typically improving when the period starts.
• Breast Cancer
  This site contains a huge amount of detail about breast cancer in other articles. You need to be aware that any lump in the breast could be breast cancer - although most are not.
  Breast cancer lumps are often painless - but they can be painful in some women - or painful some of the time.

Can a breast cancer lump be painful? Yes - definitely.

Is breast cancer always painless? No - certainly not.

I'm repeating myself, I know, but please ..... if you have a lump in the breast and are reading this site - go see your doctor soon.

Gordon

You can read more of our posts about breast lumps and breast pain on our breast lump archive page

Labels: a-lump-in-the-breast, cancer-support, mammogram, symptoms-of-breast-cancer, what-is-a-mammogram

posted by Marjory @ 9:15 AM 5 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

Herceptin - Look Out, They're At It Again

Herceptin Press Hype Misleads Women Again

Well - here we are again, again, again ...... !

Only days after NICE - the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence reviewed herceptin and ruled that it should be made widely available in the UK - and after my previous herceptin in the UK posts - I find that the press are at it again.

So its black marks and raspberries to Medical News Today who lead today with the headline:

"Basically, this means that all women will get treatment free - probably in England and Wales, and most definitely in Scotland"

Much better journalism can be found at Politics.co.uk who take the same press release from NICE and get the story spot on. They say:

Labels: a-lump-in-the-breast, cancer-support, herceptin, symptoms-of-breast-cancer

posted by Marjory @ 3:44 PM 4 comments

Have you found this article helpful?

Herceptin - Herceptin in The UK

Herceptin - UK breast cancer patients win battle

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK have finally given the go ahead for all suitable women with early stage breast cancer to receive Herceptin Treatment.

This means that a woman with HER2 positive breast cancer with our without lymph nodes can be offered herceptin as part of her treatment plan. The final decision about giving herceptin will be taken by the oncologist in charge of the case.

This sees the end of a long battle for breast cancer pressure groups and breast cancer sufferers.

Herceptin in the UK was previously reserved for women with widespread breast cancer disease or with several positive lymph nodes.

This means that the NHS system will now fully fund herceptin treatment for those UK women who can benefit from it.

Read more in the press here

Read my previous postings about herceptin treatment, about herceptin UK, about Tykerb and about new drugs for breast cancer.

Gordon

When to use herceptin remains an issue for many patients with breast cancer - read more about it in our herceptin treatment archive page

Labels: breast-cancer-symptoms, cancer-support, chemotherapy, herceptin, living-with-cancer

posted by Marjory @ 8:52 AM 0 comments

Have you found this article helpful?