Statistics and Stage III
I know the rule of thumb for survivors is to ignore the statistics one reads, or the statistics doctors come up with. But I find that hard to do... especially when the statistics work against me. If they are good statistics, then I tend to say, "That's great, but they are only statistics"... but when they are statistics that are not in our favour, I can't help but worry.
So, I'm just wondering if there are others out there who were DX'd with a Stage II Colon Cancer that has metastacized to the adrenal gland and the lung, and there's still the possibility of a good outcome? I had the right adrenal surgically removed in June 2008 and now we are looking at the lung. The problem being that the lung surgeon doesn't want to put me through lung surgery if it's not going to be of benefit to me. At the moment, I have a 14mm lesion that they are pretty sure is colon cancer spread, plus 4 small spots (less than 5mm each) that are suspicious. So he is suggesting that I go back on chemo to try and shrink/kill off the 4 suspicious spots (and any single cells that we might not be able to see) and if that is successful, then proceed with doing the surgery to remove the 14mm lesion. If the chemo isn't affective, then surgery is not the answer either... he doesn't want to put my body through a major lung surgery if, in fact, there are 4 more growths happening that didn't take to the chemo... and it would mean there would probably be others pop up after that.
His analogy was that if the cancer has spread and is continuing to spread, it's like throwing a handful of dandilion seeds in an area. When the first dandilion pops up, you can remove that... but there may be many more at the sprouting stage and many more again that are just under the dirt, ready to start sprouting. One's body can only take so much surgery and that may not be the answer.
So I'm sort of on pins and needles right now wondering if chemo is the answer and if it's going to be affective... not to mention, the PET scan scheduled for Oct 1st, if it's going to find more areas that may have popped up in the last 5 months since the last PET scan.
Has anyone else had these worries and if so, what the end result was?
Comments
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statistics
Cheryl, I am glad to see you are looking for information and trying to decide for yourself what is the best way to attack this beast. I don't have any experience with your particular situation, but I wanted to tell you that i LOVE your picture! I was initially diagnosed as stage IIIB, later had a recurrence on my ovaries. I am still here, still fighting, and plan on doing that for some time to come! I am sure there are others on this board that are facing/have faced what you are looking at so hang in there!
Mary0 -
Hi Cheryl,
I know your title
Hi Cheryl,
I know your title reads statistics for stage III, so I thought I'd chime in. I had an appointment with my Oncologist this past Monday. I'm a compulsive information gatherer and up until that point, I had been trying to formulate my own prognosis. So, finally, I gave up because it was too dismal and depressing, and flat out asked him what my prognosis is. He told me that with chemo, the over-all prognosis for stage III is 70/30. Although, for me, due to certain pathological characteristics of my cancer, I may be closer to 65/35. I told him "hey! I can live with that". Also, he informed me that the FOLFOX treatment (of which I am halfway through, YAY!) is providing me with a 40% benefit. This all seems very hopeful to me.
The bottom line is it varies from individual to individual, but new medications and procedures are being investigated all the time and there are so many options out there today than there were even a few years ago. I'd also consider getting a second opinion as far as your surgery / treatment goes.
Keep fighting and never give up!
Elizabeth0 -
Thanks, Mary!msccolon said:statistics
Cheryl, I am glad to see you are looking for information and trying to decide for yourself what is the best way to attack this beast. I don't have any experience with your particular situation, but I wanted to tell you that i LOVE your picture! I was initially diagnosed as stage IIIB, later had a recurrence on my ovaries. I am still here, still fighting, and plan on doing that for some time to come! I am sure there are others on this board that are facing/have faced what you are looking at so hang in there!
Mary
Hhehe... the picture is my most recent. A friend and I went out to the Fringe Festival and I was showing him all the various functions of my new iPhone, so he took my picture to try out the camera on it. I then added the butterflies and pink on the sides
I certainly plan on fighting this hook, line and sinker!! I also wish that there was some way that I could just ignore the bad stuff so I don't get that sinking feeling whenever a new spot or some twist happens. I know that I am a positive person and I have a really good attitude because I love life and all it has to offer. What is totally foreign to me is being scared! That sinking feeling in your gut when you hear news that you weren't expecting.
So, the more I hear that people have had their cancer spread and things look dicey... but they come sailing through, multiple times, then I can rest a bit easier.0 -
Stage III Statslizbiz said:Hi Cheryl,
I know your title
Hi Cheryl,
I know your title reads statistics for stage III, so I thought I'd chime in. I had an appointment with my Oncologist this past Monday. I'm a compulsive information gatherer and up until that point, I had been trying to formulate my own prognosis. So, finally, I gave up because it was too dismal and depressing, and flat out asked him what my prognosis is. He told me that with chemo, the over-all prognosis for stage III is 70/30. Although, for me, due to certain pathological characteristics of my cancer, I may be closer to 65/35. I told him "hey! I can live with that". Also, he informed me that the FOLFOX treatment (of which I am halfway through, YAY!) is providing me with a 40% benefit. This all seems very hopeful to me.
The bottom line is it varies from individual to individual, but new medications and procedures are being investigated all the time and there are so many options out there today than there were even a few years ago. I'd also consider getting a second opinion as far as your surgery / treatment goes.
Keep fighting and never give up!
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
It sounds like you've been given the same type of statistics that I was given. The 70/30 one was given to me when I also started chemo. So, I was feeling pretty good with that. But then I became an oddity because the colon cancer spread to my right adrenal gland... to a benign growth that I had on that gland for the past 10 years or longer. That was weird because colon cancer does not normally spread to the adrenal gland. It also spread to the lung, so we have some spots there to deal with... but now I get different statistics because the colon cancer has now spread outside of the intestines. If we were to do only the surgery to remove the one larger lesion on the right lung, because of the small spots, there's only a 10% survival rate to 5 years. If we do the surgery and chemo that jumps up to 30-40%. Still not the best of percentages if you ask me... but then, one has to take a lot into consideration. Age, relative health despite the cancer, strength, etc.
So, I'm really not trying to put too much stock into stats, but they seem to be the one thing that can throw me into a tizzy.0 -
spread
Hi Cheryl,
How far are the small spots from the larger one in your lung? Are they in the same lobe or different lobes? If they are in the same lobe they could perhaps remove that lobe, and the one on the adrenal, and then do chemo. If in multiple areas of the lungs it would be more difficult. I don't know where you are but you may benefit from getting another opinion, especially from one of the major cancer centers (ex. MD Anderson, Mayo, etc). Keep us informed.
****0 -
statsCherylHutch said:Stage III Stats
Hi Elizabeth,
It sounds like you've been given the same type of statistics that I was given. The 70/30 one was given to me when I also started chemo. So, I was feeling pretty good with that. But then I became an oddity because the colon cancer spread to my right adrenal gland... to a benign growth that I had on that gland for the past 10 years or longer. That was weird because colon cancer does not normally spread to the adrenal gland. It also spread to the lung, so we have some spots there to deal with... but now I get different statistics because the colon cancer has now spread outside of the intestines. If we were to do only the surgery to remove the one larger lesion on the right lung, because of the small spots, there's only a 10% survival rate to 5 years. If we do the surgery and chemo that jumps up to 30-40%. Still not the best of percentages if you ask me... but then, one has to take a lot into consideration. Age, relative health despite the cancer, strength, etc.
So, I'm really not trying to put too much stock into stats, but they seem to be the one thing that can throw me into a tizzy.
Cheryl,
I was diagnosed stage IIIc cc on 8/20/07, surgery, colostomy, FOLFOX, reversal surgery and 2 months after completing all that my cea levels rose slightly. I now have mets in my liver and lung. Inoperable at this point so now FOLFIRI w/Erbitux.
Statistics are scary, but I don't fit any of the stats. I was 38 at diagnosis for endometrial cancer, 43 with stage IIIcc and 44 w/stage IV. I'm young (although my kids don't agree, lol), I'm healthy, no family history, asymtomatic. I went against the odds just by *getting* colon cancer. If I'm going to fall into the the statistical anomaly for all that, then I intend to for the cure, too!
To quote Kris Carr, "Impossible (Incurable) isn't a declaration, it's a DARE!" That has become my montra. I am making plans for 5 and 10 years in the future. I'm not just putting stuff in my calander, I'm buying tickets! I'm making commitments. My son and his fiance postponed the wedding from 9/09 to 9/11 with my blessing. I WILL BE THERE!
I've decided to not die of cancer. I want to die of something else (during sex?). My onc agrees with this plan and has designed my treatment around that!
Make sure your docs agree with YOUR plan. My odds (as calculated by me, of course) of beating this? 100% baby!
Kimby
The Crazy Cancer Lady0 -
staticstics againCherylHutch said:Stage III Stats
Hi Elizabeth,
It sounds like you've been given the same type of statistics that I was given. The 70/30 one was given to me when I also started chemo. So, I was feeling pretty good with that. But then I became an oddity because the colon cancer spread to my right adrenal gland... to a benign growth that I had on that gland for the past 10 years or longer. That was weird because colon cancer does not normally spread to the adrenal gland. It also spread to the lung, so we have some spots there to deal with... but now I get different statistics because the colon cancer has now spread outside of the intestines. If we were to do only the surgery to remove the one larger lesion on the right lung, because of the small spots, there's only a 10% survival rate to 5 years. If we do the surgery and chemo that jumps up to 30-40%. Still not the best of percentages if you ask me... but then, one has to take a lot into consideration. Age, relative health despite the cancer, strength, etc.
So, I'm really not trying to put too much stock into stats, but they seem to be the one thing that can throw me into a tizzy.
When I had my recurrence in my abdomen, my right ovary, the omentum and some fatty tissue, I went to Baptist Hospital with the intentions of having the heated abdominal wash after tumor removal, if it was shown to be a recurrence of colon cancer. The expected life span without the wash was 17 months, with the wash was 5 years or more. I wound up not getting the wash because they initially thought it was a new primary ovarian cancer (not sure why they still didn't continue with the wash, but my suspicion is it was insurance related). Well, the surgery was done in June 2006 so all my months past November 2007 have been beyond the statitistics and I feel pretty darned healthy! I did have chemo after that second surgery, and then returned to chemo Jan 2008 to bring my CEA back down, but no scans have shown any activity and I continue with Avastin every 3 weeks. I just don't listen to statistics! After all, to get any statistic other than 100%, it means some have survived some haven't, and I plan on being one who brings up the survival statistics!
Mary0 -
statistics
I find that statistics can be manipulated so many ways and there are so many variances in types of cancer (location, spread etc.) that it doesn't do us any good to even look at them, (may be ok for expiration dates on milk and meat). When you think of all colon cancer and people who get treatment, those who don't, how many great treatments that are new in the last few years, it's hard to come up with any kind of real numbers. The chemo has changed in the time since I had mine for stage iv 3 years ago and I was on avastin then. I have been free of cancer now for 3 years and I think I looked at statistics at the beginning of my treatment and found I only had a 5% chance. In the last 5 years, which the numbers are based on, there has been dramatic improvements in treatment! Some hospitals where some of the numbers come from are not equipped to treat patients with these latest greatest treatments and sadly their outcome is not as good. Hang in there, get good treatment and you can help raise the statistics so that they don't scare any one else.
Jo Ann0 -
Spreadvinny3 said:spread
Hi Cheryl,
How far are the small spots from the larger one in your lung? Are they in the same lobe or different lobes? If they are in the same lobe they could perhaps remove that lobe, and the one on the adrenal, and then do chemo. If in multiple areas of the lungs it would be more difficult. I don't know where you are but you may benefit from getting another opinion, especially from one of the major cancer centers (ex. MD Anderson, Mayo, etc). Keep us informed.
****
Hi ****,
I wish these other spots were all in the same place because you are right... we could have done the one surgery which would be to remove the one lobe, but alas, they are in different parts. Here are the findings from the Results Review Report of the CAT scan:
FINDINGS: The nodule in the apical segment of the right upper lobe has increased in size to 14mm. The module in the superior segment of the left lower lobe has also grown, now measuring 5mm. The right middle lobe nodule has increased to 4mm. The previously seen 4mm nodule in the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe is unchanged. However, a new 4 mm nodule is identified in the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe (image 228). Two nonspecific tiny ground glass opacities in the upper lobes are unchanged.
The two nonspecific small ones mentioned at the end are not ones that concern anyone. They think this is just scarring from a past bout of pneumonia some years back. Other than the 14mm nodule, the others are all considered very small and would be hard to find during a surgery, not to mention, since they are in different areas, it would make for a very difficult surgery... and maybe need more than one surgery since they all might not be able to be removed in one sitting.
So, my Lung Surgeon (who I adore and he has the reputation for being the best Thoracic Surgeon in Vancouver, BC, where I live) is wanting me to discuss options with my oncologist, Dr. Sharlene Gill who, I adore and would not change oncologists for any amount of money even though I know realistically there are other fabulous oncs out there... she is the best
Ok, you get the idea that I love my team, so it's not that I am concerned about their recommendations. I just need to have an understanding myself of how everything works. He is suggesting we do the chemo first, with the best scenerio being that the chemo shrinks/kills off these small nodules, and at the same time, kills off any individual cancer cells that might be lurking about. If that is successful, then we would follow up the chemo treatment with the surgery to remove the 14mm nodule, which is growing very slowly.
Of course, I am scheduled for a PET scan on Oct 1st and that will be the 6 month scan, since the last PET scan was in March... so this scan is to check that no other growths have started anywhere else in the abdomen or surrounding organs. So, once we have the PET scan info, then we can go ahead and determine whether we should do chemo first then surgery, or surgery then chemo or ??
Meanwhile, Kimby, Mary and JoAnn... thank you, thank you for the pep talk on ignoring stats and just continuing on and making future plans! That is SOOOOO me 95% of the time, the other 5% is when I get these hurdles thrown at me, I start to wonder am I being unrealistic? But who cares, right?? If being unrealistic means getting out and being able to enjoy life, then let's all be unrealistic!!! 0 -
I create my own reality.CherylHutch said:Spread
Hi ****,
I wish these other spots were all in the same place because you are right... we could have done the one surgery which would be to remove the one lobe, but alas, they are in different parts. Here are the findings from the Results Review Report of the CAT scan:
FINDINGS: The nodule in the apical segment of the right upper lobe has increased in size to 14mm. The module in the superior segment of the left lower lobe has also grown, now measuring 5mm. The right middle lobe nodule has increased to 4mm. The previously seen 4mm nodule in the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe is unchanged. However, a new 4 mm nodule is identified in the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe (image 228). Two nonspecific tiny ground glass opacities in the upper lobes are unchanged.
The two nonspecific small ones mentioned at the end are not ones that concern anyone. They think this is just scarring from a past bout of pneumonia some years back. Other than the 14mm nodule, the others are all considered very small and would be hard to find during a surgery, not to mention, since they are in different areas, it would make for a very difficult surgery... and maybe need more than one surgery since they all might not be able to be removed in one sitting.
So, my Lung Surgeon (who I adore and he has the reputation for being the best Thoracic Surgeon in Vancouver, BC, where I live) is wanting me to discuss options with my oncologist, Dr. Sharlene Gill who, I adore and would not change oncologists for any amount of money even though I know realistically there are other fabulous oncs out there... she is the best Ok, you get the idea that I love my team, so it's not that I am concerned about their recommendations. I just need to have an understanding myself of how everything works. He is suggesting we do the chemo first, with the best scenerio being that the chemo shrinks/kills off these small nodules, and at the same time, kills off any individual cancer cells that might be lurking about. If that is successful, then we would follow up the chemo treatment with the surgery to remove the 14mm nodule, which is growing very slowly.
Of course, I am scheduled for a PET scan on Oct 1st and that will be the 6 month scan, since the last PET scan was in March... so this scan is to check that no other growths have started anywhere else in the abdomen or surrounding organs. So, once we have the PET scan info, then we can go ahead and determine whether we should do chemo first then surgery, or surgery then chemo or ??
Meanwhile, Kimby, Mary and JoAnn... thank you, thank you for the pep talk on ignoring stats and just continuing on and making future plans! That is SOOOOO me 95% of the time, the other 5% is when I get these hurdles thrown at me, I start to wonder am I being unrealistic? But who cares, right?? If being unrealistic means getting out and being able to enjoy life, then let's all be unrealistic!!! I did it before cancer and I'm not gonna stop now! 0 -
You're not a statistic!
Hi,
I was given a stage IV diagnosis 13 months ago & am already defying the statistics. My oncologist- bless him- has been so positive. I just don't know what state I'd have been in if he had sung the blues to me like apparently so many other oncologists do to their patients. You just have to decide that YOU'RE NOT A STATISTIC- you're ahuman being!! Statistics are obviously compilations of averages of many different people with different ages and different situations, even when they're within the same stage. Also- my oncologist wisely told me not to believe the statistics I read online. In order to already be listed statistics, they have to be outdated. The patients who are behind those statistics were diagnosed and treated at least 5 or more years ago. Patients who have been diagnosed and treated more recently have had the advantage of better chemos, drugs, other treatments, better surgeries, etc. In other words, the patients who are being treated now will be the statistics in another 5+ years & those statistics will be much better because of their better treatment. Remember that & don't listen to anyone who gives you such dismal news!!0 -
I am NOT a statistic!lisa42 said:You're not a statistic!
Hi,
I was given a stage IV diagnosis 13 months ago & am already defying the statistics. My oncologist- bless him- has been so positive. I just don't know what state I'd have been in if he had sung the blues to me like apparently so many other oncologists do to their patients. You just have to decide that YOU'RE NOT A STATISTIC- you're ahuman being!! Statistics are obviously compilations of averages of many different people with different ages and different situations, even when they're within the same stage. Also- my oncologist wisely told me not to believe the statistics I read online. In order to already be listed statistics, they have to be outdated. The patients who are behind those statistics were diagnosed and treated at least 5 or more years ago. Patients who have been diagnosed and treated more recently have had the advantage of better chemos, drugs, other treatments, better surgeries, etc. In other words, the patients who are being treated now will be the statistics in another 5+ years & those statistics will be much better because of their better treatment. Remember that & don't listen to anyone who gives you such dismal news!!
Thank you, Lisa!! That is such common sense, it's a wonder more of us don't realize that right from the start. What I didn't know was that statistics today are actually taken from people/treatments 5+ years ago. So 5 years ago, someone may or may not have survived, but were probably diagnosed 3-5 years before becoming a statistic... so in fact those statistics could be based on treatments 5-10 years ago. In other words, we really have no idea, as cancer survivors today, just what the circumstances were for the people those statistics were based on.
Reading your post has just given me a "Duh!" moment! No matter what the most recent statistics say/do/are, they are based on information that was collected before I was even diagnosed myself!
So, I thank you for giving me this enlightening moment! I know my oncologist and surgeons are wonderful people and I love them to pieces. But, they are doctors and they do have to go by the information that is given to them, hence if they do mention statistics it is information that they have at hand and then can be pleasantly surprised when I do so much better than the "statistics".
My own family doctor, who admits that cancer and the latest treatments are out of his expertise so he can't give any recommendations on what treatment to use, has said to me on multiple occasions -- "Cheryl, I know you are well-versed in computers and the use of them. I strongly recommend that you do NOT spend hours researching information on your cancer. There will be lots of it out there on the internet, but you'll have no idea which ones are accurate or not. If you stick to the main medical institutions, you will get information that might be more reliable, but the information and statistics will be out of date... and no matter how accurate they may be, it does not mean that it applies to you or not."
So, I do try to stay away from researching the "what ifs" of this disease, and am more comfortable coming to a support group like this one, online, asking questions and getting answers from those who are going through the same fight. It doesn't mean we will have the same reactions, symptoms, side affects, etc... nor does it even mean we will have the exact same treatments. But one gets a much more realistic view of what it means to go through this journey by talking to others who have gone through it ... not just compiling data and putting together a paper with statistics.
Thank you!0 -
RIGHT ON SISTA!kimby said:stats
Cheryl,
I was diagnosed stage IIIc cc on 8/20/07, surgery, colostomy, FOLFOX, reversal surgery and 2 months after completing all that my cea levels rose slightly. I now have mets in my liver and lung. Inoperable at this point so now FOLFIRI w/Erbitux.
Statistics are scary, but I don't fit any of the stats. I was 38 at diagnosis for endometrial cancer, 43 with stage IIIcc and 44 w/stage IV. I'm young (although my kids don't agree, lol), I'm healthy, no family history, asymtomatic. I went against the odds just by *getting* colon cancer. If I'm going to fall into the the statistical anomaly for all that, then I intend to for the cure, too!
To quote Kris Carr, "Impossible (Incurable) isn't a declaration, it's a DARE!" That has become my montra. I am making plans for 5 and 10 years in the future. I'm not just putting stuff in my calander, I'm buying tickets! I'm making commitments. My son and his fiance postponed the wedding from 9/09 to 9/11 with my blessing. I WILL BE THERE!
I've decided to not die of cancer. I want to die of something else (during sex?). My onc agrees with this plan and has designed my treatment around that!
Make sure your docs agree with YOUR plan. My odds (as calculated by me, of course) of beating this? 100% baby!
Kimby
The Crazy Cancer Lady
You quoted my favorite cancer babe s/hero!
Kris Carr ROCKS and I encourage everyone and anyone to read her book and blog, Crazy Sexy Cancer.
To Cheryl,
Have you thought of trying out juicing and alternatives to complement your treatments? Pumping optimal nutrition into your system via the juicing can pack a whallop on cancer.
I am living breathing proof 7 years cancer free of having juiced and no chemo post surgery.
peace, emily the juice chick0 -
juicing2bhealed said:RIGHT ON SISTA!
You quoted my favorite cancer babe s/hero!
Kris Carr ROCKS and I encourage everyone and anyone to read her book and blog, Crazy Sexy Cancer.
To Cheryl,
Have you thought of trying out juicing and alternatives to complement your treatments? Pumping optimal nutrition into your system via the juicing can pack a whallop on cancer.
I am living breathing proof 7 years cancer free of having juiced and no chemo post surgery.
peace, emily the juice chick
Emily,
I have been looking into juicing and am quite interested. My main concern with starting is the initial cost of a good juicer. They seem to be several hundred dollars! Although I can look at it as an investment, finances are tight right now. Any suggestions?
Kimby
P.S. I LOVE Kris Carr, too. I have her "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips" book on hand for those women just diagnosed. It is such a releif to have fun with cancer - lol0 -
juicerskimby said:juicing
Emily,
I have been looking into juicing and am quite interested. My main concern with starting is the initial cost of a good juicer. They seem to be several hundred dollars! Although I can look at it as an investment, finances are tight right now. Any suggestions?
Kimby
P.S. I LOVE Kris Carr, too. I have her "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips" book on hand for those women just diagnosed. It is such a releif to have fun with cancer - lol
hi Kimby,
I got my Champion Juicer on www.discountjuicers.com but I bet if you went on Craig's List or eBay you could find one. I teach a juicing workshop at my coop and my clients find them at garage sales and online. Many folks invest and then drop off from juicing and then clean out their cupboards and sell them.
My mother bought mine for me after my dx when she realized that I was seriously going to forego the chemo and juice like my life depended on it. I needed a workhorse and got it. No namby-pamby department store juicer for me! :-)
Do you have friends and/or family who could chip in and invest in your life? Could someone organize a raffle to raise money? Does anyone you know have one you could borrow or barter an exchange?
As for Kris Carr, I took her book on vacation with me a year ago and laughed and cried (with relief) the whole way through her book. She was singing to the choir! I felt so affirmed in everything I have done to heal from cancer. So often I feel alone out there. I used to post on her blog but it got so big and my computer crashed and I got so far behind when I was back on that I gave up.
Let me know what you get.
peace, emily the juice chick0 -
not being a statisticCherylHutch said:I am NOT a statistic!
Thank you, Lisa!! That is such common sense, it's a wonder more of us don't realize that right from the start. What I didn't know was that statistics today are actually taken from people/treatments 5+ years ago. So 5 years ago, someone may or may not have survived, but were probably diagnosed 3-5 years before becoming a statistic... so in fact those statistics could be based on treatments 5-10 years ago. In other words, we really have no idea, as cancer survivors today, just what the circumstances were for the people those statistics were based on.
Reading your post has just given me a "Duh!" moment! No matter what the most recent statistics say/do/are, they are based on information that was collected before I was even diagnosed myself!
So, I thank you for giving me this enlightening moment! I know my oncologist and surgeons are wonderful people and I love them to pieces. But, they are doctors and they do have to go by the information that is given to them, hence if they do mention statistics it is information that they have at hand and then can be pleasantly surprised when I do so much better than the "statistics".
My own family doctor, who admits that cancer and the latest treatments are out of his expertise so he can't give any recommendations on what treatment to use, has said to me on multiple occasions -- "Cheryl, I know you are well-versed in computers and the use of them. I strongly recommend that you do NOT spend hours researching information on your cancer. There will be lots of it out there on the internet, but you'll have no idea which ones are accurate or not. If you stick to the main medical institutions, you will get information that might be more reliable, but the information and statistics will be out of date... and no matter how accurate they may be, it does not mean that it applies to you or not."
So, I do try to stay away from researching the "what ifs" of this disease, and am more comfortable coming to a support group like this one, online, asking questions and getting answers from those who are going through the same fight. It doesn't mean we will have the same reactions, symptoms, side affects, etc... nor does it even mean we will have the exact same treatments. But one gets a much more realistic view of what it means to go through this journey by talking to others who have gone through it ... not just compiling data and putting together a paper with statistics.
Thank you!
I am a cancer survivor and live in southern Alberta when I am not travelling. I have a good friend and ex-colleague who has Stage 3 colorectal cancer. I have the same cancer but was diagnosed 6 months after she was. I am stage 1. Cancer is very scarey and I think that it is human nature to try to find out as much as possible. I am a retired computer teacher and that was my first reaction. On the postive side, when I had a permanent colostomy surgery in Feb 2004 I was very well informed and had several on-line support chat groups in place. I spend less time there these days, but it is reassuring to know that support is there. My friend accessed a Canadian cancer society service that you might consider. They match you with someone who is very similar to you and who has a similar diagnosis. You can talk to them on the phone and they provide support when you need it. You also have face to face support groups available in Vancouver that you might consider.0 -
Statistics
When my doctor first told me average life expectancy for stage iv dx was 2 1/2 years, I was devastated. I found this article on Randy Pausch's blog. It is by Stephen Jay Gould, a Harvard professor, diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 1982, with an average life expectancy of 8 months after diagnosis. He wrote "The Median Isn't the Message" which talks about statistics. He lived another 20 years, dying of an unrelated cancer. The link is http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/medianNotMessage.html. This message confirmed my belief that numbers are not people. I'm not average and I refuse to conform to an average. I plan on being an outlier and living another 30 or 40 years! Good luck and ignore those numbers--you are a survivor, not a number!
Rebecca0 -
Not Being A Statisticfunnygurl said:not being a statistic
I am a cancer survivor and live in southern Alberta when I am not travelling. I have a good friend and ex-colleague who has Stage 3 colorectal cancer. I have the same cancer but was diagnosed 6 months after she was. I am stage 1. Cancer is very scarey and I think that it is human nature to try to find out as much as possible. I am a retired computer teacher and that was my first reaction. On the postive side, when I had a permanent colostomy surgery in Feb 2004 I was very well informed and had several on-line support chat groups in place. I spend less time there these days, but it is reassuring to know that support is there. My friend accessed a Canadian cancer society service that you might consider. They match you with someone who is very similar to you and who has a similar diagnosis. You can talk to them on the phone and they provide support when you need it. You also have face to face support groups available in Vancouver that you might consider.
Thanks funnygurl... I realize there are actually a lot of face to face support groups here in Vancouver and although I haven't checked into them for myself, I do know there are good ones available. I actually have become very good friends with a gal I met at the BC Cancer Agency when we were getting our chemo every two weeks. It was one of those uncanny meetings. We clicked from the moment we met... then to find out we had the same cancer, diagnosed by and had surgery by the same surgeon at the same hospital and also have the same oncologist. So, we bounce things off each other all the time... and it was all because of a chance meeting
Hugggggs,
Cheryl0 -
The Median Isn't The Messagerrob said:Statistics
When my doctor first told me average life expectancy for stage iv dx was 2 1/2 years, I was devastated. I found this article on Randy Pausch's blog. It is by Stephen Jay Gould, a Harvard professor, diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 1982, with an average life expectancy of 8 months after diagnosis. He wrote "The Median Isn't the Message" which talks about statistics. He lived another 20 years, dying of an unrelated cancer. The link is http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/news/medianNotMessage.html. This message confirmed my belief that numbers are not people. I'm not average and I refuse to conform to an average. I plan on being an outlier and living another 30 or 40 years! Good luck and ignore those numbers--you are a survivor, not a number!
Rebecca
WOW Rebecca! Thanks for pointing us to the article! It was a bit of a tough read for me but I got the jist of what he was saying and that is inspiring. What I really appreciated was when he said that attitude has a lot to do with fighting cancer. This is something I've always believed but don't have proof or anything that could really point out why attitude is so important. So, although the article didn't give proof or studies that show why attitude is so important, it helped that it just is so
Huggggs,
Cheryl0 -
Canadian Cancer Societyfunnygurl said:not being a statistic
I am a cancer survivor and live in southern Alberta when I am not travelling. I have a good friend and ex-colleague who has Stage 3 colorectal cancer. I have the same cancer but was diagnosed 6 months after she was. I am stage 1. Cancer is very scarey and I think that it is human nature to try to find out as much as possible. I am a retired computer teacher and that was my first reaction. On the postive side, when I had a permanent colostomy surgery in Feb 2004 I was very well informed and had several on-line support chat groups in place. I spend less time there these days, but it is reassuring to know that support is there. My friend accessed a Canadian cancer society service that you might consider. They match you with someone who is very similar to you and who has a similar diagnosis. You can talk to them on the phone and they provide support when you need it. You also have face to face support groups available in Vancouver that you might consider.
Good Afternoon
My Aunt has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer. Unfortunately the outlook is not a postive one. She had surgery on Thursday and they were not able to remove the cancer. She now has a colostamy bag and will be starting chemo and radiation shortly
What was the service that your friend found through the Canadian Cancer Society?
My Aunt is still in the hospital and going through the ups and downs right now however in time I think this be a great help for my Aunt.
Any gudiance/suggestions on websites etc.. that you could provide would be greatly appreciated
Thank you
Kind Regards
Mo670
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