Just found out about Chemo, should I get a second opinion

That's the normal
Hi Thready,
I'd say that most of us were given 5 to 6 weeks to heal before chemo began and virtually every Stage III colon cancer patient (not rectal/ anal as they have radiation and chemo is spread out around other tx's) got exactly what your onc is going to give you.

I'm sure you're scared, but remember that Stage III is still curable so go for the cure and please.... pay attention to the following.

Information for our new members.
The studies were all done on Stage III colon cancer patients.


A: an aspirin a day
B: Better diet with no red meat or limited to 4 ounces a month
C: Calcium
Vitamin D3 which is only found in a few foods. Note: this is NOT the Vit. D in One a Day, etc. It is in Centrum Ultra, etc.
E: Exercise The Dana Farber Cancer Institute has done several studies which prove recurrence can be avoided at a rate of 55% in Stage III women who exercise regularly.


ASPIRIN:
CHICAGO – Score another win for the humble aspirin. A study suggests colon cancer patients who took the dirt-cheap wonder drug reduced their risk of death from the disease by nearly 30 percent.

Aspirin already is recommended for preventing heart attacks and strokes, along with its traditional use for relief of minor aches and pains. Its merit in colon cancer prevention has been tempered by its side effects, bleeding from irritation of the stomach or intestines.

The new study suggests patients who already have colon cancer may benefit from taking aspirin along with surgery and chemotherapy. In a separate analysis of a subgroup of patients, only those with the most common type of tumor, those that overproduce the Cox-2 enzyme, saw a benefit.

"The paper is absolutely incredible, and I don't gush normally," said Dr. Alfred Neugut of Columbia University Medical Center in New York who has done similar research but was not involved in the new study. In an accompanying editorial, Neugut wrote that the study "comes as close as it can to offering patients a way to help themselves.".....
The yahoo link for this article is now old but a search can be done online for more information using the doctor's name.


BETTER DIET: The Mediterranean Diet is believed (study being done at U of Mich) to raise survival rates from Colon Cancer by 6%. Mediterranean Diet HERE:
Click Here

CALCIUM:
Should Everyone Take Calcium and Vitamin D?
Written by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD.

Only about five years ago, every patient of mine who finished chemotherapy was given a vitamin cocktail to further reduce colon cancer risk. It was calcium, selenium, vitamin E and folic acid.

Over the last three years, folic acid has been shown to increase growth of polyps, and in patients with metastatic disease it may shorten life. The protective value of vitamin E has been questioned, and there was evidence that it might increase prostate cancer risk. Selenium did not show benefit.

So we are down to calcium. This supplement has been shown repeatedly to benefit patients by reducing cancer risk for a variety of solid tumors including colon cancer. A recent publication by Dr. Yikyung Park from the National Cancer Institute showed that supplementation of 1200 mg calcium in women and men over the age of 50 decreased cancer risk by 17% for men and 23% for women (Archives of Internal Medicine, February 23, 2009). These were cancers of the gastrointestinal tract mainly colon cancers.

The usually source for calcium in our diet is milk products (yogurt, cheese etc) as well as meat. The calcium pathway is very interesting because it requires activity of vitamin D. Without vitamin D it is difficult to absorb calcium and put it into the organs where we need it, but to make sure we have sufficient vitamin D we need some sun exposure (vitamin D is activated in the skin) and we need a functional kidney.

When vitamin D was tested in patients with colon cancer it was found by Dr. Charles Fuchs in the Journal of Clinical Oncology published in June last year that the patients with the highest vitamin D levels lived longer suggesting that low levels may be associated with shorter survival. I recommend all my patients take 1500 mg of calcium and 1000-3000 units of vitamin D daily.

If you have a history of kidney stones or inflammatory bowel disease please check with your doctor first before starting calcium supplements.

D3: Watch this video on Vitamin D3 and cancer
Watch the Youtube video at: Click Here

In a new study, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center and Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, UC San Diego used a complex computer prediction model to determine that intake of vitamin D...

EXERCISE: Do a web search for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute colon cancer exercise Using all those words should bring it right up. 55% is amazing!