Cancer

bradlente · 15-12-2013 09:19PM

Took my Mother when she was 37,The youngest of 13.A few sisters on her side have since got it and so far beaten it.The oldest of the 13 my Uncle now has it pretty bad.

bradlente · 15-12-2013 09:23PM

Hello_MrFox wrote: »

When will it be curable? I think on a long enough timeline every disease will be cured, its just a question of when.

I've heard many a conspiracy theory,Including from friends who work in drug design and development that there may very well be a cure already that has absolutely no monetary value to the businesses that could produce it.If anything it could mean the end of said businesses to all intents and purposes.

Paramite Pie · 15-12-2013 09:29PM

Two of my uncles lost their wives to cancer, both within a month of each other. Dreadful, dragged out deaths. Both were in their late 40s.

My mums cousin (who I was close to) was terminally ill with cancer but his heart gave out first. The doctors couldn't operate on his heart because he was too weak from the cancer and couldn't operate on the cancer because of his weak heart. He could have possibly survived the cancer otherwise.

Cancer is terrifying and one of the few things I fear. Since few blood relatives have died from it I hope I'm in the clear....

SweepTheLeg · 15-12-2013 09:32PM

bradlente wrote: »

I've heard many a conspiracy theory,Including from friends who work in drug design and development that there may very well be a cure already that has absolutely no monetary value to the businesses that could produce it.If anything it could mean the end of said businesses to all intents and purposes.

I've heard the same theories, but for various other diseases as well. I'd say if Obama got aids/cancer there would be a cure found pretty quick!

DoozerT6 · 15-12-2013 09:33PM

bradlente wrote: »

I've heard many a conspiracy theory,Including from friends who work in drug design and development that there may very well be a cure already that has absolutely no monetary value to the businesses that could produce it.If anything it could mean the end of said businesses to all intents and purposes.

If this is true than I hope eventually these companies could have criminal charges pressed against them for withholding medical treatment (resulting in millions of deaths) because there is no profit to be gained.

Could they be tried for murder/manslaughter?

SeaDaily · 15-12-2013 09:40PM

Hello_MrFox wrote: »

When will it be curable? I think on a long enough timeline every disease will be cured, its just a question of when.

Im not 100% sure what you mean by this. How do define curable? At the moment many people who get cancer are treated and recover so I would say that it is already curable. As treatment becomes more effective the amount of people cured will increase.

SeaDaily · 15-12-2013 09:41PM

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Could they be tried for murder/manslaughter?

No, obviously they couldn't.

TheBody · 15-12-2013 09:59PM

Fuck you cancer. Just fuck you.

twomaddogs · 15-12-2013 10:00PM

DoozerT6 wrote: »

If this is true than I hope eventually these companies could have criminal charges pressed against them for withholding medical treatment (resulting in millions of deaths) because there is no profit to be gained.

Could they be tried for murder/manslaughter?

I don't know about the above, but I do know that the company which developed the test for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes recently lost a court case which ended up in the Supreme Court where they had tried to patent the genes.

They effectively tried to have a monopoly on gene testing for these cancer genes, but the Supreme court ruled that genes are "products of nature" and as such could not be patented.

Note that the company didn't discover the genes, they just developed the test. The scientist who discovered the genes was "delighted" with the ruling.

As someone who carries a gene I'm delighted with the ruling as well. My sister is currently trying to get tested abroad and can't afford it, therefore can't get preventative surgery

15-12-2013 10:23PM

I'm very lucky, none of my parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousins have had it. I have a few close friends whose parents have died from cancer though.

bradlente · 15-12-2013 10:27PM

TheBody wrote: »

Fuck you cancer. Just fuck you.

This is an apt response from anyone but especially yourself considering your username.:p:o

HomelessMidge · 15-12-2013 10:32PM

Sitting in James hospital writing this (Leukemia - cancer of the blood). I'm only 21 and my sister is a full match so I have a bone marrow transplant in January. With age and health on my side I reckon after this I will be able to live a normal life. Big shock at first but I didn't dwell on it. Positivity really helps. Just keep on looking forward.

I have an attitude of I'd rather laugh then cry.

Sir Humphrey Appleby · 15-12-2013 10:32PM

YellowFeather wrote: »

Almost everybody I know of who's died recently has been due to cancer. It's getting terrifying. My mum and dad have both had it with my mum ok now and my dad in remission thank God after a lot of treatment. I've just found out my best friend has it - she's 29. The treatments are getting more and more advanced, but it just seems to keep spreading. Have you been affected?

Ex Partner survived breast cancer, her mum now has terminal lung cancer.
My children's best friend died of it aged 15.
Not good.

Green Hornet · 15-12-2013 10:40PM

I think that people talk about a cure for 'cancer' but in reality there are numerous different cancers as opposed to one over arching cancer.....if I'm making any sense....

As a result, each one needs different treatments. Taxol seems to be one of the more effective treatments that can treat a number of cancers though but it's extremely expensive.

jelenka · 15-12-2013 10:46PM

HomelessMidge wrote: »

Sitting in James hospital writing this (Leukemia - cancer of the blood). I'm only 21 and my sister is a full match so I have a bone marrow transplant in January. With age and health on my side I reckon after this I will be able to live a normal life. Big shock at first but I didn't dwell on it. Positivity really helps. Just keep on looking forward.

I have an attitude of I'd rather laugh then cry.

Sorry to hear that , good luck with the op ....

BrianD3 · 15-12-2013 11:51PM

The idea that the pharma industry has "already found a cure for cancer but suppressed it" is utter crap. Of all the bullsh*t conspiracy theories doing the rounds, that is one of the worst.

There is also a huge amount of hysteria, conflicting info and crap in the media about things that supposedly cause cancer and prevent cancer, Everything from power lines to omega 6 fats to broccoli. Usually, there is little scientific consensus.

Basically, if you want to reduce your chances of getting cancer don't smoke, stay a healthy weight, exercise and avoid asbestos fibres and radon. Oh, and don't get old.

There is not a whole lot else that we can do.

Screening for and early detection of cancer is controversial.

People dont like it that they are not control of thier own lives/health so find comfort in ideas that if they get screened, eat broccoli every day and make a fuss over pylons near their house, that they won't die of cancer.

No matter what we do, many of us here will die from cancer, some boardsies already have. I was recently thinking about a poster that I had some debates with on the Irish Economy forum who I hadn't "seen" for a while who had also posted about having a tumour. After a bit of searching posts and looking on rip.ie I am 99% certain that he has passed away. It puts things into perspective that there are real people behind usernames that we have silly arguments with over unimportant things.

The good news is that many localised cancers are cured with surgery. However most metastatic cancers are fatal.

In the coming decades I envisage better treatments that keep those with still incurable metastatic cancers alive for longer with better quality of life. There may also be some "cures".

At present, metastatic testicular cancer is often curable with surgery and chemotherapy. If a few more cancers followed that model then that would be a huge advance. Sadly I don't see it happening especially for the really bad cancers such as lung and pancreatic.

Lung cancer is a terrible disease that kills more people than breast cancer and several other cancers combined. So whatever else you do, don't smoke.

delw · 16-12-2013 12:32AM

Fighting cancer myself at the moment,kidney tumor this time last year,had kidney & spleen removed, happy days.
Then in May they found 4 brain tumors (renal metastasis),had radiotherapy & am on chemo tablets now,its a hard fight but having a strong family around & being positive really helps.
Anyway hopefully things on the up for now

Blue Crystal · 16-12-2013 12:34AM

delw wrote: »

Fighting cancer myself at the moment,kidney tumor this time last year,had kidney & spleen removed, happy days.
Then in May they found 4 brain tumors (renal metastasis),had radiotherapy & am on chemo tablets now,its a hard fight but having a strong family around & being positive really helps.
Anyway hopefully things on the up for now

Give it hell

Lennyzip · 16-12-2013 12:44AM

YellowFeather wrote: »

Almost everybody I know of who's died recently has been due to cancer. It's getting terrifying. My mum and dad have both had it with my mum ok now and my dad in remission thank God after a lot of treatment. I've just found out my best friend has it - she's 29. The treatments are getting more and more advanced, but it just seems to keep spreading. Have you been affected?

Both parents died of cancer . Both non drinkers & non smokers . Horrible disease , it doesn't discriminate ....Mother died when I was 10 , father passed away this summer . Harsh for a man of 34 to lose both his parents so young .

ancapailldorcha · 16-12-2013 12:52AM

bradlente wrote: »

I've heard many a conspiracy theory,Including from friends who work in drug design and development that there may very well be a cure already that has absolutely no monetary value to the businesses that could produce it.If anything it could mean the end of said businesses to all intents and purposes.

I hate it when people come out with nonsense like this. Cancer cells are essentially normal, healthy cells which are spreading out of control. There are no ways to target them without targeting healthy cells as well. Antibiotics work so well because bacteria have structures and organelles human cells don't. Obviously, they can have harmful side effects but nothing as bad as cancer chemotherapies.
I've no idea how such a miracle cure could even work. There is research going on aiming to understand the disease better but "curing" it is sadly out of the question for now. We are getting somewhere with less harmful chemotherapies that are more specific for cancerous cells while causing less side effects.

Mint Aero · 16-12-2013 12:55AM

Do you smoke OP?

LorMal · 16-12-2013 01:06AM

delw wrote: »

Fighting cancer myself at the moment,kidney tumor this time last year,had kidney & spleen removed, happy days.
Then in May they found 4 brain tumors (renal metastasis),had radiotherapy & am on chemo tablets now,its a hard fight but having a strong family around & being positive really helps.
Anyway hopefully things on the up for now

Really hope everything goes well for you. Have a good Christmas. You are really brave.

sullivlo · 16-12-2013 01:11AM

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I hate it when people come out with nonsense like this. Cancer cells are essentially normal, healthy cells which are spreading out of control. There are no ways to target them without targeting healthy cells as well. Antibiotics work so well because bacteria have structures and organelles human cells don't. Obviously, they can have harmful side effects but nothing as bad as cancer chemotherapies.
I've no idea how such a miracle cure could even work. There is research going on aiming to understand the disease better but "curing" it is sadly out of the question for now. We are getting somewhere with less harmful chemotherapies that are more specific for cancerous cells while causing less side effects.

Cancer cells have mutated to evade apoptosis (programmed cell death).

There are two types of apoptosis. Intrinsic and extrinsic. Each have many pathways.

New drugs are targeting these different pathways to initiate apoptosis by manipulating pathways that have things like over expression of p53 or bcl-2.

Drugs are also targeting specific genes through monoclonal antibody treatment - like herceptin for breast cancer.

Taxol is great. As chemos go there are relatively few side effects but there is an issue with resistance to taxol over time, and it's more effective with co-treatment with other chemos.

(Have done lots of reading on cancer and cancer biology - phd in it)

I'm 27. I have an aunt who has stage 4 ovarian cancer. It's terminal. She has two kids who she adopted when their biological mother passed away with cancer. My aunts cancer is being managed but she will be on chemo for the rest of her life. Chemo will shorten her life expectancy but will give her more quality time. She is brax1/2 positive. My great aunt had an aggressive brax1/2 positive breast cancer. She is in remission. I am on the waiting list to get the genetic testing as I am the offspring in the next generation.

Cancer is a cnut. It really is.

And there are so many worthwhile treatments being researched at the minute. Something good will come of it all very soon. It's just unfortunate that time is not a luxury afforded to all cancer patients.

During my studies (I was working on one of these new treatments) I got emails from cancer patients asking for help. It was horrendous to see people so desperate to get some extra time. Broke my heart and inspired me to keep researching.

Now the table has turned and it's my family that are begging for extra time

Pretzill · 16-12-2013 01:12AM

Yeah OP it does sometimes feel like an epdemic - I thought my family had sideswiped the big c*** but then within the space of 2 years 3 close relatives and a dear friend were diagnosed - it doesn't descrimate across age or even fit lifestyles, it's a b*stard -

arybvtcw0eolkf · 16-12-2013 01:13AM

YellowFeather wrote: »

Almost everybody I know of who's died recently has been due to cancer. It's getting terrifying. My mum and dad have both had it with my mum ok now and my dad in remission thank God after a lot of treatment. I've just found out my best friend has it - she's 29. The treatments are getting more and more advanced, but it just seems to keep spreading. Have you been affected?

Yes but in the last few years most of my friends have died by suicide.

miss no stars · 16-12-2013 01:15AM

Granddad on my dads side and uncle on my mums. Both lifestyle related. Dad at high risk for an unusual cancer due to the level of radiation he's exposed to through work. One of his friends and colleague got a very unusual one that thankfully he beat, but there are a lot of colleagues who died from unusual cancers.

delw · 16-12-2013 01:16AM

LorMal wrote: »

Really hope everything goes well for you. Have a good Christmas. You are really brave.

Thanks LorMal,at the moment things going in the right direction so we going to try enjoy Christmas & keep the fight going ,hope you have a good Christmas as well

Tugboats · 16-12-2013 01:18AM

My chemistry teacher has Lung cancer. Inoperable....

sullivlo · 16-12-2013 01:21AM

Tugboats wrote: »

My chemistry teacher has Lung cancer. Inoperable....

Bares a striking resemblance to a tv show. I hope he has insurance. Otherwise perhaps he can cook crystal.

If it's true, sad news.

allthedoyles · 16-12-2013 01:23AM

If we the Irish people allow Eirgrid to build more pylons all over Ireland , you can expect an increase in diagnosis .

This must be stopped - and make them put the cables underground

Cancer

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