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Posted 3/4/2012 5:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Everyone


I don't for one minute want to sound insensitive to our brothers who are in serious trouble with Pca, but one of my dear work colleagues passed away this week with Thyroid Cancer. He had only been diagnosed last August and had finished radiation therapy and back at work one day a week (his intention was to build his days back up gradually). He had a relapse last weekend and was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties. We heard mid-week that he only had a couple of days left. When I went to tell my boss that a few of us were going to see him before he died, I broke down completely. I'm not sure if I broke down because of my own cancer scare last year, or whether it was because he was such a decent man (or a combination of both), but either way I was a bit of a mess. It got me thinking that by comparison, I have much to look forward to and I should be thankful for every day I have left in this life.
Posted 3/4/2012 5:20 AM (GMT 0)
If your point is that there are worse cancers in terms of outlook and shall we say speed of demise, you are correct.

Still, I don't feel like jumping up and down.

Mel

Posted 3/4/2012 5:40 AM (GMT 0)
Your point well taken by me, Ozbob, thanks for sharing this
Posted 3/4/2012 9:27 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry about your colleague
Yes, although all cancer is not good news some cancers can be much worse than PCa, and especially when it comes to the time factor.
There have been a few guys here who have had really bad stats at diagnosis, but I reckon that there could easily be guys who were diagnosed with a Gleason 6 back in August who have still not yet decided what treatment to choose.
Your colleagues story sounds unpleasantly familiar
I moved house last July and in February I heard that since last seeing her a former neighbour had, in the last six months, been diagnosed, had had chemo, RT and (major) surgeries for something in her neck. We talk about PCa being slow growing, well the lump in her neck grew to larger than a grapefruit in a few weeks while they were stuill trying to work out the treatment plan. And as well as growing outwards it grew inwards into her spine (Hence the complicated surgeries). And I don't think the future looks good for a woman in her 40s with a family.

Still, let's end this with a bit of good news. The hospital in Amsterdam where I have been treated (The NKI-AVL) has concluded after a 20 year study that many ladies with breast cancer can probably be adequately treated with RT and lumpectomy rather than full mastectomy. see:

www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(12)70042-6/fulltext
www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/breast-amputations-often-unnecessary-dutch-doctors-find

Let's hope they can work out how to do somthing similar to a lumpectomy for PCa. Because if there is one area where the robot could be much better than open surgery it would be for removing just the cancerous tissue and not the whole prostrate


Alf
Posted 3/4/2012 1:38 PM (GMT 0)

So sorry to hear of your friend.

Sorry you have cause to be here too.

Sorry I do.

There is a lot to conteplate in the scheme of it all..

The way I view it..

There are no doubt other cancers there are "typically" more aggressive and deadly than the "typical" Pca.

There are also aggressive cases of pca that are faster and cause death sooner than milder cases of "worse" cancers.

Ultimately, when it's you or your loved one's cancer, it is little comfort what the type of cancer, when it's ended a life too soon.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that cancer isn't about disease, it's about people. And I can only speak about my own feelings, perspective.

It is good that you are able to feel fortunate, to appreciate what you do have.

To a degree that is a gift your friend has given you. That perspective.

It seems to me that your regard for what a decent person this man was, the effect he had and has on you, is a testiment to his character.

I dont know how old your friend was, but I hope the time he did have was full of love and life, I expect so.

While I am quite sure he passed much too early, he may have "lived" life more than many who aged much longer.

And here I sit today, contemplating the life of a person whom I otherwise wouldn't have known of.. but for how HE impacted your life, and how that, as I awake and jump onto my prostate cancer blog, has impacted my morning.

Sorry if I went off course. Not all SEs physical.. as the next post I see is titled "Stress".

Good thoughts to all.

Posted 3/4/2012 2:17 PM (GMT 0)
I support Ozbob on this one. It sucks we are all here. I'm pissed I have this disease. I'm pissed my son and brother and his son have an increased risk of it. Yet through it all, we are hear still, we are fighting it. A good many of us will win our battle with PCa (win in this case defined as eventually passing away from something else than PCa or something it caused).

I have a friend who learned she had Pancreatic cancer 1 month after her baby was born. Everyone knew this was not gone to end well and it would be fast. She fought for 1.5 years against a disease with an average of 6 months. My father succumbed to Mesothelioma almost 1 year to the day after his diagnosis 30 years ago.

May everyone we know, love, or touch through messaging remain cancer free.

Cancer sucks, no matter the form. But there are some that suck worse !
Posted 3/4/2012 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
I acknowledge most cancers are worse than than PC cancer but I have to admit that I did get a little bugged by "If you had to get get cancer that's the one to get " from everyone. Like it wasn't going to change my whole life. Which it did. No Cancer is good and too dismiss anyone's cancer is callus.
Posted 3/4/2012 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
Ozbob, I've very sorry to hear about your close colleague.

Regarding prostate cancer, it is very true that PC is among the more common and less lethal malignancies, yielding a large population of survivors. Unfortunately, the "C word" clouds the thought process and sparks overriding desire for treatment, even if there is little benefit.

The notion that prostate cancer is a "good cancer" is a contemporary gross misinterpertation of the words of PC-pioneer Dr Willett Whitmore (1917-1995; known as "the father of urological oncology"). Paraphrasing, Dr Whitmore said there are "good prostate cancers" and "bad prostate cancers."
Posted 3/4/2012 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
Ozbob,

Very sorry to hear about your coworker. We spend so much time working that often times they become family to us.

about the better or worse cancers---I go to the local cancer institute once a month to get an injection of Xgeva. It is a drug my doctor prescribed to control bone mets. The visit takes a total of 45 mins. The injection takes about 10 seconds. While I am waiting for the shot I see many other patients with all types of cancers, some spending hours and hours. At these times I probably feel like what you describe, thankful.

With each cancer type, there are examples of all kinds. There are
extremely aggressive cancers that have been cured. There are seemingly less dangerous cancers that have killed. And, there is everything in between.

I'm one of those "bad prostate cancer" guys and I'm young. Bad combination. But, as all cancer patients and survivors, we should be thankful and hopeful. Live and enjoy each day.

Jerry L.

Post Edited (Jerry L.) : 3/4/2012 4:17:42 PM (GMT-7)

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