fear of cancer? Am I alone?

Hi Friends,
I am in my first real flare in eight years, basically since I have been diagnosed and started meds. So, in a way I kind of feel like a new patient. I am just not used to flaring and see blood regularly. So, my mind goes to thinking that this can turn into cancer. I had a good colonoscopy this past summer. Is this fear crazy? What I want to hear from you is that I don't have cancer. (-: Thanks.

you don't have cancer -

is it a crazy thought, absolutely not - one that you should spend much time thinking about ? nah !

JMHO:

The modern fad for treating UC is to load up on the biologics, immunosuppressants, and Big Guns at the start of taking meds for treatment. If a doctor tried to pull that on me then I would insist on a 2nd opinion, probably from and “old school” doctor who would start out with the mesalamines and 5-ASAs. Reinforced with mesalamine enemas taken as needed.

Mesalamines help to inhibit colon cancer. Immunosuppressants don't help. That is all I need to know. There are members here who can remain on the milder mesalamines because by monitoring their diet they don't need the Big Guns to manage their disease.

If there is any advantage to having UC it is that by getting regular colonoscopies doctors should be able to nip pre-cancer cells before they morph into something serious.

"There are members here who can remain on the milder mesalamines because by monitoring their diet they don't need the Big Guns to manage their disease." I strongly disagree with this statement. I'd say disease severity plays a much bigger role on that than diet. Diets help some with symptoms others not so much.

The emerging field of epigenetics is poignantly pointing out that certain lifestyle factors (good diet, low stress levels, sunlight, etc) mitigate cancer risks. For example, we know that a diet rich in beans and other resistant starches have shown to reduce colon cancer rates.

Just know there is much you can do on the preventative side of things. Do whatever you can whenever you can. YOU are in control.

Best.

Ipoop said...
"There are members here who can remain on the milder mesalamines because by monitoring their diet they don't need the Big Guns to manage their disease." I strongly disagree with this statement. I'd say disease severity plays a much bigger role on that than diet. Diets help some with symptoms others not so much.

Tell that to Kaz and Ima. Nobody is saying that diet works for everyone but diet modification is effective for some of us. I am allergic to 5-ASAs. Supplements help but there is no doubt in my mind that without monitoring my diet then I would either get on a Big Gun med or seriously consider surgery.

funny, that I worry about everything except colon cancer. I worry more that I will lose my colon to this disease taking over and not being able to achieve remission.

I agree with Iamcurious I think that the fact that you have uc and get regular colonoscopies then we are probably better off than the rest of the population that doesn't get regular checks

Bellski, I just wants to you to know that all kinds of meat (red meat most) is a big factor in causation of colon cancer. In spite of efforts to confuse this issue by junk food industry( just like cigarette companies), research in last 15 years has settled this issue. It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that meat is a major factor in causation of Colon Cancer. The colon cancer rate in vegetarians is very very low compared to meat eaters. ( Statistical fact) Plant based diet prevents not only colon cancer but many other types of cancers such as Uterine,Ovarian, Breast cancers.

I posted a link to that article in an already used thread recently. Can't remember which thread it was though.

Thanks everyone.

Quincy, I will ask my Dr. about the retention enemas...(I am always afraid to go on big meds...is this a steroid?) I go back to Dr. in February. I have been in this flare for about two months I think, and this is the only real flare I have had since starting meds eight years ago. My UC was diagnosed as proctitis so I am fortunate and hope it doesn't go beyond that.

Also, Thanks for the info on red meat Diva. I don't eat a lot of it and will keep that in mind for sure. My daughter is a vegetarian and she will be glad to hear this too.

Not to minimise the severity of it, but isn't colon cancer very treatable, especially when you're screened as regularly as we are? That's why I'm not that concerned about it.

The drug induced lymphomas, however, do haunt me a little.