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Fighting Cancer

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Re: Fighting Cancer

#111

Post by teach »

X86BSD wrote: post #106
darod wrote: post #74

I found out I had colorectal cancer 4 years ago at 33. It was a shock because I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and taught brazilian jiu jitsu nightly. There no living right or living wrong prescription that will spare you. It can catch anyone at any time just like the author states. Aside from dealing with the disease, one of the biggest issues I found was disbursing information and managing the emotions of my friend…

THIS. First I am very sorry to hear about your condition. I sincerely wish you all the best in dealing with the scourge of cancer. Second, I can't backup your statement enough. Cancer is not related to diet or exercise, not one bit. Steve jobs got it and he lived on a vegetarian diet and lived a pretty zen lifestyle at home. Not a human, but my dog who was an inside dog rarely went out except to do her business, and…

Cancer risk is influenced by diet and exercise. You may not believe that it matters, but quite a bit of excellent scientific research disagrees with you.

But you can never lower your risk to zero; there's always a chance. So given enough individuals there are always some with "perfect" lifestyle choices that still get cancer.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#112

Post by intrasight »

ekianjo wrote: post #52
melling wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's really sad is that the state of progress in cancer treatment is extremely slow. Randy Pausch, for example, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about 10 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo There are people receiving the exact same death sentence today, with the same likely outcomes. Anyway, there's a book and a PBS series for anyone interested in learning the more about the current state of…

> What's really sad is that the state of progress in cancer treatment is extremely slow. This is massively false. There are great strides made for numerous cancers, while for some others (pancreatic, colorectal being among the worst) there are still not many good options. For pancreatic cancer the main issue is that it's very hard to detect in early stages and when you get the symptoms you are basically already in st…

If early detection can make a big difference, then clearly that is the low hanging fruit of cancer research.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#113

Post by disease »

Mahn wrote: post #93
newscracker wrote: post #25

> The only way to beat cancer, really, is to die from something else first. That was a short and pointed article. More so after I read a short comic strip on PHD Comics about cancer [1], I can't help but think that "beating cancer" is a very tough (and impossible) goal for the ones suffering from it and the ones looking for better management or reduction of it. That shining light of optimism after remission is tinged…

> [1]: http://phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1162 So, forgive me if I'm being naive because I don't really have professional experience in the field of cancer research, but this comic makes it sound like a cure for cancer is impossible because it would have to deal with million different forms and shapes that it can take, but, theoretically, wouldn't it be possible to attack the root problem instead, and find a way to bi…

There is already a method that prevents such mutations: old age.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#114

Post by kilroy123 »

incanus77 wrote: post #77
ciconia wrote: post #23

I've just saw my father die of cancer a week ago. Fortunately, he did this at home and was cared for by his own family, right to the end. I wouldn't describe this experience as sad or tragic. We knew for a while that the moment was coming. I was lucky enough to be with my dad when he took his last breath, and to have been able to say goodbye. I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do in the face of imminent…

Similar experience here. My otherwise perfectly healthy, vegan, athletic wife died of sporadic metastatic pancreatic cancer four months ago at age 36. She battled it for five months after discovery (this is how pancreatic cancer often works), and although it was an incredibly tough struggle, the fact that we both had lived with no regrets and taken the opportunities available to us (and made some new ones) helped whe…

I am so sorry for your loss.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#115

Post by mmagin »

arisAlexis wrote: post #51

I am not sure why cryonics are not in the menu of every reader here when he has the opportunity (you don't have it if you die in a sudden accident) to subscribe when it seems inevitable to die.

When I was about 16, I read Larry Niven's _A World Out of Time_. It left me with very mixed feelings about the matter. Unfortunately all the times I had the means to sign up for such, I didn't have the desire to.

Tell me, what would you do if your spouse had no interest in cryonics but you did? It complicates the decision a lot.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#116

Post by ThrustVectoring »

X86BSD wrote: post #106
darod wrote: post #74

I found out I had colorectal cancer 4 years ago at 33. It was a shock because I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and taught brazilian jiu jitsu nightly. There no living right or living wrong prescription that will spare you. It can catch anyone at any time just like the author states. Aside from dealing with the disease, one of the biggest issues I found was disbursing information and managing the emotions of my friend…

THIS. First I am very sorry to hear about your condition. I sincerely wish you all the best in dealing with the scourge of cancer. Second, I can't backup your statement enough. Cancer is not related to diet or exercise, not one bit. Steve jobs got it and he lived on a vegetarian diet and lived a pretty zen lifestyle at home. Not a human, but my dog who was an inside dog rarely went out except to do her business, and…

Radio waves and microwaves are harmless. I'm an electrical engineer. There's stories of Soviet soldiers standing in front of microwave transmission dishes to keep warm, and I'm willing to do the same.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#117

Post by dualogy »

astrostl wrote: post #83
reactor wrote: post #56

Very sensible read, just one question, he mentioned "avoid junk foods, especially sugar", is sugar that bad for causing cancer?

I dunno about causes, but it is known that, unlike our bodies and brains which can run on glucose or ketones, that cancer can only run on glucose. Some of the more-promising research specifically relates to starving cancer cells of fuel. Your body can still make glucose fuel out of all kinds of stuff, including protein, though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metformin is a type 2 diabetes drug that, through usage, has…

> but it is known that, unlike our bodies and brains which can run on glucose or ketones, that cancer can only run on glucose

That's the short version. The more differentiated view is that:

- this is found to be the case "for many perhaps most" --- not all cancer/tumors

- in a glucose-starved context, "many perhaps most" cancers/tumors seem to be able to switch to glutamine or IIRC even other amino acids

- once it's "there": zero blood glucose is impossible to achieve and would be deadly, if blood glucose is mostly scavenged by the tumor(s) it stands to reason that the liver will happily waste away lean tissue over time to provide the strictly necessary blood glucose levels (there are a very few other healthy cells that also can "run" only on glucose and not metabolize fat or ketones or lactate etc, such as red blood cells, around half (or less) of the brain, and all cells that lack mitochondria)

Most cancers/tumors seem to show both: myriads of genetic mutations and severely disrupted/dysfunctional/degenerate mitochondria. The latter necessitates "anaerobic glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen", aka the Warburg effect. The debate is still ongoing which of these 2 characteristics really came first and perhaps caused the second, with mainstream largely siding with the DNA-mutations-first perspective. Anaerobic glycolysis is fermentation of glucose (or easily convertible alternatives such as glutamine) instead of oxidation of glucose (or other sources of kcal) --- abnormal for cells with functioning/healthy mitochondria except perhaps in brief anaerobic-emergency moments, and sometimes viewed as the original "ancient, pre-oxygen cellular energy generation" modus operandi.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#118

Post by shmageggy »

milesf wrote: post #81

I lost both my parents last year to cancer. Both were Christians, and so am I. I know many people find Christianity and the subject of faith to be uncomfortable, even offensive. But that's because the Christian message _is_ offensive. It makes claims that exclude all other options, that evil is real and that we are responsible for it. To me, either the message is true or it isn't. There is no grey. Either Jesus Chris…

In addition to unwarranted positivity, unwanted diet advice, and alternative medicine suggestions, I'd add one more to his list of "creatures skulking about": unwanted religious messages. As a non-Christian, if I were dying of cancer I'd really want to not spend my remaining time hearing about stuff like this. If it works for you, great, but to others who aren't sold on it, it comes off as univited at best and rude or offensive at worst.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#119

Post by omginternets »

Double_Cast wrote: post #108
omginternets wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to agree with this. People can't be expected to know what every individual would prefer to hear in every conceivable circumstance. Platitudes are often an oblique way of saying "I empathize and I wish you the best" while not being discouraging. Actually saying the above might be preferable, but it's unfair to criticize the gesture, I think. If I mention this, it's because I think there are parallels to be draw…

It's absolutely fair to criticize the gesture. You know how SJW's tell outsiders to check their privilege when they make the discussion about themselves? Platitudes similarly make the discussion about themselves instead of the cancer patient. "Fight it." Wow, you're so optimistic! "Eat more fruit." You're so knowledgeable! Since you're a certified nutritionist, am I eating enough Quinoa? http://thelastpsychiatrist.co…

Making the discussion about oneself means its not really a gesture to begin with.

I agree with your example but I think it's a different thing altogether.

Re: Fighting Cancer

#120

Post by Ralfp »

X86BSD wrote: post #106
darod wrote: post #74

I found out I had colorectal cancer 4 years ago at 33. It was a shock because I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and taught brazilian jiu jitsu nightly. There no living right or living wrong prescription that will spare you. It can catch anyone at any time just like the author states. Aside from dealing with the disease, one of the biggest issues I found was disbursing information and managing the emotions of my friend…

THIS. First I am very sorry to hear about your condition. I sincerely wish you all the best in dealing with the scourge of cancer. Second, I can't backup your statement enough. Cancer is not related to diet or exercise, not one bit. Steve jobs got it and he lived on a vegetarian diet and lived a pretty zen lifestyle at home. Not a human, but my dog who was an inside dog rarely went out except to do her business, and…

> Steve jobs got it and he lived on a vegetarian diet and lived a pretty zen lifestyle at home.

If there's any truth in stories of Job's dietary habits, those can only be described as extreme. Apparently he limited his monthly diet to single fruit or vegetable that he switched for another one at the beginning of every month. He only included variety in when eating outside.

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