Cancer, how we die from it.

[NigelJK]

I would disagree, when first diagnosed I was offered a type of Oral Chemo that is probably one of the most expensive (c£4k /mth)

That's a realitively expensive oral treatment. The Intravenous ones start at around £100K month for 6 months IIRC.

What are your views on private treatment in respect of this? Will you be given the best drugs first time around?

My wife has had 2 bouts of Cancer. The first time she was covered by PH insurance via the company she worked for at the time. The second (after 6 years), as she was unable to return to work, was via the NHS (at Christies).

The first time she had the 'best available'. The second (via the same Oncologist who had 30+ years experience) was a new treatment that was only available after it had been signed off by Hospital board.

I did ask what her thoughts on the two scenarios were and she said that PH treatment was lonely (stuck in a private room for a few hours ) and some of the Nursing staff seemed ignorant of the treatment they were giving. Christies was a 'Cattle market' (this was just agreeing with what the Oncologist had said to us), very busy (and this made both of us very sad) and a little disorganised. The staff were all 100% committed.

[scooterscot]

Crikey what a negative piece. The emphasis should be (in general) the advice you're given when you or a loved one is diagnosed. They will never give you a 'you're clear' or 'you're going to die' diagnosis (even after treatment).

Beyond terminal cancer the piece is about plaintive care. Dr's themselves admit they're not the best to tell the patient how it is. It has to be the most difficult message to communicate. I don't read it as negative. I think if the remainder of my family knew what the final stages were less grief all round. If there's one regret I have it's allowing my father to die alone in hospital.

[DallasDad]

It is an interesting article about a subject many shy away from.

Years ago I was a Tupe rep and we were being outsourced, one of my team had Lung Cancer and was on a range of experimental drugs through an occupational health scheme. He suffered enormous stress and we had to go through a ridiculous amount of bureaucracy to keep him on those drugs once we were all Tuped over. He died 6 months later. Although the drugs probably only prolonged his life by a limited period I am convinced the way he was treated did not help.

I watched my father in law pass away form Bowel Cancer - towards the end he was a shell of his former self and in a lot of pain and I am pretty certain that at the end the McMillan nurses had upped the Morphine to the point he 'just went to sleep'.

My wife is recovering from Breast Cancer, her treatment was we thought very good if you can say it like that! quick diagnosis and operation, only the regular breakdown of the radiotherapy kit became a point of frustration and criticism. But there were some awkward moments with the Oncologist, out of the blue during one visit he told her she had secondary bone cancer - effectively terminal, then a week later they decided they had got it wrong! The company I was working for at the time were great I was able to take as much time off as needed to ferry her three - four times a week to the various clinics.

The point there is it is not just the medical profession that has an impact on treatment and perhaps even prognosis some companies can make the entire experience a lot easier as well.

I have a Cousin recently diagnosed with Lung Cancer which has spread to her Brain - my wife is now giving her support based on her own experience where she can.

[NotAllThere]

... I am pretty certain that at the end the McMillan nurses had upped the Morphine to the point he 'just went to sleep'. ...

It is perfectly normal, legal and acceptable to give a lethal dose of morphine if a lower (non-lethal) dose won't control the pain.

[NigelJK]

My wife is recovering from Breast Cancer

Something they don't tell you is that for the next few years look out for Colds and the Flu. Her immune system will be shot. My missus got a cold 6 months after the first treatment and went into ICU for 2 days and then Isolation ward for a week. She's just getting over another cold, 5 years after her second treatment, and she was flat out for 2 days.

[scooterscot]

Thanks for sharing.

The whole subject of plaintive deserves much more attention from the state.

[DallasDad]

Something they don't tell you is that for the next few years look out for Colds and the Flu. Her immune system will be shot. My missus got a cold 6 months after the first treatment and went into ICU for 2 days and then Isolation ward for a week. She's just getting over another cold, 5 years after her second treatment, and she was flat out for 2 days.

Thanks
So far she has been ok on that front, however since the end of the treatment she has been permanently tired and gets a lot of pain in her feet and ankles!

During one of the Chemo sessions she had an adverse reaction with immense pain in her back
They had her in for observation immediately. and after several days and scans found it was a Gall Stone.
There was a silver lining though the scans also ruled out the idea of secondary bone cancer that we had been told about a few days earlier!

In our household I am the one that get colds for months.
Something happened to me when I was working for Fedex at Stansted in 1997. Whilst there I had incredible sinus pains which lasted for weeks followed by a dose of Bronchial Pneumonia which cleared up very soon after I resigned and went to work in sunny Romford. My chest has not been the same since though, I had my 6 monthly checkup at ENT yesterday. and should be due another lung Xray soon.

[NigelJK]

gets a lot of pain in her feet and ankles!

Is she on Exemestane (or one of the other anti-hormone therapies)? My missus suffered from this also. The Oncologist added a calcium supplement to the regime as these pharmaceuticals can bring on early Osteoporosis.

For the sake of 'the others' we should carry this on via PM's if you want to converse.

[scooterscot]

Fascinating read...

Testing multiple behaviours of cell processes through simulation is inspiring. When you think about clinicians applying treatments you don't really think about the years of study for that single approach. Imagine if we were able to test millions of approaches simultaneously... We're all used to doing that through er say Markov processes, or Monte carlo simulations, but applying to biological systems.. that's fascinating.



How Microsoft computer scientists and researchers are working to ‘solve‘ cancer

[dundeedude]

Thanks
So far she has been ok on that front, however since the end of the treatment she has been permanently tired and gets a lot of pain in her feet and ankles!

During one of the Chemo sessions she had an adverse reaction with immense pain in her back
They had her in for observation immediately. and after several days and scans found it was a Gall Stone.
There was a silver lining though the scans also ruled out the idea of secondary bone cancer that we had been told about a few days earlier!

In our household I am the one that get colds for months.
Something happened to me when I was working for Fedex at Stansted in 1997. Whilst there I had incredible sinus pains which lasted for weeks followed by a dose of Bronchial Pneumonia which cleared up very soon after I resigned and went to work in sunny Romford. My chest has not been the same since though, I had my 6 monthly checkup at ENT yesterday. and should be due another lung Xray soon.

My father had this. Gave up all dairy products and doesn't have issues anymore.

Apparently it's very common as people get older - causes all sorts of sinus issues. Common to even develop an allergy after an exremely bad flu with complications.