When cancer cells die, how does it feel?

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN CANCER CELLS DIE?


To promote lasting impact, cancer drugs should force dying cells to alert immune response


Calling for a new way of thinking...

Andi

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

For me, I felt wobbly, rubber-legged weak and sick. Like I had the worst flu I'd ever experienced. Aching everywhere with no let up. Utterly exhausted, nearly flat lined. AND THAT IS SERIOUSLY FRIGHTENING! The thought occurred to me, Am I dying? I HAD NOT SUNK THAT LOW TILL APRIL OF 99. 9 MNTHS OF Taxotere knocked me on my keister. Some supplements helped my body flush out the toxins and debris. Sleep seemed by only choice. I couldn't stay awake. I couldn't move. I whispered when I spoke.

Liver detoxifaction is good -- but severely debilitating I've learned. The lingering effects of chemotherapy can knock your socks off.

Music playing all day finally helped me come alive. I saw my pointer finger moving to the syncopation. I was alive and enjoying the beat. Moved by it. It was a sign. I had made it to my reintroduction to Life. I smiled.

Didn't get out of bed for 6 weeks once I was taken off Taxotere. It was clear my body couldn't tolerate anymore. (SEE THE SURVIVOR THREAD for more details, please.) Other than going to the bathroom, showering and brushing my teeth I did not move for 6 wks.

I KNEW to drink liquids. To eat a handful of something. To do my part to stay alive and not dehyrdrate. I knew my organs were counting on my contributions. I went for my ev 3 wk Vitamin H no matter what. Came home and collapsed again into bed.

I spoke to no one. My daily lists sat as still as me. I have never ever neglected updating my daily lists for what needs to be done, in the house, on the phone, outside of the house. I could not move.

I was in the process of healing. I wasn't dying. I was healing. Taxotere nearly killed me, yet -- it saved my life. Along w/Vitamin H. And the love sent to me through my husband. It kind of levitated me temporarily from my bed ever so slightly. It made me smile. And then, I was out of it again for hours. I was making my way to wellness. I KNEW it. What I believed, what I expected would come to pass. The road was rocky, depleting and full of land mines, but -- I made it. And so can you!

In my case, I just KNEW -- I was in a process, making my way to my desired goal, and so I was filled with determination and just (barely) held on, to that end.

[NEDenise]

Andi,
This article is fascinating. I sure hope someone who's in charge of funding is looking into this. How amazing...and yet so simple.

Thanks for posting...both the article, and the story above...if even the indominable Andi BB had to retire to her bed for a while, in order to kick cancer's a$$...there's hope for the rest of us!
Denise

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Hi Denise! I too was fascinated by that article. Had to share.

The connection from bodily dysfunction to the immune system has been something I am keenly aware of, since being drawn to the mindbody thing from the early '70s when it was little spoken of. Wherever I could find info I would gobble it up. Some PBS special and a quickly defunct magazine devoted to the topic were great sources.

Then, my degenerating (spinal) disc disease at age 40 left me in constant pain and frequent utter immobility -- w/2 young children to care for. While searching for a way to learn to cope with the pain and my IT'S-ONLY-GOING-TO-GET-WORSE condition, I was led -- by 3 different people who did not know eachother -- to this physiatrist in Manhattan.

Only talking to me for an hour, then attending 2 1-hr lectures at NYU Medical Center -- I was cured! My personal experience with THE POWER OF THE MIND was life-altering. Then. And still.

And boosting my immune system w/supplements, along w/others that fight off free radicals, are anti-oxidants, keep my heart healthy (through all the chemos I've been on, w/a dad who died of heart disease at age 63, with 10 yrs of Vitamin H) I believe additionally give me energy, help lessen my hot flashes, blah, blah, blah!!

So glad you too were interested in this article.

We have to do our homework, right? We have to keep edifying ourselves. Participating in our own wellness. Key, don't you think.

Love you Denise,
Andi

[gdpawel]

Cells have their own recycling system: discarded cellular components, from individual proteins through to whole cellular organs, are degraded and the building blocks re-used in a different place. The scientific term for this recycling process is autophagy. In severely damaged cells, autophagy can also be a form of programmed cell death.

In this case, the cell uses the mechanism for complete self-decomposition. It is assumed that highly aggressive cancer cells use autophagy to resist tumor therapy. Investigations are leading to whether blocking the recycling system (autophagy) might be useful to support anti-cancer therapies. They are bascially rediscovering something reported 20 years ago (JNCI, 83:37-42, 1991).

This study had lead to the focus on the human tumor primary culture microspheroid (microclusters) platform. The functional profiling platform (phenotype analysis) studies cancer response to drugs from actual human microspheroids (tumor microenvironment), enabling it to provide clinically relevant predictions to individual cancer patients.

http://cancerfocus.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3651

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Gosh Darn pawel! How lucky we are to have you among us. How have I missed you all these years?

Thanks for the clarification. Seems the more we learn, the more we learn how much we need to learn. Have to re-invent the wheel. But with evolved thinking. Hence
-- a new way of thinking.

I feel encouraged. Appreciate your expertise kind sir! Most impressed with your cancerfocus link. Thanks so much for that.

Andi

[ElaineM]

Thanks for the thought provoking article Andrea. Good idea.
The immune system (primarily white blood cells) is very important. In the book, Anti Cancer the author suggests that those with good immune systems before, during and after cancer treatments survive longer than those whose immune systems are not so strong.
We should try to find ways keep our immune systems as strong as we can through diet and by other means.
Take care.

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

KEY TO FIGHTING OFF CANCER -- BOOSTING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. SOME IDEAS HERE, PLUS, MY SUPPLEMENTS LIST WHICH IS IN -- WHY I TAKE SUPPLEMENTS THREAD...

7 easy ways to boost your immune system - TODAY Health - TODAY.com

HERE'S THE GIST: Get lots of sleep -- 7-9 hrs a night. (Like stress, fatigue can cause a rise in inflammation in the body, which is the source of all bodily dysfunction and illness.)

Do yoga or meditate -- for relaxation. Andreas Bocelli's Romanza gets me there every time. Music, so soothing.

Use olive oil, not canola. Take omega 3 or Krill oil. Move, exercise (10 minute walks sev x a day).

TakeVitamin D -- we're typically below normal (as we age our organs demand more). I take 10,000 mg 5 days a week and am within normal range but on the low side! Check what works best for you. Buy quality products, not the cheapest. I find Vitacost.com gives great value.

Vitamin C (1,000 w/bioflavinoids), E (400) x3, zinc 30, selenium (200).

Think colors of the rainbow. Eat a whole lot of veggies and fruits -- or take anti-oxidants to help your body fight off free radicals. Also eat protein (antibodies that fight off disease are actually made up of protein). Also protein has a lot of immune boosting nutrients.

Garlic and carrots and yams are especially good for you.

Watch sugar and fat intake! They hamper the ability of white blood cells to overpower and destroy bacteria.

Socialize, enjoy the company of people you love and like. Hug often. Laugh with exuberance throughout the day! Smile. Life is good. Be grateful for each day. Share your joy and serenity (from your enhanced immune system) with everyone you meet. Talk to strangers. (They carry message for me, and you for them...)

Echinacea w/astragalus 2x a day for 1 wk. Thymulus 2x a day for next wk. Then back again.

Andi

[Ellie F]

Thanks Andi and gd! Always good to be on the case pushing forward our understanding so one day there WILL be a cure. Roll on finding the Achilles heel of cancer!

Ellie

[gdpawel]

Have you got that right Andrea!

Even if some malignant cells may settle onto a new site, their replicative success is hardly guaranteed. Most appear to either die or lapse into dormancy. Patients may harbor thousands or millions of these dormant micrometastases without suffering a fatal relapse of the disease.

According to the NCI, chemotherapy has been found to reduce the activity of the immune system's natural killer cells by 96%. So if there are tumors growing elsewhere in the body and if the immune system helps to control tumor growth, then chemotherapy could make things worse by allowing more rapid growth of the other tumors.

It is our immune system that fights against viruses, infections, cancer, etc. Chemotherapy is notorious for seriously compromising the patient's immune system by killing the cells that mediate immunity. When that immune system is suppressed or compromised, that's when disease sets in (like cancer).

The body's immune system attacks and eliminates not only bacteria and other foreign substances but also cancer cells. Cancer cells are not foreign to the body but their biological function has been altered in that it doesn't respond to the body's normal mechanisms for controlling cell growth and reproduction (uncontrolled cell growth and reproduction is what causes cancerous tumors).

Much of the body's protection against cancer is carried out directly by cells of the immune system rather than by antibodies circulating in the bloodstream.

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

I think a large part of success is kicking our immune systems into gear. If on chemo, my nutritional oncologist -- THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME YOU NEED THE SUPPLEMENTS. Chemo comprises the immune system and that is so not good for outcome.

So if we must be on chemo, we must conjunctively do everything we can to enhance our immune system -- so we feel better and have a better fighting chance of dealing with the effects of chemo on our bodies.

And don't forget the effects on our psyche. When we are in a lot of pain, daily, lacking energy, up all night stressed out and worrying about the WHAT IFS and how many tomorrows we have -- the stress and fatigue from lack of only serve to hamper our attempts at achieving wellness, NED.

I don't think I'd be here today if I hadn't used all the supplements to mitigate the damage of chemo on all my body functions. Exhaustion alone is a major downer. We get tired of saying and thinking how tired we are. We feel kvetchy. We have every right to ask for help so we can function as normally as we possibly can.

There are supplements to counteract that, to build up our flagging immune system to help us win the battle. To keep our hearts strong. To detoxify our livers and blood. To assist organ function. To relieve deep muscle pain in our limbs. To help gastro issues that erupt with chemo. To help suppress turmors, inhibit their growth, slow or prevent recurrence, have anti-inflammatory benefits that are essential to feeling well and fighting off infection.

My fav onc says, YOU SHOULD NEVER SUFFER. That's why we have pills. Take them. That's why we offer them to you. Help yourself. At the first sign of pain, take a pain pill. If you wait, it won't be as effective. I found he was right. He gave permission to nurse myself and care for myself with the attention I'd expect from a private nurse. I'd keep a list of meds and the time I took it. I made my own chart. So, even when not clear headed, groggy, sapped of all energy, I was on top of my case.

If you catch something odd, as I did, with what felt like a really really itchy bug bite on my belly, I was lucky I mentioned it and found out fast that I had shingles. The sooner you find it and get on the meds for it, plus the supplements -- you can break records getting rid of that seriously agonizing affliction and move on to what you need to do -- kick cancer in the butt!

Keep on top of everything weird. Make lists. Share them with docs. Not to whine. To do your job -- and report things as soon as possible. That simple thing can make a whole world of difference.

If you need help in the form of an anti-depressant -- ask for it. If you need help sleeping (there are anti-anxiety meds in addition to sleeping aids). You truly need your sleep. Studies show T cell counts decrease if you become sleep deprived. That is a sign of an immune system in need of help. T cells are essential to help fight off nasty microbes, infections, the waste of dying cells.

Supplements enhance the immune system -- which is a critical part of the equation for reaching remission. Supplements help bones stay healthy, block bc cell growth, elevate mood (Phenylalanine), decrease tumor burden, fight off free radicals, strengthen connective tissue, slow aging, protect the liver, rids the body of toxins, detoxifies kidney, lungs, bowels and blood stream, support liver function, offer mental clarity, full of anti-oxidants, calm excited brain activity. There are supplements to fight off chronic fatigue.

We're all going through various forms of hell. We need help. Top docs and nurses, meds, supplements, ways to cope, meditation and/or yoga, interactivity with family and friends, hugs, laughter, smiles, love, support, ways to ease our pain (body/mind/spirit).

TAKE GOOD CARE OF "YOU". BE GOOD TO YOURSELF.

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Still hoping the researchers will look into training the dying cancer cells to alert the immune system. As Denise said, sounds so simple.

Meanwhile I continue to do all the talking I can to my body to keep my immune system on my case. And I follow as best I can the 7 suggestions above for boosting my immune system.

Heaven knows, I supplement away -- fighting off free radicals, taking anti-oxidants, detoxifying, suppressing tumors, inhibiting their growth, keeping my heart healthy, taking supplements w/anti-inflammatory properties (that are not potentially harmful if taken in frequent doses), energizing me (cause without them I'd be a latke/inactive lump), helping my digestive system (to gain some control of my seriously out of whack urgently scary need to find the nearest bathroom), relieve aches and pains (which naturally come w/age but certainly come w/chemo), improve my blood glucose...

I take Zoloft which helps me be ME, I take sleeping aides (so I can get the rest my body requires to regenerate and stay sane), take Ativan, Xanax whenever I really need it, along w/blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds (cause no matter how much fat and sugar I leave out of my diet my body produces the not so good stuff).

I most definitely take D (as we age our organs demand more of it and I can't possibly eat enough of the foods that contain it, nor do I sun), Omega 3, Co-enzyme Q10, calcium, C, baby aspirin every night to prevent stroke, Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Coleus Foskohlii and of course my Evening Primrose Oil for the hotness.

BTW -- oncologist nutritionalist (my nut onc) has me on DIM-Plus (Diindolylmethane) 100 AM/PM which metabolizes estrogen, which I seem to have none of. I am ER-/PR- these days. (Started at borderline on ER/PR so they put me on Tamoxifen in '96 after 1st chemo.) When I recurred they told me to flush that down the toilet. I recall one onc said it could have caused the recurrence. Seriously?!

Now I believe finding that I was HER2+, which they didn't check for in '95, which I had to request in '98 b/c I'd been reading up in between, was the cause of my recurrence.

I think it is grand that first liners can get Herceptin from the getgo these days!!!!! A big step forward for so many!

BE WELL. TAKE GOOD CARE OF "YOU"!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sending Love and Light always,

Andi

[R.B.]

Always a delight Andi to see your positive posts (-: