Barbara, we are on our way out in a few minutes, but I wanted to ask you
what all tests you have had done. Have you had a bone marrow test done?
Please let me know.... A smile & hug to you! Carla
-----Original Message-----
From: Barbara Silverman <bsilverman@worldnet.att.net>
To: mol-cancer@lists.meds.com <mol-cancer@lists.meds.com>
Date: Friday, January 02, 1998 12:41 AM
Subject: Re: [MOL] Torrie
>Carla,
>
>Hi, nightbird. I was surprised to read that your oncologist gave you a 20%
>increase in survival rate. That sounds great!!!!! How did (s)he come to
>that figure? My oncologist insists there is no increase in survival rate
>based on clinical trials. But if there are so few clinical trials, I
>wonder how he can say that? As you can see, I too am driving myself in
>circles with these kind of questions.
>
>Although I strongly believe in alternate therapies, vitamins, herbs, diet
>and most definitely in a positive attitude, I feel that every avenue should
>be tried even if it is uncomfortable. I am becoming somewhat resigned to
>needing to undergo chemo (based on the 2 malignant lymph nodes and a 5+ c
>tumor) even tho I hate the idea. It just goes against my grain to
>voluntarily put poison into my body, but if it kills the worse poison I
>guess it's worth it.
>
>By the way, there are a couple of books I'd like to share with you.
>"The Cancer Recovery Eating Plan" by Daniel W. Nixon, MD
>"Antioxidant Nutrition" by Rita Greer & Dr. Robert Woodwoard
>
>I haven't read through either book in detail - but there's LOTs of recipes.
> Also, I believe that the recipes in the Nixon book are from a world famous
>chef. I ordered both books over the Internet from BarnesandNobel.com and
>received them in 3 days.
>
>Well, I'm getting kinda punchy here too. Will write tomorrow with an
>update on the family situation. I'm facing this as an opportunity to
>change how I handle my family and how I regard myself in the family
>situation. I thank God every day for my friends tho where I can share my
>feelings, fears and joy without walking on eggshells.
>
>Good night special lady.
>Luv, Barbara
>
>
>----------
>> From: ken naehring <blessu@worldnet.att.net>
>> To: mol-cancer@lists.meds.com
>> Subject: Re: [MOL] Torrie
>> Date: Thursday, January 01, 1998 9:30 PM
>>
>> Barbara... I just sent a message to Torrie about the "estrogen" thing.
>> Seems madame bull head here took herself off when all of this cancer
>scare
>> started, because I wanted to be sure that I didn't contribute to the
>chances
>> of cancer anymore than where I was. I am ok. But I do know that there
>are
>> options natural type like Yam cream, but also there is a new drug that is
>a
>> synthetic and without the risk of estrogen for side effects and cancer.
>I
>> will make sure i send it to you as soon as I locate the name again.
>>
>> I have so much to write to you and I see that you are on the net late
>> tonight just like myself, but I am waning so I may have to finish this
>> tomorrow to you. You know that I have plenty of room in my prayers for
>you
>> and others like us. I know that God has plenty of time to hear those
>> prayers too. I am glad for Torrie that she is ready to go on with her
>> treatment and very decided.
>>
>> If I am understanding correctly what I hear, there is no real data for
>many
>> stages of cancer as far as chemo with carboplatin and taxol, because
>there
>> have not been many clinical trials done i.e., for me a Stage II NSLC; all
>> the trials I can find through the National Cancer Institue are for more
>> advanced Stage than mine, so no data I can get a grip on. My oncologist
>> simply put it that he feels that with the size of my tumor when my lung
>was
>> removed combined with my overall health and age, we should pursue this as
>> aggressively as possible. He said with the size of my tumor @ 4cm +, he
>> feels it would improve my estimated survival % rate by 20%. So in his
>mind
>> this was worth it. I just have to get there in my mind.
>>
>> I will write more to you later dear friend... Carla
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Barbara Silverman <bsilverman@worldnet.att.net>
>> To: mol-cancer@lists.meds.com <mol-cancer@lists.meds.com>
>> Date: Thursday, January 01, 1998 11:51 PM
>> Subject: Re: [MOL] Torrie
>>
>>
>> >Torie,
>> >
>> >Thanks for the information. I too had Stage II Squamous Cell Lung
>cancer
>> >removed via an operation last September. Like Carla, I'm interviewing
>> >oncologists and trying to determine which way to go. I'm going to an
>> >oncologist at Sloan Kettering next Tuesday and will be asking him about
>the
>> >alternate therapies you mentioned (monoclonal antibodies, transfer
>factor,
>> >interleukin 2, adoptive immunotherapy, etc). I would really appreciate
>it
>> >if you could direct me to the sites on the internet that provide the
>best
>> >information.
>> >
>> >I had one chemo treatment and am praying that there's a better way, but
>I
>> >plan of course to do whatever is necessary. Did the doctor say to what
>> >extent the Carboplatin and Taxol will improve your chances? My current
>> >oncologist says that the clinical trials done so far don't show any
>> >reduction in the rate of return whether or not chemo or radiation is
>done -
>> >so I'm really interested in other doctors' input.
>> >
>> >I was also very interested in what you about the estrogen. I am
>> >pre-menopause but a blood test measuring my hormones showed a high level
>of
>> >estrogen. I see that's another good question for the doctor at Sloan!
>> >
>> >Torie, good luck with the chemo. Please keep us up to date with your
>> >progress and please consider me part of your rooting gallery.
>> >
>> >God bless and keep you
>> >Barbara
>> >----------
>> >> From: victoria@best.com
>> >> To: mol-cancer@lists.meds.com
>> >> Subject: Re: [MOL] Torrie
>> >> Date: Thursday, January 01, 1998 2:54 PM
>> >>
>> >> Carla,
>> >> So nice of you to ask...here's the latest.....
>> >>
>> >> As you might recall my onc. in the HMO has recommended 4 courses of
>> >> Carboplatin and Taxol, over a period of 12 weeks,...administered every
>21
>> >> days on an outpatient basis... I got a second opinion yesterday from
>the
>> >top
>> >> lung cancer med. onc. at UCSF, and without telling him anything about
>> >what
>> >> was recommended at the HMO, he recommended the same thing. Both
>doctors
>> >> said it is a tough call, and that a lot of people would recommend not
>> >doing
>> >> anything. But they think these drugs are very effective and that they
>> >will
>> >> improve my chances. I REALLY liked this doctor..he was so easy to talk
>to
>> >> and spent 2 hours with me, answering all my "stupid" questions. He
>was
>> >very
>> >> impressed with how well i'd researched the subject, which pleased
>me...
>> >> He feels that the other more experimental treatments I uncovered
>through
>> >> Medline searches and whatnot..monoclonal antibodies, transfer factor,
>> >> interleukin 2, adoptive immunotherapy, etc. are too immature in their
>> >> development, at least for lung cancer, to do me any good at this
>point.
>> >>
>> >> He did recommend a PET scan for me, because he was a little concerned
>> >with
>> >> how they had done the staging of my disease.they sampled only the
>> >enlarged
>> >> mediastinal nodes, and didn't do a formal harvest of the nodes....the
>> >> implications are that there may be lymph nodes that they didn't sample
>> >that
>> >> they should have, in the mediastinum, and a PET scan would identify if
>> >any
>> >> of those are cancerous. If that turns out to be the case, radiation
>in
>> >that
>> >> area might be indicated...
>> >>
>> >> I asked him about taking estrogen, since I have been taking it for the
>> >last
>> >> couple years...He says some adenocarcinoma tumors have estrogen
>receptors
>> >> and some don't. He recommends that the HMO do an assay on the tumor
>> >tissue
>> >> to determine this, and if mine has estrogen receptors, then I should
>> >cease
>> >> taking the estrogen. (Arggh...I hope not...)
>> >>
>> >> I go back to the onc. at the HMO on Monday, and will try to get them
>to
>> >pay
>> >> for the PET scan and the pathology assay...and will schedule the start
>of
>> >> the chemo. I don't want to wait and get more opinions..if there were
>> >more
>> >> options to choose from I would get more opinions, but I want to get
>> >started
>> >> with chemo. I believe there is a thought that after surgery, tumor
>cells
>> >> are more active and I'd like to start the chemo while the "tumor load"
>(I
>> >> think that's the phrase I've heard) is relatively low...
>> >>
>> >> So.............what about you?? Where are you in your decisionmaking
>> >process??
>> >> And, happy new year, in any case!!
>> >>
>> >> Torie
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> At 12:45 AM 12/31/97 -0500, you wrote:
>> >> >Torrie my friend, I am looking for an update on you. I saw where you
>> >> responded to Shirley about the drugs that her mom was taking and said
>> >they
>> >> are the ones recommended for you. I think they are now recommending
>> >these
>> >> for me too. Torrie, what all has brought you to the point whereby you
>> >will
>> >> go through the treatments? I am still researching whether or not this
>is
>> >> the right approach. Please send me all of the details Torrie. I
>trust
>> >in
>> >> your determination and the work that you do to help in your own
>treatment
>> >> decisions.
>> >> >
>> >> >I miss talking with you and hope that now that the holiday madness
>> >season
>> >> is almost over we will have some time to catch up. God Bless you.....
>> > Carla
>> >> ><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
>> >> ><HTML>
>> >> ><HEAD>
>> >> >
>> >> ><META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 http-equiv=Content-Type>
>> >> ><META content='"MSHTML 4.71.1712.3"' name=GENERATOR>
>> >> ></HEAD>
>> >> ><BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
>> >> ><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Torrie my friend, I am looking for an
>> >> update on
>> >> >you. I saw where you responded to Shirley about the drugs that
>her
>> >> mom was
>> >> >taking and said they are the ones recommended for you. I think
>> >they are
>> >> >now recommending these for me too. Torrie, what all has brought
>> >you
>> >> to the
>> >> >point whereby you will go through the treatments? I am still
>> >researching
>> >> >whether or not this is the right approach. Please send me all
>of
>> >the
>> >> >details Torrie. I trust in your determination and the work that
>> >you
>> >> do to
>> >> >help in your own treatment decisions. </FONT></DIV>
>> >> ><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
>> >> ><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>I miss talking with you and hope that
>> >now that
>> >> >the holiday madness season is almost over we will have some time to
>> >catch
>> >> >up. God Bless you.....
>> >> >Carla</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
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